Clarity: A Young Adult Paranormal Vampire Romance (Blood Haze Book 4) by Tara Shuler Read Free Book Online Page A

mother took me to Phuket when I was thirteen. It’s insanely good.”
    Jamie’s cheeks flushed, and she said, “If you all like it that much, I’d be happy to cook for you.”
    I squealed and squeezed her tight, and she smiled. She was always so eager to please. It was no wonder Will loved her. I loved her, too.
    “I’ll wash the dishes,” she said, standing up and taking my plate away.
    “Don’t be silly!” I told her. “Let the guys in the kitchen do it. We always just put our stuff in the window. It’s their job.”
    “I cooked, so I clean,” Jamie chastised me. “That’s how it works. They let me use their kitchen so generously. I wouldn’t dream of just leaving it in a mess.”
    “Point taken,” I said. Then I asked Will, “While I help Jamie in the kitchen, why don’t you go downstairs with Liam and work on your ability?”
    “You know I can’t leave you,” Liam said.
    “I’m only going to be helping Jamie wash dishes,” I told him. “I’ll be fine.”
    “Alexi would flip out,” Liam said. “How about we all wash dishes so they get done faster, and then we’ll all go downstairs?”
    I shrugged and said. “Fair enough.”
    We made quick work of the kitchen and left it even cleaner than it had been before. Seeing we’d taken care of the dishes appeased the cooks. I guess they were relieved they hadn’t had to clean up someone else’s mess. I knew they wouldn’t give us any trouble when Jamie wanted to cook in the future.
    Once downstairs , Liam took us into a room near the end of the hall. It contained a bunch of chests, most locked with ancient looking padlocks, and some with newer combination locks. There were also several safes and locked cabinets.
    “What is this place?” I asked.
    “Treasure room,” Liam explained. “Nothing is particularly valuable, but a lot of it is old and rare. Some of it is sentimental. And some of it is… well, let’s not get into that.”
    “Get into what?” I pressed him.
    “Some of it’s dangerous, ok?” he whispered. “But it’s all hidden among the junk, so untrained eyes wouldn’t know what to look for.”
    “I see,” I said, my curiosity sufficiently aroused.
    “Don’t get any ideas,” he said quickly. “Alexi knows exactly where every single item is, and if it’s touched, he will know.”
    “I wasn’t going to touch anything,” I groaned.
    “Really?” he challenged me.
    “Ok, fine, I was going to touch stuff, but I wasn’t going to do anything with any of it,” I admitted.
    “Anyway,” Liam sighed, turning to Will. “Ready to work on your ability? All these locks work differently, so you can practice on different types and difficulties.”
    Will shrugged and said, “I’ve really only done this a couple of times. I don’t even know if I can do it unless it’s an emergency.”
    “Just try,” Liam said. “Concentrate.”
    I motioned to a bench against the wall, and Jamie and I quietly slid onto it to watch. Will stood before one of the older padlocks and stared at it, trying to open it. Nothing happened, and he exhaled sharply.
    “Don’t hold your breath,” Liam said. “People think holding your breath helps concentration, but it only saps your energy. Breathe in through your nose, and then out through your mouth. Slowly. Try again.”
    Will nodded and started breathing slowly and deliberately. I could see his shoulders rising and falling as he concentrated. The lock rattled slightly. Then it rattled again. Finally it popped open and hung swinging in its loop.
    “Great job!” I shouted, clapping wildly. Jamie joined in my applause.
    Will took a dramatic bow, smiling proudly, but Liam wasn’t so eager.
    “All right, enough theatrics,” Liam said. “Let’s try a harder lock.” He pulled Will over to a chest using a newer looking combination lock. “Try this one.”
    I could see that Will was struggling with this one. The lock barely jittered as the knob wiggled back and forth. He couldn’t seem to get