Clash of the Otherworlds: Book 1, After the Fall by Elle Casey Read Free Book Online

"Especially with your boobs and all."
    "Great," I said shaking my head, picturing poor Willy doing face-plants into my private parts.
    "What?" asked Ben.
    "You don't want to know," I said, walking down the hallway, not paying attention to where we were going.  
    My mind wandered to the voice I'd heard in my head during the meeting.  I wondered who it belonged to and if Tim would know how to find her.  If she knew about a weapon I could use, I needed to get my hands on it before this match with Maléna, and in enough time that I could learn how to use the damn thing.

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    CHAPTER FIVE
     
    WE ARRIVED AT BEN'S ROOM a few minutes later.  Unlike mine, it had only a single entry door.  He pushed it open and gestured for me to go in ahead of him.  I walked by him, trying to ignore the Ben-smell that snuck up into my nose.  It was nearly intoxicating, the way it made me instantly think of him as a guy - one I'd kissed pretty passionately not that long ago.
    I stepped over the threshold and was immediately struck by how masculine the room felt.  It was dark, much darker than mine; and the greenery was at a bare minimum.  No pixies would be making their homes here.  This was more a place for bugganes - classy ones, though, if there was such a thing.
    The walls had tapestries woven of strange thread that seemed to wink with dark amber and colors of the rainbow in deep hues.  They had battle scenes on them, with many creatures I knew and others I'd never seen.  I stepped closer to one that was done in blacks and purples with some turquoise mixed in, noticing the theme of this one was dragons.  I reached up to touch one of them, fascinated with how fierce they looked, when Ben's voice caused me to jerk my hand back.
    "Careful.   Beautiful, aren't they?"
    "Yes," I said softly, mesmerized by the artwork, wondering what I needed to be careful of.  Maybe they were ancient and would fall apart at the slightest touch, but they sure looked sturdy enough.
    "Would you like something to drink?" he asked.
    I turned around to see what he was offering.  He was standing near a table that had a decanter, a small silver bowl with a lid, and crystal glasses around it.
    "What is that?"  The liquid in the crystal container was a light green color for the most part, but the cuts of the decanter made it look different shades, catching some of the darkness of the room to make parts of it seem almost black.
    "This is absinthe here," he said pointing to the liquid I'd been eyeing with mistrust.  "But I have other things as well.  Juice, water, ...."  He looked at me expectantly.
    "I'll have some water, thanks."  I had no idea what absinthe was, but it looked enough like a buggane martini that I knew it wasn't going to be my thing; at least, not in the middle of the afternoon.  I continued my perusal of his room while he poured me a drink from a bottle inside the cabinet the glasses were resting on.
    A seating area of chairs and a couch dominated the space I was standing in.  The wood was done in a dark stain and each piece heavy.  This furniture was nothing like the type in the conversation area in Dardennes' office - those looked delicate and classy.  This stuff looked like things from an ancient castle.  The materials on the seats and backs were silk and crushed velvet, except for one chair that was done in a deep, blood-red leather.  Intricately-patterned, thick, persian-style carpets were scattered around the space.  There was an arch-shaped door on the left side of the room, leading presumably to a bedroom.  I still hadn't seen my own bedroom, and no way was I going to wander over and look in his.  I was afraid he might take it as a sign of interest - interest that I still wasn't sure I had, regardless of how stimulating I might have found our one and only kiss.
    "Here you go," he said, walking over and handing me a glass of water.  
    I took a sip.  It was cool and refreshing, making me want to