Descend (Awakened Fate Book 2) by Skye Malone Read Free Book Online Page A

blushed as she glanced to me.
    “Ina…” I growled.
    My sister’s smile took on an impish edge. “What?”
    “Can we not do this?”
    She gave me a mock-disappointed look. “Oh fine,” she surrendered, letting Chloe’s hand go. “So what were you talking about, then?”
    I hesitated. “The water thing. And before you ask, no, I don’t know anything more.”
    Ina turned back to Chloe. “So what is it?”
    Chloe glanced between us. “I’m not really sure what you mean,” she said cautiously.
    “Things feel different around you,” I explained. “Like… like there’s a charge to the water.”
    Her brow rose.
    “It’s not so much right now,” I tried.
    “I can’t even tell it’s there anymore,” Ina added.
    I gave her a frustrated glance before continuing. “I noticed it the first time I saw you, though. You were on the beach with that human guy. The one in the water yesterday. Your feet touched the waves and…” I shrugged. “I could feel it.”
    “Me too,” Ina said. “And I was a mile or so away.”
    Chloe stared at us.
    “I’m guessing you didn’t know, though,” I finished.
    Her expression didn’t change.
    “What did Dad think about all this?” Ina asked into the silence.
    “He’s the one who put the guards on her.”
    “Huh. Well, um… what about Granddad? Maybe he’ll know something.”
    I paused. “Jirral’s here? You’ve talked to him?”
    She had the grace to look embarrassed. “Not yet. But he sends me letters occasionally. And he’s back in the area now. Has been since last week.” She shrugged. “I was going to tell you. I just…”
    I looked away. I could understand why she hadn’t said anything. Even if I hadn’t been in Santa Lucina, it wasn’t simply a question of seeing him.
    It was a question of whether or not any of us would want to.
    I let out a breath, feeling the pressure of Chloe’s confusion as she looked between us. Everything else aside – and ‘everything else’ contained a lot – Jirral was one of the most connected people I knew. He travelled the entire ocean and counted as friends more people than I’d met in my entire life. If anyone had heard of somebody like Chloe, it’d be him.
    Even if I’d rather have discussed this with the Sylphaen than him.
    “Where is he?” I asked.
    “A house near the city wall.”
    “That close?”
    “I think he wants to try to make peace with Dad again.”
    I watched her for a moment. She shrugged.
    Taking a breath, I shook my head and then glanced to Chloe. “Care to meet more of my family?”
    She looked skeptical. I couldn’t blame her.
    Not knowing what else to say, I headed for the door. The guards would probably want to come – something that would upset Jirral to no end. But there was no way to get them to stay here, so we’d just have to deal with it.
    Which was sure to be fun.
    Grimacing, I swam out of the room.
     

Chapter Six
     
    Chloe
     
    With guards surrounding us, I trailed Zeke and Ina down the hall. The girl looked like her brothers – all dark hair, sapphire eyes, and features so sharp they could probably cut something. Unlike what wrapped my stomach and chest, the opalescent gunmetal of her scales ended at her hips, where they became skin again. A faux-bikini top of scales covered her chest, the back of which gave up the illusion and twisted off across the silver sheen of her skin like an exotic tribal tattoo. An amused smile hovered around her lips, the expression reminiscent of Niall, as if the world was a joke out of which she was determined to get the most enjoyment she could.
    And she was royalty. Her brothers were royalty.
    I’d been talking with, and swimming with, and generally following royalty .
    No matter how I tried, I couldn’t quite wrap my head around it, any more than I could understand what Zeke had said about me and the water. How could I be doing something and not realize it? Sending a charge through the ocean strong enough that Ina had felt it over a mile