Descending (The Rising Series) by Holly Kelly Read Free Book Online Page B

up. “Gretchen!” She squealed like a child as the human rushed in and wrapped her arms around her in a quick hug. “What a surprise. What are you doing here? I thought you had an internship.”
    “I did.” She stepped back. “It’s a long story. I’ll tell you…” Her eyes drifted down at her blanket and widened. “You look different! Your legs… they look strange. What’s going on?”
    “Um, my dad…”
    “You found your dad?”
    Sara nodded.
    “You’re kidding me. Who is he? Where does he live? And what does he have to do with your legs?”
    “My dad’s name is Ty. Oddly enough, he lives near where Xanthus is from.”
    “Your dad is Greek?”
    “Most definitely.”
    “Wow, what are the odds? So what about your legs… ?”
    This human was tenacious. Kyros sized Gretchen up as he followed them down the hall. She was as small as a Dagonian child—about five feet. But her shape… absolutely not childlike, with curves in just the right places.
    “My dad found a brilliant surgeon . He says he can fix my legs.”
    “You’re kidding! Really?”
    Sara’s face turned bright red as she nodded. Kyros frowned at her. She was a terrible liar.
    “That is so amazing!” Gretchen squealed. “I knew you shouldn’t give up. Do you think you’ll be able to learn to walk?”
    “The doctors seem optimistic.”
    “Wow, I’m so happy for you.” Gretchen leaned forward to give Sara another hug.
    Sara sighed as Gretchen stood back up. “I’ve missed you.”
    “Me too,” Gretchen answered.
    Gretchen smiled, but there seemed to be a hint of sadness in her eyes. She glanced back to Kyros, and her eyes lightened. “And is this…”
    “Xanthus’s best friend, Kyros,” Sara answered.
    Gretchen raised an eyebrow. “I guess tall men like to stick together.” As if to illustrate her point, Stanton, Drakōn, and Pallas were standing in the living room as they stepped through the door.
    Gretchen’s eyebrows rose. “Looks like I’m more right than I thought.” A wide smile spread across her face. Her dimples were a bit distracting and made the human look even more adorable. She was nothing like he had imagined a human would be.
    “Hello, boys,” she said cheerfully.
    The three Dagonians gaped at her; Kyros was shocked himself. Did she just call these Dagonian warriors boys? Was this not an insult? Her demeanor was friendly, even if her words were offensive.
    “The hu… girl just said hello. Are you not going to greet her in return?” Kyros asked , his gaze as hard as granite. He didn’t know why he stood up for the human, but he knew she’d meant no offense.
    They gave a quick nod and grumbling hellos.
    “Wow, I could use a sweater after that warm welcome,” Gretchen said. Kyros caught the sarcasm in her statement and nearly smiled.
    “Okay, out! All of you,” Sara said, pointing to the door. “We have some catching up to do.” Kyros pressed his lips together. They filed out obediently, making their way to the back door. The house Xanthus had bought had the most amazing view of the ocean. The scent of the sea breezed over the waves. Kyros decided not to join the others. Instead, he made his way to the library.
    The book he wanted sat prominently on the desk: The Mer—A Complete History . He sank into a chair, opened the cover, and leafed through the pages. The first chapter was all about Triton. The next chapter was about Triton’s children—when they were born, what each of their gifts and abilities were… Gifts? Abilities?
    Th e first Mer listed in the book was Phiobe—born five thousand years ago. She spent much of her time among the reefs, playing with the sharks. She had the gift of speech. She could speak all the languages of sea—shark, dolphin, whale, even crab and bony fish. She loved her sea friends so much that she refused to eat them. Instead, she ate seaweed and kelp.
    Kyros frowned. That mermaid was unlike any he’d heard of before.
    Medon was next; he was a merman who had