Earth Child (Romance Novels of The Fae Realm) by Rosemary Green Read Free Book Online

on the side of the trail.  The darkness was over powering.  It weighed and pushed on me to the point where I felt I couldn’t breathe.  I could hear the crashing of swords nearby and the physical grunts of exertion.  I rolled onto my hands and knees and struggled to push myself upright.  My hands sank into the soft earth and I heard a new sound, the soft whispering of the forest around me.  The trees were alive with worry and fear; they sensed the unnatural presence of Jariah, helpless against his power.
                I knew how they felt.  With the heavy weight of darkness came a numbing cold.  I longed for the heat of the sun to beat down on my back and head once again.  As if sensing my wish the trees started to shake and shudder around me.  I could hear their whispers more clearly now. 
Earth Child!  Earth Child! 
They grew in volume and excitement. 
The Earth Child has returned!
And suddenly the trees parted, letting the sun shine down full and bright on the path and all that surrounded it.
                With a scream, Jariah covered his eyes from the light and disappeared in a wraith like fog, taking all the feelings of evil and darkness with him.
                Shakily pushing myself to my feet I turned to Cerus.  He was kneeling on the forest floor, like a servant would bow before a queen.  Looking down the path I saw Sam running toward me.  I flew into his tight embrace, grateful that he was okay.  Cerus stood once more and turning toward him I opened my mouth to speak, but Sam beat me to it.
                “Dude.  What the heck just happened?”

Chapter 3  
Really! Me?
     
                The three of us made our way down the rest of the trail with no further incident.  No one spoke.  I could tell that Sam had a million questions.  A sudden fatigue over took me.  I watched as Sam made his way to his Honda and Cerus turned toward the sleek Cadillac.
                “Sam, I’m not really hungry.  I just want to go home” I said turning toward Sam’s car.
                “Yeah okay” he nodded, stowing my bag in the trunk and unlocking the passenger door for me.
                “Where are you going?” Cerus asked, confused that I hadn’t automatically followed him.
                “I’m going home.”
                “You can’t go home.  It’s not safe.  You need to come with me.”
                “How do I know going with you is safe?  I don’t know you Cerus.  I don’t know what just happened.  What I do know is that I am tired, I am freaking out, and I want to go home” I didn’t wait around to hear his response.  I got in the car, yelled for Sam and we drove off, leaving a dusty Cerus in our wake.
                “What just happened Lex?” Sam asked me.
                “I have no idea” I sighed, “you’re safe, I’m safe, let’s just go home and forget this day ever happened.”
                “Uh…I don’t think that’s going to be possible.”
                I looked over at Sam to see him looking in the rear view mirror.  Twisting in my seat I saw the Cadillac quickly gaining on us, Cerus’ pale form visible behind the wheel, “You’ve got to be kidding me!” I protest.  “Pull over Sam.”  The car had barely come to a stop when I fling open the door and angrily storm out, standing arms akimbo as I wait impatiently for Cerus to step out of his car as well.
                As if nothing was wrong, Cerus stepped out of his car and calmly walked to me.  Reaching up a hand he tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear and wiped a smudge of dirt from my cheek.  He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me in close for a hug.  Deflated I dropped my arms at my side and let his warmth envelop me.  I raised my head to meet his eyes.  There was deep concern written in their azure depths, and something else