Endless by Marissa Farrar Read Free Book Online

reassurance in the knowledge that tonight his call would be a certainty. Of course, depending what time it was in whatever part of the world he currently resided in, dusk for Sebastian might come at any time. He might have been trying to call already only to find no one answering.
    A small, perverse part of her heart lifted. He would need to come home now. He’d stayed away to keep Elizabeth safe, but now their daughter was no longer safe from herself …
    No, Serenity chastised herself. She couldn’t allow herself even a modicum of happiness. This wasn’t a happy situation, far from it. She would always choose Elizabeth over Sebastian if she needed to. But, nevertheless, her soul lightened at the thought of seeing him again. She couldn’t crush the excited flickering in her heart which stirred the thick layer of dread that had settled upon seeing Elizabeth curled up in the bathroom.
    By the time they reached home, Elizabeth’s tears had stopped and she’d fallen into silence. Instead of needing help into the house, she stalked up the steps and through the front door, a mixture of anger and misery radiating from her. Serenity followed her into the house and threw her purse on the hall console. She glanced at the phone, willing it to ring, but of course it did not. She sighed and went into the kitchen, not knowing what to say or do to help her daughter feel better. That it was Elizabeth’s birthday and this awful thing had happened broke her heart. She hoped it wouldn’t mar all her birthdays to come.
    “Can I get you something?” she asked Elizabeth. The girl had plopped herself onto one of the stools at the kitchen counter. “Some tea might help settle your stomach.”
    Elizabeth’s chin was crushed into her palm, her elbow on the counter. “My stomach feels just fine.”
    Serenity risked a smile. “That’s good. Maybe I can make you a sandwich then? You should really have something to eat.”
    Elizabeth lifted her head and glared at Serenity before jumping down from the stool. “I ate! Remember, Mom? I already ate!”
    And with that she whirled from the room and disappeared up the stairs, her feet clomping on the treads.
    With a sickening realization, the implication of Elizabeth’s word s sank in.

Chapter Five
     
     
    At the same moment the sun set beneath the horizon, Sebastian’s eyes flew open. The cellar of the old, abandoned hunting lodge in which he’d taken refuge remained pitch black, but this didn’t affect his body clock. He always knew, through some intrinsic aligning of his body and the solar and lunar cycle, when his time had come to wake or sleep.
    Today he had a reason to stir from his dreamless slumber. Today was Elizabeth’s birthday.
    He pushed off the wooden crates he’d positioned over himself—extra protection in case someone did return to this place. He doubted they would; he’d been able to tell from the smell of the old cabin that no human had been here for several years now, but he preferred to be cautious. The cellar stank of dampness, mold and mildew covering every surface. The rough log walls of the levels above ground had fared a little better, but he’d not been tempted to stay beneath one of the beds or even in one of the musty closets. With these old places, there was always a chance of a crack appearing in the wooden walls or furniture, allowing sunlight through. Just a chink of light would cause him some serious burns and he couldn’t risk needing to find somewhere else to hide out in the middle of the day—something that could kill him.
    Anyway, he didn’t plan on staying here for long. He didn’t stay anywhere for any length of time , and he’d been at the cabin for a couple of weeks now. His time to keep moving was fast approaching, though he was unsure where he would head to next. He lived the existence of a nomad, constantly moving onward, with no plan or schedule to negotiate his movements. He figured the less he knew where he was headed, the less