Finite by Viola Grace Read Free Book Online Page B

needed to bring me out of my sleep, to give me physical form so that I can defend Haloth.”
    “Why can’t the brotherhood do it?”
    “They are servants of the minds here. They are the conduits through which the energies flow. You are the commander of the pattern. You shape the waves of power and make them into a greater whole.”
    She liked the description but was fairly sure he was exaggerating. “I just listen and try to figure out what needs to be done.”
    “And you have amazing intuition.” He stroked the side of her face with his fingers, trailing down to her neck.
    She shivered. “What do the marks on the brotherhood mean?”
    “One arm is service, the other is harmony.”
    “Where do they get…everything?”
    “Fruits and vegetables are grown in the surrounding forest. Most of what you classify as meat is actually a fungus or mushroom. There have been attempts to domesticate animals here but few are able to survive the impact of new arrivals.”
    Cera relaxed as his trailing fingers stroked up and down her arm.
    Renn whispered, “Under has brought you some clothing. He says that Charm’s wife saw you wearing them, so it would be best not to mess with destiny.”
    She chuckled. “I have spoken with Rhoda. She claims to have a talent for drawing the destiny of the people she is focussing on, and I have to say, she is right.”
    “Good. He also included some of the portraits that Rhoda painted after your disappearance. They are rather interesting.”
    “I look forward to seeing them and the clothing.”
    He sighed, “I believe that the brothers have already filled your wardrobe with the clothing.”
    “Why the big sigh?”
    “If you are interested in clothing, then our time together is over.”
    She pressed a kiss to his neck. “Not over, it is just beginning, but I want to learn about the world I am on and some things have to be done on foot.”
    “You want to go for a walk?”
    “I do. Stretching my legs might just let them come back together again.” She shifted to leave his lap, and he held onto her for a moment before letting her go.
    She pattered to the wardrobe on bare feet and gasped at the riot of colour and fabric that greeted her when the doors swung open. Part of her inner princess squealed with delight. With an eye to taking a walk, she put on a pair of boots, yanked on a bright blue dress and then laced a tight leather vest over top to keep the flow of fabric under control.
    “That feels better. Do you want to come with me for a walk?” She smiled at the picture that Renn presented. He was already dressed in boots, trousers and a long white shirt.
    If he were a puppy, his tail would have been wagging.
    She extended her hand, and she hauled him out of their rooms and into the hall with a laugh. He tugged her hand and grinned as he swung her back into his arms. “Allow me.”
    He held her against his chest and jumped over the stair railing, levitating slowly to the main floor.
    Her heart was pounding heavily at the peculiar sensation of falling, and the moment they were on the ground, she punched him in the chest. “You could have warned me.”
    He grinned. “You have your skills, I have mine. This is the first incarnation where I could fly though. Your influence?”
    “I was a fan of comic books growing up. Flying men who could lift me as if I weighed nothing was a huge turn on.” She winked as he set her back on her feet.
    She turned when she heard chuckling. The Guardians were watching them.
    Pathway nudged Tailwind. “You could have been in there.”
    Cera blushed, and so did the shy bulk of Tailwind. His physique was similar to Renn’s, but his huge bat-like wings made for a marked difference.
    He ducked his head. “She’s too tiny for me. I need a woman I won’t crush.”
    Cera grinned. “Ask Charm’s wife to do a portrait.”
    Tailwind shook his head. “I am not ready to settle down yet, and if I know what she looks like, I won’t stop searching.”
    Renn kept an