Guardians (Seers Trilogy) by Heather Frost Read Free Book Online Page A

and tugged on the strap of my bag, which was slipping down my shoulder. “I wish he’d just try something already,” I muttered.
    Patrick blinked quickly. “What?”
    “I hate this waiting. It’s making me go insane.”
    “You want the Demons to come after you?” He nearly choked, struggling with the thought.
    I nodded once, unrepentant. “At least then we’d know if all this protection is even worth the effort. I mean, knowing we haven’t deflected any of his attempts doesn’t exactly make me feel safer. All it proves is that the Demon Lord is taking his precious time to come get his revenge.”
    “Kate. I didn’t realize you had so little faith in me.”
    He construed things so personally sometimes. Regardless, I felt bad for letting my frustration out. “No, of course I trust you. That’s not what I meant at all.”
    He forced a somewhat pale smile and squeezed my hand. “I know.”
    I sighed deeply. “Forget it. Forget I said anything.”
    “No. If you need a break . . .” He shrugged. “I should be grateful you invited me along.”
    I smiled thinly up at him, searching his face carefully. “Are you sure?”
    He nodded. “What is it you’d like to do?”
    “I didn’t think that far ahead. But as long as I’m with you, and there’s no Toni involved . . . I’ll be happy with whatever.”
    He smiled fully. “Very well. I’ll pick you up tonight at six, if that works.”
    “You’re taking me on a date?”
    “You sound surprised. Isn’t that what a boyfriend is supposed to do?”
    My lingering smile was still wide by the time we’d gotten our food and taken seats at our usual table. Patrick reached over to help Jason open his water bottle, simultaneously offering a warm hello to Landen. All of the kids at this table were happy—no denying that. But Landen’s aura seemed brighter than most. More content than most. He hardly ever spoke, and on the rare occasions he did, words were scarce. Emotions were always strong with him, and they flared brightly in his aura. When Patrick asked him once what he loved most, the answer had been simple: “Mom.”
    Today, Landen merely nodded at Patrick’s greeting.
    Trent started asking me if I was having spaghetti, which pulled my attention from watching Landen eat his spinach salad.
    “Nope, just a sandwich,” I told him.
    Trent’s smile was still wide. “Spaghetti?”
    “What are you having?” I asked, deciding a different approach might better further the conversation.
    “Spaghetti,” he informed me happily.
    “He is not!” David called out accusingly. “He’s having pizza!”
    “No, spaghetti,” Trent insisted calmly.
    “No, it’s pizza!” David whined.
    I gave him a firm look. “David, it’s okay.”
    “Patrick . . .”
    Patrick looked up from helping Jason. “David, Kate’s right. Don’t worry about Trent.”
    “Fine. I’ll never worry about him ever again.
Ever
.”
    I fought the urge to roll my eyes, and luckily I had the distraction of turning to see Olivia taking her seat next to me. She mumbled a quiet greeting, and then she started eating her large chocolate chip cookie.
    I began unwrapping my sandwich but paused and looked up when I heard Lee’s happy voice. “Much more of this, and I’m going to go insane, that’s what.”
    Rodney, who was walking beside her, chuckled. “I don’t know that anyone could tell the difference, actually.”
    She was holding her lunch tray, but she managed to thrust an elbow into his side. He groaned and favored his side with a bent arm, his tray tipping precariously. “
Ow
, Lee. That’s what I get, after helping you with the music? Nice, really nice.”
    She grinned at him with her green lips, and her green hair seemed to shimmer under the lights when she sat across from me. “You secretly like me,” she told him.
    He took his seat on her side and snorted once. “Yeah. It’s so top secretly secret that even
I’m
unsure.” He then leaned in and placed a quick kiss