Lailah (The Styclar Saga) by Nikki Kelly Read Free Book Online

together, but I believe it was a long time ago indeed. And yet, it doesn’t seem that you have suffered from the ages.”
    His lower lip quivered; he seemed sad. I waited, letting him contemplate, but he didn’t answer my question. “Let’s go inside, we can sit in the gardens at the back,” was all he said.
    Entwining my hand with his, as though it was the most natural thing in the world, he led me back through the country house. For now, at least, it seemed empty of Vampires. He guided me through the kitchen to the garden outside, where he sat me down on a cushioned rattan chair in front of the French doors. He made his way back inside the kitchen and returned with a jug of chilled lemonade and two glasses, pouring one for me.
    I took a sip. It was real, fresh lemonade, nothing quite like it. The crisp, bitter flavor danced on my taste buds with a clean, dry finish.
    The aroma filled my senses and, against my wishes, memories began to cascade in.
    My eyelids started to flutter rapidly as my vision began to blur. I was no longer sitting on the patio with Gabriel. Instead, I was watching myself with him, munching from a picnic on a beautiful green, grassy verge, overlooking a lake. Wearing an almost military-style outfit, complete with a long velvet navy jacket, Gabriel looked incredibly handsome. Where this had been, I didn’t know—when it had been, I could only assume was a very long time ago.
    The sun was high and I could almost taste the summertime. We were clinking our glasses together and sipping the same lemonade. I was laughing at something he had said, and blushing. I hadn’t watched this scene play out before; but there it was, within reach.
    I moved my fingertips toward the image and the air seemed to undulate, like a pebble skimming over water, creating ripples before my eyes. The dreams and visions I had started to make sense. But I still hadn’t put the pieces together. It was so frustrating, not knowing if what I was seeing was a true memory or merely my imagination. Like the past, which had become distorted and cloudy, my mind was in shadow, unable to separate reality from dream.
    I turned my attention to the bushes farther back; something was rustling in among the leaves, spying on Gabriel and me together. Slowly, I moved my focus over to the disturbance. There was a young man holding his knees to his chest, his face hidden. I could only see him from behind; his shoulder-length hair was tied in a low ponytail behind his neck. His hands shook. My eyes were drawn to a large gold sovereign ring. I moved toward him, but came to an abrupt stop. It was as though I had hit an invisible wall.
    Something was wrong.
    The air seemed to pop and then it was black, empty: a void. The sun was no longer shining, the warmth of the light breeze had vanished, and darkness engulfed me. I froze, too terrified to move.
    Thunder pounded through the stillness; something was approaching and fast. I searched for Gabriel and me, but everything about the memory vanished. Just as quickly as it had come, it disappeared.
    Out of the nothingness, the creature stepped forward. The sight of me ignited the bonfires that burst from his globes as though he was envisioning the world aflame. I was able to see his stained face. He tilted his head ever so slightly, considering me.
    I came back to my body. My hands were ghost-like in front of me. I felt my fists clench defensively, shaking uncontrollably as the creature snarled, bearing his fangs.
    And he wasn’t alone.
    The thunderous noise underfoot had stopped, replaced with high-pitched squawks, piercing my hearing and surrounding me.
    They were watching.
    My gaze traced the quill-shaped lines of black ink that ran across his face. He had a hypertrophic scar stamped across his glabella, a spiral that coiled in the middle and branched out above the brow of his left eye.
    He extended his arm and, with his clawed finger, signaled for me to move closer. I felt odd, compelled to do as he