Paradox - Progeny Of Innocence (bk2) (Paradox series) by Patti Roberts Read Free Book Online Page A

breathing soul. Unless, of course, it is your wish to die on that particular day." Pandora turned and sauntered away to study herself in the mirror. She smiled conceitedly at her own reflection. "Perfect," she said, praising herself. Cerberus could wait for a little longer, she decided, as she played with a strand of her hair. After all, he had left her without hesitation to go off and fight in his silly war, had he not? "Close the doors behind you," she called over her shoulder to the two men, without shifting her eyes from her own reflection.
    "Narantu," Pandora called for the girl again.
    Narantu scurried into the room. "Yes, my lady," she answered, more than eager to please.
    "I think I will have my hair up for this evening, after all."

CHAPTER 4 – Earth To Earth

     
    Bakari squatted on the damp grass in the ancient forest and made a small clearing with his hands. He gathered twigs and sticks and began to prepare a small fire. A rustle of leaves made him stop for a moment. He squinted, and scanned the dark forest around him. A bluish mist glowed ghostlike and rose slowly from the ground, distorting his vision. Dark shadows darted between massive tree trunks. The forest owned its own noises and creatures at night. Somewhere deeper in the forest, a heavy throb, throb, throb sounded in the darkness. An owl hooted four times, then the throbbing began again as the owl took flight. The wings of a giant owl, Bakari could tell. He sucked in a breath. The owl, the foreseer of the underworld, and the messenger of evil. He was not ignorant of the ancient legends of the forest and its people. Even the spectre hounds that foraged on the edge of the forest at night in a bid to search out any meaty morsels were cautious when it came to the ancient forest. They knew that danger lurked in the long shadows cast by the soaring trees and their inhabitants. Bakari had been into the forest many times, but never alone, and now he wished he had waited by the stone gateway with its bright burning torches. There wasn’t a wall to speak of, just the heavy wrought-iron gates that creaked a little when he eased his way through. He could quite as easily have entered at any place along the dense tree line, but he knew better than to do that. He rubbed his arms briskly and considered going back to wait for Temulun and Keyla by the gate.
    Then he heard something else creeping in the darkness. He began rubbing the palms of his hands faster and faster together until a small spark ignited between his palms. He offered the spark down toward the small pile of twigs until a wisp of smoke began to twist in the air. He leaned down further and gently blew on the smoldering twigs until a stronger, brighter flame began to rise. The night had turned suddenly cold, and he had not come prepared. Just his trousers, sandals, and an open leather vest that he now buttoned up quickly in an effort to ward off the icy chill. He reached for the mound of larger sticks and gently laid them across the orange flame. Another noise, much closer now, held his attention.
    Something slithered across his foot, and he jumped. A haunting giggle echoed through the forest.
    "Who goes there?" He asked quietly. "Is that you, Temulun, Keyla? Stop playing games."
    Then a loud thud as a large boulder fell from the dark sky and landed just three hands away from him. He jumped back quickly, pressing his back into the trunk of a Blackthorn tree and slicing his arm open on a protruding thorn. It wasn’t a boulder, he saw, but the bloodied severed head of a spectre hound. The beast’s black eyes were open wide and staring up at him in urgent warning, as if to say, you’re next, fool.
    "Praise the Gods," he muttered. He picked up a long stick and poked at the head of the beast. The eyelids flickered with a spasm, then black pupils rolled back in their sockets until white. Suddenly there was the familiar throbbing in the air, and the brush of feathers on his arm as a giant white owl swooped