Perilous Light by Alyssa Rose Ivy Read Free Book Online Page B

We’ll be back soon.” Liam didn’t even glance back at James; his eyes stayed on me.
    “ I’m not going to pretend to understand exactly how you feel right now, but I’m here for you. Remember that, okay?” Liam broke off some bark from the tree I leaned against.
    “ Thanks, I appreciate it. I feel so overwhelmed. My emotions are almost supercharged here, and I have no idea how to control them. I don’t remember it being so bad last year, but then again, I didn’t have much time to think about it.”
    “ Well maybe when we find your mom, we’ll get some answers.”
    “ I hope so.” I smiled. “I’m sorry you have to come with me instead of going with Kevin. I’m sure you would rather be with him.” I wanted Liam to know that I understood.
    “ Why would I rather go with Kevin?” Liam looked puzzled.
    “ He’s your best friend.”
    “ You’re my friend too, you know. Besides, would I really give up the chance to annoy James some more?”
    I laughed. “Good point.”
    “ So you think you’re ready to head back?”
    “ Sure, I just needed a minute.”
    “ We all do sometimes. Shall we?” Liam gestured toward the path.
    We walked back and met up with James. The guards at the edge of the cave entrance stepped out of the way to let us enter. A large crowd had converged around a fire, and I noticed Kevin, Samantha, and Henry huddled together. I figured they were discussing their plans for the next day.
    I watched Samantha for a moment. It wasn’t hard to see what attracted Kevin. She was gorgeous, but she also had a strength about her that I envied. I just looked at her and knew she was completely confident, but not in an obnoxious way.
    “ Charlotte!” Tearing my gaze from Samantha, I saw Tara running over to me, hand in hand with a guy who had to be in his mid- to late-twenties.
    “ Tara! It’s so good to see you.” I had missed my cousin a lot. She had been a real comfort during my time in Bellgard, and it was wonderful to see her outside of the castle. She appeared so different from the last time I had seen her. She was full of life and contentment. Tara could have easily been the one in my position, forced apart from the man she loved and with the weight of Energo on her shoulders. I swallowed down the jealousy I felt at her happiness, and smiled.
    “ Charlotte, this is Owen.” Tara patted the arm of the man by her side.
    He beamed at her before turning his attention to me. “It is an honor to meet you, our Essence. I am Owen Ashwell.”
    “ Ashwell? So you’re another one of Henry’s brothers?”
    He chortled. “Yes. Although it is not often that I am referred to as Henry’s brother. He is the baby of the family while I am the oldest.”
    “ Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you. Your brother has been a good friend. It’s nice to meet more of his family.” I was beginning to see a pattern with the Ashwell boys—tall, blond, and attractive. I could understand Tara’s interest in him, even though he was so much older.
    “ We will be family once Tara and I are officially united. With the current state of affairs, we have had to postpone, but it will be soon.”
    “ Wow. That’s great.” Uniting was the Energo version of marriage. Calvin had talked to me about it during our few days together in Bellgard.
    “ And you must be Liam.” Owen reached out to shake Liam’s hand.
    “ Yes. You’ve heard of me?” Liam wrinkled his brow.
    Owen nodded. “I heard you are quite the shot with a crossbow.”
    “ Oh, that. Yeah, well, you step up to the challenges life gives you, right?”
    “ I agree completely. But come now, you both must be hungry.” When he said both , I realized James wasn’t with us anymore.
    Dinner was bland with small portions. There were lots of mouths to feed and not a lot of food. It really wasn’t a problem for me. I was so nervous and on edge that I probably couldn’t have eaten much anyway. I did make sure to finish off my plate; I didn’t want to waste