Pine Needles (Veil Realms Series) by Karli Rush Read Free Book Online

similar golden bands Sirius wears on his left arm, I passively view the bands noting that they are some kind of sacramental engravings. Placing the last band around my wrist I curiously ask the glabrous woman, “How do you survive here?”
    She laughs dryly and answers, “Most of us do not, but the ones that belong to Sirius find viands here. Plants and other resources, of course I speak of only those that have not been converted.”  She dabs my lips with a cloth securing the golden flakes as I mumble, “Converted?”
    “Yes...” H er accent curtails a once heavy Cajun tone as she speaks, “Sirius and the others are Manannuki’s, another race from the red planet. The warlords have the power to convert humans into one of their own.” Moving next to my ear as she twines a gold headpiece through my hair she whispers, “The cell guards were once human, since some species can not live long they maintain us as slaves. They can smell it within each of us, whether our DNA can sustain the timeless transformation.”
    Keeping my voice hushed I inquire further, “Our city... it was lowly populated how do they continue to thrive once they deplete their main food source?”
    I cringe for even asking such a heartless question. Snipping the stray threads from the fabric she replies, “It is said they can prolong the need for flesh for a decade maybe even longer.”              
    Sh e appears dawdling, as she reclines back checking the doorway, seeing if anyone is watching us. She says, “Sirius has many that serve him...” picking up her innuendo I nod waiting for her to continue, “As well as the queen, but one that resides beside him may sway the command.”  Standing, she and the other women accumulate their belongings and rush out of the entrance. The amiable woman that has spoken to me so openly, slowly turns gripping the threshold, a dim smile glints as she informs me, “You can call me, Nevaeh.”
    I ponder over the brief discussion we had as I mindlessly twist a strand of my hair around my fingertips. Manannuki , another race, Sirius , people that serve … it makes no sense to me whatsoever and yet it’s the only logical explanation, but what does it all mean? 
    A massive overcast surfaces through the entrance to the chamber as Sirius’s dangerous form appears. “You will eat.” His thunderous voice affirms, while he holds a hand full of preternatural fruit to me. 
    As I fumble with it I start to see it’s s haped much like a pear and an apple combined, as if the two were mutated together. I examine it, holding it close to my nose I don’t smell anything.  It’s a colorless, odor-free fruit. I cautiously draw it to my yearning mouth. I’ve fasted before to cleanse my body of toxins that I have absorbed from time to time, but I can’t live solely on their water alone. Besides the water here smells stagnate, biting into the tender skin my taste buds are intimately assaulted with a nectarous flavor.
    Overflowing with juices I cover my mouth sealing in the flavor, never intending an escape for my new found food. “Intolerable?” Sirius queries as I swallow the last bite down.
    I wipe off the sweet texture from my lips and reply, “No, it’s good, really, really good.” My eyes lug up to his, meeting his golden stare. “What is it called?”
    He plac es another in my hand. “Quine, from the Quine tree which is only harvested in the dark, it must remain in the dark til shortly before it is eaten.”
    Uneasines s rides through me watching him. He quietly observes me while I eat the second piece of Quine. “If you become accustom to the foods I provide, I may take you aboveground.”   
    I scorn a hard look in his direction, but mindful not to glimpse into his eyes I retort, “I won’t eat the meat.” My voice prompts with a firm authority, but inside I’m already feeling coerced knowing it will only be a matter of time he will force me to consume whatever he desires. His barbican