Ravens by Kaylie Austen Read Free Book Online Page A

the
background for white irises and pupils, the coloring backward. The young man
from her dreams, the voice from her nightmares, stood before her.
    A smirk curved his lips. Muscles
protruded against a strong, masculine jaw.
    He leaned against the wall and crossed
his arms. Thick muscles corded his neck. He had broad shoulders, the left side
decorated by the inked spiral pattern. Biceps bulged over dragon-etched
pectorals, and his strong forearms crossed above defined and rigid abs.
    Normal teenage boys weren’t this ripped.
    Kendra met his stare again and snapped
her mouth shut. She felt her cheeks flush with heat, and she kicked herself for
being so readable and weak.
    Her host grinned. “I thought I smelled
you.” A Texan accent emerged from his broad chest.
    His low voice sent a mild tremor through
her gut. Die butterflies , she warned herself.
    “Who are you? Where am I?” she demanded.
    “After asking that so many times,
darling, don’t you know who I am by now?”
    She shook her head and barked, “No, you
are not Liam. Liam is dead.”
    “I’m not dead, sweetheart. Didn’t you
understand my illusions?”
    “They were just dreams.”
    “No. I tried to talk to you through
illusions. But this is real, I’m really here, well, you’re really here.”
    “How dare you bring me here against my
will?”
    She turned to leave, hastily making her
way to the front door before he could assault her. She expected to feel his
warm, wide hands grab her and pull her back into living room, but he didn’t. He
stood in place and watched her attempt with an amused expression.
    Kendra took hold of the doorknob and
pulled. Before the crack between the door and the frame could widen to more
than a few inches, the young man claiming to be Liam extended his right arm
with the palm facing the door. The energy from his white eyes seeped to his
fingertips. A restrained power jolted across the room and collided into the
door just above Kendra’s head to slam it shut.
    Kendra jumped back. She pulled on the
doorknob with all of her might, but it wouldn’t budge. She faced Liam, who
settled his hand back to his side. The smile fled his face, leaving only a
dangerous exterior.
    “It’s not a good idea to go out into my
world without knowing what it is first.”
    “Then tell me and let me leave,” she
replied curtly.
    “You grew up to be quite feisty, didn’t
you?” The mischievous smirk returned.
    “You abducted me. I don’t need to play
nice.”
    “I didn’t abduct you, darling, I saved
you. You passed through the portal, and I brought you home.”
    Kendra recalled her last minutes before
and during the earth shaking illumination when her body glued itself to the
floor and the portal sucked her in. This was illogical. Portals didn’t exist.
Wormholes and other dimensions were mere conjecture at best.
    Taking note of the question that must
have lingered on her face, Liam retreated to his bedroom. “Have a seat,
sweetheart. Let me grab some clothes.”
    “Right,” she muttered, and moved to the
couch to sit down, not understanding why she stayed. To her disbelief, she
actually wanted to find out the truth about this guy.
    Before long, Liam reappeared fully
dressed. He sat on the leather recliner in front of Kendra. He ran his fingers
through his wet locks, combing them back. He wore blue jeans and a snug gray
shirt, which left nothing in his torso to the imagination except the remainder
of his tattoos, which crept beneath the cotton apparel.
    The two stared at each other for a long
time before Kendra rolled her eyes. “So, let’s get on with it so I can get back
to my life.”
    “Do you want something to drink?” Liam
jumped up, ignoring her.
    “Quit stalling.”
    “I’m hungry too. Do you want me to fix
you up a bit of breakfast, sweetheart?” He busied himself in the open area
kitchen. A pillar cut off the bar-style counter-top.
    Kendra twisted her upper body on the
couch so she could keep him in her sights.