Reclaimed (The Phoenix Chronicles Book 1) by Erica Ortega Read Free Book Online

melt.
    “Forty-five minutes!” She exclaimed. Summer hurried as fast as her body would allow her to put on her sweatshirt and throw her hair into a ponytail.
    When she was finally done she turned around and Ash was staring at her with a raised brow.
    “What?” She asked, looking down at her clothes.
    “Your shoes.”
    Summer let out an annoyed growl and stalked over to her bed. She slipped on a pair of sneakers and went to stand in front of Ash with her arms folded.
    “Where to?” she asked.
    “The library first.”
    She followed him out of the room while trying to hide her excitement. She loved reading even though it had been a while since she had the chance. Stepping into someone else’s world was always a welcome break from hers. Temporarily disappearing was much better than the life she had been living.
    They walked across the training field and into one of the castle’s towers. They hadn’t even begun to climb the stairs where the stale smell of paper hit her nose. She inhaled deeply, grinning like a child who just found a treasure.
    Ash pushed open a heavy, wooden door and held it for her. She walked in and almost squealed. There were massive shelves that were littered with books. Everywhere she looked there were books.
    “Can I help you?” asked a bored voice.
    A young male walked over to them and was wearing a green robe. It matched his eyes perfectly and was the only attractive thing about him.
    “Just showing a new girl around,” said Ash.
    The boy brushed his long, greasy hair aside. “Cool. Just don't make a mess.”
    He dragged his feet back to his desk and didn't bother saying a word to Summer. She had to admit that she was perplexed by his behavior but, knew that not everyone loved books. She just thought a person working here would.
    Ash must have been able to read her face because he tilted his head towards her.
    “That's Doug. His father started the library so it's tradition to work here.”
    “He seems super happy about it.”
    Summer was thrilled when she got a small smile.
    “It's just his personality.”
    Summer nodded. “I bet he's invited to every party.”
    Ash ran a hand through his thick hair as his smile widened. “Do you want to look around?”
    She bit her lip and glanced around the room. The amount of books was overwhelming.
    “Can I come by myself?”
    Ash shrugged. “If you decide to stay.”
    “Cool. Where to next?”
    Ash waved bye to Doug and led Summer out of the room. She watched his large frame move with ease that belonged to someone with agility that she didn't think he possessed. His presence alone brought her a comfort she didn't know she craved. Some part of it was due to her running for so long and another part was the fact that she was just plain terrified. All she could do was take it a day at a time and hope that easing into this life would make it not so bad.
    Ash had showed her where the cafeteria was, the pool, the recovery ward that the healers ran, and now he was taking her to the garden.
    “Ash?” asked Summer.
    “Hmm?”
    “Why are you being my tour guide? I can do this by myself and I'm sure you have other important things to do. So, why you?”
    He paused and looked down at her. “The council asked me to.”
    She raised an eyebrow. “So you are my babysitter? Why do I need one?” She patted his arm. “No offense. I think you're great.”
    “I'm guessing to protect you.” He shrugged. “I don't want to be doing this as much as you don't want me here.”
    “Ouch,” said Summer as she sucked air in through her teeth. “You sure do have a way with words.” She walked in front of him and put her hands on her hips. “Let's make a deal. You pretend you showed me around and I'll just take the tour by myself. I won't tell anyone.”
    Ash frowned. “People will see you and the council asked me to do this.”
    “Really? You don't seem like the kind of person to take orders from a bunch of people who pretend to rule by sitting in a tower all