Sable Book 1 of Chaos Time (Chaos Time Series) by Marie Hall Read Free Book Online Page A

split in two, blinking open eyes swollen and full of grit.
    She was in a small room. And it was warm. A thick blanket lay at her feet. The room wasn’t much to look at, but she didn't care. It felt like heaven to be on this bed. Gradually she became aware of other smells—buttery bread, tangy cheese and grilled meat.
    A silver tray lay on the ground, she yanked the lid off and without taking the time to appreciate any of it or even sit up, began wolfing it down.
    "There's some juice on the night stand."
    She hadn't noticed Hunter sitting on the chair. He had one leg kicked out in front of him as he sat slouched with his chin on his fist, staring at her.
    She narrowed her eyes, feeling a primal urge to hiss at him and protect her food. But instead she snatched up the plastic bottle of O.J. and gulped it down without taking a breath.
    She couldn’t honestly say she’d tasted a thing, but it was a glorious feeling to be so full. Burping, she wiped the back of her mouth. "Still here I see? Was beginning to think I'd imagined you."
    His brows lifted. "Nope, not your imagination."
    "So you really busted me out of there then?"
    "Yup."
    "Take me back." Why was she asking him that? At this point she was pretty sure she had no intention of ever living there again. It started to dawn on her maybe she really was the pain in the ass people had accused her of being.
    He shook his head. His hair was wet and slightly curled in the back. He wore a teal and orange tee and dark jeans with scuffed knees. Suddenly she felt dirty and ashamed that he was seeing her look and act like an animal.
    “We’re not really back to this are we?” he asked, voice tired and she would not feel sympathy for someone she barely knew. Especially someone who’d freaking stabbed her through the heart.
    Sable sat up, wrapping her arms around her knees. "Take me back." She was a hundred percent certain she wasn’t going back to stay. She just wanted to get away from him, from the confusing things she felt around him.
    "Not possible."
    She shot to her feet, ignoring the many aches that assaulted her. "Now. You don't get a choice in the matter."
    "Sable—"
    "No. I'm powerful, I might not look it, but I have ways to make sure you never come back. So if you thought to hide me away and have your nasty way with me—"
    He pinched the bridge of his nose and sat up. "Let's try this again. It's gone. Sank. Sunk. Poof."
    She set her jaw. "What are you talking about? Take me back, now!"
    "Fine. You want to go back. Come with me." He stood, tall form unfurling like a looping predator. Between one blink and the next he stood so close she felt his heat like second skin. He yanked her by the collar.
    She gagged and punched him.
    "Do you want to see it or not?" he snarled.
    Sable shook his hand off and cleared her throat. "Don't you ever grab me like that."
    Hunter's lips thinned. "Fine. I won't. Now come." He moved his hand in an arcing motion and a ripple of blue opened up—a swirling vortex of colors and shifting patterns of light. Dizzy, she stared at his face. He wore a satisfied grin.
    "C'mon." He pulled her through.
    She yelped, but didn't have a choice other than to follow. The only way to describe it was free falling while simultaneously feeling like every atom in your body was being ripped apart by the unbelievable pressure. One second she felt stretched to the size of a mile long noodle, the next like she’d been squashed into a golf ball. And just as she thought she could take no more, they were stepping through.
    She gagged, huffing and panting. Bent over and dry heaving, desperate to shake off the sensation of being whipped through space and time at dizzying speeds; slowly she felt her reality and sanity return. She cracked open an eye, shocked to discover she was still in one piece. She patted herself.
    “You’re all there. No worries.” There was humor in his voice and she had to fight the overwhelming urge to punch him.
    “I do not ever want to do that