See How She Runs by Michelle Graves Read Free Book Online Page B

One. You can run, but
you can’t hide forever. Tell that Guardian we are coming for
you.”
    I screamed as the inky splotch started
extending towards my body.
     
    **********
     
    I was being shaken, and I opened my eyes to
see Kennan. He was yelling my name and shaking me by my shoulders.
I took a deep breath that felt like the first I had taken in hours.
I stared into Kennan’s eyes as the tears start flowing.
    “I’ve got you. I promise, I am not going
anywhere," he whispered into my hair.
    How was it that in the past week my whole
life changed? My mother was not dead. My dreams were her, trying to
warn me. There was someone after me for a reason I had yet to
discover. I felt as though the past twenty-four years of my life
had been a lie. I needed to know more. I needed to feel like I had
at least a semblance of control over my life. And on top of
everything, Kennan was being too nice. It was freaking me out. I
took a steadying breath and sat up. It was time I got my head
wrapped around all of this.
    “Who am I, Kennan and what are you to me? I
need to know everything. Is my dad alive somewhere strapped to a
bed like she is?” He took a steadying breath and looked my face
over as if he were searching for information.
    “Izzy, there is so much I need to tell you.
You are safe here. They can’t reach you. This is one of our safe
houses. But first things first, I need to tell you the histories. I
need to tell you about your parents. I need to tell you about your
Grams, Mike, and me."
    He looked at me as if I would bolt at any
second. Which, I supposed if I had any sense at all I would be
doing. But I kept hearing the echoes of my mother’s voice telling
me he was the only one I could trust, so I held firm.
    Kennan started slowly, as if reluctant to
rid himself of the secrets that had been his companions for so many
years.
    “Your dad and I were best friends, Iz. I
have known him since we were both boys. We grew up together. We
trained together. We were brothers in everything but blood. I would
have died in his place if I could. But none of that matters. What
does matter is that he died trying to save you and your mother. He
protected you when you could not protect yourself. He loved you
both more than I have ever seen any one person love another."
    I stared at him, obviously confused. So I
got the whole Guardian thing, but now the whole vampire thing
seemed more plausible. There was no way that Kennan could be the
same age as my father. It was unfathomable. My father had graying
hair and crow’s feet around his eyes from smiling too much. My
confusion must have been evident. The next words out of Kennan’s
mouth confirmed there were things about the story that I would have
a much harder time believing.
    “I will explain it all with the histories.
But first you need to know what happened to you and your mother,
and how you came into our protection. Your story really started on
that day, that horrible day all of those years ago, the day of the
wreck. It was a trap set up by Xavier’s people. He had been
searching for your mother for a long time. Your parents thought
they were safe in that hole-in-the-wall town in Alabama. Your
mother learned to hide her talents. Your father took up a job and
an appearance that was completely average. But they found them
anyway. They sabotaged the car. It flipped 5 times before it came
to a rest out in that peanut field. You all survived the initial
wreck surprisingly.”
    I could not stand it anymore. His story was
completely different from my own memories.
    “I was not in that car Kennan. I was at home
with a sitter.”
    His eyes were becoming more withdrawn with
suffering by the moment.
    “You were there. I know, because I saved you
and ran. When the car came to a rest, your mother took your
memories of it and replaced them with what you remember. Your
father, in an effort to save you lowered the seat in the back and
put you in the trunk of the car. He sent me a message telling