Sons of Lyra: Runaway Hearts by Felicity Heaton Read Free Book Online Page B

fearless.

    Sebastian tried to look at
her but the man turned him away so all he could see was a wall and
the two guns of the men nearest him. They were very close to his
face.

    “ Chief General
Misea’s,” the man said and then added, “and King
Atelier’s.”

    Silence.

    He tried to move so he
could see what was happening but the soldier nearest him pushed the
rifle in his face in an obvious warning to keep still.

    “ I’ll repeat
myself just this once,” Terea said and he heard her move. “This man
belongs to me. No harm will befall him. I will tell your Chief
General in person. Take me to him.”

    She was asking a lot. He
frowned at the wall and then the gun, waiting for their reaction to
what she’d said.

    “ Certainly, my
lady,” the man said and the soldiers nearest him lowered their
guns.

    My lady?

    Why was a woman of rank
running away? If she had the power to make these men release him
and go against their orders, then she had to be important. He
risked it and turned to face her and the man. The man bowed his
head to her and then reached around and pressed the button on the
tight metal cuffs that had been restraining Sebastian’s arms. They
clattered to the floor.

    “ If you would
accompany us,” the man said to Terea and indicated the
lift.

    “ May I have one
moment?” she said and the man nodded. She turned to face
him.

    Her fingers brushed his
cheek and he stared at her.

    “ I don’t know
what you’ve done wrong,” she whispered with tears in her eyes, “and
I don’t need to know. I think this is goodbye.”

    He frowned.
“Goodbye?”

    “ If I go with
them, I won’t be coming back. I’ll see to it that they don’t follow
you. Get away from here. I hadn’t realised Minervans wanted you. If
you’d explained that to me...” She placed her palm against his
cheek and the tears in her eyes trembled on the brink of falling.
“All this could have been so different. We could’ve been
free.”

    Her hand slipped from his
cheek to rest on his chest for a moment before it fell to her side.
He stared at the space where she’d been when she turned away and
started walking towards the lift and the man.

    “ Wait!” he said
and took a step in her direction.

    She stopped and turned her
head to the side, but didn’t move to face him
completely.

    “ Don’t follow
me,” she said in a pained voice. A tear streaked her soft cheek.
“They’ll kill you if you do... and I don’t want that. I’d rather
live a life knowing you were out there somewhere and we could meet
again, than spend it mourning you.”

    He reached a hand out to
her but she walked away. She stepped into the lift and turned to
face him, her head bent and eyes fixed on the floor. As the doors
slid shut, she looked up at him and smiled.

    This wasn’t
right.

    In Iskara’s name, what was
she thinking, handing herself over to the Minervans and bargaining
for his life. Without him there to protect her, they might harm
her, or worse. Her words rang in his head, a veiled declaration of
feelings that made him warm inside but caused his heart to ache. A
few hours with her had been more wonderful and adventurous than his
entire life. He wanted her back. He couldn’t leave her to
disappear. What if he never saw her again?

    He stood in the hall
staring at the wall and not knowing what to do. If he went after
her, he’d be going against her wishes and placing himself in
danger. He knew the Minervans wouldn’t kill him, but they would
ransom him, and they might hurt her in order to make him speak and
tell them the secrets of Lyra. It was impossible for him to choose
between her and his people. He wanted to protect them
both.

    But he had to protect her
foremost.

    He ran back to the room,
grabbed the knife she’d tossed onto the table, and then back out
again.

    He sprinted to the lift
and pressed the button. The doors opened and he scanned the deck
listing on the panel until he found the docking bay. He hit the
button