The Agrista (Between the Lines Book 1) by Shannon Lamb Read Free Book Online Page B

be invisible to all that would seek to harm you. We are not, however, completely undetectable. Others can feel and hear us, so we still need to be extremely careful,” Alex gave Marie a grave look that made her slightly tremble. “Now, stand back.”
      Alex stripped off his pants in one swift movement and threw them aside as he made his way to the center of the yard. In an instant, he transformed back into his Umbraic form and outstretched his glorious wings, casting a shadow of doubt on Marie’s wavering resolve. Alex was even more intimidating in this form.
      Rivulets of scattered moonlight streamed through the trees and illuminated the backyard like a checkerboard, disappearing as quickly as they had come. The surrounding land was cloaked in darkness for a long, disquieting moment as a veil of shadow skimmed the surface of the moon. Bolts of silver cavorted on the shadow’s coattails as glittering moonbeams waltzed to the ground, constructing a long, winding road before him.
      Not one to pussyfoot around anything, Alex leaned back on his haunches and groaned impatiently, huffing like a flittering horse. Marie took her time to get to him. She nervously clambered up onto his back, approaching him as one would a wild cat.
      Marie squealed as he sliced his powerful wings through the charged air, clutching clumps of his mane tightly in her grasp. He followed the path that beamed down from the sky as if it were nothing more than an airplane tarmac, bringing an enigmatic smile to her face despite the terror.
      Everything around them grew increasingly brighter the closer they rose to the moon until all she could see was sparkling blue. For a long, terrifying moment, she could no longer make out Alex or herself.
      When she could finally see her surroundings again, the moon had vanished and she was surrounded by billions upon billions of stars.

 
    THE CASTLE OF QUINQUE
     
      M arie couldn’t believe her eyes. She was actually flying through space. Even in her wildest dreams, she’d never imagined anything quite like this.
      Fear and excitement battled for control of her nerves. She wasn’t exactly a good flyer, and this was significantly more frightening than a plane. Even so, she refused to close her eyes. The sight of all the stars whizzing past her as she and Alex flew through space was absolutely breathtaking.
      She couldn’t help but wonder how it was possible for her to breathe in space, among several other things that tested her sanity. She thought it was best not to overanalyze her experience like she did everything else. There was nothing about any of this that made sense, and that was part of the fun.
      Finally, she relaxed her grip on Alex and leaned forward, resting her head on the back of his soft, silvery mane as she watched the stars dance all around her.
      “Thank you, Alex. This is amazing.” She relaxed her body and entered into a state of euphoria.
      By the time she and Alex approached the castle, she had no idea how much time had passed. It could have been minutes; it could have been hours. The only thing she was certain of was that the journey here had been the most amazing thing she’d ever experienced, and had shown her the most beautiful sights she’d ever taken in. That is, until she got the full view of the castle of Quinque.
      The castle in itself was its own planet, with no land surrounding it. The entire surface looked as if it was made of marbled mirror. Precious gems wove a paisley pattern through the cracked glass, reflecting the stars like city lights.
      The interwoven structure was a compilation of dead ends and splits, deviating and converging like a three-dimensional maze, except the structure was entirely cylindrical. The borders of the castle were illuminated with black and white lilies that shone like neon lights and drew her in.
      The closer they got to the castle, the more gargantuan it seemed. Alex began to fly in lower, toward the only part of the