The Ballad of Aramei by J. A. Redmerski Read Free Book Online Page A

hands begin to shake and sweat, my eyes dart from the fighting going on outside the vehicle and back to Trajan, who just threatened his son’s life in so many grim words. And by the resolute look in his eyes, I know the ending to the inevitable outcome rests solely in my hands.
    I take a deep breath, grip the door handle and step calmly outside the Escalade.
    Isaac throws a fourth guard off him and rushes over to me, breathing heavily and already bleeding.
    “Stay away from her!” Isaac says as Trajan gets out and closes the door softly. “You’re not taking her with you! DO YOU FUCKING UNDERSTAND ME?” The demonic undertones in his voice send shivers through my body. He pushes me behind him aggressively.
    Trajan doesn’t move and his expression doesn’t shift an inch from the composed, emotionless state it has remained in for most of his visit. Instead, in reaction to Isaac’s disrespect Trajan simply lowers his head just enough so that his dark blue eyes appear hooded underneath the lids, giving his face an even more intimidating and intolerant appearance.
    I move back around and stand in front of Isaac, placing the palm of my hands on his chest. He’s trying to keep his eyes on both of us, but finally he can’t help but look only at me, realizing without having to read my mind what my face reads.
    “You’re not going anywhere with him,” Isaac says in a harsh, desperate whisper. Creases form and harden at the corners of his eyes. He reaches out to grab me, but I gently push him away. And then I shut my thoughts off to him so that he won’t know the lies I’m about to tell him, are lies.
    “Isaac,” I say softly, “I want to help. I can communicate with her…I…,” I let my breath catch; “…I could feel her emotions as plainly as my own that night we stayed with her in the cabin. They were so strong…I-I didn’t completely understand it then, what had happened, but now I know. She’s reaching out to me. She needs my help and I want to help.”
    Everything that I said was true except the part about wanting to help. Make that two things that I still fear: Trajan and being in Aramei’s presence. She nearly brought me to my knees that night. Her two hundred-fifty-year-old imprisoned emotions are too much for me to bear, too potent for my much younger mind to contain.
    Isaac’s face is besieged by fury and conflict, his breathing still heavy from the fight just moments ago. He looks back and forth between Trajan and I, a swarm of emotions lay in his eyes.
    “I go with her,” Isaac demands.
    “You can join her later,” Trajan says. “You are Alpha here and your duty is to your pack.”
    “My duty is to her ,” Isaac snaps, pushing the words fiercely through his teeth. “You know that more than anyone, Milord ,” he adds, putting grave emphasis on a word that would normally be replaced with ‘father’, but he refuses to address him in that way.
    I feel something else seething off Isaac’s skin other than anger and defiance. I sense something triggered in him far more dangerous and I look over at him, studying his angry eyes and the change boiling inside of them.
    From the corner of my eye, I see Harry step out onto the front porch. He has probably been listening this whole time, too. Being my Guardian, it’s going to take as much convincing to keep him away as it is for Isaac. I glance across the yard to see Harry and I shake my head no. “Stay on the porch,” I say in my mind, hoping he will hear me as easily as Isaac does. “You’ll make it worse if you interfere.”
    Harry, apparently hearing my thoughts, stops before descending the porch steps. And he waits.
    I turn to Isaac, placing my fingers gently on one side of his face and I soften my expression. His hand comes up to hold my wrist and he leans inward, kissing the base of my palm.
    “Isaac please,” I whisper, “let me do this. I feel like I need to do it. I’ll be okay. Your father has no reason hurt me and I’m under