The Barrier Between (Collector Series # 2) by Stacey Marie Brown Read Free Book Online Page A

back. There
are a lot of fae in the area who might help us find the shaman,
Dark and Light. But they will not be easy to find.” He cleared his
throat. “We need to be on alert. Most won’t come out, and if they
do, they probably won’t be nice.”
    Ryker turned and stalked off. My feet clung to the
ground, not moving.
    “I don’t get my pancakes this morning, huh?” Sprig
stuck his head out of my bag, a huge sigh lowering his
shoulders.
    I rubbed the top of his head. “Sorry. I’ll get you
some churros on the way.”
    He exhaled dramatically again. “Okay, but they aren’t
the same as honey pancakes.”
    “I know, buddy.” I scratched behind his ear. “And I’m
sorry for yelling at you.”
    Huge dark eyes turned to me, his hand patting mine.
“I understand. You’re sexually frustrated.”
    I choked. “What?”
    “Do you still have those condoms I gave you?”
    “Sprig!”
    “I’m a sprite. We sense these things.” He shook his
finger at me. “It’s either you two need to have sex or you’re
hungry. Lack of food makes me grumpy too... speaking of...”
    “Yes, I will get you food.” I increased my pace,
heading after Ryker. Embarrassment at the truth of his words
flushed my entire body.
    Please let it be hunger... please.
     
    H
     
    Sprig slept at the bottom of my bag, stuffed full of
churros, papaya, and Inca Kola. The drink was way too sweet for me,
but he had downed it, hopped out of my bag, and went crazy with the
zoomies, until he passed out mid-climb up a tree, and fell asleep.
He was narcoleptic, but sugar triggered episodes faster. Getting a
sprite to stop eating sugar was like asking him not to breathe.
    Venturing out of town, we followed the train tracks
through a valley of trees and flowers that looked like they had
been dipped in green, orange, and purple dyes. I had studied and
looked on the Internet at pictures of this area, but nothing could
describe actually being here. A café, Mama Angelica, across from
the entrance of Mandor Gardens, was almost too quaint to be real.
Plants wrapped up posts, draping their arbor in vivid blue and
purple blooms, and shading patrons from the sun. It was almost too
idyllic to eat there.
    “Anything?” Ryker scanned the groups of people
around.
    The entire way I kept a sharp eye out for fae who
thrived in gardens and nature, but my seer sight never found an
aura to clasp onto. I shook my head.
    “Maybe by the water.” Ryker headed inside the
entrance of the garden.
    The ground was wet from the rain overnight, slicking
the trail. It was another mile hike to the waterfall, and I got
lost in the smells and beauty of the rainforest. Dense green
vegetation cascaded down the mountains, carpeting every inch of
space. Strange plants sprouted bigger than my head, finding their
way to the sun through the thick foliage. Huge banana leaf trees
lined the trek, making me feel like I stepped into a prehistoric
land.
    Ryker noticed I was more into investigating the
pretty scenery than searching for fae, but he didn’t say
anything.
    When we reached the waterfall, I couldn’t help but
sigh. Everything about this place was beautiful. Except the crowd.
Several groups of tourists hung around the cascade. Ryker
immediately locked up, folding his arms, his expression growing
dark. Like me in reverse, his dislike of humans didn’t disappear
because he could tolerate me.
    “Come on.” I nodded to a trail leading away from the
waterfall. We followed it to an isolated part of the river.
    Seeing a perfect spot to sit and relax, I stepped on
a stone, glossy with water. My feet slipped from underneath me.
“Whoa.” Hands came down on my hips, holding me in place. His warm
fingers gripped at the bare skin between my pants and top. I
straightened up, regaining my footing, and glanced over my
shoulder. “Thank you.”
    He nodded and let go. I climbed a bigger rock,
settled myself down, and placed my bag next to me. Sprig’s snores
were drowned out by the river, but the