The Coalition Episodes 1-4 by Aria J. Wolfe Read Free Book Online

of the rising sun washed his face in a rosy glow, lightening the green of his eyes. He smiled.
    What does he find amusing? She crossed her arms in annoyance, as well as to still the fluttering in her stomach.
    He came closer and draped his right arm across her shoulders. His face became sober. "Walk with me."
    She shouldn't be with him. Not after last night.
    She shook her head. "Look at me, Aliah. I need to go to the Bath House. I'm cold and wet. Not to mention dirty."
    The weight of his arm around her increased as he pulled her against him and began to walk slowly, forcing her to walk. "Look, I want to apologize." He paused and the fluttering in her stomach became a pulsing frenzy. Being caught this close to each other would get them both into trouble.
    She stepped away from him, dodging his arm as he tried to pull her towards him.
    "I don't need your apology, Aliah. I need an explanation. Sileas said you found her when she broke into the Chapel. She showed me a letter you gave her, a Recruitment letter!" She spat out the last word then took a breath before continuing. "You Recruited her, Aliah? What is going on? Why do you keep sneaking off at night into the woods? Tell me! "
    A hurt look crossed his face and guilt gnawed at her. But it was easier to be angry with him than to keep trying to push aside the strange feeling in her stomach.
    "I don't know what you're talking about, Shai. I never saw Sileas. And I never gave her a letter. I sent a letter to you, asking you to meet me so I could talk to you. I don't want any more secrets. And I certainly didn't come back here last night. I left after I carried you to bed."
    "You don't want any more secrets? That's funny, Aliah." She looked down at the ground and pushed at a pebble with the toe of her boot. "Well since we're telling secrets let me tell you something. I've been having those visitations again. Even after you made me promise to send him away." She looked up at him but he looked away, his face unreadable. He never spoke of the past, keeping it sealed like a tomb.
    "I'm telling you right now, Shai. I never gave a letter to Sileas. And I'm not a Watcher... not like you think. Don't you trust me?" The question hung in the air. Was he lying to her now? He ran his hands through his dark hair, making it stand on end, something she would have teased him about before.
    "Aliah, didn't you hear me? I've seen him again! Don't you have anything to say about it?" She didn't know why she wanted to pick a fight with him. Maybe so it would be easier to say goodbye. She clenched her fists at her sides, fighting tremors of anger and regret.
    Movement in her periphery stopped her mid-thought. A row of thick bushes ten feet to her left ran from the back corner of the Hill House all the way to the river. A dark figure disappeared into the bushes.
    “Watchers!” She narrowed her eyes as she stared at the place where the figure went, then glared back at Aliah. "You know why they're here! Just trying to catch us breaking some Law! And you're one of them!"
    The accusation stung like venom in her mouth. Instantly she ached to take back the words. Sorry she had hurt her best friend, yet furious that he wasn't denying it.
    But Aliah had started running towards the bushes. His unbuttoned cloak flapped behind him, his feet barely touching the muddy ground. When he reached the row of bushes he pushed some aside then kneeled on the ground, his back towards her. When he hadn't moved after several minutes, she walked slowly towards him. He remained in the same position with his head bowed over something on the ground.
    "Aliah?" She crept closer to him. His silence sent her pulse racing. Sweat trickled down her back in spite of the chilly morning air. Something wasn't right. An eerie stillness pervaded the atmosphere.
    "Aliah." She reached out to touch his shoulder but he flung his left arm out to bar her.
    "Stay back!" His voice was rough and edged with something that spiked fear in her. She stepped