The Tainted (The Tainted Series Book 1) by Anna Hill Read Free Book Online Page A

Truaillithe: you’re tall, love nature, and stubborn to high heaven. But you showed no signs of having inherited any ability. It wasn’t until I came to your window one night that I realized how gifted you actually are.”
    “You watched me sleep?” Rebecca shielded her body with her arms. The thought of him watching her from her window felt like a massive invasion of her privacy.
    “Yes,” Maverick seemed unfazed by her discomfort, “And I could never have predicted what would happen.”
    He paused for a moment, as a small smile split his lips, “You said my name.”
    “I what?” Rebecca dropped her arms in shock.
    “Trust me, it scared the hell out of me too.” Maverick laughed. “At first, I couldn’t believe what I’d heard, but then you said it again. Even though your eyes were closed, and even though you remained lying down in bed, it looked as if you knew I was there. As if you were watching me too.”
    “I don’t remember any of this,” Rebecca was aghast, frightened that she could have somehow done this without any recollection of it ever happening.
    Maverick’s smile faded, “That isn’t all of it though. That dream you had, of my father and I? That wasn’t just a dream. That was my memory you saw.
    “After you said my name the second time, something happened to me. I was suddenly paralyzed, and then it was like you were inside my head, sifting through my thoughts, searching my memories. I had suppressed that memory of them taking my father, but you dug it up. And as you watched it, I was forced to relive it too.
    “Then you woke up and the connection was broken.”
    Rebecca felt her skin crawl. How could she have done such a thing and yet have no knowledge of doing it? She lowered her chin onto her knees and brought them in close to her chest.
    “I’m sorry I did that to you.”
    Maverick placed his hand on her shoulder, forcing her to turn and look up at him. “You never have to apologize to me Becs. What you have is a gift, a very special gift, and you should only see it as such.”
    After a moment, Rebecca nodded and smiled slightly at him. “So what happens now? Do I have to choose whether to go away with you or to stay here until you need me?”
    Maverick’s face suddenly grew grave. “Your case is a little different now that I know the truth about your ability. See, having visions is an incredibly rare gift, so rare that even the royal family doesn’t posses it. In fact they fear it, and anyone who has it.”
    “If they find out about you Becs, they’ll hunt you down and kill you without a second thought. You’re a threat to them, to everything they stand for.”
    “Me?” Rebecca’s anxiety threatened to return. “How can I be a threat to anyone? Especially to people I didn’t even know existed until today?”
    “You can get into the minds of the Ailill, as you did with mine. You have the power not only to change their thoughts and see their memories, but your dreams also allow you to see things before they happen…to find people who don’t want to be found.
    “That scout the other day wasn’t out searching for me. It was a happy coincidence that he found me and not you, but I fear they may somehow already know about you. Trust me, where there is one soldier, many more are sure to follow.”
    “So what are you saying? I have to leave here? I don’t have a choice?”
    “You always have a choice Rebecca; I would never force you to do anything you didn’t want to. I told you all of this because, like all of us, you deserved to know the truth about who you are and where you came from.”
    Rebecca remained silent for a long time, resting her chin on her knees. If she’d been told all of this four years earlier, she wouldn’t have thought twice about leaving. But now, everything was different. Ingrid and Thomas would be so worried if she left, and she would never want to cause them any pain. Even more concerning, she wasn’t sure she could face the idea of leaving