Unawakened by Trillian Anderson Read Free Book Online Page A

car and get us both in trouble.”
    “Just pretend you’re drunk. Unlicensed drivers of any caste may drive the vehicle of an elite while they’re present if they’re unfit to drive and accept responsibility for any damages done by their temporary driver.”
    “And how will I explain you knowing how to drive, Miss Daegberht?” Rob glared at me, his mouth twisting into a scowl.
    “Simple. You are instructing me.”
    “While drunk.”
    “I never said the law made sense , Rob. It’s a relic from when they were transitioning laws during the reformation. Back then, almost everyone knew how to drive, but licenses were no longer being renewed. No one removed the law from the books because the elite found it a convenient loophole. So, they teach those who can’t afford licenses to drive when it benefits them—while pretending to be drunk, of course.” I shrugged, shifted the car into gear, and eased it onto the street.
    While I had driven Kenneth’s car several times, it had been years ago. Driving hadn’t been a skill I had worked hard at, learning only enough to keep the car between the lines without crashing into anyone or anything.
    I understood how the gas pedal, clutch, and brake worked, I knew how to shift gears, and I even managed to keep the car pointed in the direction I wanted to go. As long as I didn’t have to go backwards, I’d be fine—probably.
    “Should I be worried?”
    Honesty was the best policy, and having a chance to make Rob squirm filled me with delight. “Probably.”
    “Do not crash. Please do not crash.”
    “I don’t plan on it.”
    “A lot of bad things happen to you that you don’t plan on, Alexa. Please don’t make crashing into something one of them.”
    I laughed. “I have reached my quota of crashing into things for the next year.”
    Most cars came equipped with a handle above the doors, and I hadn’t understood their use until Rob lifted his hand, grabbed his, and held on with a white-knuckled grip. I wasn’t even doing the speed limit, which annoyed a scowl out of me.
    “I’m not that bad of a driver,” I hissed at him. “Stupid dae. You were practically born yesterday. Who are you to judge my driving?”
    Rob wisely didn’t say a word.

    I didn’t crash into anything, but I managed to stall Rob’s car several times before I got out of the city, which earned me a silent glare from both of the dae. Colby hunkered on Rob’s lap, muttering dark things in its newly expanded two-word vocabulary.
    Each time his car spluttered and died, Rob sighed.
    I tried not to let it bother me too much. Once I reached the outskirts of the city, I pulled over, unbuckled my seat belt, and lifted my chin. “I didn’t crash into a single thing.”
    A faint smile smoothed Rob’s features, and he relaxed his grip on the handle. “So it seems.”
    “You should reward me for not crashing into anything,” I declared, killing the engine so I could twist around in my seat to watch Rob.
    “Many elite drive their cars each and every day without requiring a single reward for their performance.”
    “I’m not an elite, so I deserve a reward.”
    “Are there rules to this game we’re playing, Alexa? Games are so much more fun when both parties understand the rules.” Rob grinned at me, unbuckled his seatbelt, and dislodged Colby from his lap, who decided the dashboard was a wiser place to sit.
    While the highway was maintained, the landscape surrounding Baltimore was wild, somehow untouched by the Dawn of Dae or the elite who ruled society. The gleam of eyes in the forests lining the roadway sent shivers racing up and down my spine.
    “I’ll consider it if you treat me nicely,” I evaded, sliding out of the car to switch seats with Rob. We met halfway, and he slid his arms around me, tugging me to him so he could drop kisses on my lips. “That does count as treating me nicely,” I murmured.
    “You’re insatiable.”
    For him I was, and I liked it, not that I was going to admit