World of Aluvia 2 by Amy Bearce Read Free Book Online Page A

back room. He looked completely comfortable in the human form he wore so often these days. He was always handsome, but Phoebe privately thought he was more handsome in his natural state, in the glorious magical form of a faun. Who would choose to be human when they could walk around bursting with magic? Although, transforming into a human allowed Micah to better live in Sierra’s world as her beloved. They were practically inseparable. Phoebe’s heart still warmed at their devotion to each other.
    “Good evening, little sister. It’s good to see you.” Micah paused, furrowing his brow for a moment. He inhaled deeply, and his expression cleared. Then he bowed to Phoebe, as he often did in greeting.
    Sierra rolled her eyes at his courtly manners, as usual. Micah stood near the door. The four of them were crowded in the little room, but no one complained.
    Sierra commanded, “Okay, now tell us. Clearly. Donovan came for you?”
    “Him and some other man I didn’t know. While I was at the water.” Her hands twisted in her old quilt made by their mother years ago. The loose threads looked like lace. “I went down to finish a conversation with Tristan and Mina, but they weren’t there.”
    Phoebe went on to explain how the men trapped her and why she ran into the water.
    “You’re sure it was Donovan? And that they were supposed to take
you
?” Sierra asked, biting her lip, exchanging a glance with Micah.
    “I’d never forget that face.”
    Sierra sat down and looped an arm around Phoebe. “Go on, then.”
    “I knew Tristan and Mina were coming, so I swam out far into the sea, hoping the men wouldn’t come after me.”
    “You’re lucky the merfolk came in time,” Micah said, solemnly. Phoebe considered mentioning the reason the merfolk had been meeting her, the discussion about the skeleton, but then Corbin interrupted.
    “What’s that mark on your ankle?”
    Everyone stared. Huge reddened fingerprints marred the pale skin on her right leg. Phoebe hadn’t noticed the mark until now. She hastily covered her bare legs and feet with a blanket, but it was too late.
    “And what. Is. That?” Sierra chewed out the words.
    Phoebe sighed. She was going to have to tell them after all. This wasn’t going to be pleasant.



hoebe told them the truth about the sea creature that grabbed her. She didn’t tell them of the terror she’d felt, but she described the creature in detail.
    “Wait, wait,” Corbin gasped, waving his hands to stop Phoebe. “A
water wraith
?”
    “A what?” Sierra stood, hands on her hips, ready for a fight.
    Corbin gulped, staring at Phoebe. “It had… red eyes and sharp teeth?”
    Sierra’s eyes popped, and her gaze pinned Phoebe to the wall. “Yes, Phoebe, do tell. Did this thing have red eyes and
sharp teeth
, when you were under the water
where you weren’t supposed to be
?”
    Phoebe flinched, but she spit out, “What, you’d rather Donovan caught me?”
    Sierra took a deep breath as if about to argue, but Micah hushed her with a finger against her lips. She complied with his silent request when she’d never listen to anyone else like that. He winked at Phoebe.
    Corbin said, “The water wraiths are an old myth. I’ve only read about them in a few rare scrolls from countless years ago. The old tales say they are the servants of a giant, ancient sea creature called Baleros, and both preyed on the merfolk, stealing their magic.”
    Phoebe stifled a gasp at hearing that unusual name mentioned again.
    “So, if one servant of a powerful, awful sea beast is awake again, doesn’t that mean more wraiths could be around? Aren’t the merfolk in terrible danger? Maybe even from this beast itself?” Phoebe asked.
    She thought of the skeleton, of its crushed skull, of the faint image of the stirring shadow she sensed as the wraith had held her. Dread was an icy pit in her stomach. Maybe the horrifying shadow creature she saw when she was dying had been a warning, a vision of the thing