Xander vol.1 Transmutation by Jaz Johnson Read Free Book Online Page B

at the
cold metal that was continuously squeezing her midsection. Her feet
desperately tried to reach the ground and provide some sort of
anchor against Richard’s force, but she was only brought higher as
she was turned around to face him.
    “ Richard,” she wheezed,
her face scrunching in pain as the metal coiled tighter.
    “ You cannot stop the
future, Nora,” Richard cooed.
    “ Look at what he’s doing,
Richard!” Nora pleaded. “What you’re doing. What you’re becoming …
Richard please, we can’t let him do this,” she wheezed.
    “ It is the
future.”
    “ It’s human
extinction!”
    “ It’s human evolution !” Richard
corrected in a bellow. Nora let out a breathy sob.
    “ Evolution,” she wheezed.
“And Sarah? Was death her evolution? Have you forgotten your
own sister ?” Nora
shouted at him. Richard’s lips fell into a hard line at the
mention. He was silent for a moment too long before
saying,
    “ I’m a strong believer in
Darwinism.” Nora’s eyes widened at the statement, her shock slowly
morphing into fear and disgust. “I’m offering you your life because
you were friends. Come back with me, Nora,” Richard offered once
again.
    Richard felt the wet slap
of saliva on his cheek.
    “ You really are a
monster,” Nora spat.
    His closed eyes slowly
opened to see Nora’s defiant face, almost immediately shifting into
that of pain as the metal arm squeezed harshly. She cried out as
she felt the strain on both her bones and organs. Her breathing
became short as she desperately clawed at the metal. Her eyes
watered at the intensifying pain as it became increasingly harder
to breathe. Their eyes met, and she knew that she had been given
her last offer.
    Her eyes darted about, her
brain racing to find a way out with what oxygen it had left. She
focused on the ground below them, wincing as the tentacle harshened
its grip.
    “ Don’t make me do this,”
she coughed.
    But he didn’t grant her a
response. His gaze remained cold as he waited for Nora’s final
breath. Seeing that she had no choice, Nora said a silent goodbye
to Richard as she called forth a summoning. Within the instant, two
halves of a hollow sphere shaped themselves from the ground and
came to hover on either side of Richard. He looked around
skeptically, but before he had a proper chance to react, Nora
slapped the two halves together around him, crushing the tentacle
that held Nora and allowing her to fall to the ground.
    She sent vines to wrap
around the sphere as she sealed it, before slapping her hands
against the ground and launching the sphere into the earth. When
the dirt and dust had settled, the sphere was beneath the now
smooth surface, trapping Richard within it.
    Nora panted as she laid on
the ground, the sting from Richard’s relentless squeezing still
very much present. Overwhelmed, she exhaled several sobs as she
stared guiltily at the ground and whom now lay beneath
it.
    That is, before it
shook.
    Nora’s body flinched as
she felt the tremor below her. She rushed to her knees as her hands
felt around on the rugged surface of the forest floor. A crack
ripped through the space between her hands, making her gasp and
scramble to her feet. She swore under her breath, making a b-line
for the town.

    ********

    “Has he gotten anything
yet?” the clothing store manager asked optimistically.
    But his employee shook her
head no. Her arms crossed, and her expression, as she watched
Xander, turned more and more into that of resentment. The manager
had been on her case for the past day, making sure that she was the
epitome of sale associates.
    “ No,” she grumbled with a
sigh, her fingers drumming on her arm.
    “ What happened yesterday?”
he asked, watching as Xander picked up and put down different
shirts.
    “ I don’t know. He got some
call from some women and booked it.”
    The manager gave a nod of
understanding, glancing at his wedding ring.
    “ I know how that is. Well,
get over there and see if he