Read Online A Fractured Light (Beautiful Dark) by Jocelyn Davies - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jocelyn Davies
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me. Was she out there right now? What if they all were? Waiting in the bushes and behind trees. Poised to attack the first chance they got.
I stood up quickly, turned the light off in the kitchen, and sprinted up the stairs to my room.
It was freezing in there, and it took only a second to figure out why: my window was wide open. I rushed to it—but instead of closing it automatically like I might have a month ago, I stuck my head out the window and looked up toward the roof.
“Asher?” I whispered. “Are you up there?” I heard a rustle of feathers in response, and then he appeared in my window.
“Hey.” He winked, his eyes glittering with mischief. “Want a hand up?” Grinning, I threw on a hoodie and sweatpants. I put my hand in his, and he pulled me up with him to the roof.
“Nice look,” he said.
“Shut up,” I replied. He put his arm around me, and I sank into the warmth of his body. All the tension I’d felt talking to Ian and Aunt Jo melted away, and I knew, right then, that this was home. Being with Asher. That was all that mattered.
As long as we were together, everything would be fine.
“They’re out there,” Asher said under his breath, looking out at the field below. “Do you see them?” I looked down at the field.
“Who?” I said. “I don’t see anything.”
“Shh,” he whispered. “Be still. Look again.”
This time, I did think I could make out some movement in the dark. Was I imagining things, or could I catch a glimpse of feathers among the trees, a flash of moonlit white against the night?
“Guardians,” I said in a low voice.
“Waiting.”
“For me.” I paused as I really let the weight of it sink in. “Asher, what if I see Devin at school tomorrow? What if I see Raven?” He tightened his arm around me protectively.
“Trust me, Skye, they’d never stage any kind of attack out in the open. At school like that, with everyone watching. Believe it or not, right now, school is the safest place to be.”
“I can’t believe it,” I said, shivering. “Hey, do you have anywhere to be tonight?”
“You mean other than right here?”
“I just thought, with Ardith and Gideon here—”
“Skye.” He stopped me. “I’m pretty sure protecting you is my top priority right now.”
“Good,” I said. “Look. I know this is stupid and embarrassing, but would you . . .”
“Yes?” He grinned.
“Um, sleep with me tonight? Just sleep, I mean. I hate saying this, but . . . I just don’t want to be alone.”
Asher raised an eyebrow. “Just sleep?” A smile tugged at one corner of his mouth in the most infuriating way.
I tried not to blush. It would only egg him on more. “Okay, you know what? Never mind. I’ll take my chances with the Guardians.”
“Oh, stop,” he said, helping me up. “I would love to just sleep with you, Skye.” He walked to the edge of the roof, then turned around, shaking his head. “Are you going to be this scared every night? Because I’ll have to check my calendar . . .”
I pushed him lightly. “Just don’t get used to it.”
We climbed back through my bedroom window. Asher took off his shoes and crawled into bed with me, pulling the covers tightly around us. I fit so perfectly in the crook of his arm. We were safe as long as we were together.
I turned off my bedside lamp, and we lay in the darkness.
“What’s the story with Ardith and Gideon?” I said sleepily.
“I’ll tell you tomorrow,” he whispered. “Go to sleep.”
As we dozed off, I thought I heard him mumble, “Never leave me.” Though it could have been “I’ll never leave you.” I wasn’t sure.
In the morning, I woke up before my alarm, as prepared to face school as I’d ever be. Asher was gone.
He always left before I was ready.
Chapter 9
T hat morning, I relished the familiarity of waking up in my own bed—but only for about five seconds. I was up and out of there like a shot. The exhaustion I’d been feeling since
I stood up quickly, turned the light off in the kitchen, and sprinted up the stairs to my room.
It was freezing in there, and it took only a second to figure out why: my window was wide open. I rushed to it—but instead of closing it automatically like I might have a month ago, I stuck my head out the window and looked up toward the roof.
“Asher?” I whispered. “Are you up there?” I heard a rustle of feathers in response, and then he appeared in my window.
“Hey.” He winked, his eyes glittering with mischief. “Want a hand up?” Grinning, I threw on a hoodie and sweatpants. I put my hand in his, and he pulled me up with him to the roof.
“Nice look,” he said.
“Shut up,” I replied. He put his arm around me, and I sank into the warmth of his body. All the tension I’d felt talking to Ian and Aunt Jo melted away, and I knew, right then, that this was home. Being with Asher. That was all that mattered.
As long as we were together, everything would be fine.
“They’re out there,” Asher said under his breath, looking out at the field below. “Do you see them?” I looked down at the field.
“Who?” I said. “I don’t see anything.”
“Shh,” he whispered. “Be still. Look again.”
This time, I did think I could make out some movement in the dark. Was I imagining things, or could I catch a glimpse of feathers among the trees, a flash of moonlit white against the night?
“Guardians,” I said in a low voice.
“Waiting.”
“For me.” I paused as I really let the weight of it sink in. “Asher, what if I see Devin at school tomorrow? What if I see Raven?” He tightened his arm around me protectively.
“Trust me, Skye, they’d never stage any kind of attack out in the open. At school like that, with everyone watching. Believe it or not, right now, school is the safest place to be.”
“I can’t believe it,” I said, shivering. “Hey, do you have anywhere to be tonight?”
“You mean other than right here?”
“I just thought, with Ardith and Gideon here—”
“Skye.” He stopped me. “I’m pretty sure protecting you is my top priority right now.”
“Good,” I said. “Look. I know this is stupid and embarrassing, but would you . . .”
“Yes?” He grinned.
“Um, sleep with me tonight? Just sleep, I mean. I hate saying this, but . . . I just don’t want to be alone.”
Asher raised an eyebrow. “Just sleep?” A smile tugged at one corner of his mouth in the most infuriating way.
I tried not to blush. It would only egg him on more. “Okay, you know what? Never mind. I’ll take my chances with the Guardians.”
“Oh, stop,” he said, helping me up. “I would love to just sleep with you, Skye.” He walked to the edge of the roof, then turned around, shaking his head. “Are you going to be this scared every night? Because I’ll have to check my calendar . . .”
I pushed him lightly. “Just don’t get used to it.”
We climbed back through my bedroom window. Asher took off his shoes and crawled into bed with me, pulling the covers tightly around us. I fit so perfectly in the crook of his arm. We were safe as long as we were together.
I turned off my bedside lamp, and we lay in the darkness.
“What’s the story with Ardith and Gideon?” I said sleepily.
“I’ll tell you tomorrow,” he whispered. “Go to sleep.”
As we dozed off, I thought I heard him mumble, “Never leave me.” Though it could have been “I’ll never leave you.” I wasn’t sure.
In the morning, I woke up before my alarm, as prepared to face school as I’d ever be. Asher was gone.
He always left before I was ready.
Chapter 9
T hat morning, I relished the familiarity of waking up in my own bed—but only for about five seconds. I was up and out of there like a shot. The exhaustion I’d been feeling since
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