Read Online Adrastia (The God Chronicles Book 4) by Kamery Solomon - Free Book Online Page A

backs. As the sun set and even colder conditions rolled in, I wasn't able to follow their movements. It was only when the fire was started that I suddenly couldn't look away.
    "P-please," I whispered, hoping they would come get me and set me by the warmth.
    Eventually, after what appeared to be a very short meal, Arsenio headed over my way, glancing over his shoulder a few times before he reached me.
    "Here," he said quietly, holding out a chicken bone to me. "It was all I could get away from him. I'm sorry."
    I stared at the bone, hardly any meat on it, and my stomach rumbled.
    "It's okay," I mumbled, too cold now to even shiver. "Thank you."
    He set it in my unmoving hands for me, frowning as he looked me over.
    "Surely it won't be bad to let her sit by the fire for a bit," he yelled over his shoulder, anger in his voice.
    "And let it gain control over it?" Cristos yelled back. "Not a chance."
    Arsenio's face twisted into one of rage and his fist punched into the ground, body shaking from something much more dangerous than the cold.
    "Be careful," I laughed softly. "You'll hurt your shoulder worse."
    "You're freezing to death and can only tell me to watch after myself," he said humorlessly. "Yeah, you're real evil."
    "Why don't you stand up to him?" I asked suddenly, desperately hoping he would.
    "He'll kill me." He said simply.
    "You would stay with someone so uncaring?" I inquired, shocked.
    "I've never seen him like this," he said, standing. "If it were anything else, I could reason with him. My instincts tell me to protect myself on this one, though. I'm sorry."
    "I understand," I said softly.
    "You're going to be dead in the morning," he said mournfully. "I don't think you deserve it."
    "I know," I said, feeling more than just my body go cold at the thought.
    With very little movement, he flicked his fingers toward me and I flinched, not knowing what he was doing. To my surprise, the water that had frozen into my clothes pulled from the fabric, falling to the ground in front of me.
    “I wish I could do more,” he said to my newly terrified, but grateful face.
    Slowly, he turned and walked back to the camp, agitation in each step. At this point, it seemed I would be lucky to be free of this in the morning.   
    Silence encased me then, joining with the darkness I was slowly fading into. Cuddling as best I could into the tree, I laid my head against it and closed my eyes, hoping I would live to escape this nightmare.
     
     
    "Avalon," a voice whispered to me, stirring me from my slumber.
    "Who's there?" I asked, my voice cracking.
    Looking around, all I could see were the smoldering coals from the fire, almost burned out, and the two men sleeping next to it. There was no sign of the woman whose voice I'd heard.
    "Hello?" I called again softly, afraid of waking Cristos and having to face his anger again.
    "Avalon . . ."
    The voice seemed to whisper to me on the wind, falling with the pretty snow and mingling among the mostly bare branches above me.
    Adjusting myself against the tree, I stood up the best I could, trying to look around to the backside.
    "Do not be afraid," the voice whispered again.
    "Where are you?" I asked, eyes straining in the darkness.
    Branches around me began rustling and I looked around in confusion, still not seeing my new companion. Try as I might to find her, she just wasn't there.
    A branch poked me in the back and I jumped, not realizing there had been any that low. As I turned to brush it away, I was greeted with yet another impossible thing.
    The tree I'd been chained to was moving, twisting in on itself, becoming a more human like form. Panicked, I tried to back away, but the chain that had fallen loose was picked up by one of the wooden hands.
    "Do not be afraid," the tree said again. "I'm here to help you."
    The tree was talking to me. Well, it wasn't the weirdest thing that had happened to me so far.
    "Let us warm you," she said, motioning for me to come closer.
    Looking around, I