Read Online ARC: The Seers by Julianna Scott - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Julianna Scott
Tags: isbn:9781908844477
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meet, and before even stepping into the space realized with something between relief and disappointment that I couldn’t feel Alex anywhere nearby, which meant I had beaten him. I did however recognize the ability I sensed just a few feet away, so I took a breath and stepped into the alcove to find Jocelyn, standing alone, casually studying a portrait on the far wall.
He must have heard me enter, as he turned, his eyes widening when he saw me. “You… You look lovely,” he said after a short pause.
“Thanks,” I said, immediately glancing down. “I guess it turned out OK.” I twisted my hips a bit so the skirt of the gown swayed, trying to find something to say that would shove off the uncomfortable haze I felt about to settle in, then added with a smirk, “But I still never want to see that woman again.”
Knowing my “difficulties” with Madame Loute, he chuckled, and to my relief – and probably his as well – our usual awkwardness didn’t seem so bad.
Glancing back up, I took a moment to actually look at him, and when I saw that he was not only dressed in a tux, but also had several other fancy and formal-looking adornments, I was surprised to find myself impressed. Even kind of… proud ?
“Wow,” I said, walking toward him slowly, looking at the large medal and sash he had across his chest. “You look very… decorated.”
“Yes,” he huffed a laugh, glancing down at himself. “It’s a bit much, but for something like this, it’s expected.”
“Everything’s ‘a bit much’ around here,” I said, rolling my eyes.
“It is,” he agreed, “though, on that note, I wanted to tell you that you did very well this afternoon.”
“Thanks,” I said, though I was actually distracted by all his finery and only half paying attention.
I stepped forward so that I could get a better look at his “accessories,” such that they were. The one that stood out the most was the medal in the shape of a cross that hung from a deep purple satin ribbon. The medal itself was very large, probably about five inches both from left to right and top to bottom, and was gold in color with silver accents dotted throughout the filigree details. Underneath the ornate medal and ribbon was a sash that stretched diagonally across his chest, which was exactly the same shade of emerald green as my gown. There were also four or five smaller hanging medals attached to his tux jacket, and a half dozen or so lapel pins, each one with a different inlaid symbol or script.
“What is all this?” I asked, and subconsciously reached out to straighten the medal so that it hung flat. By the time I realized what I was doing, it was too late to stop. My heart may have skipped a beat or so, but I acted as though it was nothing and was happy to find that this semi-intimate exchange wasn’t nearly as awkward as it would have been only a few days ago.
But I still avoided eye contact, just in case…
“The sash denotes a clan, or a family,” he said after a short pause.
“That’s why we’re the same color?”
“Yes. Alex and Cormac each have one as well.”
“So we’re a clan?” I asked with a laugh.
“Not in the strictest definition,” he smiled, “but to all intents and purposes, yes.”
“What about this one?” I nodded toward the medal.
“The medal denotes military service, and the color of the band denotes the war.”
I looked up, surprised. “You were in the military?” Sometimes I forgot how little I really knew about him.
“British military, yes.” His eyebrows pulled together slightly as though he knew my next question was coming.
“Which war is the purple for?”
He hesitated slightly with something between a wince and a smile. “World War One. Of course then it was called the Great War.”
I know my eyes popped open a little bit, but I couldn’t help it. “Oh… right…” I forgot, you are so old it’s almost creepy. Though I kept that last bit to myself.
“Yes,” he nodded, glancing
He must have heard me enter, as he turned, his eyes widening when he saw me. “You… You look lovely,” he said after a short pause.
“Thanks,” I said, immediately glancing down. “I guess it turned out OK.” I twisted my hips a bit so the skirt of the gown swayed, trying to find something to say that would shove off the uncomfortable haze I felt about to settle in, then added with a smirk, “But I still never want to see that woman again.”
Knowing my “difficulties” with Madame Loute, he chuckled, and to my relief – and probably his as well – our usual awkwardness didn’t seem so bad.
Glancing back up, I took a moment to actually look at him, and when I saw that he was not only dressed in a tux, but also had several other fancy and formal-looking adornments, I was surprised to find myself impressed. Even kind of… proud ?
“Wow,” I said, walking toward him slowly, looking at the large medal and sash he had across his chest. “You look very… decorated.”
“Yes,” he huffed a laugh, glancing down at himself. “It’s a bit much, but for something like this, it’s expected.”
“Everything’s ‘a bit much’ around here,” I said, rolling my eyes.
“It is,” he agreed, “though, on that note, I wanted to tell you that you did very well this afternoon.”
“Thanks,” I said, though I was actually distracted by all his finery and only half paying attention.
I stepped forward so that I could get a better look at his “accessories,” such that they were. The one that stood out the most was the medal in the shape of a cross that hung from a deep purple satin ribbon. The medal itself was very large, probably about five inches both from left to right and top to bottom, and was gold in color with silver accents dotted throughout the filigree details. Underneath the ornate medal and ribbon was a sash that stretched diagonally across his chest, which was exactly the same shade of emerald green as my gown. There were also four or five smaller hanging medals attached to his tux jacket, and a half dozen or so lapel pins, each one with a different inlaid symbol or script.
“What is all this?” I asked, and subconsciously reached out to straighten the medal so that it hung flat. By the time I realized what I was doing, it was too late to stop. My heart may have skipped a beat or so, but I acted as though it was nothing and was happy to find that this semi-intimate exchange wasn’t nearly as awkward as it would have been only a few days ago.
But I still avoided eye contact, just in case…
“The sash denotes a clan, or a family,” he said after a short pause.
“That’s why we’re the same color?”
“Yes. Alex and Cormac each have one as well.”
“So we’re a clan?” I asked with a laugh.
“Not in the strictest definition,” he smiled, “but to all intents and purposes, yes.”
“What about this one?” I nodded toward the medal.
“The medal denotes military service, and the color of the band denotes the war.”
I looked up, surprised. “You were in the military?” Sometimes I forgot how little I really knew about him.
“British military, yes.” His eyebrows pulled together slightly as though he knew my next question was coming.
“Which war is the purple for?”
He hesitated slightly with something between a wince and a smile. “World War One. Of course then it was called the Great War.”
I know my eyes popped open a little bit, but I couldn’t help it. “Oh… right…” I forgot, you are so old it’s almost creepy. Though I kept that last bit to myself.
“Yes,” he nodded, glancing
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