Read Online Archon by Sabrina Benulis - Free Book Online Page B

at him a second longer. “Good day to you,” she said, bowing slightly.
    The glance she shared with Angela was brief, almost admonishing, before she joined a mass of students leaving the church down the middle of the aisle.
    “ Have you met?” Angela took another seat, this time beneath a carving that depicted a sea serpent with thousands of scales, its massive coils wrapped around an island with trees and waterfalls. The church echoed away into a strange silence, punctured here and there by the rumbles of thunder slowly bearing down on the city. The sunlight was already fading. “Or do you just have a bad reputation?”
    “You’re rather straightforward,” Kim said, sitting across from her.
    He’s not stupid enough to sit right next to me. But he’s interested enough to talk.
    “More like cautious. I’ve been told not to speak with you. You’re Stephanie Walsh’s property after all.”
    “Only when I feel like it,” Kim said, running a hand through his bangs. His other hand rested on the back of the pew, tapping the wood. “I was surprised to see you here, especially if you don’t want me to take any notice of you. Are you trying to make Stephanie mad?”
    “Are you?”
    “I simply do what I like. At the time, I liked your paintings. If that’s made life any more difficult for you, I’m sorry.”
    “Your love triangle is making life difficult for me. As I’m sure you know, Brendan Mathers is my brother. Apparently, he’s also Stephanie’s official boyfriend, vow of celibacy or not.” She paused, relishing the cool breeze floating through the open doors. The blush on her cheeks could have been from embarrassment or the mere idea that they were alone. But either way, it made her warm. She clicked the heels of her boots together, choosing to stare at them, at their ragged laces. Anywhere but at Kim. He was gazing back at her intently, as if he knew exactly what information she wanted out of him and why. “By association, I’m already involved, so if you wouldn’t mind, try to keep your eyes from wandering too much. Especially in my direction. I’m sure you can imagine what it would be like for me—caught between the two of them or needing to explain myself to the priests. I’m attracting enough attention already.”
    Kim regarded her for a moment, his gaze even more intense. His eyes were such a strange color, peering back at her like yellow suns behind a web of hair. “Is that all you have to say to me? Usually I’m the one lecturing students, not the other way around.”
    It’s now or never.
    Angela looked up at him again, still startled by the paleness of his skin, how it had sapped to an even more chalky shade now that the light was leaving them. Was he really a novice? Or maybe the better question was: Why had he bothered to take vows at all? Brendan’s choice was somewhat understandable. His entire life had been regimented by the Mathers family, so the transition into Vatican life was a preordained affair. But Kim looked and acted completely at odds with the priesthood. Surely the Academy officials knew about his relationship with Stephanie. Did they fear him for some reason? Or like Angela suspected, was he a spy, dating Stephanie to determine how risky she was to Earth’s well-being?
    “I didn’t expect to see you here,” she finally said. “But I was hoping you could help me out.”
    Kim had been glancing at the windows again. Now he stood, his long coat brushing the floor tiles. “Would you mind if we discussed this on the way to my next teaching session?”
    There was a new tremor in his voice. Maybe he was nervous too. The two of them alone—it was like engaging in a secret tryst, something forbidden. Stephanie’s territory was being painfully invaded. But this was the price Angela would have to pay to understand who and what she was dealing with. Finding Brendan would be a bonus.
    “That’s fine,” Angela said, also peering at the windows, “as long as nobody sees