Read Online Burning (Brotherhood of the Blade Trilogy #1) by Eve Paludan - Free Book Online
Authors: Eve Paludan
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slowly toward me. I recognized her and jumped up. “Stop!” I shouted. “The yellow-brick path is booby-trapped!”
Her eyebrows went up, but she did stop. Smart girl.
“ Stay on the gravel path until you reach me,” I added, motioning toward the safer route.
To my surprise, she ran onto a boulder and took an impossibly long leap over the yellow-brick path, landing on the gravel path. She zigzagged and leaped from tree branches and rocks, vaulting over tree limbs and somersaulting to reach me. She sat next to me on the garden bench, not even out of breath, her eyes looking far out to sea, watching something that I could not see.
“ What the heck was that?”
“ Le parkour . Freerunning.”
“ I’m not that athletic.”
“ You just need training and practice.”
“ I’m scared of heights.”
“ We all have fear that needs to be conquered.”
“ Why did you come, Ambra?”
“ After the vampires somehow got Gabrielle off the ship at Hilo—the entire ship was searched—I also took a plane back to Los Angeles. I was at LAX, almost heading out to Switzerland, when I got your text. I would never leave you without support at a time like this.”
“ Thank you. It hasn’t really hit me yet.”
“ Self-preservation is a strength in you. I know what it’s like to come upon a scene like this, one’s own family murdered. I could not speak intelligibly for weeks.”
“ I have nowhere else to go and no one else I can tell.”
“ Come to Blackstone Castle in the Alps, where we live.”
“ How many are you?”
“ Ten, with you. We have a high-tech war room, a heated swimming pool and a gym. We even have cable TV.”
“ I don’t want creature comforts. I want my dead wife back. I want to find my daughter alive...and human.”
“ I’m very sorry about your daughter and your wife.”
“ I hope to God my wife was dead when they burned her. Jesus, I hope she didn’t burn alive. God help me.”
I was shaking nearly uncontrollably, and Ambra could see it. “You better let that out,” Ambra said. “You’re going to be sick if you don’t.”
I stood up and paced back and forth. “I don’t even know how to beat them anymore. They have completely shattered my family. My wife is lost forever—I’m sick with worry about my daughter.”
“ We will find her.”
“ But in what condition? There’s only one reason they would take her alive.”
“ She’s bait for you,” Ambra said.
“ Exactly. I’m going after her anyway.”
“ Of course we are.”
“ We?”
“ Yes, we . Any idea where they might have taken her?”
“ No clue, Ambra. But I’m sure we’ll hear from them.” I paused, looked at the still smoldering home. “I should have been home. What the hell am I doing? Chasing fucking vampires, putting my wife and kid in constant jeopardy.”
“ It’s not your fault, Rand.”
“ Isn’t it? And what if I had left well enough alone? What if I had moved on with my life? My wife would be alive today. My daughter would be here, playing.”
I covered my face, overwhelmed suddenly with emotion.
Ambra put a hand on my shoulder. “And live knowing that your parents’ killers walked free?”
She was right, of course. Revenge drove me daily, so much so that anyone close to me was bound to suffer. I hated myself for putting my sweet wife and daughter in harm’s way...but I hated the vampires even more.
A few minutes later, I turned and faced Ambra. “What’s waiting in Switzerland?”
“ A support system. Resources to help find your child. Grief counseling. Training. Advanced weapons. Free medical care. A legitimate paycheck with taxes taken out. Perhaps we can even arrange a legal Swiss citizenship.”
“ I’m American, with no desire to give up my citizenship. I have to find my daughter and get her back, if she is still alive. That’s my priority.”
“ I agree. But you can’t go up against them by yourself. You can’t find her by yourself. And you know now,
Her eyebrows went up, but she did stop. Smart girl.
“ Stay on the gravel path until you reach me,” I added, motioning toward the safer route.
To my surprise, she ran onto a boulder and took an impossibly long leap over the yellow-brick path, landing on the gravel path. She zigzagged and leaped from tree branches and rocks, vaulting over tree limbs and somersaulting to reach me. She sat next to me on the garden bench, not even out of breath, her eyes looking far out to sea, watching something that I could not see.
“ What the heck was that?”
“ Le parkour . Freerunning.”
“ I’m not that athletic.”
“ You just need training and practice.”
“ I’m scared of heights.”
“ We all have fear that needs to be conquered.”
“ Why did you come, Ambra?”
“ After the vampires somehow got Gabrielle off the ship at Hilo—the entire ship was searched—I also took a plane back to Los Angeles. I was at LAX, almost heading out to Switzerland, when I got your text. I would never leave you without support at a time like this.”
“ Thank you. It hasn’t really hit me yet.”
“ Self-preservation is a strength in you. I know what it’s like to come upon a scene like this, one’s own family murdered. I could not speak intelligibly for weeks.”
“ I have nowhere else to go and no one else I can tell.”
“ Come to Blackstone Castle in the Alps, where we live.”
“ How many are you?”
“ Ten, with you. We have a high-tech war room, a heated swimming pool and a gym. We even have cable TV.”
“ I don’t want creature comforts. I want my dead wife back. I want to find my daughter alive...and human.”
“ I’m very sorry about your daughter and your wife.”
“ I hope to God my wife was dead when they burned her. Jesus, I hope she didn’t burn alive. God help me.”
I was shaking nearly uncontrollably, and Ambra could see it. “You better let that out,” Ambra said. “You’re going to be sick if you don’t.”
I stood up and paced back and forth. “I don’t even know how to beat them anymore. They have completely shattered my family. My wife is lost forever—I’m sick with worry about my daughter.”
“ We will find her.”
“ But in what condition? There’s only one reason they would take her alive.”
“ She’s bait for you,” Ambra said.
“ Exactly. I’m going after her anyway.”
“ Of course we are.”
“ We?”
“ Yes, we . Any idea where they might have taken her?”
“ No clue, Ambra. But I’m sure we’ll hear from them.” I paused, looked at the still smoldering home. “I should have been home. What the hell am I doing? Chasing fucking vampires, putting my wife and kid in constant jeopardy.”
“ It’s not your fault, Rand.”
“ Isn’t it? And what if I had left well enough alone? What if I had moved on with my life? My wife would be alive today. My daughter would be here, playing.”
I covered my face, overwhelmed suddenly with emotion.
Ambra put a hand on my shoulder. “And live knowing that your parents’ killers walked free?”
She was right, of course. Revenge drove me daily, so much so that anyone close to me was bound to suffer. I hated myself for putting my sweet wife and daughter in harm’s way...but I hated the vampires even more.
A few minutes later, I turned and faced Ambra. “What’s waiting in Switzerland?”
“ A support system. Resources to help find your child. Grief counseling. Training. Advanced weapons. Free medical care. A legitimate paycheck with taxes taken out. Perhaps we can even arrange a legal Swiss citizenship.”
“ I’m American, with no desire to give up my citizenship. I have to find my daughter and get her back, if she is still alive. That’s my priority.”
“ I agree. But you can’t go up against them by yourself. You can’t find her by yourself. And you know now,
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