Read Online Chasing Shadows (Saving Galerance, Book 1) by Natalie Reid - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Natalie Reid
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down the dirt
path, she felt an unescapably charged and anxious feeling welling up in her stomach
and pushing against the fragile tissue of her lungs. Mason had never made her
feel like this when they were younger. He was a different person back then, a
gentler boy that somehow seemed much wiser than the man now. But Norabel was
sure she would find him again; she just needed to wait a little longer to see
that inquisitive boy with bright blue eyes and a beaming smile…
…Mason wiped the charcoal off his hands and stepped back
from the cave wall to proudly stare at the large, arching set of wings he had
drawn. From outside the cave entrance, Norabel happily hummed a tune as she
waited for him to call her inside.
“Alright Norabel, you can come in now,” he called out. He
furiously rubbed his hands on his pants, trying to get all the dirt off, and
ran a hand down his mop of black hair. At fifteen years of age, he never
thought about brushing his hair, but preferred it to stick out in tuffs like
that of a carefree boy that spent all his time chasing rabbits in a meadow.
When Norabel tentatively stepped in, he cleared his throat
and looked back to his drawing on the cave wall.
“Mason, it’s amazing,” she marveled, standing next to him to
admire it. “It looks just like their wings.”
“I know.”
Norabel’s eyes flew to him. “What do you mean you know? The Woodland
Albatross never comes as far as Breccan.”
A wide grin broke out on his face as he admitted, “I found a
man that had a book on them. He let me look through the pages and I…”
“But Mason,” she cut in, shaking her head, “that’s
dangerous. You could get in trouble! If anyone found out you were…”
It was Mason’s turn to cut her off as he placed a gentle
hand on her shoulder. “It’s alright. No one will know.” His mouth curled up in
a smile as he added, “It was worth it if it made you happy.”
“I’m already happy,” she told him, her wide, starry eyes
looking up to him.
“You mean I did all this for nothing?” he joked, glancing
back to the wings on the wall. “I guess I’ll just have to erase it then.”
He walked up to the charcoal drawing and put his sleeve up as
though he was about to start wiping it off, when Norabel gave out a squeak
behind him.
“No!” she exclaimed, her thin fingers slipping around his
arm to stop him.
Mason laughed to let her know he was only joking. “Come on,”
he said. “Why don’t you try them out? See how they fly.”
There was a small fire lit on the other side of the cave,
and the light from the entrance was not enough to erase all sign of their
shadows. Mason carefully led Norabel a few feet away from the wall and
positioned her so that her shadow lined up perfectly with the pair of wings.
“How do they look?” she asked, trying to turn her head to
see.
“Like they were born for you,” he answered.
Norabel reached out for one of his hands and clasped it with
both of hers. “Do you think they ever talk to each other?” she asked.
“Who?”
“Our guardians. Yours and mine. Do you think they’re friends
because we are?”
Mason’s mouth scrunched in thought. “Well, I sure hope so.
Because I’m not planning on leaving you anytime soon.”
As he said these last words, he reached out for her waist
and lifted her in the air, spinning her around. Norabel laughed when he set her
back down and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
“I suppose they’re just gonna have to deal with it,” Mason
said.
“Deal with it?” she repeated, her face falling slightly in
disappointment. “I had rather hoped they would like each other.”
“Oh, they do,” he answered confidently.
“You’re just saying that,” she said, narrowing her eyes up
at him.
Slowly lowering his head, he rested his forehead against
hers. “I’m not just saying that,” he whispered.
Norabel closed her eyes in happiness, but opened them a
moment later, asking abruptly, “Do
path, she felt an unescapably charged and anxious feeling welling up in her stomach
and pushing against the fragile tissue of her lungs. Mason had never made her
feel like this when they were younger. He was a different person back then, a
gentler boy that somehow seemed much wiser than the man now. But Norabel was
sure she would find him again; she just needed to wait a little longer to see
that inquisitive boy with bright blue eyes and a beaming smile…
…Mason wiped the charcoal off his hands and stepped back
from the cave wall to proudly stare at the large, arching set of wings he had
drawn. From outside the cave entrance, Norabel happily hummed a tune as she
waited for him to call her inside.
“Alright Norabel, you can come in now,” he called out. He
furiously rubbed his hands on his pants, trying to get all the dirt off, and
ran a hand down his mop of black hair. At fifteen years of age, he never
thought about brushing his hair, but preferred it to stick out in tuffs like
that of a carefree boy that spent all his time chasing rabbits in a meadow.
When Norabel tentatively stepped in, he cleared his throat
and looked back to his drawing on the cave wall.
“Mason, it’s amazing,” she marveled, standing next to him to
admire it. “It looks just like their wings.”
“I know.”
Norabel’s eyes flew to him. “What do you mean you know? The Woodland
Albatross never comes as far as Breccan.”
A wide grin broke out on his face as he admitted, “I found a
man that had a book on them. He let me look through the pages and I…”
“But Mason,” she cut in, shaking her head, “that’s
dangerous. You could get in trouble! If anyone found out you were…”
It was Mason’s turn to cut her off as he placed a gentle
hand on her shoulder. “It’s alright. No one will know.” His mouth curled up in
a smile as he added, “It was worth it if it made you happy.”
“I’m already happy,” she told him, her wide, starry eyes
looking up to him.
“You mean I did all this for nothing?” he joked, glancing
back to the wings on the wall. “I guess I’ll just have to erase it then.”
He walked up to the charcoal drawing and put his sleeve up as
though he was about to start wiping it off, when Norabel gave out a squeak
behind him.
“No!” she exclaimed, her thin fingers slipping around his
arm to stop him.
Mason laughed to let her know he was only joking. “Come on,”
he said. “Why don’t you try them out? See how they fly.”
There was a small fire lit on the other side of the cave,
and the light from the entrance was not enough to erase all sign of their
shadows. Mason carefully led Norabel a few feet away from the wall and
positioned her so that her shadow lined up perfectly with the pair of wings.
“How do they look?” she asked, trying to turn her head to
see.
“Like they were born for you,” he answered.
Norabel reached out for one of his hands and clasped it with
both of hers. “Do you think they ever talk to each other?” she asked.
“Who?”
“Our guardians. Yours and mine. Do you think they’re friends
because we are?”
Mason’s mouth scrunched in thought. “Well, I sure hope so.
Because I’m not planning on leaving you anytime soon.”
As he said these last words, he reached out for her waist
and lifted her in the air, spinning her around. Norabel laughed when he set her
back down and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
“I suppose they’re just gonna have to deal with it,” Mason
said.
“Deal with it?” she repeated, her face falling slightly in
disappointment. “I had rather hoped they would like each other.”
“Oh, they do,” he answered confidently.
“You’re just saying that,” she said, narrowing her eyes up
at him.
Slowly lowering his head, he rested his forehead against
hers. “I’m not just saying that,” he whispered.
Norabel closed her eyes in happiness, but opened them a
moment later, asking abruptly, “Do
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