Read Online Dominion of the Star (Descendants of the Fallen Book 1) by Angelica Clyman - Free Book Online Page A

accomplishment and thrill that came from her
lessons each morning with Sebastian. Even now, the muscles in her thighs and
shoulders ached, and her right hand tingled and burned, but those physical
reminders of her training brought a blissful grin to her face. In each session,
Sebastian revealed that she was more than she thought she ever could be. The
little trials he put her through were meaningful challenges, and his approval
was a true reward.
    Still, she recognized that he
was a busy man, and she didn’t try to meet with him outside their appointed
time. Kayla practiced her exercises and contemplated the mysteries he revealed
to her, but there were so many empty hours left in the day. She hoped Kittie
would return and bring her cheerful energy into this gray room, but nearly two
weeks had passed since she last saw her wide and smiling eyes. It had been
almost just as long since she followed in Jeremy’s cold shadow to meet
Sebastian for the first time. She liked to think the Arch was on another
mission, somewhere far away from the compound, so she wouldn’t have to consider
other reasons behind his absence. With a sigh, Kayla closed her eyes.
    She didn’t know how much time
had passed before she opened them again and saw someone walking alone in the
sand, dwarfed by the industrial equipment around him. Kayla could tell by his
relaxed gait that it was Jeremy. She was at the door before she even
acknowledged her desire to run out into the night. There, thoughts of Sebastian
sobered her, causing her legs to go rigid. He told her that she wasn’t a
prisoner, that she’d find no guards keeping her locked away in the room, but
the entire world was dangerous, every part of it, down to this place and his
Archs, especially…
    Kayla shook her head, bolting
from the room and hurrying down the corridors, looking for a door that led
outside. This part of the stronghold was eerily quiet, and she felt as though
her breathing was thunderously loud. Holding her next inhale high in her chest,
she spotted a way out and, stumbling into the sand, she found Jeremy sitting
against the building she emerged from, looking up at the sky. Kayla walked
towards him, and although she was sure he noticed her presence, he didn’t move.
She sat down at his side and turned her gaze toward the moon, neither one of
them speaking for a long time.
    Jeremy was the first to make a
sound. “You’re okay.” His whisper was almost carried off by the wind.
    “You haven’t come to find out.”
    She felt his body stiffen.
“What happened with Za’in?”
    “Nothing…we’ve just talked,”
she said, the volume of her voice dropping at the end of her statement.
    A bitter smile flickered over
his features, but he didn’t say a thing.
    Kayla dug her bare toes into
the sand, certain he knew she was lying. “Have you seen Kittie?” she asked
loudly, hoping to change the subject.
    His head whipped in her
direction. “What did he tell you?” Jeremy growled.
    “N-nothing! That she’d be gone
for a while…but I missed—”
    He turned away, his shoulders
slumping. “You wouldn’t know anything about it anyways,” he spat. “Don’t start
thinking he’s telling you the truth about stuff.” Jeremy paused, taking a
shuddering breath, and when he spoke again his voice was soft. “Za’in is
preparing her to be my new Ophan. It’s all my fault…”
    “Is that bad? Isn’t it a
promotion?”
    “It’s an excuse.” He dropped
his head into his hands.
    Her fingers hovered in the air,
stopping before they touched his shoulder. “Jeremy, what’s happening?”
    In two sudden, violent
movements he opened up his armored vest, pulled his undershirt over his head,
and faced her bare-chested. His arms and torso were traced with scars, but it
was the tattoo on his chest that he was presenting to her. It was a cross with
pointed ends; the vertical arms were short, but the horizontal line was long,
almost reaching his armpits. The ends of each cross arm were