Read Online Grounded by Constance Sharper - Free Book Online Page B

chair.
    Avery understood the chaotic feeling. They’d gone from zero to sixty in less than a second—hopped an invisible barrier that couldn’t be undone. More than flustered herself, she only managed a few thoughts at a time. After checking the lobby and finding it empty, she lumbered into the other seat.
    “It’s not what you think.” She started. Her hands were sweaty and she kept rubbing her knees. She didn’t have anything to hide with Nate but she knew this wasn’t quite about Nate.
    “I didn’t tell you what I thought.” He said but there wasn’t force behind his words.
    “We took his car when Patrick tried to kill us. Actually, I have more bad news for you than that.” The grim reminder allowed her to clear the raging emotions from her head. Mason’s attention back on her, she went on to explain.
    “So a few days ago I found a harpie communication amulet in Leela’s desk.”
    His eyebrows shot up but he remained calm.
    “Are you sure?” He asked.
    “More than sure.” Avery took a breath to reorganize her thoughts before she could spew them all out. Even thinking about Leela left a knot in her stomach and she was almost afraid to tell Mason. “I followed her out one night and found her talking to Mikhail. She was talking about the book—Jericho’s book. I think they want to recreate the magic of the Willow amulet. I should have seen it coming. Leela had been asking me about everything.”
    Thinking about it, Avery put together the pieces. Leela hadn’t just asked about the book. She’d asked about Avery’s magical tattoo and its coloring. She’d asked about Mason and his location. She’d quizzed her on Patrick. Horrified, Avery realized that every single one of the seemingly nonchalant questions was a careful and systematic investigation.
    Mason had leaned forward and began quizzing her with more intensity.
    “Does she know that you’re onto her? Did she see you follow her?”
    Avery shook her head both times but Mason still scowled.
    “Then Leela’s the enemy now. She’ll have you kidnapped or killed next.”
    Hearing the coldness in his voice made Avery over react. Springing up from her chair, she protested vehemently.
    “Hey, you can’t treat her like a criminal! Mikhail’s making her do it! You know he has that allure amulet and can compel people to do things.”
    Mason’s expression didn’t change. Keeping the same voice, he reasoned with her.
    “We both have seen her in the past few weeks. Did she look like she was being compelled to do anything?”
    The logic was developed well but Avery refused to listen to it. Eyes burning with wetness, she folded her arms and let out a frustrated growl. The weight of cold fear landed on her shoulders and Avery was ready to buckle under it. She protested, more weakly.
    “Stop it! I won’t let you hurt her. She’s a good person okay, but Mikhail still managed to get his frikkin’ hooks into her somehow. Who knows what he told her? Besides… she asked him not to hurt me.”
    “Don’t be foolish Avery, Mikhail will skin you alive once you outlive any purpose to him.” Then he added in a drastically different tone. “I can’t let you die.”
    Mood changing again, she dropped down into the chair next to him. Her shoulders shook but she didn’t cry. Everything had been happening so quickly and she didn’t have time to keep up. Mason’s arm carefully snaked around her shoulder and she leaned into him. They’d held each other before but now the gesture was different. In fact, the relationship was so different now that Avery would need some time to get used to it. Mason probably would too.
    Wringing her hands, she stared at the burnt logs in the fireplace and focused on the present.
    “I know. But how do we help Leela? What do we do?”
    Mason took a few minutes to think about it. By the time he answered, most of Avery’s hysteria had faded away.
    “One thing at a time. We need to get the book back from Samuel’s storage before