Read Online I Am Lightning (Laurel Defense Series) by Melanie Miro - Free Book Online
Authors: Melanie Miro
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arms up in the air until I could breathe without coughing. “Are you sure you’re cured from the attack?”
“I’m a hundred percent cured from the attack,” I said, wheezing a little.
“So what’s the matter?” she asked, letting me go and turning me to look at her.
Before I answered I sat down. I could confide in her some of what was plaguing my brain. She sat across from me and gave me her undivided attention. I put the coffee cup down next to the muffin, lest I choke on either of them again.
“Mark came to my house the night of the incubus attack, telling me he was jealous of the regard I have for Robert,” I said, looked down at my hands on the table and continued. “Mark says he’s confused, but that he thought that maybe we were meant to be mates after all. He assured me he’d never call me unless I was willing to be his, but I just don’t know…”
“I sometimes forget sprite biology,” Rhiannon commented. “Female sprites have it rough, huh?” she asked and I nodded. She continued, “I know that Mark cares for you, and the jealousy he feels could be felt by any close male. It’s his way of safeguarding you. Do you really have regard for Robert?” Rhiannon’s tone assured me that she wasn’t passing judgment, merely ascertaining what she had heard, perhaps gauging my feelings.
I sighed deeply. “Even if I did, I can’t entertain the notion. He wouldn’t be safe.”
“You’re right, he wouldn’t. He would want to bite and then he would…”
“Be poisoned,” we both said in a chorus.
We sat in silence for a moment, both of us lost in thought. “Mark is a good sprite,” Rhiannon concluded. “You guys love each other, can’t you talk?”
“I’ve been trying to give him some room to get his confusion under control.”
“That’s not going to work at all! He’s liable to talk himself into a pretzel of confusion. Maybe you should approach him…”
Rhiannon was interrupted by a throat clearing at the door. It was Robert and I felt like my blood was being sent into my head. All of it. Thankfully, Rhiannon was the type of person to catch situations quickly. She sort of hid me as she turned to look at Robert. “What’s up?” she asked him, like we hadn’t just been talking about him.
“Ifan wants to see Ab- Parker,” he said, his voice low. Without seeing his face I couldn’t read his emotions, but the fact that he didn’t call me Abby said enough.
“She’ll be right there,” Rhiannon said, and I could hear the fake smile in her voice. After a short moment she turned back to me. “Go, don’t get in trouble. We have a big case tonight. All of us are in on it.”
“Oh, Blessed Be! I didn’t hear a word Ifan said. Tell me quick!”
We both got up and walked, and as we did she filled me in: a female water sprite had been abducted, or at least that was the general consensus. She was about my age and had been out with her boyfriend at a club in DC. We were all heading to the club’s immediate area to start the investigation. Rhiannon delivered me to Ifan’s office and pushed me inside, shutting the door behind me. Ifan didn’t look up from a large book on his desk when he started talking.
“Explain,” was all he said. When I didn’t talk right away, that’s when he looked up. “I can make you talk, but I would rather you simply tell me,” he said. I hated to make Ifan mad. It was like letting down my own father, not that I knew what that was like. I figured it felt a lot like letting down the one person who understood you best and liked you best despite all your faults. My wizard boss had never been anything but giving, polite, wise, and sometimes even loving towards me.
So I talked. I told him everything that had happened with Mark and Robert the night that both went to my house. I explained why my brain had been so scattered in the days hence: I was having a
“I’m a hundred percent cured from the attack,” I said, wheezing a little.
“So what’s the matter?” she asked, letting me go and turning me to look at her.
Before I answered I sat down. I could confide in her some of what was plaguing my brain. She sat across from me and gave me her undivided attention. I put the coffee cup down next to the muffin, lest I choke on either of them again.
“Mark came to my house the night of the incubus attack, telling me he was jealous of the regard I have for Robert,” I said, looked down at my hands on the table and continued. “Mark says he’s confused, but that he thought that maybe we were meant to be mates after all. He assured me he’d never call me unless I was willing to be his, but I just don’t know…”
“I sometimes forget sprite biology,” Rhiannon commented. “Female sprites have it rough, huh?” she asked and I nodded. She continued, “I know that Mark cares for you, and the jealousy he feels could be felt by any close male. It’s his way of safeguarding you. Do you really have regard for Robert?” Rhiannon’s tone assured me that she wasn’t passing judgment, merely ascertaining what she had heard, perhaps gauging my feelings.
I sighed deeply. “Even if I did, I can’t entertain the notion. He wouldn’t be safe.”
“You’re right, he wouldn’t. He would want to bite and then he would…”
“Be poisoned,” we both said in a chorus.
We sat in silence for a moment, both of us lost in thought. “Mark is a good sprite,” Rhiannon concluded. “You guys love each other, can’t you talk?”
“I’ve been trying to give him some room to get his confusion under control.”
“That’s not going to work at all! He’s liable to talk himself into a pretzel of confusion. Maybe you should approach him…”
Rhiannon was interrupted by a throat clearing at the door. It was Robert and I felt like my blood was being sent into my head. All of it. Thankfully, Rhiannon was the type of person to catch situations quickly. She sort of hid me as she turned to look at Robert. “What’s up?” she asked him, like we hadn’t just been talking about him.
“Ifan wants to see Ab- Parker,” he said, his voice low. Without seeing his face I couldn’t read his emotions, but the fact that he didn’t call me Abby said enough.
“She’ll be right there,” Rhiannon said, and I could hear the fake smile in her voice. After a short moment she turned back to me. “Go, don’t get in trouble. We have a big case tonight. All of us are in on it.”
“Oh, Blessed Be! I didn’t hear a word Ifan said. Tell me quick!”
We both got up and walked, and as we did she filled me in: a female water sprite had been abducted, or at least that was the general consensus. She was about my age and had been out with her boyfriend at a club in DC. We were all heading to the club’s immediate area to start the investigation. Rhiannon delivered me to Ifan’s office and pushed me inside, shutting the door behind me. Ifan didn’t look up from a large book on his desk when he started talking.
“Explain,” was all he said. When I didn’t talk right away, that’s when he looked up. “I can make you talk, but I would rather you simply tell me,” he said. I hated to make Ifan mad. It was like letting down my own father, not that I knew what that was like. I figured it felt a lot like letting down the one person who understood you best and liked you best despite all your faults. My wizard boss had never been anything but giving, polite, wise, and sometimes even loving towards me.
So I talked. I told him everything that had happened with Mark and Robert the night that both went to my house. I explained why my brain had been so scattered in the days hence: I was having a
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