Read Online Katie's Hope (Rhyn Trilogy, Book Two) by Lizzy Ford - Free Book Online Page B

kicking
and screaming to the castle, dangle them over the forest of demons,
and offer them a choice: him or the demons. Cynically, he suspected
all but Kiki would choose the demons.
     
    * * *
    “Lankha?” Katie asked, startled to see the
cowering healer in her room. She’d last seen him in Hell, where
they shared a cell together. “Are you okay?”
    The healer was huddled against the door,
looking around with visible horror. His gaze settled on her, and he
ventured forward.
    “What is it?” Ully whispered.
    “He’s the oldest of the healers,” she
replied. She stood and crossed to the scared creature and took one
of his soft hands. He went without resistance. She led him to the
bed. “Rhyn brought you here to help our friend, Lankha.”
    The healer sank next to her on the bed, large
eyes darting around the room as if he expected the furniture to
grow fangs and chase him. His gaze finally fell to Toby, and he
inched forward. Ully watched with alarm as the healer unwrapped the
angel’s bandage. She felt like petting the healer to calm him as
she might Toby’s cat but suspected it wouldn’t be welcome. She
grimaced when he peeled back the final layer of bandages to reveal
the gouge and broken bones beneath.
    The healer clucked to himself, growing more
comfortable as he concentrated on his trade. Katie moved out of his
way. A tap at the door made Lankha pause, and she hurried to answer
it to keep the healer from being distracted.
    “Madame, your sister’s car has just entered
the property,” Kris’s personal secretary said. “I thought you might
wish to greet her.”
    Katie could think of nothing she wanted less,
but she nodded. She changed quickly into dry clothing before
hurrying down the back stairwell. With her arm bleeding, she
couldn’t risk drawing the attention of the Immortals by taking the
front stairwell even to meet her sister. She went the back way--
the servant’s route, as Kris had so kindly informed her-- to the
front door.
    The white Hummer limo made it up the snowy
slope and slowed as it crossed the cleared cobblestone drive in
front of the castle. It stopped, and two footmen went to the doors
while two others opened the trunk.
    Appearing refreshed and thrilled, beautiful,
blond Hannah stepped from the Hummer and looked up, awe crossing
her features. She was dressed in a long, white fur coat that Katie
had no doubt cost more than a small house. Hannah’s boots were
white, her cream slacks and camel turtleneck completing her
flawless look.
    As usual, Katie felt a twinge of jealousy at
the sight of her sister that only grew when Giovanni-- Hannah’s
handsome fiancé-- circled the car to take her arm and lead her to
the stairs to the castle. Rhyn was about as uncivilized as Gio was
civilized. Katie despised Gio most days, but sometimes, she
wondered what a normal relationship was like. She didn’t hear Kris
draw abreast until the man stood at her side, staring at the
gorgeous woman approaching.
    “ That’s your sister?” he asked in
clear astonishment. “What’s this guy’s name?”
    “Giovanni de Medici, descendent of the
Italian de Medici,” his secretary answered from behind them.
    “Oh. I think I’ve heard his name before. How
did he get an invite here?” Both of them looked at Katie,
and Kris pursed his lips.
    “I was going to ask you the same about
Hannah,” she said with a glare. “Another of your tricks, Kris?”
    “It’s customary,” Henri said. “Social
propriety states that the immediate family of an Ancient’s mate or
high level Immortal-- ”
    “You can’t tell me this was an accident!”
    The smallest of smiles crossed Kris’s face,
but he refused to answer.
    “You are the biggest jackass in the world,”
she hissed. “You drag my sister here? Why, to keep me here?”
    “You forced me to bring Rhyn here,” he
reminded her. “I say we’re even.”
    “Aren’t you sworn not to interfere with
mortals?”
    “I’m not interfering,” he said with a