Read Online Lucan: The Pendragon Legacy by Susan Kearney - Free Book Online
Authors: Susan Kearney
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smoldered within the ruins. How had they survived? Had the blast flung him through the wall and out of the garbage heap? Was that why he’d blacked out?
Although he hated to question their good fortune, he frowned. What had caused the explosion just when they most needed to escape? Seemed like a huge coincidence. Cael had carried water from a nearby fountain in a cup-shaped piece of plastic. He drank more and looked around. “What happened?”
Her neck was dark with soot: she wore her now tattered and dirty pink tunic backward. When she turned to get more water, he saw that her tunic pocket, which had held Shaw’s papers, was burned away, the pages lost. But from the gaping hole in her clothing, he understood that modesty had required a readjustment.
He shouldn’t stare. But damn, she had a sexy back. The hollows of her shoulder blades called to him. And the sensual purple markings down her nlost!spine made him want to explore her with his tongue. A purple tattoo? Of some kind of vine?
She looked from the demolished wall to him, raised her chin, and squared her shoulders, almost as if bracing her body against an expected attack. “I broke the wall.”
She’d
broken through the wall? With what? “
You
broke through…”
“Who are
you?
” she asked, eyes wide with curiosity. “Why don’t you know who I am?”
Her first question rattled him, and he ignored it. He had to choose his words with care. “I know you’re the High Priestess.” He breathed out a sigh of frustration. “But that’s all I know. It’s not like I can go to the library and look you up.”
“My privacy’s protected by law.” She fidgeted, and he could tell there was something she wasn’t saying.
He searched her face—for answers. “What are you hiding?”
“I-it’s forbidden to write or speak about me without special, preapproved permission through government channels.”
No wonder his research hadn’t scratched the surface when it came to the High Priestess.
Perhaps she’d attribute his ignorance to confusion due the blast. His gaze moved to the giant hole she’d created, and he raised a singed eyebrow. “So how’d you break the wall?”
Unease flickered in her eyes. “I hear engines circling. They may be hunting us. We need to leave.” She gestured to the parked vehicles in the garage. “Unfortunately, those skimmers are all locked.”
Standing on shaky legs, he tucked his question away to ask later. He also relegated to the back of his mind the alien vision of her purple irises and her slender back with its enticing curves and taunting hollows entwined in that tantalizing vine. He would savor the memory later, along with the memory of their short but sensual kiss. Right now, he needed to get them out of here. Squatting, he opened the compartment in the heel of his boot. The hidden multi-tool and circuit rerouter had saved him on more than one occasion.
He staggered to the nearest skimmer, a flying vehicle that the Dragonians used for transportation, and slapped the device on the lock. After an audible click, he opened the door.
With a sigh, she slid into the passenger seat. “I’ve never stolen anything before.”
“We’re borrowing. Not stealing.” He sat behind the controls, revved the motor, and grinned. “This baby has some juice.”
“Try not to crash.”
He dialed in the Dragonian equivalent of pop rock and grinned. “I’m a very good driver. Made it halfway across the city last week with only three or four fender benders.”
She rolled her eyes at the ceiling. “Focus on getting us out of here.”
“No back-seat driving,” he replied.
S P
Although he hated to question their good fortune, he frowned. What had caused the explosion just when they most needed to escape? Seemed like a huge coincidence. Cael had carried water from a nearby fountain in a cup-shaped piece of plastic. He drank more and looked around. “What happened?”
Her neck was dark with soot: she wore her now tattered and dirty pink tunic backward. When she turned to get more water, he saw that her tunic pocket, which had held Shaw’s papers, was burned away, the pages lost. But from the gaping hole in her clothing, he understood that modesty had required a readjustment.
He shouldn’t stare. But damn, she had a sexy back. The hollows of her shoulder blades called to him. And the sensual purple markings down her nlost!spine made him want to explore her with his tongue. A purple tattoo? Of some kind of vine?
She looked from the demolished wall to him, raised her chin, and squared her shoulders, almost as if bracing her body against an expected attack. “I broke the wall.”
She’d
broken through the wall? With what? “
You
broke through…”
“Who are
you?
” she asked, eyes wide with curiosity. “Why don’t you know who I am?”
Her first question rattled him, and he ignored it. He had to choose his words with care. “I know you’re the High Priestess.” He breathed out a sigh of frustration. “But that’s all I know. It’s not like I can go to the library and look you up.”
“My privacy’s protected by law.” She fidgeted, and he could tell there was something she wasn’t saying.
He searched her face—for answers. “What are you hiding?”
“I-it’s forbidden to write or speak about me without special, preapproved permission through government channels.”
No wonder his research hadn’t scratched the surface when it came to the High Priestess.
Perhaps she’d attribute his ignorance to confusion due the blast. His gaze moved to the giant hole she’d created, and he raised a singed eyebrow. “So how’d you break the wall?”
Unease flickered in her eyes. “I hear engines circling. They may be hunting us. We need to leave.” She gestured to the parked vehicles in the garage. “Unfortunately, those skimmers are all locked.”
Standing on shaky legs, he tucked his question away to ask later. He also relegated to the back of his mind the alien vision of her purple irises and her slender back with its enticing curves and taunting hollows entwined in that tantalizing vine. He would savor the memory later, along with the memory of their short but sensual kiss. Right now, he needed to get them out of here. Squatting, he opened the compartment in the heel of his boot. The hidden multi-tool and circuit rerouter had saved him on more than one occasion.
He staggered to the nearest skimmer, a flying vehicle that the Dragonians used for transportation, and slapped the device on the lock. After an audible click, he opened the door.
With a sigh, she slid into the passenger seat. “I’ve never stolen anything before.”
“We’re borrowing. Not stealing.” He sat behind the controls, revved the motor, and grinned. “This baby has some juice.”
“Try not to crash.”
He dialed in the Dragonian equivalent of pop rock and grinned. “I’m a very good driver. Made it halfway across the city last week with only three or four fender benders.”
She rolled her eyes at the ceiling. “Focus on getting us out of here.”
“No back-seat driving,” he replied.
S P
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