Read Online Pursuit: An Urban Fantasy Novel (The Lillim Callina Chronicles Book 4) by J.A. Cipriano - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: J.A. Cipriano
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shrug.
“Well… none,” came a reply a moment later.
“Exactly,” I said.
The images around me faded out one by one, disappearing in a rush of steam. Soon, I was standing there looking at one Royal Guard. So they’d sent all of two people to come find me. Neat trick, I’d have been scared otherwise.
“Lillim, I still need to take you in,” he said walking up to me, his weapon in hand. It was still bespelled with glamour so it looked like a non-descript axe. “If I don’t, Masataka will be very upset with me.”
“Charlie, I’m…” I swallowed and shook my head. It was time to face my fight. “I’m going to go with you, but not as a prisoner.” I shrugged, sheathing my weapons as I sauntered over to the fallen Royal Guard and moved to remove his cowl. “Now let’s see if your friend is okay.”
“Don’t!” Charlie screamed as I yanked the fabric away.
There was an explosion of light and sound as I was flung backward. I hit the sand hard on my back, my breath whooshing out of me as I clutched my burning hand to my chest. The spot where the Guard had been was now a smoking crater. No trace of the Dioscuri remained.
“Well… I guess that’s one way to keep your identities secret,” I murmured as I willed power into my hand and tried to shut out the pain throbbing through it. Good thing most of the blast had been centered inward on the Royal Guard.
“If we try to remove our uniforms in the field, our Vajra’s detonate. It’s to keep them from falling into the wrong hands,” Charlie said as he knelt down by the blackened scar in the sand. “Why’d you go and do that?”
“Um… it seemed like a good idea at the time?” I ventured.
“You didn’t have to kill him,” Charlie said, turning his head toward me. “He was my friend…” and the moment the words left his lips I felt my heart break for him because he’d trusted me, and I’d killed his friend. Even though it was an accident.
“What was his name?” I asked and Charlie stared at me for a long time, saying nothing. “You don’t even know his name, do you?”
“Well, no,” Charlie said with a sigh. “I always called him Rudy in my head.”
“You’re making me feel bad,” I said, walking up to him and patting his shoulder awkwardly.
“You should feel bad. You just killed him!” Charlie shouted, standing up and throwing off my hand. “We were just following orders, and you killed him!”
“Look, I said I was sorry,” I replied, taking a step back and glaring at him.
“No you didn’t,” Charlie snapped.
“Oh…” I said sheepishly and stared at my feet for a second. “Well… I’m sorry.”
“I don’t believe you,” he said, cocking his head at me. “I don’t believe you’re sorry at all.” Which, sadly, was kind of true. I didn’t even know who the guy was, only that he’d been there to bring me back to Masataka and certain doom. It wasn’t enough to endear me to him, fellow Dioscuri or not.
“Charlie…” I said, reaching out to hug him because regardless of whether I liked the dead guy or not, I did like Charlie. “I’m sorry, really. I wasn’t trying to kill anyone.”
He let me put my arms around him and pull him close, which was hard because he was a head taller than me. Slowly, he wrapped his arms around me, crushing me against his body. He leaned his head on my shoulder, and I felt his warm breath on my neck. It brought back memories of him breathing on me from class. How long ago was that? Four years ago? Had it been that long since I’d seen him last?
“You really need to stop breathing on me,” I said. “You know I don’t like it.”
He chuckled into my neck, the sound of it rough with modulation. “Yeah, I remember,” he said. He released me and took a step back. “It’s good to see you, Lillim. I wish the circum—”
Chapter 8
Joshua stood behind Charlie’s body as it slumped the ground, knocked unconscious in mid-sentence. We both looked at the fallen Royal
“Well… none,” came a reply a moment later.
“Exactly,” I said.
The images around me faded out one by one, disappearing in a rush of steam. Soon, I was standing there looking at one Royal Guard. So they’d sent all of two people to come find me. Neat trick, I’d have been scared otherwise.
“Lillim, I still need to take you in,” he said walking up to me, his weapon in hand. It was still bespelled with glamour so it looked like a non-descript axe. “If I don’t, Masataka will be very upset with me.”
“Charlie, I’m…” I swallowed and shook my head. It was time to face my fight. “I’m going to go with you, but not as a prisoner.” I shrugged, sheathing my weapons as I sauntered over to the fallen Royal Guard and moved to remove his cowl. “Now let’s see if your friend is okay.”
“Don’t!” Charlie screamed as I yanked the fabric away.
There was an explosion of light and sound as I was flung backward. I hit the sand hard on my back, my breath whooshing out of me as I clutched my burning hand to my chest. The spot where the Guard had been was now a smoking crater. No trace of the Dioscuri remained.
“Well… I guess that’s one way to keep your identities secret,” I murmured as I willed power into my hand and tried to shut out the pain throbbing through it. Good thing most of the blast had been centered inward on the Royal Guard.
“If we try to remove our uniforms in the field, our Vajra’s detonate. It’s to keep them from falling into the wrong hands,” Charlie said as he knelt down by the blackened scar in the sand. “Why’d you go and do that?”
“Um… it seemed like a good idea at the time?” I ventured.
“You didn’t have to kill him,” Charlie said, turning his head toward me. “He was my friend…” and the moment the words left his lips I felt my heart break for him because he’d trusted me, and I’d killed his friend. Even though it was an accident.
“What was his name?” I asked and Charlie stared at me for a long time, saying nothing. “You don’t even know his name, do you?”
“Well, no,” Charlie said with a sigh. “I always called him Rudy in my head.”
“You’re making me feel bad,” I said, walking up to him and patting his shoulder awkwardly.
“You should feel bad. You just killed him!” Charlie shouted, standing up and throwing off my hand. “We were just following orders, and you killed him!”
“Look, I said I was sorry,” I replied, taking a step back and glaring at him.
“No you didn’t,” Charlie snapped.
“Oh…” I said sheepishly and stared at my feet for a second. “Well… I’m sorry.”
“I don’t believe you,” he said, cocking his head at me. “I don’t believe you’re sorry at all.” Which, sadly, was kind of true. I didn’t even know who the guy was, only that he’d been there to bring me back to Masataka and certain doom. It wasn’t enough to endear me to him, fellow Dioscuri or not.
“Charlie…” I said, reaching out to hug him because regardless of whether I liked the dead guy or not, I did like Charlie. “I’m sorry, really. I wasn’t trying to kill anyone.”
He let me put my arms around him and pull him close, which was hard because he was a head taller than me. Slowly, he wrapped his arms around me, crushing me against his body. He leaned his head on my shoulder, and I felt his warm breath on my neck. It brought back memories of him breathing on me from class. How long ago was that? Four years ago? Had it been that long since I’d seen him last?
“You really need to stop breathing on me,” I said. “You know I don’t like it.”
He chuckled into my neck, the sound of it rough with modulation. “Yeah, I remember,” he said. He released me and took a step back. “It’s good to see you, Lillim. I wish the circum—”
Chapter 8
Joshua stood behind Charlie’s body as it slumped the ground, knocked unconscious in mid-sentence. We both looked at the fallen Royal
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