Read Online Racing Hearts (Shadow Quest 4.5) by Kiersten Fay - Free Book Online Page B

to catch his
breath. “Forgive me. She took much of my energy.”
    Sebastian waited patiently for him to
continue at his own pace.
    “I've healed her body, but she has been
without nourishment for a long time it seems.”
    “Are you saying she was in there
starving to death?”
    The doctor nodded.
    “How long?”
    “I couldn't say for sure. So many
different races, so many different dietary needs. We won't know
until she wakes and can answer for herself.”
    Sebastian knew that many races could
survive long periods without food. A demon could go three or more
months without nourishment. You would have yourself an irritable
demon, but he would be alive. If this creature was anything like a
demon, she could have been hiding on his ship for
months.
    As the doctor continued his business,
fury began to rise in Sebastian. Before, irrationally, he had felt
compassion for her. Now he had regained his senses and was livid at
her trespass. How dare she think to steal herself onto his ship?
Then a thought burned through him, settling deep in his
gut.
    What of the
wards?
     
    Analia fell in and out of
blurred consciousness, the muted grey maintenance compartment
tightening around her. She had waited too long and had run out of
time. Her body was giving up. She knew she had only two choices
ahead of her. Make her presence known within the tiny compartment,
or resign herself to death. At least it was her choice to make, and, though she
was dying, she basked in that thought. No matter what she chose,
her last action would be that of a free woman.
    Inside the cramped box, she felt
herself trying to leave her body. But she fought it. Why? Death
would be so much easier. Suddenly, there was a warmth around her
ankle, and then strong arms around her torso. A voice called her
from the darkness. She sensed the presence of others with her, but
strangely she didn't feel threatened.
    I must finally be
dead .
    As she opened her eyes, she saw the
most beautiful male she could have ever envisioned. He had the
blackest hair and a contrasting golden shade of eyes that shimmered
with some kind of emotion she was not familiar with.
    His features were exquisite, and he was
so warm pressed against her freezing skin. She wanted to stay in
his arms forever. He must be a being of the afterlife, come to
guide her through death’s doors. Her body still hurt with a
lingering grasp of life, but that would soon be gone.
    When the man began to fade, she begged
with everything she had left for him to stay with her. But he was
soon gone, a dark abyss taking his place.
     
    Fuzzily, she awoke. Awareness came to
her slowly as her mind brushed away the thick haze. She was no
longer curled in a ball on a cold hard ground. Keeping her eyes
closed, she accessed her other senses to evaluate her
situation.
    Her chest hurt, and her limbs were
heavy and unresponsive. She was lying on something that was soft
but firm. A musky fragrance lingered nearby. Cautiously, she peeked
from underneath her lashes.
    The beautiful being that she had
thought would guide her through the portals of death loomed over
her. No longer were his eyes warm, but an immense coldness covered
his features. She realized then that she must be alive. Fear swept
through her with renewed strength, and her heart sped. His eyes
flickered toward her as he noticed she was awake.
    In a deep, too calm voice, he asked,
“Where did you come from?”
    It unnerved her because Darius would
sound that way when the pain was about to start. She stifled a
whimper, seeing this man as her newest threat. He could be just
like Darius, especially if he found out about her gift. She wanted
to curl up into a protective ball, but her arms and legs felt like
lead.
    Growing visibly impatient, the man
waited for her answer.
    She didn't know how
she should answer.
Would he take her back to Extarga if she told him? She thought he might. He did
business with Darius and would want to stay on good terms with him.
Yes, he would definitely