Read Online Rion by Susan Kearney - Free Book Online Page A

spicy perfumes, citrus fruits, cleaners, antiseptics, paint, and industrial fumes making
     her gut clench. Meat and vegetables, speared on shish kebabs and fried in oil, had a sugary-sweet aroma that made her stomach
     roil.
    Oh… my… God.
She’d never felt so completely alone in her life. She had no friends or family here. She didn’t even know where this Enforcer
     was taking her.
    “How long before I can explain to someone in authority what happened?”
    “There’s nothing to explain. You broke the law. You are guilty. According to law 154 of the broken stone, the sentence is
     death.”
    “Death?” This Enforcer was dragging her to her execution? Her mind reeled. “You don’t understand. I was forced to come here.”
    “You broke the law. You will be punished.”
    “But I had no choice. I was brought to Tor against my will. Surely there are exceptions?”
    “None.” The Enforcer’s fingers tightened into an iron lock on her shoulder.
    Marisa began to shake with fear. She’d been in tough spots before. Covering a war in the Mideast, she’d once been caught behind
     enemy lines. This was worse. Her government wouldn’t be demanding her release. No one besides Lucan even knew she was gone,
     and although she’d gotten off one last telepathic message to him, even if he’d heard her, she hadn’t had the chance to tell
     him where Rion had taken her.
    She was going to die. Alone. On an alien world. And no one would ever know what had happened to her.
    W HERE THE HELL was Marisa? Rion searched the crowd but she’d disappeared. A bit of movement snagged his attention. There. She’d tried to
     blend into the crowd but her Earth clothing gave her away. Already an Enforcer had found her. With a leap off the platform
     he followed. He’d promised to protect her, but he hadn’t known he’d have to protect her from herself. He’d expected her to
     be furious that he’d tricked her. He’d anticipated that she wouldn’t easily accept her new circumstances. But he’d never expected
     her to flee. Not from him.
    Yes, in his flash, he’d seen her shot. At the time, he’d assumed she’d died in a gunfight, not execution-style.
    If the Enforcer shot her… Sweet Goddess. Rion wouldn’t let that happen. He had to save her.
    Rion peered through the crowd at the Enforcer marching Marisa to her death.
    Shifting position, he followed closely. Enforcers always worked in pairs. Another one had to be nearby. But if he could take
     out this Enforcer in one blow, before he could radio his partner for help, before he could hurt Marisa, he might be able to
     rescue her.
    Damn it. He shouldn’t have been so careless.
    Her ploy had taken him totally by surprise. And her actions scared the life out of him. Who would have thought she’d make
     such a bold move when she didn’t know the terrain, or the laws or the customs? She’d never even set foot off Earth. For her
     to boldly take off on her own… amazed him.
    But she was Lucan’s twin. And her life in danger had Rion on edge. Not only because she was his best friend’s sister. Not
     only because of her telepathic talents. Above that, she was Marisa. If anything happened to her… it would affect him in ways
     he couldn’t explain.
    She would not pay for his mistake. Every cell in his body focused on getting her back.
    When the crowd thickened, Rion closed the distance, sneaking up behind the Enforcer and Marisa. Protected by helmet and body
     armor, the Enforcer had few vulnerable areas exposed.
    Rion struck hard and fast, slashing his knife into the neck, slicing the carotid artery. Hands going to his bloody neck, the
     Enforcer released Marisa. She immediately jerked away.
    Her face was dirty, a new smudge on her cheek. Yet Rion had seen that smudge before. From somewhere the Enforcer’s partner
     fired two shots.
Bang. Bang.
There was a pause. Another shot.
    The exact same smudge and weapon pattern from his flash. Marisa was about to take a fatal