Read Online Shattering the Ley by Joshua Palmatier - Free Book Online
Authors: Joshua Palmatier
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presence like a pressure against her back.
She swallowed against the tightness in her chest. “Yes, sir?”
The gardener stared at her a long moment, glanced back toward the two globes, now slightly dimmed, then back to her. Something flashed through his eyes, something sad, although he smiled and knelt down before her. He didn’t release his hold on her shoulder, though.
“You were here the other day, weren’t you? Before the sowing?”
She nodded. She could feel something through the man’s touch, an energy, streaming out from her, passing through him and into the ground where he knelt. Energy coursed from him into her as well, but it wasn’t as strong, its flow sluggish and weak.
The gardener sighed, then squeezed her shoulder in reassurance before struggling to stand. As soon as he released her shoulder, the flow of energy cut off, although she could still feel him, as if some small part of that flow still remained, nearly undetectable.
He nodded toward Cory, who’d halted a few paces distant and was eyeing the gardener suspiciously. “I think you, along with your friend, should take me to your father. We need to speak. Right now.”
When Kara opened the door to her family’s apartment, her father was working at his desk, the ley globe pulled in close. It brightened as soon as she entered, the gardener trailing behind her. Cory had escaped as soon as they reached his apartment, casting her a worried look as he closed the door.
“Ah, Kara, I’m glad you’re home,” her father said without turning. “Someone dropped off a Gorrani sandglass.” He motioned to where the clock sat to one side, sand falling from one tray to another through a pinched hourglass, the tray beneath slowly lowering as it grew heavier. “I was hoping you’d be able to take a look while I finish the work on this piece.”
“Da?” Her voice cracked and she coughed and cleared her throat. “Da, there’s someone here.”
Metal clattered against metal and her father swore, too softly for her to hear the words. Straightening, he sighed and pushed the ley globe aside, spinning in his chair. “What did you sa—?”
He stilled when he saw the brown robes of the gardener, the weary smile that had started to form freezing, then slipping into a tight frown.
“He stopped me in the street outside Halliel’s Park,” Kara said, a shiver of worry slicing into her gut. “He said he needed to speak to you.”
A long moment of silence stretched, and then the gardener shifted behind Kara, one hand falling onto her shoulder. “It’s about your daughter, actually.”
Her father nodded. “I see.” His gaze dropped from the gardener to her and he attempted a smile of reassurance. “Why don’t you go into the kitchen and get us something to drink, Kara? I think there’s still some tea left in the pitcher on the sill.”
Kara nodded, more than happy to slip out from under the gardener’s hand. Even here, when he touched her, she could feel energy passing back and forth between them, although it wasn’t as intense as it had been at the park.
She heard the gardener and her father speaking as she found the pitcher, some cups, and loaded them onto a tray.
“I’m simply concerned for your daughter,” the gardener was saying as she returned. Neither one of them appeared to notice her. “For her to be manifesting so strongly this early . . . it could be dangerous. Not only for her, but for you and those around her as well.”
“What do you mean manifesting?” her father said sharply. Kara had never heard her father speak in such a harsh tone, tinged with fear, and dread shot through her back. Her hands tightened on the edges of the tray.
The gardener snorted. Then his eyes narrowed. “I am a Tender of the stones in Halliel’s Park,” he said purposefully. “That means—”
“I know what that means! And I know what you are, who you were!”
The gardener straightened, arms crossed over his chest. “Then you know
She swallowed against the tightness in her chest. “Yes, sir?”
The gardener stared at her a long moment, glanced back toward the two globes, now slightly dimmed, then back to her. Something flashed through his eyes, something sad, although he smiled and knelt down before her. He didn’t release his hold on her shoulder, though.
“You were here the other day, weren’t you? Before the sowing?”
She nodded. She could feel something through the man’s touch, an energy, streaming out from her, passing through him and into the ground where he knelt. Energy coursed from him into her as well, but it wasn’t as strong, its flow sluggish and weak.
The gardener sighed, then squeezed her shoulder in reassurance before struggling to stand. As soon as he released her shoulder, the flow of energy cut off, although she could still feel him, as if some small part of that flow still remained, nearly undetectable.
He nodded toward Cory, who’d halted a few paces distant and was eyeing the gardener suspiciously. “I think you, along with your friend, should take me to your father. We need to speak. Right now.”
When Kara opened the door to her family’s apartment, her father was working at his desk, the ley globe pulled in close. It brightened as soon as she entered, the gardener trailing behind her. Cory had escaped as soon as they reached his apartment, casting her a worried look as he closed the door.
“Ah, Kara, I’m glad you’re home,” her father said without turning. “Someone dropped off a Gorrani sandglass.” He motioned to where the clock sat to one side, sand falling from one tray to another through a pinched hourglass, the tray beneath slowly lowering as it grew heavier. “I was hoping you’d be able to take a look while I finish the work on this piece.”
“Da?” Her voice cracked and she coughed and cleared her throat. “Da, there’s someone here.”
Metal clattered against metal and her father swore, too softly for her to hear the words. Straightening, he sighed and pushed the ley globe aside, spinning in his chair. “What did you sa—?”
He stilled when he saw the brown robes of the gardener, the weary smile that had started to form freezing, then slipping into a tight frown.
“He stopped me in the street outside Halliel’s Park,” Kara said, a shiver of worry slicing into her gut. “He said he needed to speak to you.”
A long moment of silence stretched, and then the gardener shifted behind Kara, one hand falling onto her shoulder. “It’s about your daughter, actually.”
Her father nodded. “I see.” His gaze dropped from the gardener to her and he attempted a smile of reassurance. “Why don’t you go into the kitchen and get us something to drink, Kara? I think there’s still some tea left in the pitcher on the sill.”
Kara nodded, more than happy to slip out from under the gardener’s hand. Even here, when he touched her, she could feel energy passing back and forth between them, although it wasn’t as intense as it had been at the park.
She heard the gardener and her father speaking as she found the pitcher, some cups, and loaded them onto a tray.
“I’m simply concerned for your daughter,” the gardener was saying as she returned. Neither one of them appeared to notice her. “For her to be manifesting so strongly this early . . . it could be dangerous. Not only for her, but for you and those around her as well.”
“What do you mean manifesting?” her father said sharply. Kara had never heard her father speak in such a harsh tone, tinged with fear, and dread shot through her back. Her hands tightened on the edges of the tray.
The gardener snorted. Then his eyes narrowed. “I am a Tender of the stones in Halliel’s Park,” he said purposefully. “That means—”
“I know what that means! And I know what you are, who you were!”
The gardener straightened, arms crossed over his chest. “Then you know
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