Read Online The Corollaria by Courtney Lyn Batten - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Courtney Lyn Batten
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surprised, Hunter, that your father hadn’t told you more.”
Curtis’s eyes grew wide, “My father?”
“I have no time to explain this to you, please just hurry. It must be now, while Samuel is occupied.”
S he gestured for Curtis to go.
Curtis stood and briskly walked across the floor to the door, the cell phone clutched in his hand . A tight knot lodged in his throat.
“And Curtis?” Vanessa said softly. Curtis half-turned to face her. Her face was sad, wistful and her voice strained, “When you make it to the Hidden City, tell your father I will try to find out more information and report it to him.”
And with that she vanished, leaving Curtis’s mind racing and his blood buzzing. He shook his head and walked quietly, but as quickly as possible, down the hall to Emily’s room. It had to be late morning by now, although, he’d never know in this house. Samuel had turned this eighteenth century house into a tomb. No windows, no outside light.
He kept thinking he had no idea what he was doing, or where he was taking her. His only hope was that Luke would.
Her wolf? Something about that statement left a sour taste in his mouth.
He slipped easily into Emily’s room and found her still sleeping, her blond hair matted and stuck to her face. Abruptly, all of his emotions felt frayed, and his stomach uneasy. He had to swallow several times in the dimly lit room before he could move.
Emily felt a cold hand slide across her cheek. She startled, gasping into the darkness. Curtis’s dark eyes met hers, his lips half-lifted into a pained, uneasy smile.
“Just me, Em,” he said softly. Her skin prickled with awareness.
Emily pushed herself up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She felt so tired still. She reached up to touch her neck. Her fingers glided over two puckered scars. Curtis hesitated a moment and then handed her the cell phone.
Emily didn’t protest. She trusted Curtis. She could feel his sincerity like a cool breeze along her skin.
“Call Luke. We’re leaving right now.”
Curtis thrust the phone into her hand and recited a location for Luke to meet them at. His brain was working fast to make a plan. Emily quickly dialed his number, her breathing was so fast and shallow she felt lightheaded with anticipation.
“Hello?” Luke’s scratchy voice sounded uneven and thick when he answered the phone. For a moment she didn’t know what to say, the raw ache inside dug at her.
“It’s me .”
“Emily! Oh god, please tell m e...I’m so, so sorry, please, I—”
His voice choked off and she felt herself spli nter a little more. Her blue eyes flickered to Curtis’s, and she felt a heat rise in her cheeks. Curtis looked away.
“Curtis is here—”
“What?!” Luke’s voice boomed. She could feel the intensity of his anger and fear even through the phone. It skittered along her skin, making her hair stand on end.
“He wasn’t the one that took me. It’s a long story. I’m okay. He’s getting me out of here,” she reassured him quickly, quietly. Her voice shook with the effort. She told him the place to meet them at and then there was a long thick pause.
“Em ily,” he said. The soft thick huskiness of his voice made her insides tighten. “I’ll hurry.”
~000~
The escape through the small cave like passage behind the bookcase was silent except for the loud thumping of Emily’s pulse and her ragged shallow breathing. Curtis reached behind him in the darkness as the path sloped downward, lacing his icy fingers with hers and gently squeezing.
It was meant to be reassuring. Instead the feel of his unnaturally cold skin and the absence of his breathing combined with his familiar shape confused her already muddled thoughts.
“I think he killed my grandmother,” Emily said suddenly. Curtis paused his long strides, and his head turned with furrowed brows. She couldn’t read his expression in the darkness. After a moment of silence, he kept moving
Curtis’s eyes grew wide, “My father?”
“I have no time to explain this to you, please just hurry. It must be now, while Samuel is occupied.”
S he gestured for Curtis to go.
Curtis stood and briskly walked across the floor to the door, the cell phone clutched in his hand . A tight knot lodged in his throat.
“And Curtis?” Vanessa said softly. Curtis half-turned to face her. Her face was sad, wistful and her voice strained, “When you make it to the Hidden City, tell your father I will try to find out more information and report it to him.”
And with that she vanished, leaving Curtis’s mind racing and his blood buzzing. He shook his head and walked quietly, but as quickly as possible, down the hall to Emily’s room. It had to be late morning by now, although, he’d never know in this house. Samuel had turned this eighteenth century house into a tomb. No windows, no outside light.
He kept thinking he had no idea what he was doing, or where he was taking her. His only hope was that Luke would.
Her wolf? Something about that statement left a sour taste in his mouth.
He slipped easily into Emily’s room and found her still sleeping, her blond hair matted and stuck to her face. Abruptly, all of his emotions felt frayed, and his stomach uneasy. He had to swallow several times in the dimly lit room before he could move.
Emily felt a cold hand slide across her cheek. She startled, gasping into the darkness. Curtis’s dark eyes met hers, his lips half-lifted into a pained, uneasy smile.
“Just me, Em,” he said softly. Her skin prickled with awareness.
Emily pushed herself up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She felt so tired still. She reached up to touch her neck. Her fingers glided over two puckered scars. Curtis hesitated a moment and then handed her the cell phone.
Emily didn’t protest. She trusted Curtis. She could feel his sincerity like a cool breeze along her skin.
“Call Luke. We’re leaving right now.”
Curtis thrust the phone into her hand and recited a location for Luke to meet them at. His brain was working fast to make a plan. Emily quickly dialed his number, her breathing was so fast and shallow she felt lightheaded with anticipation.
“Hello?” Luke’s scratchy voice sounded uneven and thick when he answered the phone. For a moment she didn’t know what to say, the raw ache inside dug at her.
“It’s me .”
“Emily! Oh god, please tell m e...I’m so, so sorry, please, I—”
His voice choked off and she felt herself spli nter a little more. Her blue eyes flickered to Curtis’s, and she felt a heat rise in her cheeks. Curtis looked away.
“Curtis is here—”
“What?!” Luke’s voice boomed. She could feel the intensity of his anger and fear even through the phone. It skittered along her skin, making her hair stand on end.
“He wasn’t the one that took me. It’s a long story. I’m okay. He’s getting me out of here,” she reassured him quickly, quietly. Her voice shook with the effort. She told him the place to meet them at and then there was a long thick pause.
“Em ily,” he said. The soft thick huskiness of his voice made her insides tighten. “I’ll hurry.”
~000~
The escape through the small cave like passage behind the bookcase was silent except for the loud thumping of Emily’s pulse and her ragged shallow breathing. Curtis reached behind him in the darkness as the path sloped downward, lacing his icy fingers with hers and gently squeezing.
It was meant to be reassuring. Instead the feel of his unnaturally cold skin and the absence of his breathing combined with his familiar shape confused her already muddled thoughts.
“I think he killed my grandmother,” Emily said suddenly. Curtis paused his long strides, and his head turned with furrowed brows. She couldn’t read his expression in the darkness. After a moment of silence, he kept moving
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