Read Online The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Kiki Hamilton
Ads: Link
the alley, but it was enough for Tiki to see her assailant’s face, twisted with emotions she didn’t understand, staring down at her. He was beautiful in a dangerous way, with almond-shaped eyes, high cheekbones, and black hair pulled back tight against his head.
She let out a scream, but her attacker clapped his free hand down hard over her mouth and pushed her against a brick wall with enough force to knock the breath from her body. He grabbed her hands and wrenched them over her head, pinning her thin wrists together with one hand.
“Aren’t you a pretty pigeon. Larkin was right.” His breath was hot on her face as he spoke, his lips too close to hers. His voice reminded her of the skin of a snake, dry and scaly. He chuckled under his breath, an evil, mirthless sound. “What is it you know, little girl? What’s your secret?”
Tiki squirmed and kicked, fighting to breathe, to break free. She was drowning in shadows, as if she were being pulled into an unfamiliar darkness.
“Let go of me!” Tiki thought she saw other faces in the dim shadows: frighteningly feral, vicious faces that laughed and jeered.
“Help!” She gasped. But then his lips descended on hers, cutting off her cries.
Tiki wrenched her face away and tried to kick him, but he lifted her off her feet. The toe of her boot caught her attacker’s shin, and Tiki managed to free one hand. She clawed at his eyes but missed. Her grasping fingers grazed something folded along his shoulder blade.
She blinked.
Was that a wing ?
“Marcus!” A deep voice cut through the shadows.
Before she could fully focus in the dim light, her attacker was yanked backward and after a moment seemed to dissolve before her eyes. Around her the air fluttered, the shadows still shifting where he had stood. Tiki gasped for breath, huddled against the rough brick wall, looking up at her rescuer.
“R-Rieker?”
“Tiki, are you all right?” His voice was low, urgent.
“Y-yes,” Tiki stuttered, her teeth chattering with a delayed reaction. “Wh-who was that?” She grabbed Rieker’s arm, her fingers clutching at his sleeve, and tried to catch her breath. “Where did he go?”
“His name is Marcus.” Rieker moved close to her, as if to protect her. “Don’t worry, he’s gone now.”
“Who is he?”
Rieker’s lips twisted as though to hold his words in. “Someone who wanted to get my attention.”
She peered at Rieker’s face. His eyes were guarded, his emotions veiled. “Why?”
He reached forward and gently rubbed his thumb along the edge of her bruised lip. “You’re bleeding,” he said softly.
Tiki reached up to stop him, but her shaking fingers clung to the warmth of his skin instead. “You didn’t answer my question,” she whispered.
“They think I have something they want.”
Tiki was uncomfortably aware of how close Rieker was standing to her, yet at the same time she felt pulled toward him, as though in the grip of a magnet. He leaned even closer and whispered in her ear.
“They think I have the ring, Tiki.”
It took a moment for his words to sink in, and when they did, it was with a sickening tug.
“The ring?” Her words were faint.
“The ring you stole.” He raised his eyebrows. “The royals aren’t the only ones looking for it.”
With him this close, she could see a long, narrow scar under one eyebrow and another along his jaw, giving him an air of danger. “What do you mean? Who else is looking?”
“The ring is old.” Rieker’s body was angled so she was shielded from any curious eyes in the alley. His voice was hushed as he spoke, and for a moment it was as though they were the only two people in the world. “But the secrets and alliances that it holds are ancient.” His fingers tightened on hers. “The ring is a well, Tiki. A reservoir that holds things. Important things.”
Tiki tried to back away, but the rough stones of the brick wall behind held her in place, trapping her.
“Did you notice how the
She let out a scream, but her attacker clapped his free hand down hard over her mouth and pushed her against a brick wall with enough force to knock the breath from her body. He grabbed her hands and wrenched them over her head, pinning her thin wrists together with one hand.
“Aren’t you a pretty pigeon. Larkin was right.” His breath was hot on her face as he spoke, his lips too close to hers. His voice reminded her of the skin of a snake, dry and scaly. He chuckled under his breath, an evil, mirthless sound. “What is it you know, little girl? What’s your secret?”
Tiki squirmed and kicked, fighting to breathe, to break free. She was drowning in shadows, as if she were being pulled into an unfamiliar darkness.
“Let go of me!” Tiki thought she saw other faces in the dim shadows: frighteningly feral, vicious faces that laughed and jeered.
“Help!” She gasped. But then his lips descended on hers, cutting off her cries.
Tiki wrenched her face away and tried to kick him, but he lifted her off her feet. The toe of her boot caught her attacker’s shin, and Tiki managed to free one hand. She clawed at his eyes but missed. Her grasping fingers grazed something folded along his shoulder blade.
She blinked.
Was that a wing ?
“Marcus!” A deep voice cut through the shadows.
Before she could fully focus in the dim light, her attacker was yanked backward and after a moment seemed to dissolve before her eyes. Around her the air fluttered, the shadows still shifting where he had stood. Tiki gasped for breath, huddled against the rough brick wall, looking up at her rescuer.
“R-Rieker?”
“Tiki, are you all right?” His voice was low, urgent.
“Y-yes,” Tiki stuttered, her teeth chattering with a delayed reaction. “Wh-who was that?” She grabbed Rieker’s arm, her fingers clutching at his sleeve, and tried to catch her breath. “Where did he go?”
“His name is Marcus.” Rieker moved close to her, as if to protect her. “Don’t worry, he’s gone now.”
“Who is he?”
Rieker’s lips twisted as though to hold his words in. “Someone who wanted to get my attention.”
She peered at Rieker’s face. His eyes were guarded, his emotions veiled. “Why?”
He reached forward and gently rubbed his thumb along the edge of her bruised lip. “You’re bleeding,” he said softly.
Tiki reached up to stop him, but her shaking fingers clung to the warmth of his skin instead. “You didn’t answer my question,” she whispered.
“They think I have something they want.”
Tiki was uncomfortably aware of how close Rieker was standing to her, yet at the same time she felt pulled toward him, as though in the grip of a magnet. He leaned even closer and whispered in her ear.
“They think I have the ring, Tiki.”
It took a moment for his words to sink in, and when they did, it was with a sickening tug.
“The ring?” Her words were faint.
“The ring you stole.” He raised his eyebrows. “The royals aren’t the only ones looking for it.”
With him this close, she could see a long, narrow scar under one eyebrow and another along his jaw, giving him an air of danger. “What do you mean? Who else is looking?”
“The ring is old.” Rieker’s body was angled so she was shielded from any curious eyes in the alley. His voice was hushed as he spoke, and for a moment it was as though they were the only two people in the world. “But the secrets and alliances that it holds are ancient.” His fingers tightened on hers. “The ring is a well, Tiki. A reservoir that holds things. Important things.”
Tiki tried to back away, but the rough stones of the brick wall behind held her in place, trapping her.
“Did you notice how the
Similar Books
