Read Online The Reluctant Amazon (Alliance of the Amazons) by Sandy James - Free Book Online

myriad of emotions that, surprisingly, he could so easily read. Her
beautiful face became a mirror of all she felt. Anticipation. Fear. A touch of
excitement. And something more that he couldn’t quite put his finger on.
    The van came to a stop.
    “Artair,” Sparks called from the front. “We’re here. Wanna let
us in?”
    “Aye.” He got out of the van and stalked to the enormous
gate.
    Appearing weathered and beaten, the innocuous grill protected
the sanctuary for the Amazons. The magicks spun here by the four goddesses who
bestowed the Amazon powers was potent. The camp could be detected by neither man
nor magic. Only he, the two caretakers and the goddesses knew its location. Even
the warriors themselves couldn’t find it. The compound had always been a safe
haven for training the women, a place where they could recover from battle or
injury, and for most Amazons, this refuge became their final resting place.
    Trying to block his troubled thoughts, Artair stood before the
entrance, spoke the sacred words in Gaelic and, with a loud creak, the gates
swung open.
    With a bow and a sweeping gesture of his arm, he said, “Welcome
to Avalon.”

Chapter Six
    “Avalon?” Rebecca asked as she followed Artair through
the gate.
    “Aye. King Arthur’s haven, where he went to his final rest.
’Tis a fitting name for our home.”
    Fitting indeed. The fresh smell of
the trees and flowers filled her senses. She wiggled her toes in the moist
grass, somehow drawing strength from the simple action.
    The squeal of tires drew her attention back to the van. The
rust bucket receded in the distance with only one taillight glowing bright. She
squelched a comment about how poorly these supposed goddesses provided for their
charges. They might have at least coughed up a vehicle made in this century.
    In the moonlight, Artair grinned, looking entirely too
appealing. “’Tis a sorry piece of equipment, I ken. But it doesn’t draw the
attention of something finer. We’ve nae need to show off. Amazons best go
through the world unnoticed.”
    “And it’s got a Hemi,” Sparks added. “It’s what’s on the inside
that counts. Just like a Twinkie.”
    “Or an Oreo.” Megan grinned.
    Rebecca couldn’t smile at their teasing, even though she felt
their good humor, just as she did Megan’s pleasure with their new home.
    The fact Artair could know her thoughts so easily and so well
was destroying any peace of mind she’d tried to grasp after her disgraceful
display of anxiety.
    She still couldn’t believe she’d thrown up in front of
everyone. That might have been her typical response to stress when she was a
child, but thanks to her Aunt Kay’s coaxing and soothing, she’d learned to
control herself better over the years. If she was truly destined to be some sort
of superhero, she probably shouldn’t be vomiting at the first sign of danger.
Superman never blew chunks when he saw Lex Luther. Batman didn’t cringe with
fear when he faced the Joker. No, those heroes all had courage to spare.
    Wishing for a moment Megan didn’t look so damned composed,
Rebecca asked, “Who’s driving the van now?”
    “It’s enchanted,” Sparks replied. “It mostly drives itself, but
I imagine Beagan or Dolan is putting it away. They’re a couple of caretakers who
keep an eye on things. Nice guys. Kinda short. They sneak around a bunch, but…”
She shrugged. “Thanks to them, stuff that needs doing gets done. The laundry.
The cooking. You want something—” She pointed to her temple. “—just think about
it, and they’ll make sure you get it.”
    “I don’t have to ask them?” Rebecca asked, not entirely sure
she understood. “You mean, I just think I want lobster for dinner, and, voila, I get it?” She glanced down at her dress. “If I
want new clothes, I can find one of the caretakers and he’ll get me some? I
figured I’d just go home and pack up my—”
    “You are home, lass,” Artair
interrupted. “You won’t be