Read Online The Reluctant King (The Star-Crossed Series) by Rachel Higginson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Rachel Higginson
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even bother with a glance backwards before she was off into the village, immediately surrounded by a hoard of tiny, naked children. Jericho and I followed suit, stepping off our bikes and leaving our helmets balanced on the backs. I wiped the goofy smile off my face and straightened my spine, ready for Ileana’s attack. She was a wiry old thing.
Whack.
Ok, maybe not that ready.
“Ow!” I hollered in response, rubbing the back of my tender head. Magic filled in the painful spot with a soothing burst of electricity. Still, my pride was hurt. How the hell did she always sneak up on me?
“You’ve been away much too long,” Ileana chastised me in her Romanian-accented, craggily old lady voice that was filled with so much mischief it sounded like a child pretending to be an old person. “I have many things to tell you, but you stay away!”
“I apologize,” I offered quickly, taking a slow step backwards and trying to turn around before she could-
Whack.
This time it was my shin and she darted away while I clutched at my ankle and hopped around on one foot.
“Not good enough!” She barked.
What did she keep hitting me with? A cane? A freaking branch? It hurt like hell!
“Seriously, I’m very sorry!” I cried desperately, still hopping in place while my eyes darted around paranoid. I couldn’t feel Ileana’s magical current and therefore couldn’t anticipate where the next attack would come from. And nobody was apparently going to help me. Jericho was clutching at his sides while he laughed hysterically at my expense and I heard the children in an excited frenzy wherever Amelia was.
“What is your excuse?” she asked from a bit of a distance.
“I don’t have one,” I mumbled truthfully.
“At least no lies,” she stepped in front of me with no weapon in sight. She could easily be mistaken for a beggar rather than a gypsy queen. Her clothes were mismatched rags layered on top of each other, her golden nose ring was large and tarnished, her thick white hair was partially hidden beneath a dirty red bandana and her bangles and oversized golden earrings clanked noisily with every movement. Why hadn’t I heard them while she was attacking me? “You’ve been gone for too long. Amory was never gone this long. Kiran was never gone this long. You,” she pointed a gnarled finger at me. “You are gone much too long.”
“I know that. I said I was sorry,” I apologized again, feeling like a complete bastard. “It won’t happen again.”
“It will happen again,” she snapped back, but her eyes softened and her tone became careful.
That wasn’t an accusation. That was the future. She had seen something.
“What have you seen?” I cut straight to the point. Jericho gave me a questioning look but I waved him off. He wandered further into the village in search of Amelia, but some of the children had pulled her into their hut. I shook my head, realizing I hadn’t been intentionally watching where she was going, but I knew exactly where she was all the same.
“Do you know that most of your Kingdom doesn’t think it can be done,” Ileana mused, sparkly mischief returning to her voice. “They believe you will be single for centuries yet, ruling from your lonely castle alone. But I know better.” She winked at me.
“Do you now?” I laughed, hoping more than anything she wasn’t using one of her visions to set me up with someone. “I hope this isn’t the prediction you want to discuss.”
She laughed at me, actually laughed, like that was the funniest thing she had ever heard. Her mouth opened wide as she cackled with her head thrown back, revealing nearly bare gums and broken teeth. “I would not waste my gift on your unpredictable and fickle good graces. That would be asking for trouble.”
“What does that mean?” I asked, trying not to feel wounded.
“It means that we have more important things to discuss, and you better use your time wisely, or I will take up most of it,” she
Whack.
Ok, maybe not that ready.
“Ow!” I hollered in response, rubbing the back of my tender head. Magic filled in the painful spot with a soothing burst of electricity. Still, my pride was hurt. How the hell did she always sneak up on me?
“You’ve been away much too long,” Ileana chastised me in her Romanian-accented, craggily old lady voice that was filled with so much mischief it sounded like a child pretending to be an old person. “I have many things to tell you, but you stay away!”
“I apologize,” I offered quickly, taking a slow step backwards and trying to turn around before she could-
Whack.
This time it was my shin and she darted away while I clutched at my ankle and hopped around on one foot.
“Not good enough!” She barked.
What did she keep hitting me with? A cane? A freaking branch? It hurt like hell!
“Seriously, I’m very sorry!” I cried desperately, still hopping in place while my eyes darted around paranoid. I couldn’t feel Ileana’s magical current and therefore couldn’t anticipate where the next attack would come from. And nobody was apparently going to help me. Jericho was clutching at his sides while he laughed hysterically at my expense and I heard the children in an excited frenzy wherever Amelia was.
“What is your excuse?” she asked from a bit of a distance.
“I don’t have one,” I mumbled truthfully.
“At least no lies,” she stepped in front of me with no weapon in sight. She could easily be mistaken for a beggar rather than a gypsy queen. Her clothes were mismatched rags layered on top of each other, her golden nose ring was large and tarnished, her thick white hair was partially hidden beneath a dirty red bandana and her bangles and oversized golden earrings clanked noisily with every movement. Why hadn’t I heard them while she was attacking me? “You’ve been gone for too long. Amory was never gone this long. Kiran was never gone this long. You,” she pointed a gnarled finger at me. “You are gone much too long.”
“I know that. I said I was sorry,” I apologized again, feeling like a complete bastard. “It won’t happen again.”
“It will happen again,” she snapped back, but her eyes softened and her tone became careful.
That wasn’t an accusation. That was the future. She had seen something.
“What have you seen?” I cut straight to the point. Jericho gave me a questioning look but I waved him off. He wandered further into the village in search of Amelia, but some of the children had pulled her into their hut. I shook my head, realizing I hadn’t been intentionally watching where she was going, but I knew exactly where she was all the same.
“Do you know that most of your Kingdom doesn’t think it can be done,” Ileana mused, sparkly mischief returning to her voice. “They believe you will be single for centuries yet, ruling from your lonely castle alone. But I know better.” She winked at me.
“Do you now?” I laughed, hoping more than anything she wasn’t using one of her visions to set me up with someone. “I hope this isn’t the prediction you want to discuss.”
She laughed at me, actually laughed, like that was the funniest thing she had ever heard. Her mouth opened wide as she cackled with her head thrown back, revealing nearly bare gums and broken teeth. “I would not waste my gift on your unpredictable and fickle good graces. That would be asking for trouble.”
“What does that mean?” I asked, trying not to feel wounded.
“It means that we have more important things to discuss, and you better use your time wisely, or I will take up most of it,” she
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