Read Online The Threshold Child by Callie Kanno - Free Book Online

I
just...”
    “No, you are right,” he insisted. “We should be talking more about
you.”
    Adesina was mortified. The last thing in the world she wanted to
be talking about was herself. Kendan fixed his dark eyes on her. “Tell me about
yourself.”
    She turned her own gaze to her hands, which were twisting the
reins tightly. “Please, Shar Kendan, go on with what you were saying.”
    He quirked an eyebrow. “I asked you to simply call me Kendan,
Adesina. I am no longer your Shar.”
    After a few moments of determined silence, he asked, “Do you
dislike talking about your childhood?”
    She gave a halfhearted shrug. “There is not much to tell.
Especially to a fellow Shar Child.”
    He inclined his head. “We both may have been raised in the
fortress, but your childhood was very different from mine. I was in the nursery
until I turned five, then I did my years of service before beginning my
training. You, on the other hand...”
    Adesina’s jaw set bitterly. “Yes. I was special.”
    “You say that as if it were a bad thing.”
    She gave a short laugh. “It is a bad thing. In an
environment where the competition is fierce to begin with, one student with an
unfair advantage turns everyone else against her.”
    His expression was sympathetic. “It is only their ignorance that
leads them to feel that way.”
    Adesina frowned. “Their ignorance?”
    She could see that Kendan was doing some quick thinking before he
answered. “Well, they could never understand the sacrifices you have made to
get to where you are today. The majority of them would not have been able to
make it, even if they had been given the chance.”
    There was admiration in his voice that made Adesina look away
self-consciously. As she did so, her eyes turned to a strangely forbidding
forest they were passing. Ravi’s midnight form could barely been seen against
the deep shadows of the woods behind him, even in the broad daylight.
    “Ma’eve,” the Rashad called softly, “there is something in this
forest for you.”
    Adesina slowed her horse to a halt. Kendan did the same, looking
at her with a puzzled expression. “What is it?”
    An unexpected wave of apprehension washed over Adesina, but Ravi’s
eyes were strong and reassuring. She addressed her former Shar, “What is in
that forest?”
    Kendan furrowed his brow. “I do not know. It is generally avoided.
People who enter that forest do not come out the same.”
    Normally such tales would not bother Adesina, but there was
something about this forest that filled her with dread. It was not merely the
unnatural darkness, but there was a deathlike hush that filled her with fear.
Even the surrounding area was affected by the presence of this forest.
    It took a strong force of will to keep the tone of her voice
offhanded and her facial expression mild. “Would it be faster to go through
it?”
      “Yes,” Kendan answered
slowly, “but from what I have heard of this forest it is hardly worth the few
days saved.”
    Adesina gave him the challenging stare that he had so often fixed
on her. “Surely you are not frightened, Kendan.”
    Kendan’s expression hardened and he turned his horse to ride into
the forest. With a slight smile on her face from this small victory and her
chest constricting at the fear of what lay ahead, Adesina followed.

Chapter Six: Whispers and
Dreams

 
    As soon as they entered the trees, the light seemed to vanish as
if it had never been. Shadows flitted in and out of Adesina’s vision, and
incoherent whispers sounded in her ears. Ravi appeared at her side, his golden
eyes like a beacon in the dark.
    “Dismount your horse, Ma’eve. Walk beside me with your hand on my
back.”
    Adesina followed his instructions, moving stiffly to keep herself
from trembling. As soon as she touched him she felt a strange comfort warm her
body.
    “Tell your companion to follow you.”
    She beckoned to Kendan. “Follow me, Kendan, I know the way.”
    In spite of the