Read Online Tower of Trials: Book One of Guardian Spirit by Jodi Ralston - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Jodi Ralston
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screaming.
The male had never stopped.
And when Guard spotted Shalott, he understood why.
CHAPTER 7
The landing and stairs outside of the Tower had no railing. This Guard had forgotten, and so he had nearly flung Shalott off the edge. Currently, Shalott lay on his chest, the edge of the landing cutting into his ribs. His arms stretched before him, fingers stuck in one of the fortunately ubiquitous cracks in the flagstone, feet slipping on the ice on the side of the Tower, unable to gain purchase, screaming weakly. Lydia dove for him, grabbing at one arm, and in her panic, she almost dislodged her man’s hold.
Guard pulled himself upright, caught the slipping hand, hauled the male charge up, and plunked him down far from the edge. Shalott fell to his hands and knees, panting. Lydia flung her arms around her male’s neck and hugged him close.
A moment later, Guard’s right hand was seized by Lydia. From where her cheek was pressed against Shalott’s bare head (the knit hat must have been lost during his struggles, Guard guessed), she gasped, “Thank you, thank you.” Tears glistened in her dark eyes, and her fingers squeezed.
Guard nodded and stood and stepped away, leaving them to their moment.
While he gloried in his own.
Success. He straightened his back and ignored the twinges of strain and lingering numbness from too many close calls. Who wasn’t strengthened by victory?
He tilted his head back and inhaled deeply the still, cold air of the starless, black void. He had never seen it before. It existed because this area was magic bound, like the entire city. A special space carved out for just them, set apart from the rest of the world. Out here, nothing else existed but them: their mission and this success, the first of many. It was all that mattered. Guard inhaled again, this clean, pure, scentless air, holding it in his lungs. Invigorating.
“What the Baran Pit was that?”
Guard coughed and turned around.
The male was standing and glaring at him. He was also shivering.
“So you still need to recover.”
That only made the male human’s trembles worse. Which meant he was not ready to descend the stairs and move onto the next Trial. Purgatory’s ghosts needed a little pushing from time to time, but nowhere as much as these humans did. Then again, ghost trials weren’t separated like this. Or so condensed. Humans need a bigger push, then. But unlike with Victoria, they were strangers. Guard looked to Lydia, who held onto her male’s arm, and he wondered what she would do to speed things along. Then he remembered. He unwound the borrowed scarf and held it out.
Shalott looked at it as if he were offered a viper. But Shalott was the one who was spitting and hissing his words, “ What!—in gods’ names!—do I want with that?! ”
“Lydia tried to encourage my recuperation with it before.” Guard gestured with the green, knit material to Shalott’s bare head. “But my debility came not from a normal chill. Humans do not deal with cold as well as spirits, so it may help you.”
“No! I don’t need a damn scarf. I’m not cold.” The male swiped at it, sending it to the flagstones. “I’m angry! Or are you too spirit to tell?”
Guard cocked his head. “You are often angry, Shalott. Perhaps you should reveal the cause of your emotion this time.” He looked over his shoulder at the edge. “You did not fall. I—”
“What, I have to pick just one reason? Fine! You cheated! ”
Lydia glanced at Guard now and then looked quickly away. “I’m sure Guard had a reason.”
“There were no rules as how to run the maze, and you were too slow even if you had the correct route.” Guard turned to Lydia. “Your love must be a very complicated and tangled thing, but the Trials will correct that weakness.”
Lydia winced. “I don’t know what you are talking about. I love Raven— Roland . I love Roland.”
“I did not say you do not, but the maze reflects your heart and what
The male had never stopped.
And when Guard spotted Shalott, he understood why.
CHAPTER 7
The landing and stairs outside of the Tower had no railing. This Guard had forgotten, and so he had nearly flung Shalott off the edge. Currently, Shalott lay on his chest, the edge of the landing cutting into his ribs. His arms stretched before him, fingers stuck in one of the fortunately ubiquitous cracks in the flagstone, feet slipping on the ice on the side of the Tower, unable to gain purchase, screaming weakly. Lydia dove for him, grabbing at one arm, and in her panic, she almost dislodged her man’s hold.
Guard pulled himself upright, caught the slipping hand, hauled the male charge up, and plunked him down far from the edge. Shalott fell to his hands and knees, panting. Lydia flung her arms around her male’s neck and hugged him close.
A moment later, Guard’s right hand was seized by Lydia. From where her cheek was pressed against Shalott’s bare head (the knit hat must have been lost during his struggles, Guard guessed), she gasped, “Thank you, thank you.” Tears glistened in her dark eyes, and her fingers squeezed.
Guard nodded and stood and stepped away, leaving them to their moment.
While he gloried in his own.
Success. He straightened his back and ignored the twinges of strain and lingering numbness from too many close calls. Who wasn’t strengthened by victory?
He tilted his head back and inhaled deeply the still, cold air of the starless, black void. He had never seen it before. It existed because this area was magic bound, like the entire city. A special space carved out for just them, set apart from the rest of the world. Out here, nothing else existed but them: their mission and this success, the first of many. It was all that mattered. Guard inhaled again, this clean, pure, scentless air, holding it in his lungs. Invigorating.
“What the Baran Pit was that?”
Guard coughed and turned around.
The male was standing and glaring at him. He was also shivering.
“So you still need to recover.”
That only made the male human’s trembles worse. Which meant he was not ready to descend the stairs and move onto the next Trial. Purgatory’s ghosts needed a little pushing from time to time, but nowhere as much as these humans did. Then again, ghost trials weren’t separated like this. Or so condensed. Humans need a bigger push, then. But unlike with Victoria, they were strangers. Guard looked to Lydia, who held onto her male’s arm, and he wondered what she would do to speed things along. Then he remembered. He unwound the borrowed scarf and held it out.
Shalott looked at it as if he were offered a viper. But Shalott was the one who was spitting and hissing his words, “ What!—in gods’ names!—do I want with that?! ”
“Lydia tried to encourage my recuperation with it before.” Guard gestured with the green, knit material to Shalott’s bare head. “But my debility came not from a normal chill. Humans do not deal with cold as well as spirits, so it may help you.”
“No! I don’t need a damn scarf. I’m not cold.” The male swiped at it, sending it to the flagstones. “I’m angry! Or are you too spirit to tell?”
Guard cocked his head. “You are often angry, Shalott. Perhaps you should reveal the cause of your emotion this time.” He looked over his shoulder at the edge. “You did not fall. I—”
“What, I have to pick just one reason? Fine! You cheated! ”
Lydia glanced at Guard now and then looked quickly away. “I’m sure Guard had a reason.”
“There were no rules as how to run the maze, and you were too slow even if you had the correct route.” Guard turned to Lydia. “Your love must be a very complicated and tangled thing, but the Trials will correct that weakness.”
Lydia winced. “I don’t know what you are talking about. I love Raven— Roland . I love Roland.”
“I did not say you do not, but the maze reflects your heart and what
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