Allegiance Read Online Free PDF

her hands. ‘Quick, put that back on!’
    Leander frowned but refastened Melody’s bra. ‘Where is the harm, Marla? Your grandmother is suffering discomfort.’
    ‘Outrageous,’ Melody grumbled, as she shrugged back into her school shirt.
    ‘I’ll say,’ Peter agreed.
    I raged silently against Leif for not explaining Earth rules to my grandparents.
    ‘What’s going on here anyway?’ Abby demanded suddenly. ‘Who are these people, Marla?’
    Her words brought my attention back to the large crowd of students gathered around us. A person undressing in public could do that. Abby’s eyes held mine. ‘I’ll explain in a minute,’ I told her, with no intention of explaining at all. Then I turned back to my grandparents. ‘You’ll have to confuse these people. They can’t be allowed to remember this.’
    ‘All of them?’ Asher asked, looking overwhelmed. ‘That will require much energy.’
    ‘All but them,’ I said, pointing out Jack and Hilary.
    My grandparents went to work and when they had successfully confused everyone else, they fell exhausted to the cement. I sat down with them. The other students had all left, except Jack and Hilary who sat down beside me.
    ‘What are you doing here anyway?’ I asked, after I’d finished with the introductions and given my grandparents a run-down of the laws and consequences of public nudity.
    ‘We have come to visit you, Granddaughter. Are you not pleased to see us?’ Faun asked, looking a bit heartbroken. Asher patted his wife’s shoulder.
    ‘Of course I am—I just wasn’t expecting it.’ I smiled to take the hurt from her eyes.
    ‘Why does this human hold you so?’ Melody asked suddenly. Her narrowed eyes were fixed on Jack’s arm around my waist.
    ‘Jack’s my boyfriend,’ I told her.
    ‘Like a human betrothed?’ she asked.
    I felt heat creep into my face. ‘Something like that,’ I mumbled.
    ‘But your Prince Leif!’ Melody said, a hand flying to her mouth.
    Leander reached out and touched Melody’s arm. She turned to look at him.
    ‘Leif and I broke up.’
    ‘Of course,’ she said quietly. I wondered what silent exchange had passed between my grandparents.
    ‘Our prince has bid us search for Lysander while we are here,’ Leander said. ‘He is making arrangements to assist us.’
    I straightened, hope at the idea of finding my brother rising up. ‘Oh, what are they?’
    ‘Something about… a net? I do not understand. He told us your friend Jack is to assist. We have only to await his Highness’ instruction.’
    At that moment the bell rang and, resisting the urge to skip the rest of my classes, I left my grandparents in the sun to recover and went to maths.

CHAPTER FOUR
    The next morning I flew to the beach with my grandparents. Jack came too, slung between my grandfathers and shouting ‘Woohoo!’ all the way. The day was mild and warm, the air filled with refreshing salt mist. After choosing a patch of sand close to the water, we threw our towels down and relaxed.
    ‘Ah, this is wonderful, Marla. I can see why you love it so,’ Leander said as he looked out to sea. ‘Observe the power of the ocean.’
    ‘And it never ceases,’ Asher added. ‘I have been paying attention and the motion hasn’t stilled for a moment. What could possibly create such a force?’
    ‘It’s the moon isn’t it?’ I said, looking at Jack.
    ‘Among other things,’ he replied. He was leaning back on his elbows, watching the surfers ride the white-tipped waves.
    ‘What other things?’
    ‘The weather, earthquakes, stuff like that.’
    ‘We have neither moon nor earthquakes in Faera,’ Asher said.
    I hadn’t noticed the lack of a moon in Faera. But now that I thought about it I couldn’t remember seeing one—just a sky blazing with stars. I smiled as I recalled how captivated I’d been by the dazzling colours as I’d flown through the night in Leif’s arms. Leif’s arms . My smile fell away as I recalled my first night in Faera. The