Awake Read Online Free PDF Page A

stay.
    â€œActually, I was wondering if you could tell me how long you plan for me to be here.”
    â€œOh, you cannot be ready to return yet. I can’t tell you how happy I am you decided to join me for breakfast today, Poppy. It has been most pleasant talking with you, but I wish to find out all I can about you. I wouldn’t be able to do so if you left so soon,” she says with a laugh, a laugh I do not mirror.
    I think I finally realize what is going on. She wishes to interrogate me about the unseelie court and learn their secrets by befriending me. I sit up straighter and look directly into her eyes, ignoring the immediate feeling of familiarity the color of her eyes sparks within me, and speak bluntly. “I will not become a traitor to my court, Queen Lily. If this is what you wish, it will save both of us time if you place me in one of your paintings now. I am loyal to my home and to those I care about. I would rather die than betray that loyalty.”
    The queen straightens as well, looking back at me as the smile slips from her face. She does not speak right away, but instead studies me intently. After a few moments, a new smile plays at the corner of her lips. I twitch with aggravation at the idea of her playing games with me. How could she find anything I said amusing? “You do a great job of catching me by surprise, Poppy. Your fighting abilities are equal to warriors much older and more experienced than yourself. Your resilience and capability to heal from a near fatal wound astonished me. There is a fire inside of you. Your fierce desire for loyalty and honor are unmatched perhaps even by those who live in my court.”
    She is quiet once again as she studies me. I am quiet as well, shocked into silence by her words. The unsolicited praise she has given me has left me speechless. However, I quickly find I can no longer hold my silence over my confusion. “I am sorry, Queen Lily, but I am not sure I understand.” I frown at the smile that is still on her face—a smile portraying complete joy combined with eyes shining bright with a look I am not familiar with.
    â€œOf course you don’t, my child. How could you?” She answers my question, but I can see she is speaking more to herself than to me.
    Something about her behavior and soft voice triggers a memory, a memory that struggles to surface as I reach deep to grab hold of it. I am concentrating so hard I do not hear the queen speak until she calls my name much louder than would usually be necessary, snapping my connection with the evasive memory.
    â€œOh, I am sorry, Queen Lily. What were you saying?” I ask, shaking my head clear of those other feelings.
    â€œI was apologizing. I believe you misunderstood me. You aren’t here because I wish to learn about the unseelie court or your king. Actually, I know quite enough about all of that for now. And if I wish to find out more, one of my guards will take care of all that nonsense.” She waves her hand dismissively. “No, I wish to learn about you, Poppy. I'd like to know about your training, your friends, and your childhood." She says, her eyes glowing with excitement, her words picking up speed as she continues, "I want to know what you like and what you don't like, what your favorite things are, just everything! I wish to know everything about you!” she says as she claps her hands in front of her like a small child.
    I feel my eyebrows draw together in complete confusion as I ask, “But why? I do not understand. If you do not wish to use me as a source of information to overthrow the king, what could your interest in me possibly be?”
    She looks at me as if carefully deciding the words she will choose next. Just as she opens her mouth to speak, the kitchen door flies open with a bang. Startled, I jump in my chair before automatically reaching for my daggers, but they are absent. This reminds me once again of the original task I had