Birthrights Read Online Free PDF Page B

belong to the Pasquotank Arts
Council before the humans left town in droves. It had long since
been abandoned, but it was a great spot for a rave, since it used
to be a theater and the acoustics inside were fabulous. Even though
she lived in the city limits, Elizabeth City was really nothing
more than a suburb of the Hampton Roads area of Virginia. In the
sketch, Caislyn realized she was wearing certain clothes that she
wouldn't normally wear unless it was to go out clubbing. This had
to be where they were holding the rave tonight. If not, she wasn't
supposed to be at the stupid party anyway. According to her vision
she was supposed to end up on this rooftop.
    “If I remember right,” Caislyn said to herself while
getting ready. “I wasn't on that rooftop alone.” She didn't bother
going for the sketches she had done two months earlier. Instead,
she continued to get ready for the rave. She would have to get
there early in order to try to slip past the gatekeepers. The
gatekeepers were the guardians of the party. They worked the door
to make sure everyone had tickets and belonged there. They were
also there to make sure you oathed in. Oathing in was a way to keep
the peace at mixed non-human parties. Everyone took an oath at the
door to intentionally to do no harm to others while they were
there. All non-humans were serious about their oaths though. For
some, it seemed a trait that their blood would not let them break.
For others, like the witches and lycans, it was more because they
took oaths seriously after years of staying in hiding from humans
and having oaths of allegiance being the only thing that kept them
from the gallows or the fires. Besides, those that broke their
oaths were placed on a permanent ban from any other functions. The
gatekeepers held a list, albeit a short one.
    ***

Artful Arrivals
    A stray strand of hair fell into Jaxon’s face,
tickling her nose as she stared out the window of her office. The
view was nothing more than a deserted street between the art
gallery, where she was recently hired, and what used to be the
Pasquotank County Courthouse. She imagined that years ago, the
building was probably quite charming with its Dogwood trees planted
in the small green grass of the courtyard. But now, it just stood
showing years of neglect. The trees hadn’t been trimmed, and the
courtyard’s lawn was yellowed and dry. The concrete outer walls
showed slight cracks and even a few daring attempts of graffiti.
Evening had come across the town in a curtain of darkness, and the
streetlights’ harsh glare made the building look even more worn and
dreary.
    Jax often wondered what this little town had been
like before the monsters had come out of hiding and before the
Years of Darkness when chaos and fear ruled. What a different world
it must have been. She could almost see people bustling about the
streets, and cars of all types hurrying from one stoplight to the
next. Jaxon imagined little shops and stores open to their
customers without bars on the windows or wards on the doors for
protection. Neighbors smiling and waving, chatting and gossiping,
never once scared to meet the eyes of those in their company.
Children laughing and giggling while riding their bikes and
skateboards along the sidewalks.
    Jax smiled softly to herself, still immersed in her
daydream when the alarm on her watch beeped loudly at her. She
jerked slightly as it startled her and she looked down realizing
that it was almost the end of her co-worker's shift.
    ‘Maybe I can get Stacey to close up for me tonight so
I can get home and get ready for my training,’ she thought. She had
been training with her swords and knives since she was healed
enough to wield them. The family who had taken her in while she
healed was amazing. Jason had taught her well. He had explained to
her how guns were easily maneuvered from a person, but swords,
knives, and daggers were easy to conceal, easy to use, and just as
deadly. They also had the added