Breath of Fire Read Online Free PDF Page A

of you. Your body won’t forget even if your mind does. You’ll always be special. I’ll make you a promise though if you’ll let me help you escape.”
    “How can you make promises? You are not Archos.”
    “No, but one day someone will defeat Alasdair, and we will all be free. When that day comes I will find you and your sister and rejoin you with the clan. I give you my solemn oath.”
    Jacob grabbed his mother’s hand and gave me a brisk nod. “If you do not, I will somehow remember my Drakán strength and hunt you down for revenge. I give you my solemn oath.”
    “I would expect no less,” I said.
    I wiped their minds quickly and gave them new ones—memories of a human life most Drakán never experienced. They wouldn’t remember the powerful father they’d once known or the horrors they’d seen in their young lives. It was for the best.
    I implanted directions to a safe house I’d bought in Pennsylvania and gave them the bag of money. They had new names, and I took away the aggressive natures of both children so they could fit into human society easier. I’d have to follow up with them in a few days, find Sarah a job and a way to support her family, and get the children set up in schools. All Drakán children were homeschooled because of the violent tendencies that came with being Drakán and how slowly they aged. It was especially hard for the very young to control such strong emotions.
    But these children and their mother would be normal. And they would live. I’d make sure of it.
    My heart and my conscience were both lighter as they drove away, but I knew my body would pay for the consequences of my actions later. I just hoped it didn’t take me too long to heal. I had killers to catch.

Chapter Three
    My suite of rooms was in the east wing of the house. It was my escape from the heaviness of the rest of the place, and it was warded with what little magic I’d learned to wield over the centuries. I took my privacy seriously and had my own hoard to protect.
    My part of the house was completely modern. Clean lines and sleek, black furniture. Low tables. Lots of mirrors and glass. Boldly printed art in bright colors that I’d never attempt to understand. I didn’t particularly love the modern look. That wasn’t the point. The point was that Alasdair hated it, so I’d learned to make do.
    I took a shower and put the thought of rest out of my mind. I could go days without sleep if I needed to. I dressed in a pair of tan corduroy slacks, a black cashmere turtleneck and black low-heeled boots. My long wool coat would hide my weapons.
    A picture of my disfigured Land Rover came to mind, and I tried to think of a suitable replacement we might have in the garage. I’d need something that could handle the mud and the rough terrain of the roads. I’d bought a black H2 a few months ago and hadn’t gotten a chance to use it yet. It would be perfect for the job. And if I was lucky, I’d even bring it back in one piece. Cal was right. I was hell on automobiles.
    I’d stalled in my rooms as long as I could. I’d felt Alasdair’s presence in the lair as soon as he’d flown back into his rooms, but I hadn’t yet felt an elevation to his anger, which meant he didn’t know I’d helped his prisoners escape. I needed to find him and tell him of Jillian’s murder quickly, so I could leave the house for my hunting trip and hopefully avoid the confrontation to come.
    I checked my appearance in the mirror that hung over my dresser. My hair framed my face, thick and black, and hung in waves to my lower back. My mother had been human—an Egyptian. And royalty of some sort, though my father refused to speak her name. I knew nothing about her other than what I saw in the mirror. My face was delicately angled with a square jaw and slashing cheekbones. My features were even and nondescript. All except my eyes. They were a touch too exotic, thickly lashed, and the color was purely Alasdair—a dark, stormy grey with