Captive Spirit Read Online Free PDF

“You scared me!” I slapped his hand away as his grin reached for his ears.
    “That was the point.” His eyes sparkled against the reflection of the river. “Gotcha again. How many is it this time? My three to your one?”
    I smirked at him, my heart still beating fast from my run. Or was it from the fear of not finding him?
    “Here to swim?” he said. He studied my dress doubtfully.
    I blinked. “No,” I snapped, still pretending to be mad. “I’m here to see you.”
    Water droplets from his hair dropped onto his bare chest. “Me?” His chin pulled back with mock flattery.
    But that’s the thing about Honovi. It’s impossible to stay angry at him, especially when his eyes tease mine or the way his right cheek dimples whenever he smiles, even when it’s covered with purple bruises.
    “I wanted to congratulate you on the win. At ball court,” I added, stupidly, as if he didn’t already know what I was talking about. “You, you all played…” I paused, searching for the right word. “Magnificently,” I said with an exhale.
    “Ah, yes,” he said, shaking his head. “Your future husband was not pleased with us.” His beautiful smile twisted into something I didn’t recognize.
    “Please don’t say that,” I said, feeling my bright mood fade. I lifted my chin when his expression didn’t change and then, abruptly, I turned away. I couldn’t stand to talk with Honovi about such idle things as husbands and weddings, not when I depended on his friendship for so much more.
    But Honovi reached for my shoulder when I began to walk away. “Wait, Aiyana. I didn’t mean it.”
    I stopped then looked at him over my shoulder. “Mean what?”
    He didn’t answer right away, as if he didn’t know what to say. Instead, he swallowed and let his arm drop to his side. Finally, he simply said, “Nothing.”
    I turned again and started back on the path that would take me to the village.
    “Wait,” Honovi said but I kept walking, faster. “I’ll walk with you,” he said.
    As fast as it took me to blink, Honovi had reached for his sandals and began walking alongside me on the narrow sandy path. He slowed his pace to match mine. I could feel his eyes staring at me, studying me again, even thought I pretended to look straight ahead.
    Finally, he said, “You look pretty today, Aiyana.”
    My brow furrowed as I turned to him. Honovi never commented on my clothes or my hair. Not that it ever bothered me; that’s why I loved him so. He treated me like a friend, not a girl.
    Thoroughly confused, I shook my head and said, “What is wrong with you?”
    “Nothing.” His chin pulled back, hurt. “I can’t tell you that you look nice?”
    I stopped and then rested my hands on my hips. Honovi stopped, too. We faced each other, inches apart. “I look nice ?” I said, stupefied. His face still glistened from the water. “Since when do you care how I look?”
    He blinked. “Forget it. Just making conversation.”
    “Making conversation?” My cheeks turned warmer. “You’re not making sense,” I mumbled.
    Honovi was my dearest, oldest friend. I wanted to remind him that you don’t make conversation with your best friend. Conversation between friends just happens. That’s the beauty. It flows freely and easily, like the river alongside us.
    Finally, he sighed. “I guess I’m just worried about something.”
    “About what?”
    “Pakuna,” he blurted as his eyes darkened. Or maybe it was from standing underneath the shade of a palo verde branch. “I don’t like him. I don’t think he’s good enough. For you, I mean.”
    My stomach tightened and my arms instinctively wrapped across my chest. I said nothing. That’s because I tried not to think about Pakuna too much. I tried not to think about becoming his wife because when I did, it only made it more real. Better to stuff that thought somewhere in the back of my mind. Besides, the ceremony wouldn’t happen, if it happened at all, at least until the