Children of Poseidon: Rann Read Online Free PDF Page A

right.”
    “You’ll return here afterwards.” It wasn’t a question.
    “I don’t think so.” Jewel finally pulled her hand away again. “It really is time to move on. I have to find a place for myself. Somewhere I can be useful.” She looked up as a sudden breeze pulled strands from her hairstyle.
    Rann glowered down at her. The expression of confusion and anger didn’t belong on his relaxed, sensual features. “Have we made you feel less than useful here?”
    “No.” Her eyes flew to his.
    Bronze flared in the depths of the brown, and instead of the familiar warm seductiveness, something fierce and primeval stared back at her.
    This gimlet-eyed demigod was a stranger to her. Rann was no longer relaxed and laid-back. Words spilled out of her mouth. “You’ve been so kind. But I’ve taken so much from you. I have to stand on my own feet. I’ve been hiding here for too long.”
    “You’ve given back as much as you’ve taken.” The anger faded from Rann’s eyes.
    Jewel swallowed her relief. The rage of one of Poseidon’s sons caused storms, tidal waves, tremors in the seabed, and tsunamis if it was unleashed. She had never seen Rann unleash his anger, and she never wanted to.
    “My house is run efficiently, everything is well ordered.” He paused. “That didn’t use to be the case. Ask any of my half-brothers.”
    Jewel forced a smile. “I know order isn’t important to you. But it gave me something to do. You didn’t seem to mind.”
    “Jewel?” Rann twisted in his seat and placed a hand on the side of her face, long fingers cupping her cheek.
    She allowed herself to relax into the warmth.
    “If there’s anything that’s made you feel you can’t stay here, you would tell me, wouldn’t you?” Warm brown eyes probed her face.
    A sick feeling of guilt made her swallow and pull away from his hand. “You view me as a child.” She forced her voice to remain steady and rational. “I’ve got to grow up. I don’t want to stay an object of pity.”
    Rann let out an impatient sigh. “Sympathy is not pity. And you are barely out of adolescence. To me you are little more than a child.” He sounded impatient and a little annoyed. “I want to take care of you.”
    “You want to take care of everyone. I can look after myself. I’m not a child anymore.” Jewel’s voice shook, and suppressed rage made her body tremble. She knew Rann had never viewed her as a woman, but it still hurt to hear him say it.
    Rann took a deep breath. “This is your home.”
    The frustration in his voice rippled through her. It was obvious he couldn’t understand why she had to leave.
    “You can always come back here.” He rose to his feet then bent down and kissed her forehead. “We won’t talk about it any longer. It upsets you. Tomorrow we’ll talk again.”
    He straightened and walked towards his prisoner. Jewel watched him go, feeling sick as the rage drained away.
    He’d kissed her on the forehead. He really did view her as a child. If she hadn’t been so grateful to him for all his kindnesses, she might have slapped him or told him she hated him, said the sort of things she’d come out with as a teenager—the sort of careless speech that caused her to be banished from her coven in the first place.
    He bent and pulled the seawitch to her feet before guiding her through one of the doors in the wall of the courtyard. It didn’t matter who she was or what she might have done; Rann would look after her. Jewel dug her nails into the palms of her hands. Perhaps I should tell him how I feel. If he questions me again tomorrow, I will. Breathing slowly and deeply, she focussed on the water playing in the fountain until Moni came back and ran over to her.
    “The Sealord forgot to tell you. Your Maya friend is on the way. She will arrive tonight.”
    “Tonight?” Jewel forced herself to concentrate on the practicalities. She didn’t think she expected a visit from Maya. There had been no communication, no