Dark Flight (The Shadow Slayers) Read Online Free PDF Page B

once he’s in Brakken’s possession…I’m not sure what’s going to happen.”
    Rachel’s baby, she called him—or Gavin’s baby. She just couldn’t utter Rachel and Gavin’s baby. She couldn’t think of it that way or it tangled her up in emotional knots. She stared out the window for a minute, letting the beauty of the setting sun wash away the bitter taste in her mouth.
    “How could anyone, even the worst of the fallen angels, hurt a child?” Jaxon asked. “It makes me realize how fortunate I’ve been to avoid much interaction with the Aniliáre. Although Mercury Island isn’t perfect, the Mercury Lords have provided an oasis of sorts, far away from the danger and drama in the Shadowland.”
    Kara took a breath to avoid rolling her eyes. “You’re right about the danger in the Shadowland, but drama…Mercury Island has plenty of that.”
    “True,” he replied, “but arguments over who gets time with a female aren’t quite the same as gutting those who displease you or sending an adversary to the Abyss.”
    “Sheesh, you guys.” Abbey rubbed her palm over Jaxon’s short, silky brown hair, using his head like a stress ball. “You’re making running a coven sound tame by comparison.”
    Jaxon took her hand and kissed it. “Not hardly. I’m wondering why I ever encouraged you to take your place as high priestess.”
    “Why do you say that?” Kara folded her legs under her and turned more directly toward Abbey. “Is something happening that I should know about?”
    Abbey flicked the rim of Jaxon’s ear with a shiny pink fingernail. “Nope. He just worries too much. You know that. And I hate to be the one to bring this up, but are you sure Julian is still going to help? I mean…you guys aren’t really talking anymore, right?”
    “I…uh… He said he would. I haven’t heard otherwise.” If there was one topic Kara wasn’t ready to cover, not even with her best friends, this was it. The pain was like a fresh burn on her heart, and removing the iron didn’t take away the sting. She leaned over the coffee table and picked up her mother’s journal. “Anything on this yet, Jaxy?”
    “I’ve wasted so much time with that damn journal, but I finally figured out the problem. Deanna’s journal isn’t in a language I’m unfamiliar with—it’s encoded.”
    Kara’s eyes widened. “Seriously? Wow. I guess if I were married to Ailexon I might resort to something like that, too. So we’ll never know what it says then…” The thought made her sad. She didn’t know what she expected to find in the journal, but it would have been enough just to hear her mother’s words.
    Jaxon laughed. “Do you have so little faith in me? Now that I know what I’m looking for, I’ll try to discern the key for breaking the code.”
    Kara stared at her friends and smiled. “Abbey, how’d you score a man with brains and a body like that?”
    Abbey ran a hand over Jaxon’s pecs and kissed his cheek. “I know, right?”
    “I don’t want to be a pain, but do you think you could flash me to Mercury Island, Jaxon? I really need to talk to Gavin, and every time I summon him, he comes with swords drawn, expecting an emergency. And if anyone’s drawing a sword tonight, it’s me.”
    “Of course,” he answered. “Do you need me to wait for you there?”
    Kara could tell by the carefully neutral expressions on Abbey’s and Jaxon’s faces that they’d already planned something else for the evening besides running errands with Kara. “No. I’ll get one of the other silver-wings to bring me back if I need to.”
    “I can take you now.”
    “Thank you.” Kara patted Abbey’s knee and stood. “He’ll be back quicker than you know it, Abbs.”
    “It’s not Mercury Island I’m worried about—it’s the whole battle thing. Can you bring him back from that?”
    Jaxon’s nostrils flared as he rose and came to Kara, then he looked back at Abbey. “It’s been decided. I will help bring down that