Darkest Before Dawn (A Guardian's Diary Book 1) Read Online Free PDF

his hands and smiled. “Now, now, little boy. I come in peace.”
    As if. Boy! I lifted my brow even though he couldn’t see it. He had long blondish-brown hair which was pulled back into a ponytail which gave him a ‘Huntsman’ look. His eyes and skin tone were hard to make out in the moonlight and the shadows flickering off the bonfire behind me; it was creating an enchanted feeling inside of me.
    He scanned me briefly before he spoke and it felt as if his eyes were looking right through my disguise and straight into my soul. I shivered briefly before narrowing my eyes beneath the mask. It was impossible for him to see me, or determine anything else with the baggy clothes I wore.
    “Do you speak?” he asked, and I shook my head. “No?”
    I didn’t bother to move the second time, minus lining up and adjusting the gun sights better. The more he spoke, the more noticeable his faint accent became. I couldn’t quite place it, but it sure wasn’t from around here.
    “A mute, then?”
    Man, he was thick!
    “Okay, I’ll play. This town, how many people are left?”
    He stepped closer, and I stepped back and the heat of the fire grew hot against the clothes I wore. He moved around until he was able to lean against the house.
    “Use your fingers, I’ll count.”
    I held up my middle one.
    He grinned, but it was lopsided. “One?”
    He pushed off the house and I fired, aiming for the right, next to his head. Close enough that it nicked his hair. His eyes grew wide, and then narrowed. “You missed,” he growled, and I shook my head. “You didn’t miss?”
    Another shake as I smiled beneath the mask.
    “Alright, I’ll play it your way and tell you what I have observed so far,” he grinned knowingly. “You don’t kill unless you have to, and yet you kill if the need arises to help someone, mostly women and children, but I think you would help men if they need it. Personally, if they aren’t strong enough to save themselves, you should let them die. I’ve been watching for you awhile today, and I haven’t seen you take off that mask yet.”
    It was time to go. He’d been watching me all day? How had I missed that?
    “Tell me, are you helping to gather slaves for someone?”
    I almost cussed, but caught myself before I did so. Oh, he was crafty! Wait, I was craftier. I tilted my head as I aimed my weapon at his head, again. He watched my hands, and for a moment, his eyes captured mine through the mask and held them. Time stood still, and something inside of me kicked into overdrive…my heart?
    “Shit, you can’t be over sixteen with those baby blues.”
    I blinked, and considered shooting him. It would solve the issue of him being too close to my bike. Would also work to wipe that charming grin off his entirely too kissable lips.
    “Tell me, why be alone? We have room for you. We have rules, of course. Not many, but we could make a man out of you yet.”
    Thanks for the offer, buddy, passing! Besides, I was pretty sure he couldn’t make a man out of me. I was just grateful that he hadn’t seen anyone else from the shelter today or followed me there earlier.
    I turned and gave the family one last look before moving to my bike, but it had been a mistake. His hand gripped my shoulder, and I brought the gun up, and tried turning in his direction, but his viselike grip prevented it.
    “I wouldn’t do that,” he chimed, as he leaned closer and… sniffed me. I felt violated, but the moment his nose touched my throat, I felt something kick inside of my belly, and heat pooled down there. Oh, Emma, be a boy! No getting wet, not now, now ever, pull it together!
    Oh my word, he’d sniffed me! Like a friggin’ dog! What the hell was wrong with people? I turned around and faced him, forcing him to release my arm. He narrowed his eyes, and tilted his head, mirroring my earlier assessment of him.
    “You don’t smell like a teenage boy,” he mused.
    Shit. Shit. Shit!
    I tried again to raise my gun, but something