Day of Sacrifice (Day of Sacrifice #1) Read Online Free PDF Page B

her waist, leading her up a staircase and down a narrow hall.
    “Were you a werewolf? How come you can see so well in the dark?”
    “No, I was a witch like you. But I’ve also lived out here for a long time, I know where everything is.” He opened a door. “Here’s your room. There are more candles by the bed. I’m just across the hall.”
    “Julian?” she asked.
    “Yes, Flor?”
    A small thrill went through her every time he called her that. “What element did you use?”
    “I was a fire user, also like you.” He yawned. “I promise to tell you more tomorrow. I need some sleep and you probably do too.”
    “Okay. Goodnight.”
    “Goodnight.”
     Flora backed up until the bed hit her legs and then swung her hand out trying to find the candles on the table. She touched on a thick glass tumbler and conjured a little fire in her palm to see what she’d grabbed. There was a short squat red candle inside the glass. She lit it and the room glowed with a honeyed light. Pleasant and homey, not the kind of place a criminal or a loner would live. A real family . A mother and a father. She jumped about a foot when she saw Julian was still standing in the doorway grinning at her.
    “Just wanted to be sure you found your way.”
    “Thanks...for everything today, I mean it.” Flora put the candle back on the bedside table and sat down on the twin bed, kicking her tennis shoes off.
    Julian shook his head, probably trying to keep awake, and then nodded at her. “My pleasure.” He stepped backward into the hall, pivoted and went into his room, leaving the door open a crack.
    She got up and closed her door, also leaving it open a little. Running her hands over her body, she changed her clothes into her favorite flannel pajamas and crawled under the thick quilt on the bed. Despite the fact that her mind wanted to turn the day’s events over and over, her body won out and she couldn’t resist sleep.
     
     
     
    Sleep eluded him. He was too keyed up over the day’s events and too confused about the strange thoughts he’d been having about Flora. Or was it Flor? He’d used the endearment that her sister and Aiden had used with her. Made it personal . So personal in fact, that he’d been annoyed with her for disparaging his part of the country, knowing full well that she was only acting on what she’d been told. Only criminals and people that didn’t want to be found lived in the Outer Territory. Well, he wasn’t nor had he ever been a criminal.
    Julian felt his pulse quicken, not sure if it was because he was remembering the annoying incident again or because he couldn’t help wondering what Flora wore when she slept. Ludicrous. He’d seen her naked, for Gods sake. Sure, he’d been more concerned about an extremely intoxicated Aiden going under that pink water and not coming back up, but he’d still seen .
    He rolled onto his side and let himself think about what he needed to think about so he could get some sleep. He needed sleep, damn it. Similar to the way he’d once conjured fire in the palms of his hands, he conjured a picture of Flora wearing a gauzy cotton nightgown in his mind.
     
     
     
    Light shining in through the window and Julian knocking on her bedroom door woke her the next morning. “Mmmhmm?” she hummed, rolling toward the door.
    “Can I come in?” Julian asked.
    “Sure.” She sat up on her knees, pushing her hair off of her face and forcing it back into a ponytail.
    Julian stepped into the room, looking strong, well-rested, his face clean shaven. He also had fresh clothes on, a more relaxed outfit of dark jeans and a black and white checked flannel than he usually wore when he was guarding. To say that the look suited him was an understatement.
    “Nice cupcakes,” Julian said, nodding at the pattern on her pajama shirt.
    Flora blushed violently, no darkness to hide in this morning. “What? You haven’t ever seen a grown woman in her comfy-cozies?”
    The smile on his face