Dianthe's Awakening Read Online Free PDF Page A

weakly.
    "Indeed, and that is why you will be staying here," he stated plainly. "Brónach resides with the other unmated huntsmen in a mixed barracks."
    I tried again. "But the village," I asked. "Surely there is an empty cottage somewhere? Maybe somebody would let me bunk with them." Damn, I was whining and when he just stared at me silently, I knew it was time to man up. Taking a deep breath, I sighed. "Oh well, I tried."
    An impressive eyebrow rose and he replied, "Indeed you did. Are you now done with your theatrics? I would like to know more about the circumstances that brought us to this moment.
    "You mean other than the whole," I waved my hand dramatically toward the sky, "you sweeping down from the heavens and taking me away?" I asked sarcastically.
    "Yes," he answered, "before all that. Why would someone be willing to call down the wrath of the Hunt, Dianthe, to capture you?"
    "I've got the answer to that one, Keir," I shortened his name just to see if I could get a rise. I really had to grow up. But I had to take my giggles where I could get them. In these situations, it was laugh or cry. If I did the later, I may never stop. Besides, sarcasm was always my first line of defense.
    Cernunnos ignored the nickname and led me inside those giant doors and down a hallway past a winding staircase. We came into a room filled with soft furnishings and he sat me down on the most decadent couch I had ever been on. Yeah, I wasn’t moving for a while.
    "Now tell me, Dianthe, why someone would be willing to take the risk," he asked again.
    I shrugged and told him boldly, "Because of the prophesy." He had just sat down across from me but went ramrod straight at my words.
    "What prophesy would that be? No more games, Dianthe, I grow tired of them. Just give me the answers I seek and we shall get through this much faster and with more ease."
    "Okay, Cernunnos," I dropped the brat act. "Here's the deal. My aither , my dad, Belenus, did not get my mother pregnant on a whim. He picked her out. I was born as the sunset and the full moon rose on the eve of Beltane. The prophesy foretold that my mate, or mates in my case, would grow in power to basically rule the world. I work as a catalyst. Whatever power you have naturally is amplified and fed through me. I have powers of my own but I'm still working on what they are, so…," I waved my hand weakly
    His attention was all on me now. "How do you bestow this gift on your mates," he asked softly.
    "Yeah, about that," I hedged. I was more embarrassed than I thought I would be talking about this stuff. "Um…it's through sex. When I have sex with someone, evidently, their power feeds through me and back in to them. I think that’s how it works anyway," I frowned.
    "Does this only work on males you are properly mated to? Or is it just carnal relations that bring forth the increase in power?" His face had closed off but I saw a look of distaste cross over his features before he cleared it.
    "I'm not a whore, you know," I said it quietly but the shock on his face would have been the same if I had slapped him.
    "Why would you say something so repulsive? I never said you were."
    "Yeah," I muttered. "A look is worth a thousand words sometimes." His hand rose before it fell back to his side.
    "You mistake me, Dia. I did not mean that you disgust me, only the circumstances. You are so young and so easily manipulated. Anyone could take advantage of you. Dianthe, you are no more than a child in our world," he paused.
    "I get it. Really, I do. Robin had the same conversation with me. He even said that at times he felt perverted for wanting me since it was like child molestation. Well not in those words but pretty close. I will tell you the same thing I told him. I was raised human. As far as I knew, I was only human. At the best, I am still half-mortal. We have short lives compared to yours. Would you prefer me to wait until I was in my fifties before I seek out carnal relations? I would have been too