Echoes in the Dark Read Online Free PDF Page B

steed
mentally. Prepare for a flight to Singer’s Abbey.
    Bri
drilled a look at Faucon. “You?”
    He
shrugged. “Ayes.”
    Bri
nodded and ran out, hand in hand with her serious husband.
    But
Faucon wasn’t as casual as he seemed. Just standing near him, Raine could feel
his tension. He strolled to the door, threw her a look from over his shoulder.
“Come along, though I’d wager that this will be a futile quest. Despite
everything, we won’t wrest the new Exotique from the Singer’s clutches.”
    Raine
was cold and her throat too tight to reply.
    As they
flew away, the Castle alarm sounded, calling warriors to battle. Raine saw
Alexa and her volaran flinch, but she didn’t look back.
    Knowing
that Chevaliers and Marshalls were running through the Castle to their
volarans, rising in a cloud to the North to fight monsters, Raine didn’t look
back, either.
    She’d
learned that looking forward was always best. That way you sometimes saw doom
coming.
    Singer’s Abbey
    J ikata was barely
aware of what was going on around her. She thought there was a big, gorgeous
Asian man looking down at her, wearing white…leather? Then he stepped out of
her line of sight and she was surrounded by the people in rainbow robes. Most
of them were smirking and she didn’t like it.
    A
couple of them had looked at her in horror and disgust, had trembled and shrunk
away from her gaze, pressing themselves against the cave walls.
    Cave
walls?
    She
had an uneasy feeling that she wasn’t in Denver anymore. But she was more than
confused, she’d just begun to figure out her surroundings when wave after wave
of sound ran through her, electrifying her nerves. It felt as if she’d
been struck by lightning. By the time it was done she could only lie quivering.
    The
older woman who’d said she was the Singer gestured to two women and they lifted
Jikata gently, set her on her feet, steadied her as if she were a precious
child learning to walk. She wasn’t sure she liked this extreme care any better
than the revulsion. Looking around for the one being who was slightly familiar,
she saw Chasonette on the man in white’s broad shoulder, staring at him. He was
staring back at her in surprise, then he turned and met Jikata’s gaze with a
dark chocolate one of his own that made her tremble in more ways than she
understood.
    Then
the elder was in front of her, demanding attention. “This cavern and the
tunnels leading to and from it are filled with the tunes of prophecy. I am the
Singer and have Summoned you!” She spoke English.
    Jikata
saw White Leather Man’s grimace and an odd expression flicker on his face.
She’d seen him come from that door to the tunnels, right? Now that she
scrutinized him, he looked a little worse for wear, lines around his eyes and
bracketing his mouth that she didn’t think were usually noticeable. There were
also smears of grime on his forehead, his face, his white leathers and gloves.
    Chasonette
warbled and again words sifted through Jikata’s mind. Let Luthan escort you.
Best for you both. The bird tugged a strand of the man’s hair from a tie in
the back and Jikata realized it was longer than shoulder-length. A good look
for him.
    She
took a steadying breath. “Luthan?”
    The
Singer frowned, the man strode forward, lifted his arm and Chasonette walked
down it to his wrist. Keeping that arm raised, he bowed, brown eyes never
leaving Jikata.
    “Luthan
Vauxveau,” he said. As he straightened he rolled a gesture from himself to her
and spoke more words. Frenchlike. She knew some French from songs and thought
he said something like, “I am at your service.” He held out his opposite arm in
a formal offer of support and the women’s hands on her tightened. The Singer’s
eyes narrowed and her lips pursed.
    Jikata
didn’t know what was going on, but the emotional currents around her spoke of power
plays. From the sheer force of the Singer, Jikata thought she was the major player in this situation, the turf