Echoes of Magic Read Online Free PDF Page B

behind her ear. “You will always have a place
here with us, Drina. We’re your family.”
    “ Words cannot describe how
grateful I am for everything you’ve given me.” She took his face
between her hands and leaned up to place her lips on his
forehead.
    When she pulled back, his dark eyes
twinkled. “Want to test what a real kiss from me will do to
you?”
    She laughed. How she would miss the easy
warmth of the gypsies, of the laughter and the songs and the
life.
    “ Will you return to us?” he
asked.
    She glanced at him to find his smile gone,
replaced with a small frown and worry lines around his eyes. “No
one knows what the future holds,” she lied.
    He nodded in response. “I
wish you’d reconsider. I could give you a good life.”
    “ You most certainly would.
Any woman would be proud to be your wife. I’m sorry I’m not going
to be that woman.”
    And she was truly sorry. Milosh was a good,
honest man. He deserved someone who wasn’t cursed, someone who
could return his love.
    He said no more as he rose and walked away.
Adrianna stared into the shadows where he had disappeared and
wondered if the gypsy leader would ever forgive her.
    She glanced at her cart. It was time for her
magic.
    Adrianna didn’t want to draw attention to
herself, so she walked, when she wanted to run, to her wagon. It
was as if she could feel the men who attacked Grayson riding down
upon them. How much time they had before they arrived, she didn’t
know.
    She glanced at Grayson to find him sleeping
peacefully, one arm thrown over his eyes. For a moment, she simply
watched him, wondering what it was about him that made her want to
risk her life. She had lied to Milosh.
    Though she wanted to leave before the men
arrived, there was much more in her need to leave. Aye, Grayson
offered adventure, but it was an adventure that would lead to her
death. She couldn’t explain how she knew it was vital that Grayson
stay alive, only that she did.
    Yet, she wanted to know
why. And only looking into the future would give her want she
needed. She closed off her cart to prevent anyone from seeing in
and arranged herself on the floor. It had been nearly a year since
she looked into the future, but she had no doubt her gift was still
with her.
    With the sounds of gypsy life outside her
cart and the soft breathing of Grayson, Adrianna closed her eyes
and focused all her attention on Grayson and his future. She jerked
when almost instantly an imagine of him covered in dirt, sweat and
blood, a vicious battle yell roaring from him as he charged a group
of men.
    Since she had never been to Hawksbridge, she
couldn’t know for certain if the battle were there or somewhere
more distant in the future. By the way Grayson battled, he was
positive of the outcome falling in his direction.
    As curious as she was to see Grayson win,
there was something more important that she searched for. Just as
she was about to give up, she caught a glimpse of it. It took a
tremendous amount of her magic to drudge up the glimpse she had
seen.
    Grayson stood facing the sea, the wind
sweeping his long black hair away from his face. He didn’t have on
armor, but he wore chainmail over his tunic with a sword and shield
in hand. No helm covered his face and, in his silver depths, she
saw a burning hatred that made her wince.
    A moment later someone bellowed Grayson’s
name, and he turned to face the evil Drogan had eluded. The man
stood in full armor, sword drawn and ready. In an instant, Adrianna
knew what Grayson was about to battle wasn’t a man, but the shell
of a man with evil as his soul.
    It frightened her so badly she lost her
concentration and broke her link to the future.
    For several heartbeats she sat on the floor
trying to even out her breathing. Even now fear pooled in her belly
and iced her blood. What Grayson was to face was the purest kind of
evil, the kind that nothing could withstand.

Chapter Six
     
     
    Grayson watched Adrianna silently through
slit