Emergence (The Primogenitor Chronicles Book 1) Read Online Free PDF

cover and cross the meadow.
    She rose stiffly, brushing the rest of the leaves off, and tried to calm her labored breathing as indecision swamped her. Her mind whirled. The task of wrangling her thoughts into some order and forcing herself to focus continued to get harder. She stared out across the clearing. Where can I go? I need to break my trail. The river? She shuddered, and her thoughts immediately shied away from that possibility. She looked back up the wooded hillside and winced at the obvious trail she’d made. I’ve been lucky. The only reason I’ve gotten this far is because of the tree canopy.
    Reluctance over leaving the safety of the forest paralyzed her, and she turned back to the meadow, rocking from foot to foot.
    Snap.
    She whipped a look over her shoulder then plunged without further thought into the field.
    The soft grass felt much better on her bruised and battered feet than the forest floor. “I’m almost there, I’m almost there,” she chanted in time with her labored breathing and pounding feet. A distant yell spurred her on. She risked a glance back. The two Hunters emerged from the edge of the woods and spread their dark wings, taking flight. Turning, she bowed her head and burst into the cover at the edge of the woods before they were more than a quarter of the way across.
     

     
    Nickolas landed at the far edge of the field, his brother on his heels. They’d have to resume their hunt on foot where their quarry had ripped through the bushes. Nickolas beat his way into the dense plant life, swearing when he fouled his wings for what seemed like the millionth time on the thorny twigs.
    “Damn it, where is she getting the energy for this?” he muttered under his breath. Once he got to a more open space, he started casting around looking for tracks.
    Snapping branches, Christoff broke free of the thicket and shook his wings. “That’s a good question, Nick. Why hasn’t she passed out yet?” Crouching down, Christoff ran his hand lightly over the dirt. “Even if Jeff did miscalculate the timing, and I’m inclined to think that he didn’t, she should have moved from the active phase into unconsciousness by now at least.”
    Christoff paused for a moment, and Nickolas froze when he felt the surge of uncivilized wildness course through his brother and color his voice. “Though, it is kind of nice to have a challenge. It’s not like we get to really utilize our abilities at the Facility. Games aside, being out here in the wild, so to speak, is extremely liberating. Here, I found something.”
    Nickolas quit his search and joined Chris. He crouched down and looked at the smudge his brother indicated. There was a dark smear in the center of the impression. He reached out to pick up a pinch of the dirt, intending to sniff it, and froze. His eyes flared as something slammed into his awareness too fast for him to comprehend.
    The sound of Christoff snapping his fingers in front of his face brought him back to earth. “Nick! Hey, what is it?”
    Nickolas shook his head and frowned. I don’t know. “She’s lacerated her feet. We should be able to track the blood.” Rising, Nickolas dusted the bloody dirt off his fingers and caught a worried frown from Christoff.
    “Nick, seriously, how is she doing this? Even if Jeff had miscalculated, there is no way he was off by this much. He’s too experienced.”
    “I don’t know, Chris. Let’s get her contained. Then we’ll worry about the how.” Setting off at a lope, Nickolas wished that he could follow his own advice.
     

     
    Gasping for breath, Jessica pushed her way through sticker bushes and other undergrowth, heedless of the clinging tendrils that grabbed her clothing and tore her skin. She was barely keeping a lid on her panic. It felt like the whole world was reaching out and trying to slow her down. She ripped her clothes free and kept running, fear skittering up and down her spine.
    She hit a path and made better time on it, sighing