Evermore, an Arotas Novella (The Arotas Series) Read Online Free PDF Page B

heard
Katia speaking with her friends in hushed tones about her own
transition. She does not possess the same abilities that Gabriel
developed not long after Roseline first met him. No glowing cross
tattoo on her wrists, super strength, or hearing. Her mother’s
genes must have been more dominant than Lucien’s.
    Still,
she wants to be turned. Roseline isn’t sure if this was for
personal gain or in attempt to honor Gabriel’s memory. Either
way, Nicolae decided that Roseline would ultimately decide the girl’s
fate. Thankfully, she is off the hook. Now, that decision will rest
firmly in Gabriel’s hands.
    After
nearly a quarter of an hour, the door cracks open and Gabriel emerges
alone. Roseline looks beyond him to see Katia perched on the edge of
her bed, her head buried in her hands. Her sobs are loud, riddled
with relief.
    “She
didn’t know?” Roseline asks, taken aback.
    He
shakes his head. “Elias thought it might be too hard for her to
see him after…” He lets his words fall away, but she
knows he is thinking of his fallen guardian angel, Seneh. Katia and
Seneh held a special bond. Elias no doubt didn’t want to open
wounds that have barely had time to begin to heal over.
    “Why
didn’t the others tell her?” she asks as the door latch
locks into place.
    He
takes her hand in his and brings it swiftly up to his lips. She
smiles, knowing this is a habit she could easily get used to.
    “They
felt it would be best to see the truth for herself. She thought I was
a ghost at first. A walker of the woods. I guess there are myths of
ghosts from where she lived. I sure gave her a start.” His
chuckle spreads warmth in her abdomen as she twines her fingers
through his.
    Their
shoulders bump against each other as they walk. Their footsteps echo
off the wall beside them. Roseline breathes deep and feels a familiar
rumbling in her stomach. She can’t remember the last time she
actually ate a full meal.
    Gabriel
pulls her back just before they reach the corridor that leads
directly into the kitchens. He dips his head in greeting as two
black-clad hunters mutter their apologies and slip past them, making
a beeline straight for breakfast.
    “What’s
wrong?” she asks.
    His
lips soften into a smile as he reaches up with his free hand to cup
her face, his thumb brushing along her cheekbone. “I’ve
made a decision.”
    “About?”
Her eyebrow arches. Although his tone doesn’t suggest anything
worrisome or terrifying, her stomach clenches as a kneejerk reaction.
    He
leans in close and whispers in her ear. “No more fighting. No
more bloodshed and stupid prophecies. I want to spend time together,
just you and me. We’ve spent far too much time fighting just to
get back to each other, and I refuse to let anything come between us
ever again.”
    She
inhales, rocked by the depth of his statement. Not just the words,
but the emotion behind them. It is true. From the moment they first
met they have been torn apart over and over again. Fate has never
been kind to them, but maybe, just maybe things are starting to come
together.
    Roseline
looks around her at the extensive evidence of an early morning
training session left abandoned. Swords line tables along the walls.
Feathered arrows, shot from high-powered crossbows, protrude from
makeshift targets. She can see leather gauntlets, vests, and the like
scattered about near the newly assigned armory, housing an array of
old-school and modern-day weapons. “We can’t just walk
away from all of this.” She protests, pulling her gaze away to
look at him. “They need us.”
    He
squeezes her hands and smiles. “I’m not saying walk away
completely. I’m saying we need to take a break for a while.
Then we can come back here and help out. You know, take up a
leadership role. Train the new recruits.”
    Roseline
bites on her lower lip, thinking of the new teams that have recently
been sent out into the field to establish more bases like the Senthe
base in Canada.