Guardian Read Online Free PDF Page B

flowers’ sweet scent. Despite myself I was impressed.
    Directly in front of me, Ian Lavelle walked tall and straight, looking just like a faery in his tight breeches. His smooth, naked, brown back still looked as if it glowed with some inner light. I frowned at this. I was starting to suspect that Ian Lavelle was no ordinary human. But if that were true…then what was he?
    I barely had a chance to ponder this latest, startling thought before Queen Tana turned and signaled to the fairies holding Ian. They hauled him away from the rest of us, toward a rock wall in the distance.
    I picked up my pace until I walked beside the queen. “Where are they taking him?”
    “To the caves. You will get your chance to question him later.”
    I nodded. “I’d like to bring him his meal.”
    Her sharp gaze swung to me and I held it, refusing to give in to the incredible pull of her personal power. Finally she nodded, “As you wish, Warrior.”
    We reached the common area of the kingdom and she stopped, turning to Etta and me. “You will be given shelter here. I will see you tonight, at the feast.” She glanced at the faery beside me and the young woman bowed low.
    “Follow me please.” The young faery instructed in a soft, high pitched voice.
    I continued to look at Tana. “Feast?”
    She smiled, but it wasn’t a happy smile. “To celebrate the intruder’s capture. And his imminent death.”
    My mouth opened to say something…though I wasn’t sure what…but she turned away and left us standing there, her long, slender legs striding purposefully toward the golden palace in the distance.
    I shook my head and looked at Etta. Her eyebrows lifted but she said nothing. We would keep silent until we were sure we were alone. It was obvious we couldn’t allow the queen to follow her own timeline. Or Ian Lavelle would be dead before we’d discovered what we needed to discover. For some reason the queen was very unhappy with our charming human. The depth of her unhappiness seemed out of proportion to his crime. And while I knew Queen Tana to be a volatile and petulant ruler…I also knew that she was eminently fair. Which led me directly to the obvious question. What the hell had Ian Lavelle done to the faery queen…to make her hate him so?
    ~ ~ * ~ ~
     
    I pushed back the gauzy window cover and peered out. Queen Tana had left a guard behind to watch us. Etta and I had decided to communicate telepathically rather than risk being overheard in our planning.
    Is he still out there?
    I turned and nodded. I need to get to those caves.
    She frowned. They’ll be expecting you to go. I should be the one to go. They won’t expect me to try it, guardians aren’t exactly known for rule breaking.
    I knew she was right, but damn! If Etta gave him the potion he’d be stuck to her instead of me. I wasn’t sure why that bothered me but it did. Finally I did an inner shrug and told myself it was because I was a control freak. I needed to control everything around me or my skin started to itch.
    Un huh.
    I shook my head. I need to be the one to speak with him.
    Why? The angel disappeared before my very eyes and the monster was standing there. I was used to dealing with monster Etta, but it was still a little eerie to see her face go all purple and splotchy like that.
    Because the Council gave this task to me, not you.
    I was sent along to help.
    To help, yes. I’ll let you know when you can help me.
    There was a groan and a muffled thump outside and I flew to the door. It opened before I got there. Ian Lavelle sauntered in.
    “Ladies.” He closed the door and went to the window, peering out as I’d done mere seconds earlier.
    Etta and I exchanged a look.
    “How the hell did you escape? And what did you do with the guard?”
    He dropped the gauzy panel and grinned. “I’m getting very good at it actually. The caves and I are old friends.”
    “What exactly is your relationship with Queen Tana? Why is she so royally pissed at you. Excuse