Her Guardian's Heart Read Online Free PDF Page A

You could be anyone, for all I know. You could be here to kill me.”
    He chuckled. “Your grandmother sent me to find you.”
    “I knew it was too good to be true. I won’t go back to the coven with you. I won’t be their figurehead. I—”
    “I’m not here to take you back to any coven. I’m here to bring you to meet your paternal grandmother. I am your grandmother’s emissary. She has been hoping to meet you for a long time. She’s waiting for you. If you would come with me, we can go meet her right now.”
    I cocked my head and looked at him. This wasn’t something I had never considered. The gleam in his eye intrigued me. “H-how do I know you’re telling me the truth?”
    “You have to trust me. Your grandmother and I are from the same clan. I guess that makes us the same clan as well. Please, come with me.”
    The sincerity in his eyes was genuine. I reached out my senses to test what he had said. There was a ring of truth to it. It had been so long since I’d had a familial connection. And he was talking about my father’s mother. My real father. Maybe this could answer some of the questions about my heritage. I pulled my power back and then nodded. “Okay. I’ll go with you, but any funny business and I’ll blast you into next week.”
    “Fair enough.”
    “Let me close up.”
    A smile spread on his lips. “I’ll wait outside.”
    He left and I quickly grabbed my cell phone. I flipped it open and was going to call Landon, but then shut it, knowing that he wouldn’t care. Thoughts raced through my mind. What would she be like? Would I look anything like her? Could she tell me about my father? What could she tell me about the darkness inside of me? Would she even know about it? Too many things ran through my head. This might be a setup. I had to be prepared. I dug into my office drawer and pulled out a small sachet that with just a little bit of power I could ignite the seeds and they would tangle around a room and keep people trapped. It would give me enough time to escape and find a safe place to get away to where I could be outside and gather my strength. I grabbed a crystal. It was supercharged with energy and if need be, it could end up being an explosive. I shoved both into my pocket and then snatched my purse. After that I made sure to lock the back door and double-check my wards.
    Tannin was waiting for me outside the shop, leaning on the glass windows. The light of the setting sun ignited his hair and made his eyes seem like they were on fire. I bit my lip and could hardly believe that this was happening.
    He stepped aside and opened the door to his car. I slipped inside the leather interior and smelled lemon and cloves. I grasped my purse close to me while we drove in silence. We traveled out of the city for half an hour and then turned down a road that changed to dirt. Tannin stopped by a quaint house. Flowers filled the garden along with other herbs. Their scents perfumed the air. The house was small, a cottage, with shuttered windows and whitewashed walls. He led me through a white picket fence. When I walked through the gate, the power of the place hit me. Something inside me recognized it on a level that was akin to the darkness inside of me.
    Tannin led me to the door. He did a soft tap and then a double knock. I felt something strong; dark wings unfolded around the house. Whatever was guarding this place was not going to let anyone in that wasn’t invited. The door opened. No one was on the other side. He touched my back lightly and urged me forward. Another spark of energy went through me that made me catch my breath. I glanced at him. He nodded encouragingly and then smiled. For a moment, I wanted that smile only to be for me. I grinned and walked into the darkness of the room. Tannin came in after me.
    “She likes to sit out back at this time of day. Between the space where the light hovers on the edge of the world and the creatures of darkness scratch at the locks to escape