Here Shines the Sun Read Online Free PDF Page A

chest. Her hair smelled of summer winds and lavender and he took it all in as his heartbeat eased. After a moment he kissed her forehead and looked into her eyes. He could look into them forever.
    “Did you dream of your sister again?” she asked. Her voice was warm and pleasant and its gentle tone complimented the scent of her hair. She traced a finger over the scar on his shoulder.
    Rook nodded. He stroked his hand through her hair. “But it was different this time.”
    Kierza’s tender lips curled in a faint smile, tugging at the thin, pink skin around her exposed nasal cavity. She put her hand through his short, black hair and then craned her neck up to kiss him softly upon his lips. “How so?”
    “You were there.” said Rook, looking into her eyes, wanting to lose himself in them. He traced his hand from one cheek to the other, his finger gently passing over the tissue of her missing nose. “It was the day I fought your brother for you. And then it changed to the one of my sister.”
    Kierza licked her lips and turned her head.
    “What’s wrong?” whispered Rook, stroking his hand down her soft cheek and over her slender shoulder.
    “I had the same dream,” she whispered. She looked back up at him. “And there was a demon.”
    Rook’s brow furled. “How did you…”
    “He was in your dream too, wasn’t he?” asked Kierza, sitting up straighter now. The damp sheet sagged its way down her body, exposing her supple breasts and the tarnished, pewter heart pendant hanging from her neck. She always wore it, and never took it off. “Was… was that Bulifer?”
    Rook looked away from her.
    “We did, didn’t we?” said Kierza. “We had the same dream. You fought my brother and the demon was there behind you, whispering in your ear. And then we were in a field and I saw you with a little girl. And the demon… that was Bulifer, the one you told me about, wasn’t it?”
    Rook looked at her and nodded slowly.
    “And I saw a star fall out of the sky.” said Kierza. “Did you see it too?”
    Rook chewed his bottom lip and nodded again. He and Kierza had never shared a dream before and he didn’t quite know what to make of this. The fact that she had seen the demon, Bulifer, concerned him. He’d be damned if he let the creature touch her.
    “And… I saw the Golothic close as you held it.” she said.
    At that Rook’s and Kierza’s eyes met and they shared a brief moment of understanding. They both leapt naked from the bed. Rook rushed to his pants that were strewn over his dresser and he fumbled with them until Kierza flung aside the curtains, filling the room with pale moonlight and a warm, summer breeze. From outside Rook could hear some distant shouts, too faint to make out the words. He turned to face Kierza, the Golothic in his hand. It was hot. Almost too hot to hold.
    Kierza spun around to meet his eyes. “A star really fell from the sky,” she said. She looked back out the window, craning her head around. She turned around to Rook again. “There’s only one star left. It really happened.”
    Rook licked his lips and then pursed them into a frown. He held the Golothic out to her. Its fingers were curled up into an almost complete fist. “And this really closed.”
    The two stared down at the thing for a long moment in silence. Rook had told her about the Golothic and the demon. She knew as well as he what its closing meant. It meant the demon’s payment was coming due.
    Kierza padded over to him and held him in her arms as she rested her head upon his warm chest.
    “I have to find her.” said Rook at last. He looked down into Kierza’s eyes. “Time is running out.”
    Kierza pursed her lips. “Rook, maybe it’s time to—”
    Rook broke from her grasp and slipped a black shirt over his body and then began fumbling with his pants.
    “What are you doing?”
    “I’ve got to go see Gabidar.” said Rook. “I have to find Ursula before it’s too late.”
    ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦