King of the Isles Read Online Free PDF Page B

Taking that into consideration, she drew on her powers once more, sending a steady stream of white light into the chains. The thick rings of iron snapped and, with a wave of her hand, vanished.
    Conjuring a goblet, she filled it with a potion to counter the sleeping draught and knelt beside Aurora, pressing the rim to her lips. “Wake up,” she urged, brushing the silky white-blond curls from the child’s angelic face. “That’s it,” she said as the little girl’s blue-veined lids fluttered open.
    Licking her pale lips, Aurora squinted as though trying to bring her vision into focus. Evangeline carefully tilted the goblet. The child drank greedily, pushing it away once she’d drained the potion. Raising sky-blue eyes to Evangeline, her voice came out a dry croak. “Did you rescue Uscias?”
    Evangeline bit her lip. Knowing how much the child cared for her mentor, she wished she could spare her the truth. But she needed whatever information Aurora could give her. She shook her head. “Can you tell me who took him?”
    Aurora nodded, swallowing hard. “They were from the Far North, King Magnus and his men.”
    Evangeline struggled to contain her temper. She’d known all along that fool MacLeod would put the Fae in danger. He’d refused Magnus with no thought to the consequences, and now look what had happened. She wanted to strangle the big oaf, or at the very least shake some sense into him.
    “Don’t worry, Aurora, I’ll get him back.” She placed an arm behind the child’s back and helped her sit up. Noting the tremors shaking her tiny frame, Evangeline said, “Rest for a moment and then we’ll go to the palace.”
    They’d go to the palace, all right, and the inept king would learn firsthand what his reckless decision had cost them. She scrubbed her hands over her face. How could he be so incompetent as to have his wizard stolen right out from under him? Where were the guards? Why were the perimeters of the forest not warded, alarmed? Caught up in her inner ranting, she’d been unaware Aurora now knelt before her, the child’s small hands coming to rest on either side of Evangeline’s face. Knowing no secret was safe from the budding prophetess, panic kicked up inside her. She tried to pull away, but there was no pulling back from the mesmerizing effect of the swirling colors in the little seer’s eyes.
    In the ragged voice of an old woman, Aurora proclaimed, “Deep within you a battle rages. Good versus evil, light over darkness. Overcome your fears, or evil shall prevail and both Mortal and Fae shall pay the price.”
    A chill iced Evangeline’s limbs, freezing her to the wood-planked floor. The child had seen the evil within her, giving voice to Evangeline’s greatest fear. Her father had been right all along. Closing her eyes, she battled against the heavy weight of despair that threatened to paralyze her. She didn’t have time for this, not now. She’d be of no use to Uscias if she succumbed to her fear.
    He needed her.
    The Fae needed her.
    If Magnus was able to break Uscias and gain his secrets for conjuring magickal weapons as powerful as the Sword of Nuada, the Fae of the Enchanted Isles would be decimated.
    Aurora’s hands slid from Evangeline’s face. The natural color of the child’s eyes returned and she blinked up at Evangeline. Pushing the prophecy to the dark recesses of her mind, Evangeline rose unsteadily to her feet. Helping Aurora to hers, she reminded herself that never had the child remembered the words she uttered when in a trance.
    For now, Evangeline’s secret was safe.

Chapter 3
    Certain word of Morfessa’s charges against her had reached the Fae of the Enchanted Isles, Evangeline squared her shoulders as she entered the palace with Aurora. Lachlan’s servants stopped what they were doing to regard her with a mixture of fear and unbridled loathing. She lifted her chin. If they thought to wound her with their contemptuous looks, they’d be sorely