Ordained Read Online Free PDF Page A

causes - all were young. The color photos faded to black and white around the early 1970’s. The further she scanned, the more worn the photographs became. Around the 1850’s, the pictures were replaced with hand-drawn portraits that had browned and curled with age. She couldn’t help but notice that she wasn’t depicted on the time table.
    Her attention was drawn to 1810. Five advisors died on the same day, November eighteenth. One in particular mesmerized her, confused her - Nathaniel Watts. He seemed so familiar. The five pictures lacked a corresponding passage. Only a single line was present, stating ‘circumstance of death not recorded’.
    Abby knew she attended the school from 1797 to 1810 but she could remember nothing of the time she spent here. Yet this face, these dark eyes, reminded her of something. And the deaths she couldn’t place. One would think five deaths in a day would be burned into your memory, your soul. But then again, Abby wasn’t sure of when she left that year. Perhaps it happened afterwards. She would have to ask Noel.
    She would have to ask him a lot of things, though he seemed to remember as little as she did from this particular time period. She attended the school from four to sixteen but she couldn’t remember any part of it. Even the building itself. It clearly hadn’t undergone many upgrades in the past two centuries, but nothing looked familiar.
    Sounds and vibrations of clanging metal drew Abby farther down the hallway. Voices soon followed. She stepped onto a balcony overlooking the arena floor. The hunters were being trained by the advisors, or at least that’s what they thought they were doing. Though skilled in particular areas, none compared physically to the hunters they instructed. Fencing, gymnastics, knife-throwing and kickboxing were all being practiced. The hunters seemed somewhat adequate but none seemed as talented as Emily had become.
    Abby felt a twinge down her spine and turned around. She had sensed something behind her – still did – but nothing was visible in the darkness. She thought for the faintest moment that a set of glowing eyes were watching her. Having always trusted her instincts, she knew they were not failing her now. But sensing no danger from the anomaly, she turned back to the arena floor.
    The advisors and hunters had become alerted to her presence. All had stopped, frozen in place. Each set of eyes looked up to her. The female hunters looked up in awe. The alpha male carried a sense of annoyance. Shocker . Men often received her in this manner. But it was the reactions of the advisors that really surprised her. Many seem frightened. Some backed themselves into the shadows, others whispered.
    Emily seemed to be missing from the evening workout. No surprise there either. Abby knew she dreaded being here, forced to take orders from those she despised.
    “Abby? They’re ready to see us now.” Noel stepped out of the darkness into view. The creamy beige-skinned man was in his mid thirties. Good-looking but rough around the edges. His dark brown hair was long enough to cut in around the eyes, but still too short to tie back. His chocolate eyes were warm and affecting. Abby had always been drawn to them. She found them soft and soothing.
    Noel was generally calm and collected but extremely protective of Abby. She was impatient and high-maintenance at times. Noel was her perfect complement.
    Ignoring the unwavering eyes below, she joined him down the hallway. As they turned to leave, Abby once again stared into the darkness. She still felt a particular presence watching her, but still nothing was visible. They appeared to be alone.

 
    Chapter Seven

    Noel Berekin had been dreading this day for two hundred years. Always mindful of the horrible memories lingering here, he had kept Abby far from this place and the stories associated with it. Never did he open the conversation. When she did, he changed the topic to something more pressing to their