Ripples (DROPLETS Trilogy Book 2) Read Online Free PDF

pain.
         “Listen,” Elik tried to speak but I yelled.
         “No, you listen! Morven didn’t kill him! He never would have. I killed him! I killed him by falling in love with him! I killed him by showing up on that island! I did it. I did it. I—I—” I broke down into wracking sobs. Strong arms wrapped around my shoulders to stifle my cries.
         Waves of sorrow rushed over me, crashing into my heart with a power that I’d never thought possible. There was burning pain where light used to be, a desperate loss where comfort and happiness had once resided. But it was all lost now. There were no more walks on the island, swims at the waterfall, or dances in the trees. No more laughter at sunset, or talks by the warm fire. All of it was washed away in the tide like a carefully built sandcastle.
         My breath stilled and I raised my head and wiped at my eyes, of course the tears were already gone and my eyes weren’t even puffy, but I could still feel the bulginess behind them. Elik cleared his throat and dropped his arms from around me to take a step back.
         “Kryssa said that she told you about Wyeth,” he said, and I thought back to Kryssa’s lost love. “What she didn’t tell you was that he was my younger brother.” Glancing quickly, I saw Kryssa wrap her arms around herself and look out the window.
          “He was killed on a mission and it was my fault that he died,” he said and took a deep breath before continuing. “I made a mistake and he covered for me, by the time I got to him he was fatally injured.” His voice broke and water filled his eyes, but he shook it away. “I’ve never been able to forget that moment, but you have to get past this. It wasn’t your fault.” His words were fierce. “Morven not only imprisoned and tortured him within an inch of his life, but he also took the one thing that mattered to him most. He stole you from him.”
         I tried to speak around the massive lump in my throat and my voice came out in a croak, “But if I hadn’t fallen in love with him he’d still be alive.” Elik shook his head.
         “He was hooked the moment he saw you, he told Tunder that.” I looked to the captain to see if it was true and he nodded. “I know Patrick; he would’ve wanted you to save yourself instead of him.”
         The words that Patrick had spoken in the dungeon came back to me. I hadn’t told the others what he had said to me because I had wanted to hold them in my heart, and now I would hold onto them forever. The last gift that I could give to him would be to live the life he wanted me to have.
         “Goodbye Lissie,” Elik said and gave me a tight hug.
         “Goodbye,” I whispered. “And thank you.” He nodded and left the room.
         Daggin and Nixie hugged me next, followed by Shaylee. Her husband walked to me slowly and gave me a gentle hug but when he pulled back, he placed his hands on my shoulders.
         “Take care of yourself,” he said and I remembered him saying something like this before I had gone to confront Patrick with the truth; I nodded. “Patrick was like a brother to me, if you ever need anything, well, you know where to find us.” He swallowed hard, and I smiled at him in thanks. He turned and grasped his wife’s hand as they exited the room, leaving Kryssa behind.
        I tried not to think about saying goodbye to her, and instead asked, “Do you have one of those packs on hand? I could use it to carry a pair of clothes.” She nodded and went into the closet to retrieve one. The black bag was thrown out to me and I strapped it beneath my shirt. It was so light it was hardly noticeable.
         My fingers fumbling, I untied the arm sheath where my dagger rested and tossed it onto the bed. The blade looked more dangerous than it ever had before and I knew it was in response to what had happened to Patrick, but I didn’t want to think about it. More than anything