Sign of the Throne: Book One in the Solas Beir Trilogy Read Online Free PDF Page B

trespassers, unnerving anyone who came too close.
    Abby was fascinated by the ravens. She was also fond of Edgar Allan Poe, whose works she had studied in a literature class sophomore year. She could imagine her Newcastle Beach ravens in a more Gothic setting, with a chorus or two of “Nevermore.” They seemed even more magical than the rest of the historic district. On the days when she walked to her job at the inn, Abby preferred the north side of Ocean Avenue , just so she could watch the ravens before crossing the street to the resort.
    With dark, gold-rimmed eyes, the birds cocked their heads as she passed by, and she sensed their otherworldly intelligence as they stared back at her, unafraid. She had always loved animals, and as a child had attracted many a stray, much to her mother’s chagrin. She remembered an elementary school field trip to the Ocean Research Institute at the University of Santa Linda, during which she had gotten separated from her class because she ’d lingered at the dolphin tank, not even realizing her teacher and classmates had moved on to the next exhibit.
    From the viewing area below the main exhibit floor, she had been watching the dolphins intently, pressing her small hands and forehead to the cool glass, when one of the dolphins had broken from the pod and floated at eye level in front of her. Mesmerized, she had dared not move or break eye contact, until she’d heard her teacher worriedly calling her name, chastising her for leaving the group.
    It was the same feeling with the ravens—a strong connection that felt both familiar and foreign, like meeting an old friend she had not seen for a very long time. The ravens made her love the tree-lined neighborhood even more, with its intricately decorated Victorians and sprawling Tudors, homes with shaded windows like half-lidded eyes, coyly keeping secrets.
     
     
     
     
    Abby had begun working at the inn the summer before her senior year. The job was not prestigious, but she got to spend time with her best friend, so it wasn’t all bad.
    Her relationship with Jonathon Reyes had quite literally begun the day they were born—their mothers had bonded in the maternity ward, and gave birth within hours of each other. Soon after, Jon’s father had decided he wasn’t ready for a kid. He walked out of the ward and never came back. Suddenly on her own, with her closest relatives back in Mexico, Blanca Reyes and her infant son had moved into the rental next door to the Browns, just outside of Newcastle Beach.
    Abby and Jon had been inseparable since they could crawl, sharing birthday parties, friends, classmates, their first kiss, and a tree house they had built together at the age of ten. Jon had the good looks of a mischievous , but charming boy intent on having a good time and getting into a little trouble, but nothing too serious. It didn’t help that he was whip-smart, witty, and had his mother completely wrapped around his little finger. He could have done better in school—academics came easily enough—but so did boredom, and that was the problem.
    They’d tried dating once, and Abby had the sneaking suspicion that Jon wouldn’t mind trying a romantic relationship again, but that’s where things got complicated. She loved Jon—it was easy to be with him, and she felt like she could tell him anything. It was a matter of chemistry—Jon was charismatic, but he could be a little too wild.
    The only reason Jon had never gotten in real trouble was because he’d never been caught. Once, when their neighbor Mr. Burke was on vacation, Jon had dared Abby to jump the fence and take a dip in Mr. Burke’s pool. Abby took the dare, and she almost got caught when Mr. Burke’s adult daughter stopped by to check on his house. That had been too much of a close call for Abby.
    The next spring, when Mr. Burke put his house up for sale and moved out, Jon suggested that they trespass again. Abby stayed home that time, and she ended up glad. It