Songbird Read Online Free PDF

seconds.
    Teya’s heart beat furiously. “What are you doing here?”
    “It’s all right. I’ve come to get you out.”
    “Are you crazy? It’s impossible. You’ll only get yourself killed. Believe me, it’s happened before. You should leave now before you get caught.”
    His eyes widened in surprise. “You don’t want to be rescued?”
    “Of course I do. But…it won’t work.”
    He frowned. “I’m sorry you have so little faith in me, but I assure you, I can get you out.”
    “Why would you do that?”
    “I have my reasons, and I’ll tell you once we’re away.” He stepped further into the room and pushed his dark cloak back, revealing several tools and a long rope.
    As he moved to the window, she stepped in front of him. “It won’t work. The king has guards everywhere, and I’m watched all the time. We’ll never get out of the palace, let alone the city. They’ll kill you.”
    He considered her for a moment. “I have everything planned to the minute. I can get you out. Do you want to leave?”
    His boldness shocked her, but he waited patiently while she gathered her wits. There was kindness in his eyes, and it was hard not to believe him. “Do you mean to keep me enslaved? Or can you take this off?” She lifted the kundar from her skin, hardly believing that she had the gall to challenge him.
    Here was someone willing to get her out of this hell, and she was bargaining over the kundar ? If she went with him, she would be out of her prison with a better chance of getting it off than she had now. She swallowed, regretting that she’d asked, but wouldn’t take it back now.
    He stared at her with surprise. After a pause, he came to a decision. “I can’t guarantee anything. But even with it on, I can promise you more freedom than you have now.”
    “So you can own me?” Defiance laced through her tone.
    “No. That’s not my intention.” Pity and anger creased his brow. “I think the way you’ve been treated here is deplorable, but I have to be able to trust your magic before I can take that thing off.”
    She didn’t mind the anger behind his words, but his pity upset her. “What do you want from me?” She knew there had to be more to it. The risks were too great.
    “I just need your help. After that you’ll be free to do whatever you wish.”
    Right. How could she believe that? He didn’t trust her, but he certainly expected her to trust him.
    “There’s no time,” he said. “Do you want to leave, or not?”
    What choice did she have? None. She had to take the chance. “Yes. But I’ll not be used, ever again. By anyone.” Her voice shook with conviction and she held her breath for his answer.
    “I’ll not use you. I just need your help.”
    His eyes held genuine concern. With a surge of hope, she gave in. “All right.”
    He smiled, and her breath caught at the change in his face. His brow relaxed and the playful crinkles at the corners of his eyes held a promise of friendship. With a shadow of beard covering his strong jaw, and his dark penetrating eyes, he also seemed a bit dangerous. She suddenly hoped trusting him wasn’t based on something as foolish as a handsome face.
    “Good. We’d better get moving.” Looking at the band on his wrist, he announced, “We have sixteen minutes to get out the window and down to the ground before the watchman comes back.”
    He stepped to the window and tested the bars, then took out a tool, which he wedged into the space between them. He rotated the handle on the tool, and the bars began to bend. He spared her a glance. “Put something in your bed to make it look like you’re asleep. Then find some dark clothes to wear.”
    Teya nodded, but could hardly take her eyes off him. Was this really happening? It was like a fantasy dream she had given up on years ago. This man was even more handsome than the one in her dreams. He stopped his work and glanced at her with an arched brow.
    That jolted her out of her stupor and she sprang