The Eden Series: The Complete Collection Read Online Free PDF

Both looked at each other in fury. “Everyone knows those taller beasts don’t hunt at night; their eyes aren’t good enough in this lighting. As you can see, both moons are hidden. We picked this night carefully. As for the other beasts, I can handle the oversized hogs by myself with my eyes closed. They also don’t see well in this light, whereas I can see perfectly, and shoot them just as well as if it were the middle of the day.” She was breathing hard, cursing herself inwardly for letting them get under her skin the way they always did. Being a girl always made the need to prove herself that much more important. Most people wrote her off as being weaker than the rest of the warriors, but she wasn’t: she was just as deadly as they were, even if she was tiny.
    “Fine,” he finally said, releasing her hand. “Good luck then.” She brushed away a lock of her hair, pinning it behind her ear. She also wore a headband like Wolf’s, finding it kept her long golden hair out of her eyes when she was targeting an animal. Both boys turned around and began walking back toward the city walls. She watched their retreating figures for a while, ensuring that they wouldn’t turn around again and follow her. Of course, she didn’t trust them as far as she could throw them, so when she finally did continue toward the forest, she would occasionally stop to make sure they hadn’t decided to pester her further.
    She could hear an owl not far away, and the distant sound of a river rushing by. She knew she was close. The witch lived in a hut not far beyond that river; it wouldn’t be long now. Staying low to the ground, Elisa kept her senses on alert for any unwelcome guests. The forest used to be free of any real danger, but ever since the passing of the High King ten years ago, everything had changed. The new High King, King Jameson, was well loved and respected. The news of his crowning had shocked all of Eden, the majority of people having thought the younger prince would take over. What surprised them more was the betrayal of that same brother.
    After the bells of passing rang through the Capital, everyone began mourning the loss of the most beloved King in centuries. Jameson had come out on the people’s balcony and announced his father’s passing and his rise to High King. He then announced the banishment of the younger Prince Callum, for reason of treason to the crown. The younger prince had ridden off that same night with none other than Brutus the Red from the north. Some said there had been a third rider, but at the time no one knew who. Now it was well known that it had been the feared sorcerer from the east. The three lived in the mountains, sending down their terror little by little. It was a constant threat to the High King and everyone else who lived in Eden. Callum had sworn revenge on his brother and on all those who followed him. Now their lands were filled with the beasts and monsters that they created up in their mountains. Creatures so terrifying, they could be explained only by the sorcerer’s magic.
    Some said the King and his close advisers suspected that Callum had brought the others here that night on purpose, under the belief that he would have been crowned. There was a lot of speculation on what would have happened had Callum been crowned, but nothing could be confirmed. His alliance with them now was a problem, and the King was building his army stronger than ever to fight whatever his little brother brought their way.
    What many didn’t know, although Elisa did due to her father’s close friendship with the King, was that Jameson believed their father’s death was murder. His health had been strong before that night, and the coincidence that those two men had been in the Capital on the same night the High King happened to fall deathly ill was something of a concern. The High Priest and Jameson wondered if poison had been involved, but no medical examiners were allowed to touch the body of a