The Eighth Guardian Read Online Free PDF

the element of surprise. I can do this. One step at a time. First I get out of this room. Then out of the building. Then back to Peel. Back to Abe.
    “Sure,” I say, my voice slow.
    Alpha nods his head once. He unties my hands, and I leave them by my side. No use wasting energy when my legs are still tied to the table. He fiddles with the left strap, then the right. Here we go.
    I spring off the table and launch myself at Alpha, ready to attack, but he’s quicker. He anticipated this. Shit. I don’t have time to respond. All I know is that my hands are behind my back, and Alpha has slammed me to the floor. The side of my face rests against the cool concrete. Alpha’s knee is pressing into my back, between my shoulder blades. I can’t move.
    “Honestly now,” he says. “You didn’t think that move was a little obvious? That’s disappointing. I thought we were going to be able to do this the easy way, but I guess not.” There’s a metal click-click as a pair of handcuffs are slapped onto my wrists.
    Alpha pulls me up. He marches me forward, out through the doorway and into a blindingly white hallway. I have to squint because the fluorescent bulbs overhead make my eyes water. The walls are white and the floor is white, which only magnifies the light. I feel as if I’m stumbling around inside a solar flare.
    Alpha leads me to the end of the hallway. There’s a door straight ahead and a girl standing outside of it. She can’t be much older than me. She has straight hair that falls to her shoulders in a bob. And it’s purple. Bright purple. It really pops against her light-brown skin. There’s a gold-plated plaque hanging above the door. It reads:
    ENHANCEMENT, NOT ALTERATION
    “Here.” The girl holds out a plain black knapsack to Alpha. He takes it. I recognize her voice as the one from the room before. I think back to my training. See everything . I try to take in her voice, the smell of this hallway, the lighting, Enhancement, Not Alteration . My eyes scan the walls for identifying marks. But there are none. And it’s all happening too fast.
    Alpha lets go of me with one hand and slips the necklace around my neck. The owl pendant falls to my chest with a thump. My heart rate picks up. This is not good. Something is about to happen here. I need to make a break for it now.
    But before I can move, Alpha is back on me. His elbow loops around my neck, and he’s got me in a choke hold. He’s had some serious combat training. I can’t move. My heart is thumping so loudly that the two of them have to hear it.
    “Why did you choose to attend Peel?” Alpha whispers behind me.
    I’m starting to get dizzy. “What?”
    “Why did you choose to attend Peel?” His voice is rougher. Firm.
    I repeat Peel’s mantra for him. “To learn the tools necessary to someday serve my country to the best of my ability.” And that’s true. But it’s only half of it.
    “Well, then.” Alpha unlocks my handcuffs. “That day has come. Go forth and serve. Listen carefully, because I’m only going to tell you your mission once.”
    The girl with the purple hair flings open the door to reveal blackness. How is that possible? This hallway is so bright that I should be able to see something in there. But I can’t see anything.
    What is this place?
    Alpha shoves the knapsack into my chest, and my fingers claw at it.
    “There’s only one rule,” he says. “No communication. Do not talk, do not gesture, do not interact with anyone.”
    “What?” Don’t interact with whom? What is he talking about?
    Alpha comes around to the front of me and fiddles with the necklace. I glance down as he pushes on a knob on the top. The owl pops open, revealing a watch face. It’s a pocket watch. The necklace is a pocket watch. Alpha spins a dial to the right of the face, then fastens the watch shut. He takes hold of my chin and jerks it up.
    “Your mission is simple. Get back. Leave from the place where you started.”
    “I don’t