The Inner Circle: Holy Spirit Read Online Free PDF

of
frustration. She squeezed away tears and closed her eyes, but felt
as though she was being watched. When she opened them she gasped at
the discovery of Seeol standing not a handswidth from her nose.
    ‘ What’re you doing?’
    Seeol bobbed his head excitedly. ‘You have a
baby.’
    ‘ How did you know?’ Seteal
frowned. She hadn’t told anyone.
    ‘ Because you’re pregnant,’ the
bird responded simply.
    ‘ Yes, but . . .’ Seteal trailed
off as she pushed up to lean on her elbow. ‘Oh, never mind. Could
you just keep it to yourself, please?’
    ‘ I’m don’t understand.’ Seeol
flicked his tail dismissively.
    ‘ Just don’t tell
anyone.’
    ‘ Your secret is not safe with me.’
Seeol shrugged his wings, a very human gesture he’d picked up some
time ago.
    Seteal gaped at him before realising that he’d
probably confused his words. ‘You meant to say that my secret is
safe with you, right?’
    ‘ That is a yes.’ Seeol nodded
thoughtfully, before transferring all weight to one leg so that he
could give his neck a vigorous scratch.
    The room pulsed. Seteal was caught in the knowing.
It invaded her being. Arl-an-dor raced along the street followed by
a host of gils and an’hidoans.
    ‘ Time to go.’ El-i-miir burst into
the room with wild eyes.
    ‘ I know,’ Seteal replied, shoving
her feet into boots.
    ‘ I don’t know what it is,’
El-i-miir murmured as the colour drained from her face, ‘but
something terrible is about to happen.’
    ‘ Your father contacted the
authorities,’ Seteal pushed passed El-i-miir and out into the
hallway. ‘They’re making their way up the street now. I thought you
said he was telling the truth.’
    ‘ He was at the time,’ El-i-miir
replied defensively. ‘He must have changed his mind. I can’t know
everything.’
    ‘ Not that way.’ Mil-i-que burst
into the house panting. She snatched at Seteal’s hand and spun her
on the spot. ‘Out the back,’ she said, urgently stuffing a bag into
her hands. ‘Go.’
    ‘ Why are you helping us?’
El-i-miir asked, hurriedly embracing the older woman.
    ‘ I won’t watch them kill you.
Whatever you’ve gotten yourself into, you don’t deserve that.’
Mil-i-que sobbed. ‘Now go.’
    Needing no further encouragement, the women ducked
out the back door, followed by Ilgrin, with Seeol clinging to the
front of his cloak. ‘Keep your faces hidden and lose the silt if
you can,’ Mil-i-que warned as she closed the door behind them.
    Seteal soon found herself in step with Ilgrin behind
El-i-miir as she led them through disjointed alleyways and narrow
streets. Although it wouldn’t be long before nightfall, the sun was
still clearly visible and the Sixth Cleff was anything but safe for
a gathering such as theirs. Whenever they made any progress,
El-i-miir would detect an’hadoans approaching and they’d have to
double back.
    ‘ Could you carry me?’ Seteal
turned to Ilgrin as they ducked across an empty street.
    ‘ What?’ El-i-miir
balked.
    ‘ You needn’t get your knickers in
a knot,’ Seteal reassured the woman. ‘I’m going to try and find a
way out of here.’
    ‘ Fine,’ El-i-miir grumbled. ‘I
suppose it’s for the best.’
    ‘ Well?’ Seteal slapped Ilgrin’s
chest. ‘Hurry up.’
    As the silt picked her up, Seteal burst out of her
body and sighed inwardly with relief. Freedom. She moved skyward to
peer down upon the rooftops and alleyways below. The others looked
about themselves fearfully as they awaited her direction. Seteal
focused on her mouth and made it speak. As always, it responded
weakly, but effectively.
    ‘ I think I can make this
work.’
    ‘ Oh.’ Ilgrin gaped at Seteal’s
unconscious face. ‘That’s disturbing.’
    ‘ You’ll get used to it,’ El-i-miir
replied.
    ‘ They’re everywhere.’ Seteal gaped
at the swarms of an’hadoans weaving throughout the area. ‘If you do
exactly as I say, when I say it, we’ll be fine.’
    After taking another moment to