The Inner Circle: The Knowing Read Online Free PDF Page A

you
had.’
    ‘ Potential for
what?’
    ‘ Whatever you want.’
Far-a-mael shrugged. ‘The point is, you took my interest enough
that I refused to let you slip away and die. You should be
grateful. By torrid, girl, I’ve come to save your life!’
    ‘ All right.’ Seteal
nodded, finally coming to accept the old man’s story. After all,
she had seen the future on many occasions and his explanation was
reasonable. Even her kidnapping--in a way--she’d sensed coming.
‘What do I need to know to stop it?’
    ‘ Oh, dear.’
Far-a-mael slapped his knee and burst out laughing. ‘You want me to
tell you right now?’
    ‘ Why not?’ Seteal
scowled. ‘Then I can go home and have words with Father as to why
he’s kept all this from me.’
    ‘ Dear girl,’
Far-a-mael somewhat startlingly smiled--almost affectionately.
‘It’ll take months of training before you’re fit to return home. I
fear your condition has already progressed dangerously
far.’
    ‘ What’re you saying?’
Seteal glanced about the room apprehensively. ‘I can’t stay here .
. . wherever here is.’
    ‘ Of course not.’
Far-a-mael shook his head. ‘You must come with us to the Frozen
Lands where you can be properly trained. El-i-miir will be
graduating soon and I’ll be able to give you my undivided
attention.’
    ‘ But what about my
father?’ Seteal asked.
    ‘ What about
him?’
    ‘ I can’t just leave
without any explanation.’ Seteal waved her hand in frustration. ‘He
needs me. We have a business to tend.’
    ‘ I’m afraid you’ll
have to,’ Far-a-mael replied sternly. ‘As it is, we’re running out
of time. Never fear, you’ll be able to reach him by letter once
we’ve arrived in the Frozen Lands.’
    ‘ By letter?’ Seteal
said in alarm. ‘It’ll take weeks to get there! Father will be
worried sick. Why couldn’t you just have explained all this at
home, rather than knocking me out and kidnapping me?’ Seteal stood
up heatedly, now doubting everything the stranger had said. ‘How
can I trust you?’
    There was a slight pause in which
Far-a-mael opened his mouth to respond, but an unrecognisably loud
sound tore through the room and stole the words from his lips.
Far-a-mael and Seteal stared at each other in silent apprehension
when a rumbling thud and a shrill scream pierced the silent night.
‘El-i-miir!’ Far-a-mael’s eyes shone protectively as he threw back
his chair and lurched away from the table.
    As the old man charged toward the door,
the entire wall that housed it exploded, sending dust and debris
spraying across the floorboards. Far-a-mael shoved Seteal under the
table and turned again to the scene outside.
    El-i-miir’s delicate form was crumpled
beyond the spot where the door had been moments earlier. A
frightening beast shrieked beside her and gnashed its hooked beak
menacingly. The creature stood at least three times the height of a
man, closely resembling a giant vulture or some deformed bird of
prey. The beast ruffled its feathers and shrieked again, its golden
eyes fixed on Seteal.

 
     
     
     
     
     

CHAPTER Two
    In These Woods
     
     
    ‘ Stop!’ Far-a-mael boomed
commandingly, both arms stretched out toward the beast. It didn’t
listen. Instead, it propelled itself toward the old man on two
sharply taloned, scaly legs. The legs reminded Seteal of something,
but in that moment she couldn’t pick what. It was something about
the toes. They were unusual, with two in the front and two out the
back.
    Far-a-mael held his ground as long as he dared,
before having to leap out of the way as the beast jumped up onto
the table. The old timber moaned under the heavy weight, but Seteal
wasn’t left too much time to wonder whether it might collapse. The
dark yellow beak was before her, the bird-like head upside-down,
snapping at her feet.
    ‘ Get away,’ she cried, kicking at
its feathery face.
    The beast roared and leapt off the table in its
renewed efforts of getting underneath. Seteal