The Mystical Knights: The Sword of Dreams Read Online Free PDF

right eyebrow raised slightly higher than the left.  “Took you long enough,” he said, a hint of laughter evident in his voice.
                  “What is this all about?”  Nia stood on the balls of her feet to make herself bit taller and more threatening; she was tall, but Rowan stood a good head taller than her.
                  “You already know,” he replied softly. “You sent us the message through your dream last night—”
                  “You're delusional!” she said loudly, and the violent tremor in her voice made her uneasy.  She swallowed hard, trying to work her heart down from her throat, and carefully continued.  "Who's us ?  What are you talking about?"
                  Rowan leaned his shoulder against the pine tree he was closest to.  He crossed his legs casually, surveying Nia’s hostile body with amusement.  Nia couldn’t seem to find her voice; the surrounding darkness made the trees look like towering ominous shadows.  She shivered and pulled her jacket tighter around her body.  “Okay...” she trailed off, trying to find the right words, “so you won't tell me what you're talking about, but you want me to talk to you."  She took a deep breath and stepped toward him.  "What about the dream I had?  Tell me about it.  I'll talk if that's what you want, but I need to understand what's going on.  What message did I send?"
                  Rowan lithely pushed himself away from the trunk of the tree, his arms still tightly crossed over his chest.  “The message,” he repeated, searching the forest floor absently in thought.  “Your dream took place in Hollow Hills Park and you were surrounded by our guardians.”
                  Nia perked a little bit.  So he had gotten the place right.  Lucky guess.  “Go on,” she said, giving him a nod.
                  “There was a woman—she greets us all—she is always wrapped in dark purple and gold cloth.  She came forward with a lion that had eyes the same color as yours.  She gave you your amulet—"  Rowan stopped, his brow furrowing incredulously as though someone had stepped on his foot.  He looked around the wooded area, looking tense.
                  “Okay,” Nia said, warily shifting her gaze around the forest, following Rowan's eyes  “So we had the same dream.  But what was the message—”
                  “Where’s your amulet?” Rowan rushed towards her, his face abruptly wild with concern.  Nia stumbled, taken back by Rowan’s sudden flash of anxiousness.  “Why aren’t you wearing your amulet?”
                  “I—” Nia shut her mouth quickly, unsure of what to say.  “It's in my pocket!"  She pulled it out, dangling the chain between her fingertips.
                  “You were told to wear it!” Rowan waved his hands in front of her face as he spoke.  “That was the message!  It's no good to you if it's kept inside your pocket!  We're connected now, all of us, bound together as one-”
                  The trees behind Nia rustled; something had moved quickly from behind them.  Nia sharply turned her head to look into the shadows.  Straining her eyes, Nia couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary.  It must have been an animal.  But the tingling feeling in her stomach told her otherwise as did Rowan’s taut shoulders.
                  “Great,” he muttered, grabbing Nia’s wrist.  “Just wonderful...get behind me,” he told her roughly, yanking her arm.  “And stay behind me, no matter what happens.”
                  “Why?” Nia demanded.  “What is—”
                  A loud ear piercing shriek broke through the dusk; something big and scaly sailed through the bushes.  Something with huge, razor-like incisors and scarlet red eyes.
                  Nia’s eyes bulged