The Silver Siren Read Online Free PDF Page A

know. I had seen what would befall them
if they stayed in the barn with me, which was why I tried to alter
what I saw. I hoped I could save them if I killed myself and the
Septori.
    But I hadn’t gone through with it. I’d
changed my mind at the last minute and saved Mona, who was a member
of the Septori. Had I lost my mind?
    Apparently so.
    I couldn’t hear the leader’s voice
anymore, so I knew Talbot must have left the cave. Could he and the
remaining Septori be outside laying in wait? It was still night, so
only a few hours had passed. My only guess was that they were
setting a trap for Kael. Why? I hadn’t seen any results from
whatever experiments they’d done on him. But obviously their leader
wanted us both. Could they know about our bond?
    I thought back to my conversation with
Talbot in Skyfell before he escaped with a skite. He said he wasn’t
going to come for me but would let me come to him. Had he changed
his mind or was there someone else involved as well?
    Someone yanked the sack off of my
head. I’d been so lost in thought that I didn’t hear him come over.
My eyes flew open and I saw a young man with pimples. He grimaced
when he looked into my eyes. He had pulled off his red robe and had
it tucked under his arm. I had yet to see my eyes, so I could only
imagine what they looked like to send such fear into
him.
    “ See? She’s alive,” he
yelled over his shoulder.
    “ Quick, someone’s coming.
Knock her out so she doesn’t warn anyone.” The now familiar voice
yelled into the darkness. The young pimple-faced Septori grabbed my
head, pinched my nose, and poured a draft into my mouth.
    The taste was different. I was
actually shocked to realize they’d switched tactics. It was a
sleeping draft. I fought against my eyelids as huge weights seemed
to tug them down.
    The young man jumped up and moved into
the shadows of the cave, blade in hand. A few moments later, I saw
the familiar outline of Kael at the entrance to the cave. Walking
right into a trap.
    “ Wait!” I tried to
whisper, fighting against the sleeping draft.
    Kael kept walking, oblivious to the
trap.
    I heard swords being drawn behind him.
The Septori closed in.
    He was outnumbered and
cornered.
     

Chapter 6
    The
scent of leather and musk encompassed me and I felt warm,
protected. I almost started to cry. My head throbbed and couldn��t
concentrating, but I could never forget the scent that I associate
with Kael.
    Only I couldn’t understand
how.
    Then I realized the pounding in my
head wasn’t actually my head, but the sound of horse’s hooves on a
road. I was swaying side to side. Nausea hit me, and I sat up.
Strong hands held onto me.
    “ Stop. Please stop,” I
begged.
    The horse and rider slowed to a
standstill. Carefully, I held onto the saddle and slid to the
ground, testing my legs. I walked a few feet on my own before going
further toward a stream.
    The rider dismounted as well and
followed a few feet behind me. There was little doubt in my mind as
to who the rider was—no one else smelled like Kael—but I found I
couldn’t bring myself to look at him. I had to know
first.
    Stopping every couple of feet to
regain my balance, I made my way to the stream.
    Kael never spoke a word.
    Kneeling down, I leaned over to look
at my face. I couldn’t see anything. The river was rushing too fast
and the sun was at the wrong angle. I saw nothing but
water.
    “ No!” I cried and touching
the water in disbelief. Something was hideously wrong with my face
and I couldn’t even see it.
    “ What’s wrong?” Kael’s
soothing voice finally tried to calm me as his hands touched my
shoulders lightly, trying to turn me toward him.
    “ Something’s wrong with my
face. I’m a monster. Don’t look at me.” I tucked my chin toward my
chest and closed my eyes.
    “ Shh. Thalia, that’s not
true. There’s nothing wrong with your face.”
    “ No I heard them; they
said I was a monster, Kael. I know what I heard.” I used my