The Vaetra Chronicles: Book 01 - Vaetra Unveiled Read Online Free PDF Page A

night behind the inn. Sulana had shoulder-length blonde hair and blue eyes. Her face had strong, simple features that summed up to be cute, verging on pretty. Her stride was even and unhurried, and she calmly surveyed the room as she walked over to my table.
    As the four agents came forward, the entire serving room fell silent. The three men with Agent Delano scanned the other occupants thoroughly as they walked confidently through the room behind her. The comfortable way the agents wore their weapons and armor declared them to be competent and dangerous men. Most of the patrons dropped their curious stare and poked at their food or turned to their table companions when one of the agents met their eyes.
    I swallowed the last of my coffee, cringing as it burned down my throat but unwilling to leave any of the rare elixir behind. I stood as Agent Delano approached my table. "Would you like to have something to eat or drink before we go?" I asked, gesturing at the seat across from me.
    She smiled back at me and answered. "No thanks, we've eaten already."
    The smile transformed her face. Shallow dimples framed her mouth and her gaze softened. I blinked and nearly fell back into my chair. Was this the same woman who had leveled a crossbow at my heart a few short hours ago?
    "Allow me to introduce my team," she said, gesturing at the three men behind her. Two of them stepped forward to stand beside her, while the third remained just behind, his height giving him a clear view over her head. Standing closer to her this morning, I realized that she couldn't be much more than five feet tall. On her left stood the man I had met briefly last night. He nodded once in greeting as I met his eyes.
    "This is Daven," she said gesturing at the man I'd already met. She put her right hand on the shoulder of the man on her right and added, "and this is Talon, my second in command." She hooked her thumb over her shoulder, "and the tall one is Barek, who always seems to have my back," she said with a short laugh. "And I'm Sulana," she finished.
    Daven was a bit taller and thinner than I am. He had blonde hair and blue eyes like Sulana, and I guessed them both to be in their early twenties. I wondered briefly if they could be related, but saw no other similarities in their features. Talon was about my height and the oldest of the team, perhaps in his mid forties, with black hair graying at the temples and intent grey eyes.
    Barek loomed over all of them, standing at least six-and-a-half feet tall with a broad chest and shoulders. He was probably in his early thirties, and his size was explained by his slanted eyes, brown skin, and long, beaded locks of brown hair. Barek was a Winterman, from the Borealis Tribes that lived to the north. Sulana looked almost like a child standing in front of him; the top of her head didn't even come to his shoulders.
    "Gentlemen, this is Jaylan, the man who will accompany us on our hunt today," she said with a wave of her hand.
    "If you don't mind my saying so, you seem a bit more friendly today," I said cautiously.
    "Finally getting a little sleep has something to do with that, but I've also had the chance to do some checking up on you," she said. "Captain Pollard was kind enough to see me this morning and answer a few questions about you."
    I imagined Rakerus' reaction to being awakened before dawn. "Oh, that must have made you popular with him," I said with a laugh.
    "He doesn't seem to be much of a morning person, does he?" she said with a smirk. "But after some initial swearing, he was willing to share his confidence in your integrity and capability."
    "I'll have to thank him for that," I replied. "This trip will be a lot less tense if we aren't at each other's throats the whole time."
    "Yes, well, sorry about our misunderstanding last night. This mission is important, and I can't take any chances. I hope you understand," she said with a tilt of her head.
    I shrugged. "Sure. But I'd feel a lot better if I knew a