Whisper Read Online Free PDF Page A

sparkled in delight.
    It was almost too much.
    Almost enough to make me dislike her right there on the spot.
    Bringing her heavily jeweled fingers to her mouth, she
finally quieted down enough to say, “Are you always in such a big hurry?”
    I took a moment to consider, then said, “Yes. Pretty much always.” Unable to see what was so funny.
    But when her eyes met mine the weirdest thing happened—all the annoyance that just a moment before threatened to consume me, just melted away. The feel of her gaze so comforting, it was like slipping into a warm, inviting bath.
    “Well, that’s too bad,” she said. “That just won’t do around here. Ever hear the saying: When in Rome, do as the Romans do ?”
    I shrugged, stared at my feet, not wanting to let on that I hadn’t. Not wanting to look completely stupid in her eyes.
    “You can’t just rush in, Riley. If you want to reach Theocoles, you must first understand Theocoles. You have to become familiar with his world, the time that he lived in, the reason he chooses to linger in the way that he does. And, as it just so happens, I can help you with that.”
    She extended her hand once again, her gaze serene, her smile gentle, but unlike the last time, I didn’t accept it. I just stood there and stared at the way her hand hovered before me, acting as though she had all the time in the world for me to make up my mind.
    I glanced between her and Theocoles who was kicking
up a thick cloud of dust as he put himself through a series of jumps and kicks that were soon followed by crouches and rolls before he returned to the jumping and kicking again. Totally oblivious of her, of me, of everything around him—tuned in only to the vision that played in his head—leaving me with no doubt that my options were few.
    I was in foreign territory in more ways than one. So what could it hurt to take her hand once again—to accept her offer of help? It’s not like I hesitated the first time around, so why was I suddenly so filled with doubt?
    Because it could hurt plenty! The thought lodged itself in my head. You could get stuck and never find your way out—just like all the Soul Catchers that were sent here before you!
    Still, as much as I knew that to be true, it wasn’t enough to stop me from mashing my lips, meeting her gaze, and saying, “On one condition, and one condition only.” Knowing it was a little weird for me to be the one making the ultimatum when I was dependent on her.
    She nodded, her face appearing so beautiful, so kind, so trusting, so open, I almost felt bad for continuing.
    Almost, but not quite.
    I cleared my throat, kept my hands firmly by my sides, and added, “The condition being that you will not trap me, terrorize me, taunt me, or … or anything even remotely
resembling that. You will help me to understand Theocoles, his world, his motivations, and whatever else I need to know so that I can get through to him and convince him that it’s time to move on. And when it’s time for me to leave—I leave. I’m not like the other Soul Catchers you’ve met. I mean, no offense or anything, but I’m not all that fond of this place. I’ve yet to see one good reason to stay. Which means I will find my way back. There’s no way you can keep me here any longer than I want. No matter how hard you try.”
    She paused. Her bottom lip pushed into a ridiculously pretty pout, her expression rearranging itself into one of deep contemplation as her brown eyes met mine and she said, “And what makes you think that I’m responsible for the fate of those previous Soul Catchers?”
    I narrowed my gaze, not missing a beat when I answered, “My gut.” I kept my voice stern, businesslike, wanting her to know I’d meant what I’d said. “My gut tells me you’re not all that you seem. And, just so you know, my gut is rarely, if ever, wrong about these things.”
    She ducked her head, allowing a bird’s-eye view of the beautiful ruby pinned in her hair. Then lifting