Read Online Ablaze (Indestructible Trilogy Book 2) by Emma L. Adams - Free Book Online
Authors: Emma L. Adams
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“Whatever your purpose.”
“I see you’re going to take some convincing.” He sighs, running a hand through his greying hair. “I don’t want to fight with you, Leah. There’s been too much fighting—too much loss. My brother…”
Come on. This has to be an act. He almost killed Murray once already.
“There is much I need to tell you, Leah,” says Jared. “Time, unfortunately, is not on our side, but I have no doubt that you will be fully recovered in a few hours. Such is your wonderful ability.”
His gaze drifts to my left arm. The scar’s almost faded already.
“I wonder…” He meets my eyes again. “You came back from near-death recently, didn’t you, Leah?”
What does he mean? When I returned from the fiends’ world? He can’t know about that. He was barely alive. I’ve no idea how he survived. But it was only hours after I supposedly killed him that I fought one of their leaders. Turned them to ashes.
And I’ve no idea how I did that. But maybe Jared knows. He survived the first war, too, though everyone thought he was dead. Perhaps I can get information from him. Seeing as he’s apparently in a generous mood.
Don’t be stupid. He’s tricking you.
But it’s not like I can go back. And I already told him the others were dead.
He’s still waiting for an answer.
“I’ve been near death ever since I found out I was one of the Pyros,” I say, determined not to give anything away.
“That is true.” He regards me, thoughtfully. “You’re unusual, Leah.”
I give a forced laugh. “Yeah, maybe because I’m the freaking Transcendent? In case you’ve forgotten that?”
“I don’t think any of us have forgotten, Leah,” he says softly. “Would you like to come with me? I have a much more comfortable room reserved for you.”
“So you expect me to stay?”
“You’re a fighter, Leah. You do what’s necessary for your own survival. And wouldn’t you like to see Cas again?”
He gives me an expectant look. Like I’m going to fall on my knees and beg you.
“Where are we?” I ask, instead.
“At my new base.” He taps the stone wall. “Underground. You almost made it, you know, but it’s well-hidden, and close to the divide. No one would dare come near here.”
I blink. “You mean we’re right next to… them?”
“In a manner of speaking. The divide is closed, as I’m sure you’re already aware.”
“And you’re planning to open it.” The words spill out before I can stop them. “You’re planning to pit Cas and me against them, aren’t you?”
He frowns. “I won’t force you to do anything you don’t want to, Leah. But the fact remains that the Fiordans are relentless. They will find a way to break through again, and this time, we have to be ready to face them. If not, I don’t need to tell you what the consequences will be. You’ve seen it already.”
The world burning. Death. Hideous monsters. Like my last dream.
I grit my teeth and glare at him. “Yeah. I seem to remember you were the one who caused some of it yourself.”
“You weren’t there, Leah,” Jared says. “Why don’t you let me show you my side of the story?”
I want to shake my head, want to run, but the two guards holding me make that impossible. “ Show me?”
“You’ll see, Leah, if you let me. Guards, bring her to my quarters.”
“Are you sure?”
It’s the first time one of the guards has spoken, and something about his voice doesn’t sound right. It’s too low-pitched and growl-like to be a regular person’s, and images of the experiments from Cas’s visions come flashing back.
“Leah, give me the chance to show you what we fight for.”
In spite of everything, I can’t help feeling a twinge of curiosity about what he thinks happened. He might be a crazy psychopath, but he and Murray were on the same side, once. Maybe I can get clues about what happened two years ago that Murray didn’t tell me. There was an awful lot he didn’t want me to know,
“I see you’re going to take some convincing.” He sighs, running a hand through his greying hair. “I don’t want to fight with you, Leah. There’s been too much fighting—too much loss. My brother…”
Come on. This has to be an act. He almost killed Murray once already.
“There is much I need to tell you, Leah,” says Jared. “Time, unfortunately, is not on our side, but I have no doubt that you will be fully recovered in a few hours. Such is your wonderful ability.”
His gaze drifts to my left arm. The scar’s almost faded already.
“I wonder…” He meets my eyes again. “You came back from near-death recently, didn’t you, Leah?”
What does he mean? When I returned from the fiends’ world? He can’t know about that. He was barely alive. I’ve no idea how he survived. But it was only hours after I supposedly killed him that I fought one of their leaders. Turned them to ashes.
And I’ve no idea how I did that. But maybe Jared knows. He survived the first war, too, though everyone thought he was dead. Perhaps I can get information from him. Seeing as he’s apparently in a generous mood.
Don’t be stupid. He’s tricking you.
But it’s not like I can go back. And I already told him the others were dead.
He’s still waiting for an answer.
“I’ve been near death ever since I found out I was one of the Pyros,” I say, determined not to give anything away.
“That is true.” He regards me, thoughtfully. “You’re unusual, Leah.”
I give a forced laugh. “Yeah, maybe because I’m the freaking Transcendent? In case you’ve forgotten that?”
“I don’t think any of us have forgotten, Leah,” he says softly. “Would you like to come with me? I have a much more comfortable room reserved for you.”
“So you expect me to stay?”
“You’re a fighter, Leah. You do what’s necessary for your own survival. And wouldn’t you like to see Cas again?”
He gives me an expectant look. Like I’m going to fall on my knees and beg you.
“Where are we?” I ask, instead.
“At my new base.” He taps the stone wall. “Underground. You almost made it, you know, but it’s well-hidden, and close to the divide. No one would dare come near here.”
I blink. “You mean we’re right next to… them?”
“In a manner of speaking. The divide is closed, as I’m sure you’re already aware.”
“And you’re planning to open it.” The words spill out before I can stop them. “You’re planning to pit Cas and me against them, aren’t you?”
He frowns. “I won’t force you to do anything you don’t want to, Leah. But the fact remains that the Fiordans are relentless. They will find a way to break through again, and this time, we have to be ready to face them. If not, I don’t need to tell you what the consequences will be. You’ve seen it already.”
The world burning. Death. Hideous monsters. Like my last dream.
I grit my teeth and glare at him. “Yeah. I seem to remember you were the one who caused some of it yourself.”
“You weren’t there, Leah,” Jared says. “Why don’t you let me show you my side of the story?”
I want to shake my head, want to run, but the two guards holding me make that impossible. “ Show me?”
“You’ll see, Leah, if you let me. Guards, bring her to my quarters.”
“Are you sure?”
It’s the first time one of the guards has spoken, and something about his voice doesn’t sound right. It’s too low-pitched and growl-like to be a regular person’s, and images of the experiments from Cas’s visions come flashing back.
“Leah, give me the chance to show you what we fight for.”
In spite of everything, I can’t help feeling a twinge of curiosity about what he thinks happened. He might be a crazy psychopath, but he and Murray were on the same side, once. Maybe I can get clues about what happened two years ago that Murray didn’t tell me. There was an awful lot he didn’t want me to know,
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