Read Online Flare of Promise (Asylums for Magical Threats #3) by Jessie Donovan - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Jessie Donovan
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breathing even and steady. As long as he didn’t look to his right, to the valley below, he’d be fine.
Or, so he could try to convince himself.
Despite his various attempts to erase his fear of heights over the years, Will had failed. Watching his brother fall out of the tree as a lad had done its damage. The fact Henry had been confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life hadn’t helped, either.
Leyna glanced over her shoulder. “Hydrogen, helium, lithium.”
Her words brought him out of the memory of his brother’s fall and back to the present. The corner of his mouth ticked up. “You remember our distraction game.”
“Hydrogen, helium, lithium,” Leyna repeated.
Aware she would keep repeating the first three elements from the periodic table until he named the next three, he stated, “Beryllium, boron, carbon.”
Leyna continued, “Nitrogen, oxygen, fluorine.”
As Will and Leyna continued taking turns naming the elements, he forgot about where they were and what was happening. The last time they’d played this little game, it had been from the top of the London Eye Ferris wheel. Leyna had finally convinced him to ride the blasted contraption, but there’d been a mechanical issue when they’d hit the top of the wheel. Reciting the periodic table a few times had helped pass the thirty minutes they’d been stuck there.
He wondered if the game signaled Leyna still cared for him.
He blinked. What the hell was he thinking? It didn’t matter if Leyna still cared for him or thought of his well-being. He would find a way to help her escape the drug lord arsehole, but that was it. After running away from Gio and the AMT research facility, Will would be a wanted man. The last thing he wanted to do was involve Leyna in all of it.
True, she could probably handle herself. But there was more to it. Knowing her reasons for abandoning him assuaged the rational half of his mind, but his heart would never forget. Being near her was a painful reminder of what he’d once had and could never have again.
Just as Leyna recited the final element, Millie put up a hand to stop them. After making a “stay put” signal, Millie grabbed the top of the wall and slowly pulled herself up. While she was too young and daring for his tastes, he had to admit he was impressed with the small woman’s strength. Unable to restrain himself, he leaned toward Leyna and whispered, “Between you and Millie, I almost want to believe there’s an entire army of super women fighting the evils of the world.”
Leyna rolled her eyes. “Women can be strong without being superheroes. Most of us do it out of necessity.”
He burned to ask another question, but Millie slowly lowered herself down and came as close as she could to them on the small ledge. “This is where we need to climb back over the wall to head west. Where exactly are we going? I need specifics.”
Will met the woman’s eyes and debated doling out information as they went. However, that would only waste time. Still, he had one last question. “Tell me how you plan to capture Giovanni and I’ll tell you.”
Millie smiled slowly. “I’ll be the distraction and Petra can kick his arse. He’ll never see it coming.”
“Petra?”
Leyna answered, “That’s my name these days.”
Will frowned. “Not sure I like it. But regardless, Gio is probably armed and able to take care of himself.”
Millie waved a hand in dismissal. “Probably not. He was a university lad before working for his father. He has very little self-defense training, which should make him an easy target.”
Will shook his head. “You’re wrong. I know he carried some kind of stun gun with him. He probably has it now.”
Millie shrugged. “Believe me, when he sees me, he’ll be too shocked to whip out the stun gun in time. Petra will have him on the ground with her knee in his back by then.”
“What about his bodyguards?” Will asked.
Leyna spoke up. “Do you think he could lose
Or, so he could try to convince himself.
Despite his various attempts to erase his fear of heights over the years, Will had failed. Watching his brother fall out of the tree as a lad had done its damage. The fact Henry had been confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life hadn’t helped, either.
Leyna glanced over her shoulder. “Hydrogen, helium, lithium.”
Her words brought him out of the memory of his brother’s fall and back to the present. The corner of his mouth ticked up. “You remember our distraction game.”
“Hydrogen, helium, lithium,” Leyna repeated.
Aware she would keep repeating the first three elements from the periodic table until he named the next three, he stated, “Beryllium, boron, carbon.”
Leyna continued, “Nitrogen, oxygen, fluorine.”
As Will and Leyna continued taking turns naming the elements, he forgot about where they were and what was happening. The last time they’d played this little game, it had been from the top of the London Eye Ferris wheel. Leyna had finally convinced him to ride the blasted contraption, but there’d been a mechanical issue when they’d hit the top of the wheel. Reciting the periodic table a few times had helped pass the thirty minutes they’d been stuck there.
He wondered if the game signaled Leyna still cared for him.
He blinked. What the hell was he thinking? It didn’t matter if Leyna still cared for him or thought of his well-being. He would find a way to help her escape the drug lord arsehole, but that was it. After running away from Gio and the AMT research facility, Will would be a wanted man. The last thing he wanted to do was involve Leyna in all of it.
True, she could probably handle herself. But there was more to it. Knowing her reasons for abandoning him assuaged the rational half of his mind, but his heart would never forget. Being near her was a painful reminder of what he’d once had and could never have again.
Just as Leyna recited the final element, Millie put up a hand to stop them. After making a “stay put” signal, Millie grabbed the top of the wall and slowly pulled herself up. While she was too young and daring for his tastes, he had to admit he was impressed with the small woman’s strength. Unable to restrain himself, he leaned toward Leyna and whispered, “Between you and Millie, I almost want to believe there’s an entire army of super women fighting the evils of the world.”
Leyna rolled her eyes. “Women can be strong without being superheroes. Most of us do it out of necessity.”
He burned to ask another question, but Millie slowly lowered herself down and came as close as she could to them on the small ledge. “This is where we need to climb back over the wall to head west. Where exactly are we going? I need specifics.”
Will met the woman’s eyes and debated doling out information as they went. However, that would only waste time. Still, he had one last question. “Tell me how you plan to capture Giovanni and I’ll tell you.”
Millie smiled slowly. “I’ll be the distraction and Petra can kick his arse. He’ll never see it coming.”
“Petra?”
Leyna answered, “That’s my name these days.”
Will frowned. “Not sure I like it. But regardless, Gio is probably armed and able to take care of himself.”
Millie waved a hand in dismissal. “Probably not. He was a university lad before working for his father. He has very little self-defense training, which should make him an easy target.”
Will shook his head. “You’re wrong. I know he carried some kind of stun gun with him. He probably has it now.”
Millie shrugged. “Believe me, when he sees me, he’ll be too shocked to whip out the stun gun in time. Petra will have him on the ground with her knee in his back by then.”
“What about his bodyguards?” Will asked.
Leyna spoke up. “Do you think he could lose
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