Free Descendant by Eva Truesdale Page A

getting close. I’ll run on ahead and make sure everything’s clear, and let them know we’re coming since they won’t all recognize the girl.”
    My eyes narrowed, but before I could protest, Kael’s figure became nothing more than a blur that quickly disappeared from sight.
    “Well he’s incredibly annoying.”
    “He’s Kael,” Vanessa said. “That’s just how he is. In fact, I’m surprised he even talked to you in the first place.
    Normal y, he just ignores people he doesn’t know—and sometimes even the ones he does.”
    “I think I would’ve preferred that,” I said with a frown.
    Vanessa laughed as she slowed to a jog, and then a steady walk, and then, final y, a stop. “Maybe. But anyway…
    we’re in safer territory now, so why don’t you walk? No offense, but even you get heavy after running thirty miles.”
    “Sure thing,” I said, sliding off her back without hesitation.
    My legs, numb from the thirty-mile ride, shook uncertainly as I hit the ground. Vanessa waited patiently while I regained my balance, and then we continued side-by-side up the path.
    I grew up in the mountains, and I’d done my fair share of hiking—so keeping up with Vanessa was easy enough at first. But I wasn’t exactly well -equipped for mountain climbing at the moment; I was still wearing the t-shirt and sweats I’d fallen asleep in, and had nothing on my feet but the cheap plastic flip-flops that had been by the back door.
    “How much further?” I called as Vanessa stopped to wait for me yet again. “And where are we going, anyway?” I added with a groan as I attempted to scale a particularly steep rock in my path—an attempt that failed miserably. I lost my footing and ended up breaking the fall with my knee.
    “Flip-flops are definitely not a good choice for rock-climbing,” I said, examining my bloodied knee.
    “I could carry you again, if you like?”
    “I’m good, thanks,” I said with a huff. I tried again, and this time I managed to pul my self up over the steep rock and onto more level-footing.
    “It’s not much further now—just to the end of this path…”
    Vanessa pointed as she spoke, and I could see where the path curved to the left a short distance ahead as I caught up to her. “…just around the corner, and then just a few minutes after that and we’ll be there.”
    “Right. But where is there, exactly?”
    “We’re going home. I want you to meet a good friend of mine,” explained Vanessa. “His name is Elias.”
    “And why are we going to see this guy?”
    “Since we couldn’t exactly hang out at your place and talk, we decided ours would be the safest place to take you.
    When we told Eli we were coming back, he insisted on When we told Eli we were coming back, he insisted on meeting you, and talking to you—which works out well , because he can probably answer any questions you have better than Kael or me could, anyway. And he likes explaining things…he’s kind of nerdy like that.”
    After the bend, we took a sharp right down another path which led to an area with more trees than rocks. The ground was much more level here, and we moved quicker.
    Within minutes we’d reached the end of the path and stood at the bottom of a steep, grassy hill . And there, perched on top of the hill and drenched in bright moonlight, was a log cabin style house overlooking a steep val ey.
    It was massive—I don’t know how it even managed to stay balanced on top of that hill , which was tiny in comparison.
    One side of the house’s wraparound porch looked like it was actual y hanging over the val ey. Hopefully that was some sturdy railing, because that would be a long fall .
    Dangerous location aside though, it was a beautiful house —or maybe mansion was a better word, since it was at least three stories tal . It reached its tal est point in the very center, where an ‘A’ shaped frame stood out against the mountain background. The entire front of the house was covered in tal