Free The Lotus Effect (Rise Of The Ardent) by Bridget Ladd

finally slowed, pulling me inside the shadows of the algae covered tunnel. With my frantic searching eyes, it appeared this tunnel was the one that led to the sewers beneath the Wall.
    Was this a guard?
    Frustrated that my unrelenting attempts at escape had not even fazed my attacker, I opted for another approach. Knowing my mouth could be used as a weapon in more ways than one—I bit down hard into his unprotected hand.
    He groaned and bit back a curse, but still, never relinquished his grip.
    Angry that I had run out of options, I tried slamming my head back into his face. He unsurprisingly caught onto that tactic too and dodged it effortlessly.
    “Stop it, Lily,” my attacker said firmly with a gravel-laden voice that seemed all too familiar. “I’m not here to hurt you.”
    Then I knew . My heart leaped in stunned disbelief. Not a guard. No. The presence that I had felt following me all along.
    “ You ?” I asked as I tried to turn backwards to get a look at him, but my question came out as a jumbled mess with his hand still covering my mouth. I looked at him pleadingly before he cautiously removed his hand so I could speak.
    “ Xander ? What are you doing here?” I hissed.
    He didn’t respond, but only arched his eyebrow at me as if he too could ask the same of me.
    “Were you following me this entire time?” I demanded, spinning on my heels, impatient for answers. I was angry that I allowed myself to be so easily pursued.
    Xander merely shrugged as he handed over my knife, hilt first. I almost missed the action for he blended so well into the shadows of the tunnel.
    Hesitantly, I took the knife and secured it back onto my hip.
    He moved closer then, and took my wrist in a firm, but not ungentle grip. “I’m taking you back,” he said, a menacing look about his eyes.
    It was a statement and not an offer.
    I reared back, ready to fully object, but was interrupted by a not so distant noise. We both couldn’t ignore the strangled moans that came from no further than thirty feet away. They sounded definitely feminine and no doubt close to the Wall.
    My throat clenched at the pitiful sound. Forgetful to remain in the relative safety in the darkness of the tunnel, I surged forward, trying to pinpoint the exact direction in which the sound came.
    Xander, of course , was spry on top of things. He grabbed my hood, yanking me back. His shoulders hit and scraped against the brick as he held my face to his chest just as another pair of guards were making their rounds past the tunnel’s entrance. My dark hood had fallen away to expose my face and unruly locks of blond hair. Though angry, I allowed him to hold me there, knowing ashamedly that I had almost made a mistake. My actions were so rash and thoughtless that I didn’t even think to consider the guards who still patrolled the streets beyond.
    I was overly conscious that I now rested my cheek against a stranger’s chest. But still, I couldn’t help but notice the steady beating of his heart as compared to the racing surge that was mine. He was calm while I was frantic.
    After what felt like an insurmountable amount of time, the guards finally moved on. Xander slowly removed his hand from my head and allowed me to step away. I sucked in a breath as I stumbled from him—I didn’t realize I had been holding it, fearing the slight rasping would have given us away.
    Xander looked at me with sympathy in his eyes, but his voice continued to hold every bit of firmness from before. “Lily, you cannot help her. You’re going home.”
    He knew. He knew that she was here.
    I spun on him again, eyes furious. “ No . I’ve already come this far. It’s my fault that she’s here and unlike everyone else, I am not leaving her here to die.”
    Xander’s jaw clenched as he regarded me, his dark hood shadowing most of his face. “You have no business being here,” he said plainly, his voice low.
    “Says who ? I have every right—” I began to argue, but stopped,