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

realizing my voice had risen sharply from my anger.
    Xander’s jaw shifted in thought before he turned to me again. “I’ll come back for her. On my own—I’m taking you home first,” he said with a hard finality laced in his tone. He stepped past me, his posture authoritative.
    “So you’ve told me before!” I whispered fervently to him. “It could already be too late. You heard what they said about cutting her loose?” I tried hard to keep the whine from my voice. “You’re not taking me anywhere .” My fingers moved, hovering just above the handle of the blade at my hip.
    Xander narrowed his eyes. He sniffed as he looked at my hand. “Fine,” he said, throwing me off balance. It made me think that he knew she didn’t have much time either. Or perhaps he didn’t want to deal with me and the scene I’d likely cause if he tried to take me back.
    He lowered his face to match my height. His gaze pierced through the darkness and drilled into mine. If I wasn’t so frustrated with the situation, I could easily say that those eyes were intimidating.
    Intimidate me all he wanted, this Xander—whoever he was—wasn’t going to stop me.  
    He spoke slowly, “You stay behind me. Step where I step, and if I tell you to do something you do it. Understood?”
    I nodded even though I didn’t like being spoken to as if I was a child. Satisfied we were actually pushing ahead, I didn’t argue.
    Xander repositioned his hood and moved past me like an animal on the prowl. His demeanor led me to believe that he had sufficient practice when it came to evading Sector guards. My mouth was dry from anxiousness as I watched him. I tried to swallow, but found it difficult. How unbelievably spoiled and unprepared I felt standing with only a kitchen knife to protect myself with.
    He seemed to notice my nervous reaction.
    “A logical plan would involve me making you stay here,” his voice whispered from the shadows. “My senses, however, lead me to believe that you are among the stubborn type.” He spoke at me instead of to me as he took the position in front. He held me back with one hand as he peered around the brick edifice.
    That last statement should’ve offended me. But some part of me believed he said it to keep my mind from my nerves.
    Besides, he was right. I wouldn’t have listened.
    After a few moments Xander regarded me squarely and whispered, “Are you certain you’re ready for this?”
    I nodded quickly, trying to look confident. But my mind kept returning to the image of the warring flames within the lanterns. The chaos. I wished I could’ve taken back what I had thought earlier—this was never what I wanted.
    He raised his eyebrow at me as though he had his doubts, but nevertheless he reached for my arm.
    Just when I thought he was going to lead me out into the street, he walked past, and directed me further into the darkness of the tunnel. I frowned, curious as to how this was going to get us any closer to the Wall, but didn’t protest, realizing quickly that I was out of my realm of knowledge. The only way in would be through this Blacksmith, Xander, and his experience.

 
    Chapter 7
     
    Abnormal Afflictions
               It was dark. So very dark in the tunnel that I could not even see my free hand as I held it splayed in front of my face.
            Water dripped from the ceiling and splashed in a constant rhythmic pattern as it hit the puddles below. The droplets sounded farther away than they had previously so I gathered that we must have now entered into a larger expanse of the tunnel. The musty mold smell that I had sniffed outside intensified the further he led me down into what I now expected to be the sewers—no, the sewers would smell worse. This must be a drainage tunnel.
            Before I knew what he was doing, Xander grabbed my forearm and hauled me unceremoniously onto his back. I had never been carried like this and found it extremely insulting.