Free Five: A Maor Novel (Maor series) by Caroline Greyling Page A

breath stirring
the tendrils at my temple. I don’t hear what he says because my attention is
diverted to his moving lips, crimson and full.
    ‘Shaylee?’
    ‘Huh?’ I mumble, and immediately blush as he raises an
eyebrow. I can’t believe that was the first word out of my mouth. I flick my
gaze to the tree beyond us – anywhere but him .  
    ‘Are – you - okay?’ he repeats, perhaps for the third or
fourth time by the way he draws out each word.
    ‘Yes,’ I say, cheeks still blazing. How weak and silly I
must appear to him, first fainting and now unable to string even a basic
sentence together. I give my head a little shake, feeling angry with myself. I
don’t even know this boy – so why am I worrying about what he thinks of me? But
for some reason – I do.  
    ‘Shaylee!’ Nan’s voice breaks into the space between us,
my rescuer jerks and hastily shifts me from his lap to the wooden bench, like
we’ve just been caught making out. The thought makes me glance at his lips
again and my color deepens. Control
yourself , I think.  
    ‘Are you alright, Bluebell?’
    Nan walks toward the wooden bench, which is still wet
from the recent rain, now soaking into the seat of my pants. My knight stands,
slips his sweat-shirt over his head and places it on the bench for Nan to sit
on. I stare at the broad set of his shoulders, at the muscles bunched across
his chest, at the wet circle blooming on his derrière.
    ‘Shaylee?’
    I wrench my eyes away, focus on Nan and flush again.
    ‘I’m f-fine, Nan,’ I stammer.    
    ‘Thank goodness.’ She smiles at me and I’m relieved that
she didn’t seem to notice the direction of my gaze. ‘I see you’ve met your seastnan .’
    ‘Huh?’ I say, realize what I’ve done and add hastily: ‘I
mean, what’s a seastnan ?’
    The word is foreign on my tongue but it has a nice ring
to it – like something exotic, from another place and time. Nan sighs and
reaches up to brush my ponytail back over my shoulder.
    ‘I don’t want to scare you, Bluebell,’ she says, ‘but
you need to know the truth.’ She waves toward the young man, who is leaning against
the trunk of a nearby oak tree, watching us. ‘Kael comes from a long line of seastnan – royal Maor bodyguards responsible for the protection of our family.’
    ‘Protection?’
    ‘Your blood is a great temptation, Shaylee,’ Nan says,
cupping a cool hand against my cheek. ‘Its promise of power and immortality is
sought after by many and because your blood is powerful, your aura is strong – much
stronger than any I’ve ever known.’ Nan pauses and traces an imaginary line
along the side of my neck and shoulder. ‘It’s like a bright energy field,
surrounding you.’ She drops her hand onto my shoulder and returns her attention
to my face. ‘Your mother told me what happened with your friend Luke. That is
just a small taste of what’s to come.’
    I shiver and try to crush the memory. Nan notices and
her expression is deadly serious.
    ‘We can’t take any risks. You and Tristan must be
married as soon as possible.’

 
    Chapter 10

 
    Powerless
    Tastes like: The vegetables
your mother piled high on your plate that were a prerequisite to desert.
    Smells like: Chocolate cake
baking in a hot oven when your nose is blocked.  
    Sounds like: The pitiful
scream from a throat raw with laryngitis.
    Feels like: Sitting in the
back seat of a run-away car.
    Looks like: An infant,
bowled over by a Saint-Bernard.

 
    ‘You’re joking, right?’ I stare at Nan.
    She stares back.
    ‘But I’m seventeen, Nan!’ I say.
    ‘The same age your mother was when she married your
father,’ Nan replies.
    ‘But…’ My voice trails away. There are a hundred reasons
why I shouldn’t be married now, but I can’t seem to think of one. I must be in
shock.
    ‘Shaylee,’ Nan says, squeezing my shoulder, ‘you’re in
great danger, you need to marry Tristan. It’s the only way to keep you safe.’
    ‘But how is