Free Set the Sky on Fire (Fire Trilogy Book 1) by L K Walker Page A

my friends call me Ari.” She took his hand, surprised that it felt so human. The handshake lasted a little longer than it should, as she dragged her fingers across his palm, checking it was real.
    “Good,” he said, a small smile shimmering across his face, lighting up his eyes, before smoothing back once again to solemn. “And I'm a sentinel.”
    Ari gaped at him.
    “People generally get us confused with angels when they see us flying around like that.”
    “I can see why.”
    “No wings though, see.” He turned his back to her.
    Without thinking, she stroked a hand down his bare back, wanting to confirm what he said. His skin was warm under her fingertips, and the muscles were firm.
    “Then, what are you?” she asked.
    “I’m more like a watchman. I keep an eye on what’s happening. I’m here to ensure free will is not robbed from people.”
    Ari had no idea what to say.
    “It's hard to get your head around,” Nate said, filling the silence.
    “That's a bit of an understatement.” She looked straight into his glorious emerald eyes, then, just as quickly, looked away. “What was the other thing that came after me? Was he a sentinel too?”
    “Oh yes, him. No, he is not a sentinel, he is—a huge pain in the arse.” Nate smirked a little.
    Ari turned and stared at him. He was making a casual joke about something that had tried to—well, she didn't know what it had tried to do, but whatever it was, it hadn't been friendly.
    “If he isn’t one of you, what is he?” she asked.
    “He is what we call a seether. Complete charmers. Lucky you caught him on a good day. He seemed to be taken by you.”
    “No, I was nearly taken by him .” Having her life endangered had put Ari in an unreceptive mood, even for the hottie in front of her. “What the hell is a seether?”
    “Nothing pleasant. But I guess you’ve gathered that already. They can sense when people are emotionally distraught. Then, they can use a victim’s own pain to influence them.”
    “To do what?”
    “To grow sadness and pain in the world.” Nate frowned.
    “They can do that?”
    “They can try. That's where we come in. We sentinels. We try to stop them. Have been doing it for years.”
    “How many of you are there?”
    Nate shrugged.
    “We have been here so long I’m not sure anymore. We have scattered ourselves throughout the world.”
    “So it’s not going well then,” Ari suggested.
    “That’s a bit harsh. The human race has yet to be wiped out, so it could get worse.”
    “They’re trying to kill us?” Ari’s body shuddered. “How do you stop them?”
    “In all honesty, they are not all as ruthless as him, but they all have a common goal. If they can rid this world of some of its hope, they have a good chance of overrunning the planet and taking it for themselves.”
    “Why? Why do they want to destroy us?”
    “We’re getting into ancient history. That is a bit more complicated.”
    Nate was trying to placate her. It didn’t go down well. “I think I deserve to know what's happening here, don’t you?”
    He conceded with a sigh, “I have to warn you, it might not be easy for you to understand.”
    “So far, this day hasn't been lucid. Just spill it.”
    “I am not from here,” he paused for effect.
    “Oddly, that’s not so hard to follow. The flying through the air thing was a bit of a giveaway.” Ari had already processed that little fact, so the shock factor he was hoping for was misplaced. He looked down his nose at her as if to say interruptions were not welcome.
    “Earth sits on the cusp of two other existences, ours and the seethers’. Over time, evolution has occurred almost identically on all three of our worlds. But there are differences. One of the more noticeable is our ability to effectively move air behind us to propel us forward at faster speeds. This is what gives us the appearance of flying. Try and do the same in water, and we sink like everyone else. The seethers developed this