Free Oracle by Kyra Dune Page A

laid her hand on Manny’s shoulder. “Though the spirit
does not speak to me on this matter, still I believe we are meant to walk this
path. If not, the earth spirit would tell me. He would never allow me to lead
Jesse to the temple if it was a sacrilege.”
         “But
why?” Manny asked. “Why would the spirits want us to do this thing?”
         “I don’t
know.” She squeezed his shoulder. “We must simply have faith. Perhaps this is
your true path to lead you to the air spirit. She chose you for a reason and
nothing you have done in this life has made you unworthy of her.”
         Manny
stared once again at the stars, wishing he could have such confidence in the
future. “We know so little of the Omnidex . What
purpose might it be used for in the wrong hands?”
         “It came
to us from the spirits,” Nika said. “Thus it can be
nothing of evil intent.”
         Once
again, she seemed so certain and yet he had a doubt. And perhaps this was why
the air spirit remained elusive. These rare but pervasive doubts he’d picked up
in his journeys beyond Kartesk .
         “We will
leave at first light.” Nika rose to her feet, only to
pause. “Tell me something. What do you think of Ethan?”
         “Very
little, in all truth.” He met her gaze. “Why?”
         She shook
her head. “I don’t know. Something about him is... strange to me. I find I
cannot read his heart. He bears watching, I think.”
         This was,
at last, a sentiment they both could share.
        

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
    CHAPTER
THIRTEEN

 
 
         Mark lay
on his back in the bed with Daniella’s head a
pleasant weight on his shoulder. Silver moonlight fell through the partially
opened curtains to trace the outline of her face. He brushed his fingers across
her fair skin with a gentleness she would not have tolerated were she awake.
         In sleep
she was softer, warmer. Mark could imagine lying every night with her this way.
The thought brought a bittersweet smile to his lips, for he knew it could never
be. He brushed his lips across the top of her head. And then he spoke the words
he would never dare speak where she could hear. “I love you, Dani .”
         Much as
Mark hated to leave the bed, it always irritated Daniella to wake lying next to him, so he slipped away from her. She would want to wake
early and get back to her chambers before the dawn, especially with the High
Priest here, but he thought he could let her sleep a while longer.           He was surprised she’d even shown up
on his doorstep tonight. It made him wonder if perhaps she wanted something
from him. Something she thought would be more easily spoken of after a tumble
between the sheets.
         After
settling down in a chair in the corner, Mark contented himself to watching Daniella sleep. He’d never known it was possible to feel so
much for another person. Trust his fool heart to go and fall this hard for a
woman who could never be completely his.
         It wasn’t
long before she stirred and woke, yawning as she glanced at him in the corner.
“How long were you going to let me sleep?”
         “A little
longer. It’s still hours until dawn.”
         She
pressed her face into the pillow, her shoulders rising and falling with a sigh.
Then she sat up holding the sheets to cover her chest. “We need to talk about
why I came here tonight.”
         He
grinned rakishly even as his guts clenched in preparation for whatever she was
about to say. “I think we worked that out fine without need of words.”
         Daniella rolled her eyes. “Honestly Mark, can’t you be
serious for five minutes?”
         “I can
try.” He made an expression of mock seriousness. “You have my every attention,
your Highness.” This was most certainly true. Nothing in the world was more important
at that moment than having her there in his bed in the moonlight with her