Free The Guardian (Callista Ryan Series) by Alexandra Weiss Page B

Guardian hovering outside of the cottage.
                  But this Guardian looked nothing like the ones Callie had seen so far. She had fluid, effervescent hair hanging down to her hips, each strand the color of sunlight. Her small figure was adorned in the same white, backless dress which Shay wore, allowing freedom of motion for her wings, and though it was a simple style, on this woman it might as well have been a ball gown. Her delicate face was the color of fresh cream, her cheekbones tainted a shade of strawberries. Her blue eyes slanted a disdainful look in Callie’s direction.
    She looked like one of the Greek gods that Callie had read about as a child, and Callie was sure that she had never seen anyone so exquisitely lovely. It hurt to look at her, as Callie knew that she would never have a hope of even being compared to this creature.
                  Before Callie had even begun to measure the bruises this Guardian had just printed upon her ego, Shay stepped out the door and soared away. The newest woman finished sizing Callie up, looking displeased, and turned to follow Shay.
                  Alex turned, pinning Callie with his pure brown eyes. Callie swallowed, recognizing the predatory gleam there. “What are you doing?” she asked. He took a step towards her, closing the short gap between them. “Hey, I asked you—wait, what…I don’t think so!” she said, backing up a step as he reached for her. “Don’t even think about it. Alex !” she cried as he scooped her effortlessly into his arms. “Let me go!”
    He didn’t listen, choosing instead to leap into the air .
    “ Hey !” she screamed as they began to weave through the branches.
                  She could barely watch as the tree trunks and errant branches and huge leaves threatened to ram into them as they plowed through the forest. She threw her arms around his neck, terrified that he would drop her, and buried her eyes in the crook between his neck and shoulder, unable to watch. Each time a leaf grazed her arm, she nearly jumped out of her skin, sure that they had at last hit a tree. But each time, they continued along at rampant speed, Callie trapped in the arms of what she could only compare to a lunatic driver.
                  She felt the soaring wind at her cheek, and peeked forward, watching the foliage zoom past them in fast-forward. After what could have been hours, a house broke through the trees with sudden clarity. It looked much the same as Shay’s house, though the shape was a little narrower in the branches.
                  Callie waited for Alex to fly them to the front door, only he began to circle around back instead.
                  “Where are we?” Callie asked.
                  He held a finger to his lips, cradling her in one arm. When he found a space he seemed satisfied with amongst the tangles of open branches, he halted swiftly and sank to a wide branch. He set her down on top of the branch, carefully adjusting her so that she balanced easily before he let her go.
                  “Stay here,” he whispered. She would have protested, but then noticed the way he was looking at her. She nodded, unsure why there was such sadness in his dark features.
    He flew away then, and she heard voices to her right.
                  She saw that the branch he had placed her on led to the house she had just seen. The house was settled not five feet away from her, though it was slightly hidden through the mossy leaves. She gently parted the leaves, inching her way along the branch until she could reach forward and touch the wooden walls of the house.
                  She leaned against those planks and managed to stand upon the broad branch, and then leaned slightly to her right. A window similar to the one in Shay’s house was carved into this wall, and Callie peeked through it to see who was