Birthright (The Stone Legacy Series Book 5) Read Online Free

ruin.
    Surprisingly, the sight of the tent didn’t grip her chest.
    She tilted her face, staring at the canopy of green and wavering leaves with streaks of blue peeking through the branches. Now that they were out of the swampland, it was all uphill from there. Literally. Tomorrow was going to be a death march. They were headed up the worst side of a mountain, studded with rocks and riddled with possible dangers. She dragged her fingers along the dry ground, finding a tiny green vine reaching out from the thick plants.
    She coiled the vine around her finger before tugging on it gently, then letting it spring back.
    The small gesture reminded her of the times Peter, their healer, would play with her best friend’s curls. Zanya frowned. She’d left Tara behind a second time. What kind of friend was she?
    A gentle pull on her finger brought her back to the moment. She turned her head to see the tiny, beautiful vine reach out to the mid-afternoon sun. Its velvety texture hugged tighter, as if it were acknowledging her presence.
    The coil tightened, and the tip pricked her skin, drawing a single plump drop of scarlet blood.
    “Ouch.” She pulled back her hand and sucked on her fingertip.
    “I’m almost finished with the tent.” Arwan’s voice stole her attention away from the vicious plant. “Do you want to collect some firewood? Almost everything will be wet, but if you stay under the trees, there should be some dry kindling.”
    “Um…sure.” She looked at her finger, now with just a tiny red blemish. She’d better be careful while searching for firewood. The plants around here were carnivorous.
    Against the protest of every aching muscle, she pushed to her feet. A cool wind wove through the trees, rattling the branches and showering her in leaves.
    “Change of plans.” She glanced back at Arwan, whose face was tilted to the sky. “It looks like the rain will be here sooner than I thought. The ruin will shield us from the wind on one side, but the trees will only give us so much cover from the rain.”
    “I thought the whole point of being up here was so we had cover.”
    “Yes.” He drew in a deep breath and closed his eyes. “But this storm isn’t going to be just rain.”
    “How do you know?” She searched the blue sky and grayish clouds overhead. Sure, it was overcast, but it didn’t exactly scream torrential downpour.
    He opened his eyes. “I can smell the rain in the air and feel the electrical charge building in the atmosphere.” He ran his hand down the length of his arm. If she didn’t pay attention, she wouldn’t have noticed his hairs standing on end. He returned to assembling the tent. “We should get camp set up and prepare to ride it out.”

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter Four
     
     
    Zanya
     
    In Ohio, when Zanya lived in the orphanage, rain meant the gentle tapping of water on the metal roof and a deep drink for the plants outside. However, here, in the jungles of Mexico, rain meant something entirely different.
    Inside the tent, Zanya pulled her knees to her chest, hoping the fiberglass frame and water-resistant fabric walls would stand up against the assault. As leaves smacked against the sides of their shelter—and even though she lay on top of a thick sleeping bag—she could feel the ground beneath her turning soggy while it soaked up the endless supply of water.
    Another gust of wind hit the left wall of the tent. She tucked into a tighter ball and ground her teeth. At this rate, it was possible they’d get tossed off the hillside.
    A flash of lightning and a clap of thunder made her suck in a sharp breath. She cringed at the rolling rumble as it echoed around them and then morphed into the familiar sound of the downpour. With another strike of lightning, the earth trembled as if the bolt of electricity had just missed them.
    The only perk to this whole tropical storm was it took focus off of them sharing a tent for the night.
    “Try to get some rest.” Arwan lay