Blood Chained (Dark Siren Book 3) Read Online Free
Author: Eden Ashley
“You were a bit reserved, growing up. You shied away from other children, but with a little coaxing you’d play. As a teenager you seemed to fold into yourself even more. You were a full blown loner…and then you met Rhane.
“Kalista, you’ve blossomed so much, finally coming into your own and understanding who and what you really are. You let us in more. You became more affectionate. You trusted. You laughed. You cried. You smiled all the time. But now…it feels like we’re losing you again. Please let us help.”
“Oh.” Kali blinked back a flood of tears. From day one, they had been so good to her, taking in a strange girl they knew next to nothing about and truly making her a part of their family. But the bond Kali shared with them had always been limited by the dark secret she kept hidden. Last year all that changed when Kali discovered Greg and Lisa had known the truth from the beginning. Even after accidentally setting Lisa’s antique dining table on fire, the love in their eyes had not wavered.
Things were no different now.
She could talk to them.
“I miss him so much.” Her voice shattered. She dropped her head, possessed by a fit of uncontrollable sobs. Lisa was around the table in a flash, encircling her with both arms. “I don’t know how to be without him. Everything I do, I feel like such a huge fake. I don’t know where he is. I don’t know if he’s hurting. All I know is he’s gone and we’re not helping him. I need to find him, Mom. If it were me missing, Rhane would let nothing stand in his way.”
“Kalista, look at me.” Greg’s voice was gentle. “Look at me.”
She finally did so at his repeated urging.
“I don’t think I’ll ever know Rhane as well as you. But there’s one thing I can be certain about: Rhane is a young man who can take care of himself. And I’ll tell you something else I’m sure of.” Greg stood up, joining Lisa at Kali’s side. “Rhane is not the type of man who would have bonded with someone who couldn’t take care of herself. His kind of strength admires strength in others. You’re not a lost little girl anymore. You know what to do.”
“I do. I just don’t think I know how.” Drying her eyes, she dammed a torrent of fresh tears, determined to show the fortitude Greg was so certain existed within her.
“Why is that?” Greg asked, sounding every bit the lawyer now, leading a witness to the correct conclusion. “What stands in your way?”
“I think he’s being held prisoner by his own people. They are called Primes. They want to punish Rhane for something that happened a very long time ago. They’d kill him if they could.”
“Rhane’s friends can’t help free him?”
She shook her head. “Primes are too strong. I have some memories of them. They are ruthless, and they are powerful. Warren was taken to lure Rhane home. He’s collateral now. Moving against them could risk his life.”
“Okay.” Greg leaned his palms against the table. Creases wrinkled deep in his forehead as he deliberated. “You’re just going to have to find out what those Primes want more than Rhane.”
“What do you mean?”
Lisa smiled. “What you described sounds like a good old-fashioned hostage situation. No matter who the players are and their motives, there’s always a chance it’s not really about the hostages. Maybe these Primes want something else.”
“You think they want to trade?”
Greg nodded. “It’s possible.”
It sounded like a long shot. But her parents were well-versed in the psychology of sociopaths and the criminal mind. And they were two of the smartest and most successful attorneys on the east coast. Kali knew she could trust their judgment. A glimmer of hope, the most she’d felt in a long time, sparked within her chest.
“But how could I find out what they want? I can’t just go to Golden Mountain and ask. The Primes aren’t very fond of me.”
“I know someone you could ask.”
“What?” Kali scrunched her face in
“Kalista, you’ve blossomed so much, finally coming into your own and understanding who and what you really are. You let us in more. You became more affectionate. You trusted. You laughed. You cried. You smiled all the time. But now…it feels like we’re losing you again. Please let us help.”
“Oh.” Kali blinked back a flood of tears. From day one, they had been so good to her, taking in a strange girl they knew next to nothing about and truly making her a part of their family. But the bond Kali shared with them had always been limited by the dark secret she kept hidden. Last year all that changed when Kali discovered Greg and Lisa had known the truth from the beginning. Even after accidentally setting Lisa’s antique dining table on fire, the love in their eyes had not wavered.
Things were no different now.
She could talk to them.
“I miss him so much.” Her voice shattered. She dropped her head, possessed by a fit of uncontrollable sobs. Lisa was around the table in a flash, encircling her with both arms. “I don’t know how to be without him. Everything I do, I feel like such a huge fake. I don’t know where he is. I don’t know if he’s hurting. All I know is he’s gone and we’re not helping him. I need to find him, Mom. If it were me missing, Rhane would let nothing stand in his way.”
“Kalista, look at me.” Greg’s voice was gentle. “Look at me.”
She finally did so at his repeated urging.
“I don’t think I’ll ever know Rhane as well as you. But there’s one thing I can be certain about: Rhane is a young man who can take care of himself. And I’ll tell you something else I’m sure of.” Greg stood up, joining Lisa at Kali’s side. “Rhane is not the type of man who would have bonded with someone who couldn’t take care of herself. His kind of strength admires strength in others. You’re not a lost little girl anymore. You know what to do.”
“I do. I just don’t think I know how.” Drying her eyes, she dammed a torrent of fresh tears, determined to show the fortitude Greg was so certain existed within her.
“Why is that?” Greg asked, sounding every bit the lawyer now, leading a witness to the correct conclusion. “What stands in your way?”
“I think he’s being held prisoner by his own people. They are called Primes. They want to punish Rhane for something that happened a very long time ago. They’d kill him if they could.”
“Rhane’s friends can’t help free him?”
She shook her head. “Primes are too strong. I have some memories of them. They are ruthless, and they are powerful. Warren was taken to lure Rhane home. He’s collateral now. Moving against them could risk his life.”
“Okay.” Greg leaned his palms against the table. Creases wrinkled deep in his forehead as he deliberated. “You’re just going to have to find out what those Primes want more than Rhane.”
“What do you mean?”
Lisa smiled. “What you described sounds like a good old-fashioned hostage situation. No matter who the players are and their motives, there’s always a chance it’s not really about the hostages. Maybe these Primes want something else.”
“You think they want to trade?”
Greg nodded. “It’s possible.”
It sounded like a long shot. But her parents were well-versed in the psychology of sociopaths and the criminal mind. And they were two of the smartest and most successful attorneys on the east coast. Kali knew she could trust their judgment. A glimmer of hope, the most she’d felt in a long time, sparked within her chest.
“But how could I find out what they want? I can’t just go to Golden Mountain and ask. The Primes aren’t very fond of me.”
“I know someone you could ask.”
“What?” Kali scrunched her face in
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