Broken Souls Read Online Free Page B

I wasn’t afraid— fear had left me long ago. The only
thing I feared now was for Ruby’s safety, and I knew through my bond to her
that she was afraid. Maybe the Unfortunates knew she was different. Maybe she was
in danger. The thought that she might be having to deal with someone like Horus
terrified me. Though Ruby was not bonded to me and couldn’t hear me, I reached
out to her anyways.
    If you’re out there Faith, know I will do my best to
escape this mess and help you. Or die trying.

 
    FIVE: RUBY
     
    Guy’s lips brushed against mine and he spoke against
them. “I love you, Ruby.” His breath warmed my face and his fingers grazed my
back, drawing burning lines across my flesh. I shivered with warmth and
contentment, my lashes fluttering open to see his stormy eyes directly in front
of mine.
    I was no longer wary of the rugged soldier who’d saved me
from the wrath of the battle between humans and Unfortunates, knowing I could
fully trust him now. I reached up and touched the fine scruff on his face, a
face hardened by the woes of battle, but soft and flawless with the element of
youth. He cupped my hand with his and deepened the kiss. My skin prickled.
    “Let’s run away,” I whispered against his lips. “We can
be together.”
    His grey gaze took me in, his lashes tickling my forehead
when he blinked. I wanted to be with him and he wanted to be with me, but it
could never be. Why? I mused. Why couldn’t we just be together?
    “Time’s up,” he said, and I drew my brows together in
confusion, wondering what he meant.
    “The legion wants to see you now,” he said, but his lips
did not move and perplexity rolled over me. Just like that, Guy’s presence
faded and the world came crashing into my brain like a piano dropped from the
top of a six-story building— the damp chill of the cell, the smell of vampire
and werewolf, and the light of a burning torch hot on my face. It took me a few
moments to realize where I was and that Guy had only been a dream.
    I sat up, reluctantly opening my eyes, not wanting to wake
up and face my cold reality. I dreaded having to go in front of the legion so
they could judge whether I would live or die, and instead wanted to sink back
into the dream where I laid in Guy’s arms, safe and warm. I blinked, seeing a candlelit
silhouette standing outside of my cell.
    “My name’s Cloe.” The female vampire with the small nose and
brown hair slid open the bars and stepped forward. She smiled, and I stared at
her, stunned. Oh, so now she decided to talk to me.
     Cloe, as she had now finally, and so graciously, named
herself after days of silence, was the one who’d fetched me from the gates that
first night I arrived in Tombstone. She’d tricked me with her sweet smile and then
locked me behind bars. For many days since then, I’d been imprisoned, and she’d
been the one to bring me blood every night, turning a deaf ear to my countless
pleas. I wanted to be mad at her and shake her for what she’d done to me. I
wanted to yell and scream and throw her in the jail cell to give her a taste of
her own medicine. But I couldn’t. Her kind eyes looked frightened as though she
were only acting under orders, as though she might be in trouble if she did not
obey.
    “C’mon.” She gestured to the exit with her chin.
    “So I guess this means we’re on speaking terms now?” I stood
and smoothed out the wrinkles from my jeans. She smiled, but immediately broke
eye contact.
    “I’m sorry about before. I’m not allowed to speak to
prisoners,” she said, leading me down the hall toward the exit of the
Courthouse.
    I stretched my arms to my sides, relieved to be free from
that musty shoebox. “Are you saying I’m no longer a prisoner?”
    She opened the tall door leading us outside, but gave no
reply. Whatever. Not like I wasn’t used to the silent treatment by now. I
stepped out into the night air and released a gasp at the status of the small
town. I’d only seen a