Crest (Ondine Quartet Book 3) Read Online Free

relationship could withstand the strain of Aubrey's injury and Ian's grief and guilt.
    Relief trickled through me at their banter. Things sounded good.
    "I'd still place my bet on Aub."
    "Traitor. When did she take my place in your heart?"
    "Since she changed my grade for History on the school server. Is she really doing okay?"
    "Yeah." His voice softened. "As well as you'd expect."
    Anxiety twisted. "Are you sure? Because if —"
    "Stop worrying, Kendra," he said firmly. "Everyone here is fine. Chloe's turning out to be some kind of Rambo expert at shooting, Alex got a set of new sweatshirts you can probably see from there, and Cam's improving something called a front twisty kick so he can knock you down when you return."
    "You mean a front twist kick." A reluctant smile spread. "And you?"
    "I have an exalted position with your friends because you give me the scoop before everyone else. So tell me what's going on."
    I filled him in on tonight's main highlights. No one knew about Julian's Virtue, so I was careful with how much detail I gave.
    "And how are things going with the First Lieutenant?"
    "Fine. I'm still pissed he brought Miss Showoff into this —"  
    "No. I mean, how's it going?"
    I stiffened at the insinuation. "You know it's not like that."
    "Just wanted to see if anything had changed." He paused. "Prince Belicoux has been coming to the Justice Department a lot."
    Don't read too much into it.
    "Probably keeping up-to-date on what's happening through Jeeves. It's kind of his job."
    "I guess." He didn't sound very convinced. "You know he's not Jason, right?"
    The sudden mention of that name from my awful track record threatened to bring back long suppressed memories.
    "Of course not," I said lightly. "Why would you say that?"
    He remained quiet for a moment. When he spoke, his voice contained an edge I rarely heard.
    "If I could go back in time, there are a few things I would've liked to tell your mother."
    The image of Ian, who didn't possess a confrontational bone in his entire body, standing before cold, hard Naida Irisavie almost made me laugh out loud.
    "She would've kicked your ass and no one would ever have found your body."
    "I know." He sighed. "But it would've made me feel better."
    We spent a few more minutes chatting before hanging up. Instead of lightening my mood, the call left me empty.
    I scrolled through my phone's contacts and my finger hovered over his name.
    Wanting to hear his voice made me feel alone in a way I hadn't experienced for a while.
    The thought snapped me back to reality.
    I'd come to New York in preparation for becoming the Irisavie heir. The period of silly schoolgirl dreams was long gone.  
    It was time to grow up and accept what could and could not change.
    I put away the phone.
    Empath trembled, sensing shifting clouds just outside the city's glowing borders.
    When I finally fell asleep to the steady patter of sleet and the mournful cadences of Bach, the images slid into me, emerging from my mind's deepest cavern and entwining with the muted darkness of night.

    ***

    The maze twisted and curved, each corridor folding in on itself like an intricate geometric construct.
    I walked forward simply because there was no going back.
    When the threshold finally appeared, I knew this was what I'd searched for.
    A familiar silhouette stood, body framed by white threads of magic.
    Recognition brought tears. After all this time, I knew him.
    "Don't cry," he said softly. "Don't cry."
    Pale hand reached, strong fingers twining with mine.
    Vivid images flowed so fast I couldn't grab ahold of them. They slipped through my grasp, leaving nothing behind but faint sensory flashes.
    The scent of woodsy aftershave. The ocean's roar blended with laughter. A fleeting touch of secure warmth.
    "I miss you," I whispered over and over, afraid I'd never have the chance to tell him again.
    From one breath to the next, he disappeared, leaving me alone in the dark.
    Frantic, I ran toward a door. I needed to