Daughter of Earth (Tales of the Guardian) Read Online Free Page B

departure.
         As she rode the empty elevator down to the lobby Emily’s lingering thoughts and sadness over leaving were interrupted and her hearing suddenly became muffled. She was experiencing it again, the impaired ability to hear any noise around her. There was only the bell sound. She closed her eyes, concentrating, hoping and praying that this time it all might work. She envisioned the ringing as though it was a bell chiming louder and louder with each pulse, like she could see the actual noise waves expanding through the air after each chime. The ringing grew stronger and stronger and then went quiet, deathly quiet. For a moment Emily thought the experience was over but then she heard it. Like someone right beside her had whispered into her ear.
         Hearing her name sent ripples through her entire body, like she’d just stuck her finger in the light socket and received an electric shock. She heard her name once more, “Emily,” and the same effect took place in her body.
         The elevator doors opened and she could sense the bright light flooding the space even though her eyes were still closed. She opened them only to find a man staring at her with an inquisitive expression, waiting for her to exit so he could board the elevator.
         “Oh… uh, sorry,” Emily stammered as she moved out. Her full hearing had been restored but she still felt slightly disoriented. Quickly she spun around back towards the elevator, just to check and see there really hadn’t been anyone else in there with her, but the doors had already shut.
         “Hey,” a voice from behind said in her ear.
         A little yelp escaped as she hopped slightly to the side. It was Alexander who had caused her to spook. She knew he must have seen the bewildered look on her face and instantly understood what happened.
         “Did Athos just try to call you again?” he asked.
         “Mmhhmmm,” her response lacked complete confidence. She knew she must have looked like a deer in the headlights.
         “And you heard it this time, didn’t you? You heard your name and you felt it.”
         “Yeah, uh, yeah I did,” she nodded her head and let out a big breath, not sure what amazed her more. The fact that she had just heard her name whispered with no one physically around to be the cause or how Alexander seemed to always know her thoughts and feelings. “How do you always know these things?”
         “You seem to forget, I’ve been studying your features since you were a baby. Your feelings and thoughts are always expressed in your face. But, Athos just called me as well so that kinda gave it away.”
         “So what does it mean?” Emily still felt a bit breathless and utterly clueless.
         Alexander smiled, “It means it’s time to go.”
        
        
    Chapter 3
     
         Haunting yellow eyes peered from afar as the couple left the building. The Ancient One knew there was no move he could make to assault them which would not send a vision to Alexander. Swooping in like a hawk with talons open and sharpened for the kill was what they were expecting.
         Sandros had to work in less predictable ways.
         Now that The Opposition’s motive was apparent, there was no longer the element of surprise, which could have been a huge advantage for his side. No, he knew The Seer now watched their every move. There was no way around it.
         All that could be accomplished in the present was silent surveillance and information gathering. Anything else would alert the enemy. It did not annoy the Ancient One to take such a passive approach to the issue. After all, that’s how he was accustomed to working, by soundlessly slipping through the shadows, placing stumbling blocks along the way.
         He delighted in watching pathetic humans unwittingly assist in their own destruction. Deceits, betrayal, lawlessness, were but a few tools they used to gain their goal in