Evil Abounds: An Alpha Guardians Prequel Read Online Free Page A

No surprise there, really; witches derived much of their power from incantations, words spoken in the correct order, at the right moment. They were often circumspect in their phrasing.
    "For how long?" he asked.
    "You would never return to Scotland, I'm afraid."
    Rhys felt like she'd delivered a physical blow.
    "Never return to Scotland?" he echoed, taken aback. "From where do you hail, witch?"
    A muscle ticked in her jaw, and Rhys could tell that she found him disrespectful.
    "You'll address me as Mistress, or nothing," she hissed, pointing a finger at him. The change in her was startling, making Rhys take a step back despite having the advantage of greater size on his side. "Now will you choose to save your people, or not?"
    Rhys glared at her, but he knew what his answer must be.
    "Aye. I'd do anything," he said. Anne's image flashed in his head, the perfect example of why he'd sacrifice all for his clan.
    "Good," Mere Marie said. She produced a thin book bound in midnight black leather, and opened it to show him a contract.

    There was more in the contract, several paragraphs of text, but Rhys didn't need to read it. No matter what it said, he would sign. At the bottom of the page was a broad line, awaiting his signature.
    "Have you a quill?" he asked.
    Mere Marie handed him an odd silver instrument. The rod was perhaps as long as his hand and thinner than one of his fingers. Rhys took it, gripping it uncertainly. Mere Marie gestured, showing him how he ought to hold it, to press the tip to the page. The second he pressed the instrument to the paper, a deep jolt of pain shot through him. The ink came out a deep, vivid crimson, and it took Rhys several moments to realize that he was somehow signing the contract in his own blood.
    "Go on," Mere Marie urged, her eyes darkened with anticipation. "Finish it."
    Gritting his teeth, Rhys scrawled his signature across the book's page. The second he withdrew the instrument, Mere Marie snatched the book back, blowing on the page to dry the ink. She closed the book with a snap, then took the pen back from him, vanishing both items easily.
    "It is done," she said, strangely eager.
    "Will I be able to say my goodbyes?" Rhys asked.
    Mere Marie shook her head slowly.
    "This scene, what's happening right now... It will never happen," she explained. "You'll never come back from the war. Instead I will save your brother's life, which means your clan will never be undefended."
    Something warm bloomed in Rhys's chest. He hadn't considered that his brother might live as part of the bargain, but no news could be more welcome. He couldn't form the words to express the feeling, so he looked into the distance and nodded, feeling his throat constrict with happiness. Truly, this was the first good thing to happen since he'd returned from the King's service.
    "Let us go, then," he managed. "Take me to your land, Mistress."
    Mere Marie shot him a look of pure satisfaction, then clapped her hands together.
    "Close your eyes," she said. "And prepare yourself for your new life, Rhys Macaulay."
    Rhys closed his eyes, and everything went blissfully dark.

3
    Chapter Three
Gabriel
    London, England — 1847
    A bone-shaking growl of pleasure ripped from Gabriel Thorne’s throat as he hurtled down a narrow London side street, frantically racing toward his sister’s rooms in Whitechapel. The leather satchel slung about his torso was heavy, slowing him down a little, but nothing could dampen his spirits. Not when he was this close to attaining a better life for himself and his sister Caroline.
    He turned a corner and came out onto a larger thoroughfare, dodging several horse-drawn carts. Darkness had fallen over the city, and Gabriel passed two young boys carrying tall brazier torches, slowly working their way down the sidewalks as they lit the gas street lamps. With the ground under his feet better illuminated, Gabriel allowed himself a final burst of speed as his sister’s cheap second-floor apartment came