Foretold (Daughters of Saraqael Book Three) Read Online Free Page B

to the heart of any matter, and had come to think of her as the perfect match for his leader.
    Olivia, on the other hand, was the least coordinated of her sisters. She had come to this plane in the weakest physical condition of each of them, having dedicated her time on the human plane to her studies. But she had easily turned her love of learning toward her lessons in defense these past months, and was now in excellent physical condition. Still, her skills lay in her ability to communicate with animals as well as her remarkable ability to hit a target with a bow and arrow. She could fire an arrow from any bow, but particularly the one gifted to her by the elders, and hit any target she could see. He had come to value her sharp intellect and sound judgment.
    And then there was Skye.
    He watched her face now as she chatted about Aurora’s cubs while Amber listened in her characteristic silence. There was such animation flashing across Skye’s features it was all but impossible not to react to it. Where her sisters were more reserved, she was anything but. Her lack of emotional control was both exhausting and invigorating.
    Like Amber, Skye had entered the Estilorian plane with a respectable amount of physical strength due to her years of dancing. That strength had only become more enhanced over these past months of intensive conditioning. She didn’t have nearly the focus and control to fight like Amber. But her endurance, flexibility and ability to think quickly made her excellent at evading attack. She had also grown quite skilled at using throwing weapons like darts and star blades, finding that they flew rather naturally from her hand if she just thought of them as an extension of her arm.
    Her most potent weapon, however, was her ability to command holy light. Only a being with an intrinsically pure spirit and absolute faith could wield such a powerful force. The fact was, he knew of no other Estilorian who could handle it as effectively as she did. While this rare ability did her little good against most Estilorians, it was the most effective weapon possible to exert against the evil Mercesti. If it hadn’t been for this ability, in point of fact, it would have been Skye who had suffered at the hands of the Mercesti several weeks ago rather than Olivia.
    This was a realization that frequently kept him awake at night.
    While her innate ability to bring forth holy light was a remarkable weapon, it also presented him with no end of challenges as her Gloresti. Her basic nature—the combination of traits that allowed her to bring forth that holy light—was so open and trusting that she bordered on naïve. She exhibited such unbridled enthusiasm for everything she undertook that she frequently placed herself in harm’s way without intending it. He had to constantly be on guard, rarely letting her out of his sight.
    He had never anticipated this when he had been selected by the elders to pair with Skye as her Gloresti. Certainly, he had known he would have to protect her from harm. But to find that the greatest risk to her was, well, her …that had proven unbelievably challenging and often frustrating.
    Just then, as they moved toward the benches and weights, she turned and tossed a laughing glance at him over her right shoulder, almost as though she knew his thoughts. The sparkle in her beautiful eyes made his breath catch. And when she paired the look with a curve of her full, heart-shaped lips, he had to force his gaze away to regain control of himself.
    And he knew then that however illogical it was, despite the difficulties she often presented, he wouldn’t ever change a thing about her.
     

Chapter Three
     
    James and Olivia returned from their honeymoon the following day. Skye was in the middle of a four-way, hand-to-hand training session with Amber, Gabriel and Caleb in the courtyard when Olivia’s thought reached her.
    We’re here!
    The thought so surprised and thrilled Skye that she forgot about the