H.U.M.A.N.S (The Veiled World Book 1) Read Online Free Page A

face for memory to match the slick and cavalier voice of that other Nocturna.
    It bothered me not knowing who he was and more importantly, how mysteriously he appeared and disappeared without detection.
    What were the odds of two Nocturnas showing up so close to the location of the bar? Had we finally been discovered? I didn’t want to have to move again. Staking out a new and discreet location that was nearly forgotten by the civilization of humans was painstakingly difficult not to mention having to start over.
    It was cowardly to continue running just like we had done from our homeland and letting them win. Even though Cole and I had been just kids then, it didn’t matter.
    The Ascendants were like a cancerous plague and the Nocturnas were a major part of their regime. They managed to overpower and wipe out several classes of Hybrid Hunters, including ours, and drive them from their homelands. Then, they moved onto the Sylphs, the Mages, the Animators, and many of the other elemental beings that used to occupy our supernatural universe. It wasn’t that they were that powerful, it was more because we all lacked unification. We cared more about separating ourselves from each other by class, powers, abilities, and wealth status than banding together.
    Some groups have been totally wiped out altogether, extinct and gone as if never to have existed at all. That was the worst fate that I could ever wish on any race of beings.
    Our parents and people sacrificed their lives to make sure that their children kept theirs in order to continue the bloodlines. All of that history was the main reason that my brother Cole and I decided to open the bar in the first place.
    We decided on using the word HUMANS as an acronym. The intent was to create a sanctuary that would welcome and give whatever peace-loving fellow elementals that still existed, a place to go and hang out safely without fear of being discovered by both the Ascendants and normal humans of this world.
    Its success helped to not just encourage and strengthen bonds and friendships but a new generation…in case the inevitable ever came to pas s —and we all knew that it would one day.
    War with the Ascendants.
                 
    I live in a loft style apartment at the top level on the other side of the bar and Cole lives on the mainland with his girlfriend, Clee. It was more for convenience sake than anything. Though we loved interacting with and among humans, the potential for any accidental mishaps served better if we were way outside of any mass populations like on this island. It was one of the many hidden beaches among the Marieta Islands off the coast of Puerta Vallarta, Mexico.
    Reminding me of our homeland, I fell in love with the structure and serenity of the island. A private beach hidden inside an open crater was the perfect undercover spot for all of us, even allowing easy access for our Undine friends. The language barrier wasn’t hard to overcome and many of us quickly learned to speak both English and Spanish. We had long ago decided on using English as a universal language among each other in order to avoid confusion.
    A soft knock sounded at the door.
    “Who is it?” I called out as I padded into the living room to open a window. Pushing the curtains aside, I welcomed the golden warmth of the sun on my face. It was always more vibrantly golden to me after a rainstorm.
    “It’s me, Isis, open up.” She knocked again.
    After opening the window halfway, I answered the door.
    Isis was cheerful and illuminating as always.
    “Hey, how’s the war wound?” She teased, toting a tray filled with mouth-watering pastries, tea, and juice.
    I smiled wanly. “I just got up and I haven’t checked it yet but it definitely feels the same.”
    She peered at me inquisitively with concern as she set the tray down on the dining table.
    “The ointment didn’t help? Did you take the elixir?”
    “Not yet. It can’t taste any better than it smells.” I