The Gifted Read Online Free Page B

might feel.”
    “Sister Sophrena often says your curiosity may be the death of you, but whether or not that is true, I am beginning to fear it will be the death of me.” Sister Annie let out a long sigh. “And we are not one iota nearer a solution to our dilemma than we were. We have no choice. We must leave him here and go back to the village. Elder Joseph will know what to do.”
    “I suppose you are right.”
    Reluctantly Jessamine lifted her hand away from the man’s face and started to stand. But before she could get to her feet, the man’s eyes popped open and he grabbed her wrist. She sucked in a startled breath as Sister Annie let out a frightened yelp behind her. She jerked to free herself, but the man’s grip was strong. She was caught as surely as a rabbit in a snare. So she went still and stared down into eyes the brown of butternut.
    After a moment, she said, “Hello.” Her voice carried hardly any tremble at all.

3

    “An angel.” The man’s voice was as deep as his eyes were piercing. “I must be dead.”
    “Nay, assuredly not. Your grip is much too strong for a dead man.” Jessamine glanced down at his hand around her arm and then back at his face. Behind her, Sister Annie was breathing fast, as if she had already started running away even though she hadn’t moved one toe, but Jessamine’s curiosity was conquering any thought of fear. “And I must regretfully admit to being far from an angel.”
    “Where am I?”
    The man tried to raise his head to look around. When he groaned and fell back to the ground, his grip weakened and Jessamine pulled free of his hold.
    “Rest easy,” she said. She stripped off her apron to wad up and slip under his head. “You are in a woods not far from the Shaker village of Harmony Hill.”
    “Not far?” Sister Annie sounded incredulous. “Honestly, Sister Jessamine, we have to be miles from the village. Miles.”
    Jessamine ignored her as the man studied her face before he asked, “What happened?”
    “I cannot say for certain, but it appears your horse may have thrown you.”
    “Don’t forget about the gunfire.” Sister Annie spoke up again behind her.
    “There are two of you? Or perhaps a whole band of angels coming for me. I should be so lucky.” There was little humor in his short laugh that turned into another groan as again he raised up to peer past Jessamine toward Sister Annie.
    Jessamine gently pushed him back down. “We have no angel wings. Only aprons and caps. We are sisters from the village.”
    “Sisters. I hear your sister’s voice, but see no one. Tell her to come closer so I can see if she is as beautiful as you.”
    “Her spirit is much purer than mine. That’s where true beauty lies.”
    “It matters not who is beautiful.” Sister Annie’s voice was strident. “We must return to the village for help before darkness falls. There could be more men of the world in the woods.”
    They did need to do something and soon. Jessamine started to rise to her feet, but once more the man grabbed her arm and kept her from standing.
    “What is your name, little angel?”
    “Jessamine and behind me is Sister Annie. We want to help you, but we’re not sure how.”
    “And there is the matter of the gunfire your sister heard.”
    “Yea.”
    “Do I have a hole in my chest leaking out my lifeblood as we speak? Is that what makes me so anxious to see angels?” He turned loose of her arm to put his hand to his chest.
    “Nay. There is no wound in your chest. You do have a wound on your head that is bleeding, but it does not appear to be too deep. Perhaps you hit a branch when you fell.”
    “Or perhaps it was that gunfire your sister cannot forget. Are you sure there was gunfire or could it have been thunder?” He sounded almost amused.
    “I know gunfire when I hear it,” Sister Annie said. “It is a noise like no other. A sound that can signal death for man or animal.”
    “Your sister Annie knows of what she speaks.”
    “Do