The Guardian (Chronicles of Dover's Amalgam Book 1) Read Online Free Page B

was fishing too, but Jareth would not offer more information than she yanked from his battered body. He was the one doing the prying, not the other way around. And he read in Latin. It mattered not that in the future it was considered a dead language. In fact, even his thoughts were in Latin. He got the sudden urge to strangle Gabriel and Minh for not debriefing him. It was not like them to leave him in the dark concerning someone. It would help if he knew who she was and how much information he could leak to her without breaching some sort of rule or code.
    “Goes without saying that you heal at an astronomical rate.” Her hands found their way out from their confinement to flail in the air. “Now, that is something I don’t get—for sure! How does one find Zithromax in this time period? And IV antibiotics, no less.”
    “One does not find Zithromax in medieval England,” Jareth said loud enough to silence her for a moment. If he did not jump in, she would never give him the chance to speak. He had learned that about her early. Once she started talking, she never stopped. “Nor Vancomycin.” Then, quietly, “It was smuggled in.”
    So much for not allowing her to fish, he thought with self-loathing. He might as well supply the pole and bait.
    “Of course it was smuggled in. Unless I missed the antibiotic factory lesson in my history of the middle ages.” Elizabet wound her arms back around her torso in a tight hug. She used her hands like exclamation marks, commas, and italics. If she ever lost a limb, she may be silent forever.
    His eyes traveled to where his sword was mounted near the hearth. It was on the tip of his tongue to reveal the antibiotics had merely been smuggled up the castle steps from his private stock, just to see if she would combust on the spot. That way he wouldn’t have to lift his sword to frighten her into silence.
    Instead, he asked, “Why do you vex me so?” His voice was weary as he realized he had slipped—again. She now knew an approximate time and place. The clues could lead her to endless possibilities if she cared to search the small details.
    What he wanted was to invite her to sit next to him and read for him, preposterous as that was. For some perverse reason, he liked her simple accent that had not refinement. He must be going mad. Perhaps his wound was infected and death would find him after all. “Why do you not rest and sit with me?”
    Elizabet blinked. Her fingers twitched where she hugged herself. “You want me to sit? With you?”
    “Aye,” he said, then smiled ruefully at his choice of words. “Yes.” He motioned to the place next to him. “I would like you to read to me.” He tapped the book with his index finger. “I think it would be beneficial if we studied this together. Perhaps we will stop bickering and go back to being companionable.”
    She glanced at the small wind up clock at the bedside. Her lips slid sideways as she shook her head. “I can’t. Mrs. Wheatley will be here any minute.” She looked at him. “Shucks,” she added with heavy sarcasm.
    “Have it your way,” he murmured, and glanced at the clock, as well. He sighed. “Listen, it is within my power to put this away from you. If being beneficial to the good of future mankind upsets you, then by all that is holy, let me release you.”
    “You think I want to leave and never come back?” Her face puckered as she asked.
    The immediate denial in her tone startled him, but he did not let on. “I have heard your complaints and I am willing to release you.” Jareth waved a hand toward her. “Do not seem so confused. You have gravely mentioned that you have had to lie and that you have been kidnapped. I am quite the villain.” He smirked and let his hand touch upon the bandage over his abdomen. Surely, a more worthy villain would be one who got around better. “This is what you want—is it not?”
    She snapped her wrist in his general direction. “You go on and on about releasing