The Shattered Gates Read Online Free Page B

limply in her hair.
    “Kyle.” He shook her hand.
    Her pale eyebrows shot up. “Not Kyle the roommate?”
    She glanced back to John for confirmation. Kahlil didn’t miss the flicker of horror that passed over John’s face as he nodded in acknowledgment.
    “Yes, I believe that would be me.” Kahlil smiled.
    “So we meet at last.” She peered up at him. “You really do have tattoos on your eyelids! I totally thought Toffee was lying about that.”
    “He wasn’t lying.” Kahlil bowed his head and closed his eyes, allowing her to see the Prayerscars clearly.
    “Cool. They’re eyes.” Laurie moved closer to him, and he caught the very faint scent of beer and pine trees.
    “Didn’t that hurt?” Laurie asked.
    “A little.”
    “Yeah, right. I would totally be screaming if they even came close to one of my eyes with a tattoo needle. I swear to God. I almost fainted when I got my ears pierced.” She casually glanced at Kahlil’s bare ears. “So do your scary tattoos have any special meaning?”
    “I don’t believe so.”
    “You don’t believe so. That’s kind of evasive.” She grinned but didn’t pursue the question. Kahlil warmed to her further for that.
    “So do you mind if I’m really nosy and ask if you’re single or not?” She seemed to be joking, but he wasn’t sure.
    “We really need to sit down and order, Laurie,” John broke in. “And somebody should take Bill home.” He pointed back to the booth where the pale man had collapsed onto the tabletop.
    Laurie waved her hand as though she were brushing Bill’s inert, sprawling form aside. “He just needs some coffee. Come on, you guys can help me bring him back to the land of the living.”
    Laurie grasped Kahlil’s arm, tugging him back towards her booth. He allowed her to pull him along, and John followed behind.
    “Come on,” she said. “I’ve been wanting to meet you for ages, but John obviously doesn’t want to share you.”
    “Maybe he just doesn’t want to share you,” Kahlil replied.
    “Not in this lifetime.” Laurie cocked her head slightly. “You know what I’m talking about, don’t you?”
    “I might.” Kahlil started to shrug, then stopped himself, remembering his shoulder. The yellowpetal water had numbed the pain, but he didn’t want to start bleeding through his bandages and clothes in the restaurant. John would never take him anywhere else again.
    “So, what do you think of it?” Laurie asked with a teasing smile.
    “Does it matter what I think of it?” He still marveled that desires of this kind could be discussed aloud here in Nayeshi, even in this sideways manner. The freedom to speak aloud made him almost giddy. He stole a quick glance at John and noted the flush coloring his tanned cheeks. Briefly he held John’s gaze, and it seemed that something like interest lingered there, despite his obvious embarrassment.
    But Kahlil warned himself against becoming caught up in this illusion of freedom. Someday, word would come from the Black Tower, and all of this would end in blood or ruins.
    “Of course it matters what you think. That matters the very most.” Laurie’s voice dropped into a stage whisper.
    “I believe my actions will speak for my thoughts on the subject.” Kahlil smiled, knowing that neither John nor this woman could comprehend the truth of his words.
    “Really?” Laurie returned his smile like a conspirator. “I thought that something like that might be going on. John never tells anyone anything, but I know when there are birds and bees in the air.”
    The conversation reminded Kahlil of talking to the bones. Everything alluded to something else. One word might mean another thing completely. “Sword” could be “a key.” “A key” could be “death.” They were like riddles. But where the bones spoke in riddles because their lives depended on deception, here it was a matter of harmless amusement. Kahlil could enjoy it, though John plainly did not.
    He said, “No. We are not