B0161NEC9Y (F) Read Online Free

and glanced at the felled tree to the right. It lay in a broken mess, rotting into the green grasses, shimmering with wetness. To the left of the path grew a white flowered plant, shaded by the large trees that surrounded it.
    “Okay.” Leilius took a deep breath and tried to block out the eyes staring impatiently at him. “This is the beginning of the non- Gift area. Her mind power won’t work in this area of the trials… I mean, what used to be the trials. S’am is waiting somewhere in there. I think—”
    “This place creeps me out,” Gracas interrupted, rubbing his upper arms as if he was cold. “It’s got a weird vibe to it.”
    “Can you imagine going through here by yourself?” Rachie asked, looking through the trees with wide eyes. “That would suck.”
    “Why are you leading again?” Ruisa asked from the rear of the loosely clustered group.
    Leilius swatted at a fly. “Because I’m the only one who has worked with S’am on spying, that’s why! She seems to think I can help you guys get better at sneaking.”
    “Fat chance,” Marc muttered. “Leading this group is like herding cats.”
    Leilius pinched the bridge of his nose and willed patience. He had no idea how S’am trained this bunch of ninnies. They couldn’t follow even the simplest of directions.
    Of course, they were always attentive and respectful when S’am worked with them. They had to be—she’d kick them in the head if they weren’t.
    Wondering if he could get away with the same thing, Leilius glanced back. His gaze skimmed each of them before stopping on Xavier’s huge shoulders that topped his sizable frame. He thought back to the battle with the Graygual only two months before, remembering how quickly the large kid had moved. How effective he was with his sword. He’d plowed through men with twice his experience and come out the victor.
    Leilius turned back slowly. Best not to stir the pot. Leilius would just get his ass kicked.
    “So here’s the plan,” he said in a hush. Time to quit stalling. “We spread out. Stay off the trail. Stick to the trees and try to work within the leaves, but don’t shake any branches or anything.”
    “Walk in the leaves, but don’t shake any…” Rachie spat, something he did when he was irritated during training. “That doesn’t make any sense.”
    “Just…try to keep under cover, but don’t disturb your surroundings, you know? Quiet movement.” Leilius’ voice had risen an octave, something he did when he was irritated.
    “We’ve stalked game; we know what we’re doing.” Xavier motioned them forward. “Let’s go.”
    Leilius shook his head, but he stepped forward anyway. This wasn’t going to go well. “Just watch what I do.”
    Everyone moved slowly off the path and into the area where mental powers were supposed to go dead. Leilius didn’t know anything about that. The lush green landscape of the Shadow Lands seemed consistent across the whole of the island, wet and alive. He’d heard the Captain and S’am talk about huge fluctuations in their powers in certain areas, and he’d paid attention, but he couldn’t feel any difference from one place to the other.
    The guys and the sole girl spread out slowly like a fan, ducking under reaching branches but still shaking every small piece of flora they walked past. Gracas went so far as to set a whole branch quivering.
    “Stop. Stop!” Leilius said, pausing in a leafy hollow.
    Xavier stopped, shifting to look in Leilius’ direction. A twig cracked under his weight, making the large guy wince. More pops sounded off to the left where Rachie and Gracas were, and a rustle gave Ruisa away. The only person who was as silent as Leilius was Marc. Something Leilius pointed out.
    “I’m the worst with a weapon,” Marc explained with darting eyes. “I’d be the first one to die if I got caught. Or, in this case, the first to get punched. The need to survive has taught me how to blend in. I just wished that worked with