Island Shifters: Book 03 - An Oath of the Children Read Online Free Page B

body. Realizing at the last second that she was floating too close to him, she only just managed to avoid one of his powerful swings.
    Laughing, she cast her arm out and sent him flying.
    There was only Kane left now, and he was the tricky one. She had always been able to pick out her brother from his replicas, but she could no longer do so. In the past few months, her brother had grown exponentially more adept in his magic and his illusions were incredibly realistic.
    Still, she started to pick off the Kane images and one by one, they vanished in a puff of smoke. She felt proud when she defeated the first three and searched wildly for the last two. She flinched when she saw Kane standing directly below her with a satisfied smirk on his face. She landed on the ground, ran at him and spun, launching a kick meant to take him off his feet.
    To her surprise, her foot sailed through nothing but air, and she fought to keep her balance. A tap on her shoulder twisted her around awkwardly. The real Kane! He grabbed her around the neck and slammed her to the ground.
    She winced, but smiled up at her brother in admiration. With golden eyes glowing even in the afternoon sun, he reached out his hand to help her to her feet. He was too polite to gloat, but Kellan did not have any problem in that regard.
    “Now, that is a first! Well done, Kane! It seems our sister is getting a little slow in her old age.”
    She grabbed Kane’s outstretched hand and got to her feet. “Not too slow to blow your measly defenses apart,” she shot back.
    The Radeks and Izzy laughed when they joined them, and the Draca Cats watched all of the activity in a bored fashion, but Kenley knew that green, blue and golden eyes missed nothing.
    “Come on,” said Reilly. “Let’s enjoy our last few hours of freedom before the long trip back to Bardot.”
    As they walked toward the lake, Kenley asked the others if any of them had seen the old woman standing on the dock in Northfort.
    None had.
    Kenley shrugged, still unnerved about the encounter, although she could not say why. Maybe it was the woman’s critical gaze and the way she seemed to be judging Kenley in some way. Far more likely, it was the woman’s eerie, all white eyes.

 
    C HAPTER 3
    A P ROPOSAL
     
     
    The casual laughter around the table in the palace kitchens cut off abruptly when the doors banged open. Kirby Nash’s face was crimson with fury.
    Eyes grew wide in fright and utensils clanged to the floor as the cook and servants dropped what they were doing to dart into one of the back rooms.
    Kirby’s eyes locked directly on Kenley.
    “Out!” he thundered to the children as he strode angrily to their table.
    “But—”
    “Out, I said! Now!”
    Chairs scraped back as the children complied with his order.
    Kellan bent down and whispered in Kenley’s ear, “Good luck, sister.”
    Kenley nodded and sat calmly, waiting for the storm she had been expecting for three days. Her face a mask of serenity, she set down her teacup and looked up at the Captain planted in front of her in his red and black uniform and shiny saber hanging low on his hip. If she thought to escape, there was no chance of that now.
    Baya peeked up at the commotion from her place by the back door, but then closed her eyes again, obviously holding true to her word not to interfere with Kirby’s wrath.
    Kenley rose to her feet in the modest space offered between the wall of Kirby’s chest and her chair. “Captain.”
    “Do I ask for that much, Kenley? Do I?”
    “No, not really…”
    “Why then? Why must you continue to torment me?”
    “Do I torment you?” she asked innocently.
    He turned away from her and ran a hand through his hair. “You know you do,” he whispered.
    “It’s late, Captain. I think he should continue this conversation in my chambers. I do not wish to be overheard.”
    He simply nodded.
    Baya?
    The cat barked out a snort that told Kenley she was on her own and made no move to rise.
    With a