Nine Tails 6: Spirit Shift
Page 13
I kept my face blank, revealing nothing about what had transpired before Reilly had shown up. “Easier said than done.”
“If anyone can, it's you.”
I kept my body in front of Karina, blocking Reilly from seeing her completely. It only take one look at her for him to see what she had done. He might still sense, a shift of the wind. “I’m counting on it.”
Reilly left right away, so as not to raise suspicion with the court at the castle. We gathered what little supplies we had and left the cave, heading in the direction Reilly had instructed us: over the cliffs and back to the beach. There was indeed a boat waiting for us. It wasn’t large, not like the ships that swayed in the harbor farther down the shore, but it would get us away from here.
But we weren’t the only ones on the beach.
Hunkering down behind some shrubs, we hid from sight before the sentinels combing the sand could spot us.
“This is bad,” Karina whispered.
I couldn’t agree more. I weighed our odds of fighting versus abandoning this plan.
“Do you think this is a trap?” Kai asked.
Had Reilly sent us down here to be discovered? I didn’t want to believe it. “It doesn’t matter as long as we get to the boat.”
Kai’s jaw flexed. “And how do you propose we do that?”
“I’ll think of something.” I always did. I worked best under pressure. I didn’t always have the most effective plans, but I got the job done. Most of the time.
My mind was rolling through our options when a chill seeped into the air, working up my spine. It was familiar, and a drop of unease fell into my stomach. Kai was up to something, and it was never good when my stepbrother got an idea.
“Kai?” Karina whispered, gaping at the spot where he had been crouched, confirming my theory.
Kai had vanished.
Son of a bitch. Typical for him to just check out when things got dicey.
“What a shithead,” she said, meeting my gaze.
He definitely was. Our odds of getting out of this mess just went from improbable to impossible.
“There!” Karina pointed as she peeked around a cluster of foliage. I followed her line of sight. A sentinel yelled to his two comrades, and the trio of them took off toward something. My gaze shifted, searching for what had gained their attention. I prayed it wasn’t us. Then I saw Kai. Shadows formed in his wake, temporarily impairing the guards. It wouldn’t hold them off long, but it might just be enough.
Kai had given Karina and me the distraction we needed to escape.
I didn’t have words.
Why?
He had never done a selfless act in his life.
I turned to the girl at my side and understood.
For her.
She had weaseled her way into my stepbrother’s heart, which really shouldn’t have been a surprise. The queen had a way of breaking down walls. I knew what it was to care for someone whom you could never have.
I guess Kai and I had something in common after all.
Slipping a hand under her elbow, I guided Karina to her feet. “Let’s go. We need to move.”
“But Kai?” she protested. She chewed on the inside of her cheek, battling with herself. It was evident they had formed some sort of friendship while in the castle. Even knowing he had sacrificed himself for her didn’t erase the jealousy that rose up inside me.
“He made his choice. Don’t let it be in vain.” Latching on to her hand, I wove our fingers together and pulled her toward the beach and the waiting boat. Water sloshed at our feet as we moved into the shallow water, and my hands encircled her waist, lifting her up into the boat. I pushed the boat deeper into the water and hoisted myself in.
The vast blue of the ocean swelled in front of us as I steered the bow away from Orangeoland. I looked back, seeing the castle as a dark smudge on the horizon. Once again, we found ourselves on the run, just in a different world. The weeks ahead of us on the sea, alone in a boat, were going to test every bit of our strength, because even now, my spirit demanded I claim her, and it was going to drive me out of my wits.
The tides had shifted. Gods help the Second Moon.
Thank you for reading! Karina and Devyn’s story will continue in Tide Shift.
Read more by J. L. Weil
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(Full series completed – Teen Paranormal Romance)
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(Teen Dystopian Romance)
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(Teen Paranormal Romance)
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Time Shift
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Spirit Shift
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(Teen Paranormal Romance)
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About the Author
J.L. Weil is a USA TODAY Bestselling author of teen & new adult paranormal romance, fantasy, and urban fantasy books about spunky, smart mouth girls who always wind up in dire situations. For every sassy girl, there is an equally mouthwatering, overprotective guy.
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