Shattered Secrets (Book of Red #1) (54 page)

“Kate, wake up,” Brit says, pushing my shoulder.

Judging by the heat in the tent, it must be late in the afternoon. I’m still wrapped in Brad’s embrace, and there is nothing important enough to make me want to move. My best friend’s arms make me feel safe and comfortable. I don’t understand this new closeness between Brad and me. I want to talk to him about us, but not with Brit around.

My eyes stay closed tightly, and I try to ignore Brit’s attempts to wake me.

“
Guys
!” Brit yells.

Brad and I jolt.

Opening his eyes, he tightens his hold on me and groans at Brit. “
What
?”

“It’s almost five … you know, at night! Unless we want to waste the rest of the daylight, we should start exploring the cave soon.” Brit looks deliberately at me.

“Cave time?” Brad asks.

“Yeah, come on, it’ll be fun.” I want to go, but I’m still unwilling to move from his arms.

“Would you two just get up already?” Brit is clearly peeved.

I give in, peel myself away from Brad—who looks unhappy about me getting up—then get dressed. He keeps his eyes averted while I change my dirty clothes, but I couldn’t care less about who’s in the tent—the crispy feel my shirt and pants have, from being wet and subsequently dried by a fire, means they have to come off.

After dressing, I grab another granola bar and gather some gear. “Let’s see, a flashlight, some rope, and our waterproof camera. That should be enough. What do you think, Brit?”

“Great, let’s go.”

Brit and I have issues containing our excitement as we walk toward the swimming hole—she’s practically running, and I keep tripping over things. Brad stays so close to me, I’m afraid my ability to hide my enthusiasm might fail, and we’ll end up having to explain the whole odd story to him.

I don’t understand why a light guided us to the cave, and, I find it odd Brit and I are both so willing to go exploring. But, I push these thoughts from my mind and rush on, hoping the cave is not totally under water, so we can stay in it longer without worrying about how we’re going to breathe.

Shrill laughter rings out ahead of us. The closer we get, the more obvious it becomes that we’re not going to be alone at the swimming hole.

Brit stops at the end of the trail.

“Crap.” She stares at five children splashing around, while their parents watch from the other bank.

“Be nice. We can just wait for them to leave,” I say to my impatient sister.

“What’s the problem?” Brad asks.

“If they decide to follow us, do you want to be responsible for them getting hurt?” I come up with the one response that makes sense.

The children being here shouldn’t bother us, but seeing as we found the cave using a mysterious light, I think we better wait. Not that Brad is aware of this, but he buys the excuse.

We sit on the bank, waiting. The parents watch us the entire time, not even attempting to make their stares inconspicuous. They must figure we’re up to no good. Five or ten minutes pass before they collect their children from the river.

I tip my head in their direction. “Look, they’re getting out.”

At last, we’re free to go explore our cave.

I place the gear on a rock and undress down to my underclothes while Brad turns his head, once again.

Brit eyes the gear. “Do you really think we need the rope and camera right now?”

“No,” I say.

We each carry a flashlight; the rest of the gear we leave behind.

I can see at least a foot of the top of the cave above the water, but Brad cannot. “Are you sure you can’t see it?”

“I swear,” Brad says.

Brit and I exchange glances.

“Can you see it under the water?” she asks.

Brad dunks his head. “Yes.”

With a quick wink, Brit and I decide we should enter from below.

I smile. “Ready?”

They both nod.

We all take a deep breath and immerse ourselves.

As soon as we swim through the mouth of the cave, the water evaporates, and our bodies slam into cold, hard ground. I stand, confused, and wipe off the dirt and stones covering my wet skin.

The air is at least twenty degrees cooler than the air on the other side, and smells of rotting wood and mildew.

Intuition tells me the situation is wrong.

We need to go back.

We are not in a cave.

“We should go—”

Something so horrible, so powerful, takes control over my body—I fall onto my hands and knees and scream.

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Wilde's Fire, by Krystal Wade
(
http://j.mp/1ak2Ju1
)

“There is no pain in this death, only peace, knowing I am going to die with the one I love the most.”—
Katriona Wilde.

Katriona Wilde has never wondered what it would feel like to have everything she’s ever known and loved ripped away, but she is about to find out: her entire life has been a lie, and those closest to her have betrayed her.

What’s worse, she has no control over her new future, full of magic and horrors from which nightmares are made. Will Kate discover and learn to control who she really is in time to save the ones she loves, or will all be lost?

Wilde's Army, by Krystal Wade
(
http://j.mp/1md8W2D
)

“Hello, Katriona.”
Those two words spark fear in Katriona Wilde and give way to an unlikely partnership with Perth, the man she’s been traded to marry for a favor. Saving her true love and protector Arland, her family, and their soldiers keeps her motivated, but the at-odds duo soon realizes trust is something that comes and goes with each breath of Encardia’s rotting, stagnant air.