Druidess Found (Druidess Trilogy Book 1) by Machelle Hanleigh (interesting novels to read txt) 📕

this through, think about what she did wrong. She shook her head again. She did everything Moto showed her. She laid her head on her knees and closed her eyes. She focused on not crying. "Dammit!"

"Kaily?"

She startled, and her head came up to check her surroundings and who spoke to her. "Shimani? What are you doing here?" She came to her feet and rushed to where he stood just in front of the Gateway's arch.

"I thought I would check to see what took you so long. Moto is getting," Shimani stopped speaking. He appeared to think over his choice of words, "moody." He picked up her pack from where she dropped it.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "You're timing is suspiciously impeccable."

Shimani gave her a boyish grin, "isn't it."

She shook her head at him. "I am glad you're here. I can't open the Gateway. I did everything that Moto instructed," she let out a heavy sigh.

"Did Moto leave your talisman with you?"

She shook her head, "no, why?"

"Can you feel the energy around the Gateway?"

"Yes, but I can't pull it inside me to direct towards the rune."

"The talismans act as conduits and are what allows us to pull in and harness the energy that flows through the worlds, Universe actually."

"Why wouldn't Moto know that?" She narrowed her eyes at Shimani.

Shimani frowned and rubbed the back of his neck. "That's a bit,"

"Shimani if you say complicated and then think that lets you off the hook of explaining it to me, I will smack you and then I will tell Moto to skin you alive."

"Alright," Shimani had the good grace to look abashed. "Moto showed you his weapons collection, didn't he?"

Kaily smiled, "no, and your changing the subject."

"Moto knows as an instinct, not as an intellect."

She glared at him. "How is it you know more than Moto does in these matters? Isn't he training you?"

Shimani fidgeted and looked uncomfortable.

"Shimani, what are you hiding?" She stepped closer to him.

"Kaily, please don't ask me anything more, you're going to get me into trouble."

She was taken back by the seriousness of his tone. "With Moto?"

Shimani shook his head. "I promise, when it is time, you will understand everything, but until that time, I can't tell you what you want to know. I have my orders."

She studied Shimani for a moment. "You're not here by accident, are you?"

Shimani shook his head.

"And it isn't the Queen's orders that you're following, is it?"

Shimani shook his head again.

"I don't like this." She paced back and forth. She stopped a few times and studied Shimani, who remained silent. He seemed content to let her come to terms with the information and lack thereof. She stopped pacing and faced Shimani toe to toe. "It wasn't an accident that I ended up on Ki, was it?"

Shimani shook his head.

She thought of asking if Moto finding her was an accident, but she didn't want to know the answer to that question, not yet anyway. She studied Shimani and thought back on her time with him. "Do you trust this person you're taking orders from?"

"With my life," Shimani said. "Please, Kaily, trust me."

Kaily shook her head. "Don't ask that of me. I don't trust easily and right now," she continued to shake her head. "Right now, I don't know what to think. I hate being played, Shimani, and I hate being manipulated."

Shimani opened his mouth to reply.

Kaily narrowed her eyes and glared at him. "Unless you are willing to give me the full story with absolute truth and detail, say nothing."

Shimani shut his mouth.

"Take me to Moto."

Shimani nodded and turned to the Gateway. He placed his palm on the rune for Ki. Almost immediately, the runes glowed the same silver-blue she previously saw. Shimani stepped aside to let her pass through first.

She reached for her pack that he carried.

"Moto would skin me alive, if I let you carry this heavy pack." Shimani put his hand over the strap across his shoulder to show he intended to retain possession of it.

She grabbed the strap. "I will, if you don't give it to me."

Shimani relinquished the heavy pack and held his hands up in a gesture of surrender.

She smacked him hard on the chest before stepping into the Gateway.

Shimani stepped through the Gateway after Kaily rubbing his chest. "What was that for?" He asked when he joined her on the other side.

"Everything!" She said.

"Moto was right, you are violent." Shimani said as he opened a portal. "After you," he held his arm out towards the portal. He took a step back, out of Kaily's reach when she stepped up to the open portal.

"You don't trust me?" She asked.

Shimani shook his head, "no."

Kaily grinned and stepped through the portal. She waited on the other side for Shimani to join her. The portal took her to just outside the cave entrance. She could here Moto and Sari arguing inside but couldn't quite make out what they were saying. She moved to enter the cave. Shimani grabbed her arm to stop her. Kaily's eyes met his.

"Please, keep our conversation to yourself." Shimani whispered.

"That's a little hard to do with my telepathic connection to Moto." Kaily whispered back.

"Try." Shimani said and dropped his hand from her arm. He turned his attention to the entrance.

"There you are." Moto said, coming out of the entrance. He took the pack from Kaily, slung it over his shoulder, and glared at Shimani, then enfolded Kaily in a fierce embrace.

Shimani held his hands up and took a step back. "She wouldn't let me carry it for her." He said, defending his actions.

Kaily hugged Moto, and then turned in his arms so that he was still holding her, but she faced Shimani.

"Welcome back," Sari said as she came out of the cave.

"Thank you," Kaily said with a slight nod of her head. "If you two don't mind, I would like some time," she glanced up at Moto, "alone with Moto." She finished and looked back at Shimani and Sari.

"Of course," Sari said. She stepped back from the