Silver Blood (Series of Blood Book 1) by Emma Hamm (bill gates book recommendations .TXT) 📕

“Oh.” She hadn’t considered that he might be interested in her. Honestly, Wren avoided relationships like that. They were complicated and difficult. Not to mention that she wasn’t prepared to handle anyone else in her life.

But him? Jiminy had wiggled his way underneath her armor.

“It doesn’t have to change anything,” he said quietly from his corner.

The words made her look up. He was carefully relaxed against the sturdy door, but she could see that his fists were clenched. A muscle on his jaw jumped as he watched her look him up and down.

“But it has changed,” she finally said.

“For the better?”

“I don’t know. Do you?”

He swallowed hard. “I don’t know.”

“I don’t want it to be awkward,” she whispered. “I don’t know why, but I need you.”

His body jerked at her words. He was holding himself back from her now. His muscles were tense, and the cords of his neck stood out in stark relief against his flesh. “You’ve got me here by your side. Whenever you need it.”

“Good.” She tried to stifle a yawn with her hand. “Once I’m back to normal we’ll talk more.”

“Sleep for a while.”

“If I don’t have nightmares.”

She didn’t see him leave the room as she flopped down onto the mattress. Her life was taking a turn for the worse and the better at the same time. The world was ending and yet it felt as though her world was just beginning.

Her thoughts quieted as the thousands of voices in her head fell silent so that she could at least try to sleep.

While she slept, the Five met in their living room. The fire crackled and drinks were passed amongst them. The conversation was, of course, about their newest conquest.

“She will be very useful.”

Gaia’s voice was strong and clear as the rest of the people in the room stared into the fire. They weren’t at a table, as usual, but there was a stillness in the air that tasted of expectation. Everyone was waiting for what would happen next.

“Then she is confirmed to be part of the prophecy?”

“Absolutely.” Gaia hummed out a happy sound. “I believe the Legion, the creature she calls E, has always known this would happen. It must have an Oracle inside of it. From the little I could see in its smoke, the Legion has been gathering rare and powerful creatures for many years.”

“Intriguing,” Nurin murmured as he sipped from the glass of whiskey in his hand. “Do you believe it will help us?”

“Yes. It doesn’t want to, but I’m certain that it will help once it realizes that Malachi poses a significant risk to Wren.”

The Five fell silent as the door to their conference opened and closed quietly. Their three most trusted soldiers walked through the door to meet with them. Lyra perched on the edge of the sofa, her foot placed square upon Nurin’s knee. Jasper settled himself on the floor next to the fire. And Jiminy remained a silent shadow beyond the edge of the mantle.

“A risk?” Jiminy asked.

Gaia leveled a hard stare upon him. “You have an unusual amount of attention invested when it comes to Wren. I would remind you that she is a job.”

“Noted.” Everyone in the room could tell he had brushed aside her words.

Gaia stared at him a little longer before she finally broke eye contact. “I extend my congratulations to all of you. The first part of our prophecy has been found.”

Lyra and Jasper air fived each other from across the room which caused Jiminy to roll his eyes.

“And at what cost?” Jiminy asked. “We might have lost her already. She’ll go mad before we can find the others.”

“Your mind is limited, Burke. Perhaps you should look past your worries and consider the implications of finding her. She is a rare creature, likely the last of her kind. I believe it would be prudent to limit our search to creatures similar to her.”

“I’ve heard of a dragon down south,” Lyra chirped. “Not sure which one he’d fit, never met him. But that might be a good place to start?”

“Jasper?” Gaia looked towards the man sitting close to the warmth. “Have you ever been south?”

“Close enough to where the rumors of burnings are, ma’am.” He flashed a toothy grin.

“Not without me you aren’t!” Lyra shouted. She launched herself off of the couch and just barely managed to touch his foot before the two of them disappeared from the room.

There were a few moments of silence before Jiminy wrinkled his brow. “Why did you hire the two of them? Of all people that are capable of protecting others, they’re the last on the list.”

“You underestimate people too easily,” Gaia said quietly as she swirled in the wine in her glass. “Now we should consider how to protect Wren while she is within our walls.”

“This is the safest place in the city.”

“But not without its faults. I want you to be singularly in charge of protecting her.” She met his eyes with a meaningful stare. “Do not disappoint me again.”

The soft click of the door seemed loud in the room.

“He won’t,” Wren said as she walked into the room. Jiminy noted that her feet were bare and her hair tousled with sleep. His lips quirked into a half smile. At least she had managed to sleep a little bit.

“I see you’ve recovered,” Nurin called out to her.

“Hardly.” Her hand held onto the objects around her as though she had no balance, and her brow was still creased in concentration.

Jiminy moved forward to help. At the edge of his line of sight, he could see Gaia frowning at him. He would shoulder her disapproval if it meant that Wren was more comfortable. What had gotten the member of the Five all riled up, he didn’t know. Jiminy found he didn’t care.

Her hand reached out to hold onto his. She was thin, her hand took up half of the space his did. But Jiminy knew very well how strong she was. These hands