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

were capable of creating emotions that could heal or harm. These hands had managed to impress him more than once.

He squeezed her fingers gently as he guided her over to a vacant chair. She pressed her weight into his hand, and he eased her into the cushions. Jiminy understood that she didn’t want anyone to see how weak she truly was in this moment.

Wren let out a small breath once she was finally settled. Everyone was watching her with calculating gazes. It was unnerving.

“I need to go home,” she spoke into the silence.

“Absolutely not.” Gaia’s voice was one that warned against arguing. “You are to remain here until the others are found.”

“I need my things.” Wren looked up from her hands to meet the powerful woman’s gaze head on. “I think you’ve done enough to give me good reason to wish this. I will remain here as you have asked. But I refuse to be here without living my life. I need a few days to go back to my shop. Gather my things. Piece together what little normalcy I can.”

“I do not think it wise to -”

Gaia was interrupted by her husband, who raised his hand in front of her face. “You may go home. You have twenty four hours before we come and collect you again.”

Wren blinked in stunned silence for a few moments. “I expected arguing.”

Nurin smiled at her. The silver at his temples glinted for a moment before she focused upon his eyes once more. “You are not the only one to know what it feels like to be a captive, Wren. Go home and prepare for your life to change.”

She nodded while trying to hide how nervous this situation made her. She had a feeling that she might be allowed back to her home, but she would never be completely alone again. Her only hope was that she could gather her things in privacy. The last thing she needed was someone watching her pack her underthings.

“When shall I leave?”

“Right now,” he said as he nodded towards Jiminy. “You’ll be returned to your home in one piece. Jiminy will provide you with the privacy you desire.”

She arched a brow in silent question.

“Yes. Most of us are capable of reading minds in this room.” Nurin winked at her.

“Good to know.”

She slowly stood, this time without the help of Jiminy. As she left the room, she heard a deep baritone chuckle.

“Insulting us in your mind is just as bad as insulting us out loud.”

“No it’s not,” she said as she followed Jiminy out of the room. “If you don’t want to hear insults then you should stay out of my head.”

She closed the door behind her with a soft sound. Nurin shook his head as the others stared at him. “Stay out of her head if you can. That creature inside of her is a rats’ nest to fight through.”

CHAPTER 8

T  he door to her shop jangled as she stepped inside. Everything had remained the same, so it seemed. The sweet smell of herbs was still in the air although some of her plants needed watering. The door had remained locked, and no one had stolen from her. At least there was some respite from the insanity her life had become.

She was wearing borrowed clothing to return to her home. They had all agreed that she had started to smell a little rank and that it would be best for the clothing she had been kidnapped in to be washed.

The only person that had been similar to her in size had been Aether, but Wren refused to wear any of the clothing that the Five had worn before. This meant she had ended up borrowing sweatpants and a shirt from Jasper who had looked none too pleased that she would be wearing his clothing.

He had held up the Hawaiian shirt with a severe look and told her several times that this was his favorite shirt and if she got it dirty he would hunt her down. Wren had simply slipped it over her head and made a face at him. If she dripped food onto it then he would have to deal.

The sweatpants hung low on her hips, and she was constantly having to hitch them up. But they would only be on her body until she could walk up the stairs and put her own clothing on. Wren just hoped they stayed where they were, and she didn’t give Jiminy an eyeful on the way up.

Her shoes thumped against the floor as she hurried behind the counter. She knelt to grab the bag that held her money and jangled it over her head at Jiminy’s questioning look.

“Can’t forget the goods.”

However, the “goods” were no longer part of her life. She tried not to look at the glass vials and jars behind her. They had been so important for so long that it felt wrong to not take them with her.

Logically, she knew that it was impossible for her to carry all these items with her. The Juice had no meaningful use when it came to the Five. But the smoke started to swirl when she was near it as though it knew she was the one who had created it.

Leaving her life behind was going to be difficult. This shop had always been her home and would remain so. At least she hoped. Her fingers drifted over the worn wood of the counter as she gathered the courage to ask.

“I’m not going to have to sell the shop am I?”

Jiminy arched a brow. “I wouldn’t think so. Why would you have to?”

“I just… I didn’t know if I would ever be allowed to return here.”

“When it’s all done, I don’t see why they would make you stay.”

A cold shiver danced down her spine. “What if we don’t stop him?”

They started up the staircase. Every creak of the worn wood made her want to flinch. As she muttered the question, it appeared to Wren that the