Arbiter (The Arbiter Chronicles Book 1) Read Free Page B

to orient herself. She raised her hand to shield her eyes, squinting as she turned away from the light.
    Slowly, her senses began to return to her, and she studied her surroundings. Her bed lay against the wall of the small room. The roof slanted inwards somewhat, so that the ceilings were higher near the door than they were near the window. The room was mostly bare except for the bed, although it did hold a wardrobe against one wall and a writing desk at the foot of the bed. Someone had taken the time to take off her shoes, placing the black flip flops neatly against the wall. She lifted the covers and looked down at herself, letting out a small sigh of relief when she realized she was still wearing her muddy dress.
    She pushed the covers off of herself, slowly sitting up and sliding her legs over the side of the bed. The wooden floor was cold, and she slowly eased herself onto it, getting to her feet. This place didn’t carry the same dreamlike quality as the other place she had found herself in, but it was obviously different from the world she knew.
    She felt different as well. The air here crackled with something, an energy that she couldn't quite name.
    Rae hesitantly walked over to the door, leaving her shoes where they were for the moment. The door was heavy, reinforced with iron and with an iron handle. It reminded her that this was not her world, unless the Reaper was playing a cruel practical joke on her. She tugged on the handle, and the door swung open easily. Rae stepped through it, glancing around the corner.
    She was in what looked like a circular hallway. A set of stairs wound up through the center of it, stretching on in both directions. Doors led off from all sides of the hallway on this floor. She counted four, not counting the one she had just stepped through.
    Voices drifted up from downstairs. Rae hesitated for only a moment before letting the door close behind her and walking over to the staircase. She glanced down, but from this angle, she couldn’t see anything besides winding stairs and the barest hint of the floor below. There were definitely people down there, though.
    The man had said that he was sending her somewhere that could help her.
    Rae took a deep breath, gathering up her courage. She walked slowly down the stairs, her hand loosely curled into a fist near her chest. She kept one hand on the railing to steady herself, pausing as the floor below came into view.
    It was more open than the floor she had just left, and the floor was carpeted this time instead of hardwood. Bookshelves lined the walls, several couches and armchairs spread out between them. Two people stood near a large window, talking quietly amongst themselves. They didn’t seem to notice her. From outside the window, Rae caught a glimpse of the tops of trees, making her wonder just how far the staircase extended.
    One of the people talking was a woman about her age. She had short black hair, and spoke in a hushed voice, her hands curled protectively around a tray of food. The girl she was talking to was a lot younger, probably around ten or eleven. Her hair was somewhere between light brown and dark blond, and it was tied back in a braid. She spoke loudly, and had an insouciant grin on her face as the other woman scolded her. Both were dressed in white dresses with blue trim, although the older woman’s dress had more intricate designs than the girl’s did.
    The younger girl looked up and saw her, and her grin widened as she pointed her out to the older woman. Rae took a step back reflexively, her eyes widening as the older woman turned towards her. Her fingers tightened around the railing of the stairs.
    “Oh, you’re awake,” said the woman. Her expression softened as she noticed Rae’s frightened expression. “Don’t worry,” she said. “We’re not going to hurt you.”
    “I thought you were going to sleep for longer than that,” said the girl, grinning at Rae as she locked her fingers together behind her