Army Of The Winter Court (Skeleton Key) Read Free Page A

doubtful before saying, “If you don’t want to, you are free to say no. I won’t hold it against you, though, I hope you’ll say yes.”
    Who is this guy?  
    Evvie contemplated him as he waited patiently with his brilliant, unwavering smile. The chill was starting to get under her skin, so the warmth would be nice. She looked at her watch and checked the time. There was still an hour until she had to meet with her group. A cup of tea couldn’t hurt.  
    “Okay,” she agreed. “Thank you.”

    .: 。 ·* இ *·.: 。 ·* இ *· 。 :.·* இ *· 。 :.

    Evvie played with the material of her sleeves as Ian browsed the glass case of pastries, waiting for his turn to order their drinks. He said he’d surprise her with a drink he knew she would love, and since it was his treat, she’d agreed.
    The dark wooden walls made the space of the cafe feel warm and cozy. Padded booths lined the inside wall, but she’d chosen one of the smaller two person tables in the corner next to the window.
    She watched him walk toward her, gracefully stepping around the throngs of students rushing about.  
    Setting Evvie’s drink in front of her, he sat down across from her at the table. His legs were so long that his knee brushed against hers.
    “Mmm, thank you.” She brought the mug to her face and breathed in––rose tea. She preferred sweet coffee drinks, but this smelled so good that it might inspire her to occasionally try something different. Opening her eyes, she discovered him watching her as a faint smile played on his lips.
    “So, what do you study?” Ian asked leaning back in his chair.
    “Photojournalism,” she answered, her fingers playing with the paper tag on the end of the tea bag.
    “And why photojournalism?”
    Evvie looked him in the eye. He asked a lot of questions, but hardly gave any answers. It was unusual to talk to anyone who didn’t expect her to listen to them talk about themselves. Conversations with classmates usually consisted of them telling her about themselves and checking their phone while she spoke. She considered herself lucky if she got more than a mere “Mmhm” in return. Ian was different—refreshing.
    “I love finding the beauty, and emotion in everyday scenes, bringing it out for people who might walk past and never notice.” She took a sip of her tea, the scent of roses overtaking her senses. “When I graduate I want to work for World Wide magazine. I’d love the chance to travel to thousands of places.”
    “You want to travel?” His eyes lit up and he leaned forward.
    “Yeah,” she said wistfully. “There are so many places I’ve always wanted to see and more I haven’t had the chance to consider even going to yet.”
    “I think you will travel to places you’ve never imagined existed before.”
    She raised an eyebrow.  
    “You think so?”
    “I have no doubt about it.”
    The smile on his face was contagious and she couldn’t help the one that formed on her lips in return. Soon, they fell into a relaxed rhythm of conversation and, for the first time in her recent memories, she felt herself connect with another person.
    After a while Evvie looked up and around the room, the clusters of students that had been there what felt like seconds ago were gone, and now only a small handful lingered. Pulling back her sleeve, she checked her watch. It was ten after.
    “Oh crap, I have to go. My group started ten minutes ago.” She stood quickly, her chair scraping across the floor loudly as she bent down, to pick up her bag, slinging it over her shoulder.
    “I wish you’d stay,” he said quietly with one hand outstretched on the table, as if he were trying to keep himself from reaching out and taking her hand.
    She stopped her hurried movements and looked at him, studying his face. Impossibly bright blue eyes, the color of tropical water, watched her as she debated his request. Jet black hair just long enough to graze his ears and a few longer strands on top, brushed