In Rapture (Destined) Read Free

Time to bring you all in.” The ears that perked up, along
with the small bobbing tail that answered her, told Malinda that the sheep
understood her perfectly. It was quite strange how easy it was to communicate with
the animals. Her grandmother had told her it was due to the magic of Lena that
flowed through her veins: Adrianic magic, older than life itself. When she had
been younger her grandmother had taught her everything there was to know about
the Adrianic magic, a magic that every woman who was descended from Lena passed
down to their daughters, a heritage that came with many powers and even greater
responsibility. It was to be used solely to protect others who could not
protect themselves, and was never to be used to get ahead in the world around
them, for personal gain, or for profit. The women of Lena had many varied
skills, from controlling the elements to telling the future. Malinda was a mix
of all these things. She could harness the elements if she concentrated hard,
but it took a lot of effort for her, for the elements were not what drew her
closer. She was skilled in natural healing, could read a person’s aura easily,
and could sometimes get an imprint from the past based on the aura a person
left behind. She also could read animals well enough to help them, and often
times could be found with many different animals following her around. She felt
that her ability to understand the animals was her greatest power.
    Her
grandmother had been a master healer, and had taught Malinda everything that
she knew. Malinda absorbed everything she had been taught—every herbal remedy,
spell, and prayer—but one thing had become clear to her: there was no cure for
old age and a broken heart. Her grandmother’s health had plummeted since her
grandfather had passed away, and Malinda felt helpless as she watched her
grandmother get progressively worse with the passing of each day.
    When
Malinda returned home from the pastures she was not surprised that the steward
was heading to their little hut from the long road that stretched from Tinley
Faire to the outskirts of the property. When the steward finally dismounted in
front of their hut Malinda was prepared for the pomp and circumstance.
    He
wore a royal purple doublet that was so puffed up around the neck and sleeves
that he looked like a strutting peacock. Apparently no one had thought to tell
him how his blotchy red skin stood out more with bright colors. The red plume
on top of his black hat reminded her of a rooster’s tail. His large bottom was
squeezed into white breeches that were at least three sizes too small. She knew
she would never forget the sight of the large hips ballooned out so far around
him, making him so rotund that he was quite comical in appearance. All in all,
it was easy to assume that he was quite harmless, but that perhaps was her
first mistake.
    Malinda
never could understand how a person’s worth was ascertained from the amount of
clothing they wore, but then again she had never had clothing that she or her grandmother
had not made. She was due for new clothes soon, for her dresses were starting
to wear thin, and she was sure that the cold winter chills would not be kept at
bay this year. She clutched her skirt in her hand and ran a finger over the
delicate lace they had bartered for. She looked up at the steward of Tinley
Faire, his desires written clearly on his face. With a rustle of the wind in
the leaves she knew that whatever happened next was going to have deep
consequences. She petted the head of the large dog near her side when a low
growl rumbled in his chest.
    “Ms.
Grier.” He put a hand to his hat, but did not bother to remove it, a sign that
he knew very well of her parentage.
    “Sir
Halfscomb.” Malinda dropped her head down as low as she dared, knowing if she
curtsied too low before him that his eyes would linger even longer on her
cleavage.
    “Lord
Tinley has asked me to do my rounds for tax collecting. It has been