Promises Read Free Page A

away except a slight hitch in my breathing.
    It was enough for Daniel to notice, though, and his head whipped around. His eyes were full of concern. I realized he’d heard my shallow gasp. My teeth clenched. He was going to give me away! Daniel’s gaze locked on me for a second, but he turned around. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Callon and Colt staring harshly at him. They were drilling Daniel telepathically. Then a stray thought hit me. Callon was the leader of the Consilador clan—their clan. Did that mean he had full power over Daniel? Would he force the truth out of him?
    I didn’t have to worry. As the day wore on, nothing more was said. We rode in silence. The sunlight was trickling through the treetops, and a warm wind caused the tall pines to sway. I pulled my long-sleeved shirt off and tied it to my waist. Raising my arms, I braided my wavy hair at the nap of my neck. It kept the long wisps from tickling my cheeks.
    I was beginning to recognize my surroundings as early evening fell. This was the same location we had stopped the second night on our trip in, the same place where the Ghosters—the lights—had tried to take me. The lights I had seen in the cathedral, the lights Callon refused to tell me about…and the lights that had come between me and Colt, driving us apart.
    I shook my head. If I’d known there were beings who could separate themselves from their bodies in the form of lights…if I’d known they could steal my soul…I wouldn’t have looked. If they had explained to me, I would’ve kept my eyes closed. I would’ve held on to Colt, and they wouldn’t have had to shout at me because I was so taken in by their beauty that I was almost ripped away.
    My emotions bubbled to the surface as we passed a familiar outcrop of trees. Beyond them lay the waterfalls where I first realized I loved Colt. How ironic that with both the cave and waterfalls, he’d shown his heart to me. And both times, circumstances had changed so swiftly. It was as if fate were toying with me. She allowed me to get close enough to knowing real love before she ripped it away—leaving me bleeding and broken.
    We stopped to camp for the night, and a single tear streamed down my cheek. I didn’t want to be here, and I didn’t want to remember those feelings. I knew Callon hadn’t chosen this site to cause me misery, but I was finding it hard to ignore the ache in my chest.
    As I dismounted, the pain in my shoulder blade came to life. I stumbled, locking my fingers into Mandi’s mane to steady myself.
    Daniel jumped to my side, his blue eyes full of concern. I flashed him a dark look.
    “ I’m fine,” I practically snarled.
    He didn’t look convinced. I sought out Colt and Callon; they hadn’t noticed anything.
    “ Not a word, Daniel,” I hissed.
    Daniel simply smiled sadly before he disappeared.

Chapter 2

    I stayed close to Mandi as the trio prepared camp. Daniel quickly set up the tent, and Colt went in search of firewood. The distant cracking told me he was splitting wood. Callon tended to the horses, letting them feed in the meadow nearby. I removed Mandi’s tack. It was a good distraction for me and I could tell she was glad to be free. Her ears twitched as she stopped grazing to look at me. Both she and I knew something wasn’t quite right; we just didn’t know what.
    Callon was standing next to the tent, waiting for me. Reluctantly, I walked over; my pack was inside the doorway. Callon’s fingers grasped mine, and I looked up.
    “ I know this isn’t what you want to do right now, but if you change, I’ll take you to the falls to clean up.” I shrugged off his hand, then went inside and zipped the tent closed.
    Despite the way he had phrased the request, he really hadn’t given me a choice. I was going to the falls whether I wanted to or not. I knelt and dug through the pack for my swimsuit, shorts and shirt. Callon was waiting with a towel in hand when I stepped out of the tent. I kept my gaze