The Golden Bell Read Free Page A

wondrous place, but
dangerous as well. It demanded strength from its people, and gave
richly to those with the heart to rule it. A spirited girl like her
would do well there, but perhaps she didn’t know that. The few of
them left here were increasingly ignorant of Dark Land lore.
    Fallon was a guardian. Together with the
Council of Elders, he protected the gate from criminals intent on
escaping human justice and regulated the flow of emigrants fleeing
the increasing power of the Cult. Only a few families still
lingered on Earth. Almost all that remained of their young men had
chosen to receive special combat training, protecting their people
and the gate until the stragglers could make up their mind to cross
over. Fallon hoped it would happen soon. Those that were left
couldn’t escape the vigilantes for long.
    He checked on his passenger out of the corner
of his eye. She was cute, in spite of the shadows under her eyes
and eye-watering stench. Not that he begrudged her that; she’d had
a rough day. A good shower would take care of the grime, and sleep
would restore her color. A faint grin played around his mouth as he
considered what rest would do for her feisty attitude. She’d be a
handful, and he wouldn’t mind the distraction. Life had been dull
lately. He had a feeling her visit might be just what he
needed.
    The sound of gravel crunching under the
Jeep’s wheels woke her from her light doze. Squinting with
lingering sleep, she blinked as the motion lights clicked on,
illuminating the miniature castle Fallon called home. She stared at
the mullioned windows and round tower as one of the three garage
doors slid up. He smiled in amusement when her eyes widened at the
bad, black, and very expensive Lamborghini Diablo and custom made
Harley parked on either side of the Jeep. Women had a thing for
sports cars, even if most of them knew little about the specifics.
Looked like she was no exception.
    “Bachelor,” she muttered, eyeing his toys
with misgiving. The odds of him having a wife and kids tucked away
in here had just drastically diminished. Fighting the urge to
squirm at the thought of sharing his house unchaperoned, she paid
close attention to his quick tour.
    “Laundry room. Toss your clothes out the door
when you hop in the shower and I’ll throw them in. You can use one
of my shirts and my robe until they’re dry, but there’s no way my
pants are going to fit you.”
    She cleared her throat and suggested
uneasily, “Boxers might.” Heat rose in her cheeks, but she didn’t
feel comfortable strutting around without underwear at the best of
times, and especially around him.
    “Don’t wear them,” he answered easily. They
passed through a spacious kitchen. She glimpsed a large living room
with leather couches, overstuffed armchairs and a wide screen TV as
he guided her upstairs. He paused before a door and swung it open,
revealing a sparkling bathroom with a huge tub, a shower stall and
double sinks. The words ‘wife’ drifted through her brain, but she
shook it off. There were no feminine frills, no soft touches of
womanly possession. “You’ve got a housekeeper, right?”
    “Right. In that drawer, there should be spare
toothbrushes. Soap and shampoo are in the shower and all the towels
are clean. Be right back with some clothes.”
    Grimacing at her reflection in the mirror,
she made good use of the toothbrush, thrilled to have clean teeth
again. She’d been running hard for the better part of a week and
had scarcely been able to draw a breath before that, so little
things like pure water and the prospect of a clean soft bed held
the emotional appeal of a vacation at Club Med.
    “Here you are. I’ll be in the kitchen working
on dinner when you’re done.” Her host deposited a pile of clothes
on the counter and left.
    Stripping, she gratefully tossed her dirty
clothes out the door and locked it, suffering a brief pang for the
mess she was about to make of his tiled shower. She stepped in