Nil on Fire Read Online Free

future spilled like the light of a thousand suns, bursting with brilliance and flaring into the now.
    Now, it would be up to her: his mate, the one called Skye. The one with the power to listen, and to hear, and above all, to survive.
    In the meantime, the island must choose wisely, both here and there , with what little power it had left. Here, the island had developed an affinity for the one called Hafthor, a male who was potentially worthy of the Sight. Usually the island gifted the Sight to females, but there had been exceptions. It was too soon to judge.
    For now, the island would see through Hafthor’s eyes. Occasionally, human sight had proven useful, even insightful, and the island would utilize every advantage it could .
    Through Hafthor’s eyes, the island watched.
    *   *   *
    From behind the largest thicket of palms, Hafthor studied the girl. Long black braid, sharp cheekbones. She would be beautiful , he thought, except for her smile . It hinted at cruelty.
    And she was a thief.
    As he’d watched, she’d strolled into the empty village, past the wooden wall packed with names—some of which looked recently added—and strode into a small thatched-roof hut as if it were hers. And yet, he knew that it wasn’t, just as he knew that the rope she’d walked out with wasn’t hers, or the cloth bag bulging with gourds.
    The hidden people would not approve.
    He’d met no one else here, but he knew they existed: he saw their fingerprints on the empty beds carefully made; he heard their voices in the wind and their whispers in the trees; he felt their dead lying still in the field of flowers.
    He felt the hidden people everywhere, and they demanded respect.
    Perhaps this girl felt them too, because she didn’t linger in the village. After poking her head out and glancing around, she walked straight toward his hiding place, a look of satisfaction on her face. He shrank back, blending into the palms. She passed him without a glance, too intent on looking over her shoulder, her satisfaction shifting to caution, as if she sensed she was being followed.
    Hafthor silently observed as she headed south.
    Seconds passed, weighted and thick.
    Then he followed, taking care to stay concealed, which was not an easy feat given his size. She, on the other hand, was lithe and nimble, and exceptionally stealthy. Hafthor lost her trail within minutes.
    Now he stood alone on the black sand beach, south of the City, in the place he’d first begun. Full circle , he thought, taking in his surroundings, a message to begin again . To go a different way.
    He pressed his fingers to the tattoo on his shoulder, then crossed his arms. Closing his eyes, he listened.
    South , the sea whispered. Go south.
    Without hesitation, Hafthor went south.

 
    CHAPTER
    9
    NIL
    MID-MORNING
    Paulo stood inside the Arches, facing the mountain. It towered over the island like a silent giant. He knew in the deepest part of his soul that he was not alone on the island, even if he was the only human. But surely by now there must be other people.
    So why hadn’t he seen them?
    Pawns , he thought abruptly. We’re part of a game, pieces to be played. Perhaps he was the only pawn in play, perhaps not. But it mattered little to him. He had no control over others, or the island. But he could control himself.
    Or could he?
    How long had he been staring at the mountain?
    Frustrated, he ripped his gaze away, his thoughts drifting to that last day with Skye. To his failure. His eyes fell, and when they landed, he startled.
    Etched into a small flat rock at the base of the smallest arch, Skye’s initials stared at him. S. B. Above the two letters hung the words Search and Look Inside .
    He read and reread the words, searching for meaning. Had Skye left this message for him? Had she known he would stay?
    What had she known that he didn’t?
    He stared at her initials until his neck ached, then he turned