The Changeling (Book One of The Síofra Chronicles) Read Online Free
Author: K.R. Wilburn
and my toes, feeling something coarse and gritty beneath them, the smell of salt and seawater filling my nostrils. I sat up quickly, my heart racing as I struggled to remember how I had gotten to this place when only moments ago I had been warm and snug in my bed in a locked apartment hundreds of miles from any ocean.
I glanced around, attempting to get my bearings, and found that I was sitting on a beautiful sandy beach. It was still nighttime, and the moon was up, large and luminous in the sky, lighting everything until it was as bright as day. I stared at it and tried to figure out what it was about the moon that seemed so off. I inhaled sharply when I realized that it was far larger than I had ever seen it, filling the night sky. In the distance, I could make out what looked to be a second moon, and I blinked at it, confused. I relaxed when I realized what it meant. This was just all a dream.
I stood up, letting my bare toes stretching and digging into the sand beneath me. My feet didn't hurt anymore from Becca’s ridiculous shoes. The air was warm, and it blew gently, stirring my long hair and brushing it over my face. This place felt familiar to me, and I wondered if I had dreamed of it before.
I walked down the beach, allowing my eyes feast on the scenery around me and marveling at how beautiful it all was. The beach continued as far as I could see, curving gently to my right. The sand was fine and glittering in the moonlight, water gently lapping at its edges. I couldn't see anything in the distance but water and the two large moons. To my left was lush green grass leading to a thickly wooded forest with hills and large snow-covered mountains in the distance. It was so strange to my eyes, so vivid and beautiful, that it almost looked unreal.
I was so absorbed in my surroundings that it took a few moments to realize that I was not alone. I stopped short when I saw the figure watching me.
Standing outside the tree line was a young man dressed in white linen trousers and a loose white shirt open at the neck and cuffs. He had shaggy hair the color of summer wheat curling haphazardly around ears that stuck out a little and a narrow, angular face. The stranger smiled at me in a welcoming manner and walked toward me as I eyed him warily.
He drew closer and I could see that he had wide-set eyes as vivid a green as my own, which were dancing with amusement and crinkling at the corners. I blinked and stared at him, confused.
Eyes exactly like mine. I had never seen eyes like mine before, and I couldn't tear my gaze away.
"Cassandra," the strange man called, his voice deep and melodic at the same time. My heart skipped a beat when I heard my name on his lips. "I am so glad you’re finally here." He walked toward me, all grace and easiness, and I had to remind myself to breathe, chiding myself for being nervous about a strange man in a dream.
"Do I know you?" I asked as he stopped in front of me and smiled down at me familiarly. I frowned at him. He was taller than I was, my head not quite reaching his chin, and I had to look up at him, resisting the urge to stretch onto my toes to get a better look at his eyes.
"Not yet," he admitted, "but I have been waiting for you nonetheless. My name is Aleksander. I am your Caomhnóir."
"My what? What’s a kweevrore?" I stumbled over the unfamiliar word, trying to mimic the way it had rolled off his tongue.
"Your Caomhnóir. Like a guardian or protector," he said, a ghost of a smile playing at the corners of his mouth from the way I’d tested out the unfamiliar word.
"And what is it exactly you think you are guarding me from?” I asked, my eyes glancing suspiciously over the trees as the branches rustled with a breeze.
"I am not your guard, Cassandra.” He smirked at me as if the thought of guarding me was somehow amusing. "I am your guardian, your mentor. I am here to guide you during your time here in Otherworld." He spread his arms wide and gestured to the
I glanced around, attempting to get my bearings, and found that I was sitting on a beautiful sandy beach. It was still nighttime, and the moon was up, large and luminous in the sky, lighting everything until it was as bright as day. I stared at it and tried to figure out what it was about the moon that seemed so off. I inhaled sharply when I realized that it was far larger than I had ever seen it, filling the night sky. In the distance, I could make out what looked to be a second moon, and I blinked at it, confused. I relaxed when I realized what it meant. This was just all a dream.
I stood up, letting my bare toes stretching and digging into the sand beneath me. My feet didn't hurt anymore from Becca’s ridiculous shoes. The air was warm, and it blew gently, stirring my long hair and brushing it over my face. This place felt familiar to me, and I wondered if I had dreamed of it before.
I walked down the beach, allowing my eyes feast on the scenery around me and marveling at how beautiful it all was. The beach continued as far as I could see, curving gently to my right. The sand was fine and glittering in the moonlight, water gently lapping at its edges. I couldn't see anything in the distance but water and the two large moons. To my left was lush green grass leading to a thickly wooded forest with hills and large snow-covered mountains in the distance. It was so strange to my eyes, so vivid and beautiful, that it almost looked unreal.
I was so absorbed in my surroundings that it took a few moments to realize that I was not alone. I stopped short when I saw the figure watching me.
Standing outside the tree line was a young man dressed in white linen trousers and a loose white shirt open at the neck and cuffs. He had shaggy hair the color of summer wheat curling haphazardly around ears that stuck out a little and a narrow, angular face. The stranger smiled at me in a welcoming manner and walked toward me as I eyed him warily.
He drew closer and I could see that he had wide-set eyes as vivid a green as my own, which were dancing with amusement and crinkling at the corners. I blinked and stared at him, confused.
Eyes exactly like mine. I had never seen eyes like mine before, and I couldn't tear my gaze away.
"Cassandra," the strange man called, his voice deep and melodic at the same time. My heart skipped a beat when I heard my name on his lips. "I am so glad you’re finally here." He walked toward me, all grace and easiness, and I had to remind myself to breathe, chiding myself for being nervous about a strange man in a dream.
"Do I know you?" I asked as he stopped in front of me and smiled down at me familiarly. I frowned at him. He was taller than I was, my head not quite reaching his chin, and I had to look up at him, resisting the urge to stretch onto my toes to get a better look at his eyes.
"Not yet," he admitted, "but I have been waiting for you nonetheless. My name is Aleksander. I am your Caomhnóir."
"My what? What’s a kweevrore?" I stumbled over the unfamiliar word, trying to mimic the way it had rolled off his tongue.
"Your Caomhnóir. Like a guardian or protector," he said, a ghost of a smile playing at the corners of his mouth from the way I’d tested out the unfamiliar word.
"And what is it exactly you think you are guarding me from?” I asked, my eyes glancing suspiciously over the trees as the branches rustled with a breeze.
"I am not your guard, Cassandra.” He smirked at me as if the thought of guarding me was somehow amusing. "I am your guardian, your mentor. I am here to guide you during your time here in Otherworld." He spread his arms wide and gestured to the