The Changeling (Book One of The Síofra Chronicles) Read Online Free Page B

wrong. I know I'm not exactly cover model material here, but come on!" Handsome and figment of my imagination or not, he was a lunatic. I tried to pull away from him, but his grip was strong and I made no headway at all.
    "No, Cassie," he said, smiling in an annoyingly patronizing manner that made me want to scream. "You shouldn’t put so much stock in human myths. They rarely get things right, and we no longer visit their world to correct them. We don’t smuggle babies into cradles, and you are not a monster. A Síofra is a child born of Fae spirit.
    "Sometimes when a new life is created within a human woman, a new Fae spirit will be drawn by that spark of creation.  It will settle into the mortal shell before a human soul has a chance to do so. We grow in that body and are born to a human family.” He said all of this as if this made perfect sense.  “You physically are your mother's child. Only the soul living in the flesh is different. We grow to maturity in safety and comfort, and as we mature to adults, we are able to return home—here—to Otherworld. The only physical traits you retain are your eyes. Eyes are the windows to the soul, and all Fae have the same green eyes."
    I nodded slowly, trying not to make any sudden movements that might startle the crazy guy and inwardly screaming at myself to wake up. If he hadn't had such a good grip on my arms, I would have been viciously pinching my own arms to wake myself up. This was a little too vivid and a lot too strange for my taste as far as dreams went.
    "You don’t believe me.  I understand.  Most Síofra don’t believe at first. It’s a lot to take in at one time. I spent my entire first evening here convincing myself it was all a dream and that none of it was real, but it isn't, Cassie."
    "It isn't what? Real? Thank you, Captain Obvious, but I kinda figured that out all on my own." I scowled.
    He took a step closer to me, closing the gap between us, and I could feel his chest rising and falling against my own. He gazed down at me, as if asking me for permission. He moved one hand to the small of my back and he raised the other to my face, running his thumb gently over my cheek. I stopped breathing and my heart beat frantically as if it were about to jump out of my chest and into his arms.
    "It’s not a dream, Cassie,” he said, his eyes searching mine, willing me to believe him. "This is as real a place as any in the mortal world. It’s unfamiliar to you is all. I want to show you my world. Your world. Will you let me show you?"
    "Yes," I whispered, dazed by his nearness. I was still convinced he was crazy, but with the way he was stroking my face with his thumb, I would have agreed to pretty much anything he had asked at that point as long as he didn't stop. I felt my face grow warm, and he smiled gently.
    He took a deep breath and stepped back, releasing me and leaving me feeling bereft.
    "Good. We have several hours before your body awakens. I have much to show you before then.  I’ve got just the place in mind.”
    He took my hand and moved toward the woods, tugging my hand until I was trailing helplessly behind him, wondering what the hell I had just gotten myself into.
     

Chapter Four
     
    “Where are we going?” I asked, trying to keep up with his brisk pace.  His legs were much longer than mine, so I had to practically jog behind him or risk my arm being tugged off.
    Aleksander walked toward the trees I had seen from the beach, saying something about what kind they were, but I was distracted by the beauty of our surroundings.  The grass underfoot was lush and soft, and it tickled my feet as we walked through it and into the trees. There was no path, but he seemed to know exactly where he was going, and seeing that I was no longer keeping pace with him, he slowed down and let me take my time drinking the view in.  The trees were taller here than any I had seen before, and they grew strong and thick.  I felt insignificant in comparison.