The Eden Series: The Complete Collection by Janelle Stalder Page B

and stiff.
    Elisa’s posture immediately straightened too, her chin lifting slightly. “Well, I’m going there too, so I’ll take him from here. You guys can go back to your rooms and sleep off your hangovers.”
    “Oh, thank God,” they heard Logan say from behind them. He walked back the way they had come, disappearing into the side streets.
    “Better go with him.” She motioned in the direction Logan had just gone.
    Wolf’s eyes narrowed, and Aiden could see his cheeks slightly colour with either anger, or embarrassment, or maybe a little of both. “I’m not hung over,” he said in a defensive tone. “And I don’t need you to tell me what to do.” Turning toward Aiden, he didn’t wait for her response. “Good luck.” He smiled, rolling his eyes. “I’ll see you later.” Then he brushed past Elisa and disappeared around the same corner as Logan.
    Aiden stood there awkwardly, not quite understanding what had just happened.
    “It’s a long story,” Elisa said, looking where Wolf had disappeared, probably sensing Aiden’s confusion. “Not one worth telling, though, so are you ready to get going?” He nodded his head, and the two of them started across the square toward the side of the palace.
    In the morning light Elisa was even prettier than he had thought, Aiden observed. She was talking to him about something, but he was too busy looking at her to listen. The sun made her hair more golden, bouncing off each strand. He could see her eyes better too: they were a mix of different shades of green and brown. At one point she asked him something and waited for his response, and he just smiled and nodded, since he hadn’t actually heard the question. She accepted it and continued on with her narrative. He sighed inwardly and tried to focus on the words coming out of her mouth.
    “The High Priest’s name is Alistair; I’m not sure if Diana already told you about him,” she was saying.
    “She did,” he replied.
    “Good. Well, he is like a second father to me, and very wise. You should listen to everything he tells you with good faith, and trust him. He has only your best interests at heart.”
    They came up to a beautiful building that sat behind the palace walls. As they walked toward the door, Elisa held out her hand in front of him, forcing him to come to an abrupt halt.
    “Before we go in,” she began, “there is something you should be aware of beforehand. You’ll be expected to make a small sacrifice before entering the sanctuary—it’s a requirement.”
    He looked at her, confused and slightly frightened. “Sacrifice? What kind of sacrifice?”
    She looked at him, noticing the colour fading from his cheeks. She hadn’t been able to see him properly in the dark the night before, but now that they stood in the daylight she could see all his features properly. He definitely wasn’t bad-looking, although he was a bit too skinny. His hair was a shade that wasn’t quite blonde, but not quite brown either—she couldn’t decide. His eyes were large and expressive. It was almost possible to read exactly what he was thinking through them. He looked positively scared at that moment, which made her want to laugh, but she didn’t want to hurt his feelings. “A blood sacrifice,” she replied, watching him take a step backward away from the sanctuary. She couldn’t help but laugh again. “Don’t worry, Aiden. It is only a small amount. They just cut your arm a little and take a drop. Honestly, it’s just a drop.”
    “I’m not good with blood,” he confessed. “I’m not good with people cutting me, either—not really my thing.”
    She laughed again. “Come on, you big baby.” Grabbing his hand, she pulled him toward the door and knocked softly three times. Aiden looked like he was going to faint. She almost felt sorry for the boy. The usual priest opened the door, looking them up and down.
    “The High Priest is expecting us,” she said in a loud, confident voice. The man nodded