Druidess Found (Druidess Trilogy Book 1) Machelle Hanleigh (best ebook reader under 100 .TXT) 📖

voice. She knew without looking he wouldn't be there with her. She didn't answer nor did she take her eyes off the stone. The voice in her mind wasn't real and not his.

Kaily!

She frowned. Moto's voice echoed within her mind so strongly that she took an involuntary step back from the edge of Crystal Lake. What! She silently responded despite her resolve not to give into her imagination. It felt foolish to reply. She couldn't help it.

What are you doing? She heard Moto demand.

His voice and tone echoing in her mind seemed so real. She knew she imagined it. Nothing! It sounded so much like him she couldn't help answering it. She felt a haze settle over her. She took a step closer to the edge of Crystal Lake. The stone beckoned to her. It felt so dream like she lost the ability to distinguish illusion from reality. She knew it and couldn't stop it from happening, her impulse control gone.

NO!

Kaily heard Moto's warning and fear in her mind, but it didn't register. She held her hands over her head, pushed off and dove as deep as she could into Crystal Lake. She swam deeper and deeper and still the stone came no closer and no farther away than it appeared before she dove into the water. She broke through the surface as the last of the breath left her lungs. It surprised her when she broke through the surface. She drew air into her starved lungs. She shook her head and looked around. She swam to the edge of Crystal Lake and grabbed the side. She shook her head and tried to clear some of the fog that settled within her mind. It felt like a dream. It was no dream. She needed to maintain at least that much awareness of reality. She gained courage from the ability to break through the surface and to get to the edge. She looked back into the depths. Her eyes immediately found the stone. She kept the stone within her mind and field of vision.

Kaily! NO!

She didn't answer Moto's command. It irritated her imagination could imagine him ordering her around. Perhaps she missed him so much she supplied what she thought he would say and how he would say it. She shook her head and took a deep breath in order to fill her lungs with as much air as possible.

STOP KAILY!

Kaily dove under again. She swam towards the stone for as long as she could. There was a moment she thought she swam closer. She stayed under longer than she should, but she knew she would reach it that time. She didn't and broke the surface sputtering and spitting out water. She cleared the water from her eyes. She felt herself roughly pulled from the water and strong arms wrapped around her. She was startled to find herself wrapped in Moto's arms. She didn't know how, she just knew it was him, despite not seeing his face. She pushed at his chest. "Let go of me!" Her tone made harsh from him scaring her. If she were honest, it also came from being caught in the water when he expressly told her not to go in it again the first time, he pulled her from Crystal Lake.

Moto held Kaily at arm's length but didn't relinquish his hold. He took several deep, calming breathes before he looked at her, correction, scowled at her.

Kaily crossed her arms as much as possible considering he firmly held her upper arms. She returned his scowl with a one of her own, she hoped.

"What," he said between clenched teeth, "do you think you are doing?" Moto took several more claiming breathes. It didn't seem to help, Kaily noticed.

She could tell he struggled to keep his temper under control. "Nothing," she said, even though she dripped wet from her efforts.

"Nothing? NOTHING!" Moto could not keep from yelling at her she noticed. "You were told NOT to go into that water ever again and yet I FIND YOU HERE TRYING TO KILL YOURSELF!" Moto closed his eyes. She could almost hear him counting to himself. He dropped his hold on her and rubbed his temples with his fingertips.

She swiftly turned to jump back in the water. Just as she jumped, she felt her feet leave the ground, but she didn't hit the water.

Moto grabbed her and pulled her roughly against him. "DO YOU HAVE A DEATH WISH?"

"NO!" She tried to kick him which was no small feat considering her back pressed hard against his chest. He seemed very adept at avoiding her feet as she lashed out. "LET GO OF ME!" She struggled to break Moto's hold on her. He succeeded in pissing her off.

"NO! STOP STRUGGLING, KAILY!" Moto tightened his hold.

Kaily stopped her struggles. It wasn't getting her anywhere anyway. She took a deep breath. "Put. Me. Down." She ground out each word between clenched teeth.

"Promise that you will NOT jump back into Crystal Lake." Moto didn't let go of her.

"No." Kaily shook her head for emphasis.

Moto turned her around to face him. "Why? What are you doing?" He didn't quite yell at her, but his tone was harsh and demanding.

She looked away from him. She didn't want to explain what she did and wanted. She felt guilty enough without admitting to her foolishness.

He forced her to look up at him. She could tell he did his best to be as gentle as his temper would allow. She didn't resist. "Answer me. What are you doing?"

Kaily glared at him. She let out an exasperated sigh. "I just want to see one up close." She said.

Moto frowned. "See what up close?"

"The stones." Kaily pointed at Crystal Lake.

Moto's frown deepened. He looked around. "Sand?" Moto whispered to himself. He looked back at her.

"You see it?"

He nodded.

She smacked him on the chest. "I told you I saw sand the last time we were here."

Moto turned her halfway around and swatted her butt. "That's for smacking me."

Kaily frowned and rubbed where he