Read Online Brighid's Flame by Cate Morgan - Free Book Online

Vincent. Only Dreamtech had known the truth of what lay outside the city’s borders once the war was over.
    Tara hadn’t been the only one astonished when the biospheres had disappeared, and Dreamtech with it. But it was precisely the opportunity Vincent had been waiting for. Somehow, Gwen had known not only that the conglomerate was going to go down, but when.
    Now it seemed Julien wanted to take New York back to the big, bad good old days. And Tara knew all too well what it was like living under a yoke such as that. She’d been there, in the Shanties. Under the so-called protection of Dreamtech and the biosphere, when Stephen couldn’t get the medicine he’d so desperately needed.
    â€œSleep here,” Paul offered. “We’ll bring you something to eat. No one will disturb you. If you need anything just ask the guards.”
    Gwen got to her feet, apropos to following the teacher out. Tara stopped her. “Wait. Why didn’t you at least tell me the Underground was on our side? Why would they unite for me?”
    Her mentor’s smile didn’t waver, though it took on a sad quality. “Haven’t you guessed? I’m not the Underground leader. You are.”
    Tara’s veins ran with ice instead of blood. She huddled under a thin blanket on the narrow floor of the subway car, her back to Stephen, hands clasped beneath her chin like a child. She curled in on herself, knees bent, tears burning her eyes like acid.
    She wouldn’t cry. Julien had absolutely no right to make her cry.
    â€œTara?” Stephen’s sleep-roughened voice whispered to her in the dark. His hand alighted on her shoulder, more tentative than he had ever been. “You’re shaking.”
    Silent, desperate need turned her onto her other side into him. His breath caught, his arms slipping around her with instinctive care. The air exited his lungs all in a rush. Then he pulled half of his blanket over her and tried to curl himself around her.
    Her hands twisted into his sweater. “How did you know?” she asked, voice muffled. “About Julien?”
    â€œThat’s he’s in love with you?” She nodded against his chest. “I knew, because…” He smoothed her hair once, hesitated. “Because I know what it looks like.”
    She stilled. Not the implacable chill of stone, but the anticipatory quiet of a pond, before a dropped pebble disturbed the surface. “Stephen?”
    His warm hand slid over the back of her bare neck, her hair no longer protection from the cold. “I won’t ask anything of you. But I won’t leave you, either. Not ever.” He rested his chin atop her head, to tuck her safely away against his heart. “I want to be the one person you can count on.”
    Thick silence stretched between them, despite their close proximity. “You always have been,” she finally said.
    â€œWell, thank God,” he said with enough fervor to make her smile despite it all.
    â€œEverything’s changing,” she said. “I don’t want to lose it all again.”
    â€œWe won’t,” he assured her. “This time, we’re ahead of the game.”
    Tara’s breath shook as she let it out in a stream. “I’m scared.”
    â€œI know.” His arms tightened around her. “But you’ll beat him. You’ll kick his ass from here to Doomsday and back again. He won’t know what hit him.”
    Tara choked on a surprised laugh. She’d never, in all their years together, heard him swear. “Really?”
    â€œYou fought an entire city to get us to safety when you were little more than a child. Julien Dante doesn’t have an inch on you.”
    She almost believed him. Not at peace—she doubted she would ever be that again—she warmed herself in Stephen’s regard and was finally able to sleep.
    Early morning arrived encased in silence and concrete ice. The train door