Read Online A Quill Ladder by Jennifer Ellis - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jennifer Ellis
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*****
Abbey had to admit that despite his age, Mantis — or Sylvain, as she was now trying to call him, in keeping with his apparent new status as someone who was permitted to look after them, unless of course he had murdered their parents, stashed their bodies in his trunk, and sent the text himself from her dad ’ s phone — could move pretty fast. Thinking of him as Sylvain was far less creepy than thinking of him as Mantis. But she supposed that was how many predators captured their prey, by styling themselves as someone to be trusted, someone upon whom one ’ s parents depended, someone who was not extremely dangerous. And yet somehow it was working, for here they were, traipsing up to the forbidden stones with a man who could intend them a world of harm, and she found herself almost inexplicably sort of liking him. What was this? Some sort of warped Stockholm Syndrome?
Farley, who had been cooped up in the house all day, lunged on the leash from one side of her to the other at birds, squirrels, and anything that had a vaguely interesting scent, which was pretty much everything as far as Farley was concerned. She chastised him and dragged him along as best she could. They couldn ’ t afford a repeat of the last time Farley had crossed the stones first.
Caleb arrived at the rosebush before anyone else, and Abbey saw him stop abruptly and stiffen. One by one they reached Caleb, each of them halting as well as they saw what he was staring at. The giant rosebush that covered the stones almost entirely, and surrounded the Madrona tree, had been cut away; a path had been formed through the briar leading to the center of the rosebush, exposing the papery red bark of the tree. The path stones still jutted out from underneath the rosebush, mostly hidden. Whoever had done it didn ’ t seem to have been after the stones.
“ Why? ” Abbey murmured. “ Why would someone do that? They didn ’ t even expose the stones. ”
“ Very good question, young lady, ” said Sylvain, walking the circumference of the tree. “ Very good question. ”
Caleb tentatively placed a single foot on the dirt path lined with twining rose branches.
“ Cale, don ’ t, ” Abbey said. “ The stones. ”
Caleb looked back at her. “ They aren ’ t activated. Can ’ t you tell? Mark must be at the college. ”
Or in the trunk of the Jag with Mom and Dad , Abbey thought, her temper flaring. Was she the only one who hadn ’ t known that the stones weren ’ t working? But then she realized that she did know. The weird energy that she usually felt near the stones — the energy that made her feel jittery, and yet unusually alive — was absent.
Caleb made his way the rest of the way down the path and placed his hand on the soft trunk of the Madrona.
Sylvain arrived back at his original spot. His lips had been taut when he ’ d rounded the corner of the bush, but now he donned a bright smile. “ Well, nothing more to see here. We had best take a drive down to the college and see if we can find Mark. ”
To Abbey ’ s surprise, Caleb and Simon started making their way back down the hill, but Abbey paused for a second and gave Sylvain a good long stare. He met her eyes, and for a second, a bleak look crossed his face; but then he replaced it with his usual chipper expression.
She caught up with him as he descended the hill.
“ You know what they were looking for. ”
“ Not in the slightest. ”
“ You ’ re lying. ”
Sylvain ’ s sharp cheekbones looked shadowed in the deepening dusk of the forest canopy. “ Maybe. But there are some things you don ’ t need to be involved in. ”
Farley lunged at a squirrel that skittered across the path and up a tree, and Abbey ’ s body lurched in the same direction, pulling her away from Sylvain. She yanked Farley ’ s leash back and glanced over her shoulder. Sylvain ’ s face was impassive, and the gleam of superiority and amusement that usually marked his eyes
*****
Abbey had to admit that despite his age, Mantis — or Sylvain, as she was now trying to call him, in keeping with his apparent new status as someone who was permitted to look after them, unless of course he had murdered their parents, stashed their bodies in his trunk, and sent the text himself from her dad ’ s phone — could move pretty fast. Thinking of him as Sylvain was far less creepy than thinking of him as Mantis. But she supposed that was how many predators captured their prey, by styling themselves as someone to be trusted, someone upon whom one ’ s parents depended, someone who was not extremely dangerous. And yet somehow it was working, for here they were, traipsing up to the forbidden stones with a man who could intend them a world of harm, and she found herself almost inexplicably sort of liking him. What was this? Some sort of warped Stockholm Syndrome?
Farley, who had been cooped up in the house all day, lunged on the leash from one side of her to the other at birds, squirrels, and anything that had a vaguely interesting scent, which was pretty much everything as far as Farley was concerned. She chastised him and dragged him along as best she could. They couldn ’ t afford a repeat of the last time Farley had crossed the stones first.
Caleb arrived at the rosebush before anyone else, and Abbey saw him stop abruptly and stiffen. One by one they reached Caleb, each of them halting as well as they saw what he was staring at. The giant rosebush that covered the stones almost entirely, and surrounded the Madrona tree, had been cut away; a path had been formed through the briar leading to the center of the rosebush, exposing the papery red bark of the tree. The path stones still jutted out from underneath the rosebush, mostly hidden. Whoever had done it didn ’ t seem to have been after the stones.
“ Why? ” Abbey murmured. “ Why would someone do that? They didn ’ t even expose the stones. ”
“ Very good question, young lady, ” said Sylvain, walking the circumference of the tree. “ Very good question. ”
Caleb tentatively placed a single foot on the dirt path lined with twining rose branches.
“ Cale, don ’ t, ” Abbey said. “ The stones. ”
Caleb looked back at her. “ They aren ’ t activated. Can ’ t you tell? Mark must be at the college. ”
Or in the trunk of the Jag with Mom and Dad , Abbey thought, her temper flaring. Was she the only one who hadn ’ t known that the stones weren ’ t working? But then she realized that she did know. The weird energy that she usually felt near the stones — the energy that made her feel jittery, and yet unusually alive — was absent.
Caleb made his way the rest of the way down the path and placed his hand on the soft trunk of the Madrona.
Sylvain arrived back at his original spot. His lips had been taut when he ’ d rounded the corner of the bush, but now he donned a bright smile. “ Well, nothing more to see here. We had best take a drive down to the college and see if we can find Mark. ”
To Abbey ’ s surprise, Caleb and Simon started making their way back down the hill, but Abbey paused for a second and gave Sylvain a good long stare. He met her eyes, and for a second, a bleak look crossed his face; but then he replaced it with his usual chipper expression.
She caught up with him as he descended the hill.
“ You know what they were looking for. ”
“ Not in the slightest. ”
“ You ’ re lying. ”
Sylvain ’ s sharp cheekbones looked shadowed in the deepening dusk of the forest canopy. “ Maybe. But there are some things you don ’ t need to be involved in. ”
Farley lunged at a squirrel that skittered across the path and up a tree, and Abbey ’ s body lurched in the same direction, pulling her away from Sylvain. She yanked Farley ’ s leash back and glanced over her shoulder. Sylvain ’ s face was impassive, and the gleam of superiority and amusement that usually marked his eyes
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