Read Online Ashes and Ice by Rochelle Maya Callen - Free Book Online

really making headway—and man, was it awesome, totally bizarre stuff—he, well, I dunno if I had done something wrong or if he just wanted to go solo, but he wouldn’t have me as part of the translations anymore.”
    The bell rings and it jolts me. Time to get to class. So is this what my dad had been working on? Translating this ancient text?
    Matt starts gathering up his stuff and wheezes as he throws his trash away. It takes me a moment to start moving. “Hey, Matt!”
    He peers over his shoulder, “Yeah?”
    “What—what was the text about?”
    He shrugs, “Oh you know, regular ol’ crazy, religious mumbo jumbo.”
    I fall in stride with him. “About what?”
    He leans in and wiggles his eyebrows, “Oh, you know, the apocalypse.”

Chapter 17
    Jade
    I try. I try for hours. The ferry, a taxi, anything. Every time I get close to the bridge spanning Lake Pontchartrain, I freeze. I run off the boat or beg the taxi to stop before flinging the fare at the driver. It is pathetic. I feel the pull deep in my belly, I have a glow of hope the red door is just across this body of water but my body refuses to cross. I am too terrified, too afraid that, somehow, the lake will rise and swallow me up, leaving me choking, screaming for breath, begging to die because the pain is too much, just like in my dreams. I know it is irrational and every time I call a new taxi out, I build up my confidence to get in the cab and go. Every time we pass the last stop light and to cross the lake, I demand the driver pull over and let me out. The last time I call, the taxi service refuses to send anyone.
    I make my way home where Nanan unleashes her fury on me. I would never have thought such a short, round woman could appear ten times her size and make me feel so tiny.
    She found out about the suspension. “You ain’t been here more than a couple weeks and you go and get kicked outta school? Whatcha be thinking? Hurting some poor thing… no youngin’ in my house gon’ be doing that kind of nonsense. You got yo’self a pretty head, better make sure you keep somethin’ in it. You gonna go back to school on Monday, and I want to see nothin’ but praises on yo’ papers and tests or I will whip yo’ backside with my broom over there, no matter if yo’ got my blood or not!”
    Her rant doesn’t stop until it all the air is gone from her lungs, and man, she has a pair on her. She lets out a big sigh, slumps down into her chair, and looks at me. “Point, darlin’, is that I dunno where you been, but you are here in my house now, and I want you to trust me. Really, I know you kids go and do your mischief, but you got to be straight with me. You gotta tell me what’s goin’ on. You understand?”
    I realize Nanan isn’t mad about my suspension, but because I lied to her. I shouldn’t have… I should not have lied to this woman who opened her arms to me and let me in her house. “I am sorry, Nanan” Shame is an aching feeling, somewhere deep behind my ribs. I bow my head, not wanting to look into her eyes.
    She reaches over and cups my chin. “I know, darlin’. I know.” Then she stands and walks over to the kitchen sink, wiping her hands on her apron before pulling out chopped vegetables from yesterday.
    “That girl you threw down… she deserve it?” Her eyes twinkle.
    I smile back at her, “Well, I sure thought so.”
    She nods, turns away, and starts whistling. While Nanan cooks, I try to focus on her conversation, but I keep drifting off to the thoughts of how pathetic I am, how idiotic it is to be scared of a body of water. Then, I feel guilty for ignoring Nanan when she says, “What you think?” and I have to scramble for some generic answer. She deserves my attention. I wash the dishes and stare at the water, which appears so innocent bursting from a faucet.
    I go upstairs and lay on the mattress, angry with myself. Anger festers inside me, twisting and churning. Cold whispers against my skin and, when the cold