Read Online Dance of the Red Death (Masque of the Red Death) by Bethany Griffin - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Bethany Griffin
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conversation with great interest.
“Who will care for the children?” Elliott asks. “You’d abandon them?”
“Kent. He’s done it before.” Will’s voice is steely.
“This is not your fight,” Elliott says.
“Isn’t the fate of the entire city in our hands?” Will asks. “I couldn’t possibly stand by and do nothing.”
Elliott considers Will with a half sneer on his face. “How do we know you won’t turn us over to your diseased friends?” Elliott asks.
“I’ll take orders from you,” Will says quietly. “You don’t know what you’ll find there. It may be worse than any of us have imagined. Take me with you. I’ll swear my allegiance to your cause. Whatever it takes.”
His words are humble, but his tone and demeanor are not.
I open my mouth to intervene, but I don’t know what to say. I wish, quite desperately, that April was going with us. I look to her. She’s laughing to herself, but she understands my silent plea and bites her lip.
“Take him with you,” she says. “Kent and I will care for the children. You’ll need help, and I’ve heard Will is resourceful.”
Elliott slings his bag over his shoulder. “Fine,” he snaps, and leaves the room.
I’m surprised that he’s agreed, but relieved. The city is dangerous. We need Will.
Will pushes Henry’s hair back and pulls the blanket up to the sleeping child’s chin.
“I’ll take care of Henry.” Elise puts on a brave face, but I can tell she’s about to cry. She clings to me. I wish I could think of a way to tell her that even if Will and I aren’t on the best of terms, I still care about her.
April and Elise follow us out onto the deck. Elise wraps her skinny arms around Will’s neck, holding him so tightly that I don’t think she’ll let him go. He tugs her hands away from his coat, but she presses her cheek against him.
“I have to go with Araby,” Will tells her. “She needs my help.” But still his sister clutches him.
Until Kent comes to the rescue. “Elise, will you help me steer the ship?” Elise sets her jaw and finally lets go.
April takes my arm. The wind blows her blond hair back, and when she tosses her head, you could almost forget she is sick. Except for the sores, oozing and deadly. Before Elliott took me into Prospero’s castle, he asked if I would risk my safety to save her. My answer hasn’t changed; I’ll do whatever I must to help her survive. She won’t die, not like Finn. Later we’ll laugh about how afraid we were, about the weeks when she had the contagion, and how she beat it.
She gives me a quick hug. “Take care of Elliott,” she says. And then, because she’s April and can’t seem to help herself, she adds with a wink, “And Will.”
“The ladder is down,” Kent says. He has one hand on Elise’s shoulder and the other on the wooden wheel, which she is holding steady.
“Keep them safe,” I say to him. “And April, too.”
Elliott is already climbing down the rope ladder, carefully balancing his bag and a musket. His sword and his walking stick—which conceals a second sword—are strung across his back. I sling my bag over my good shoulder.
“Sorry I couldn’t bring the ship down. We’re too close to the city,” Kent says to Will, whose face is a chalky white. He’s terrified of heights. When he took me up in the hot-air balloon, he could barely open his eyes.
I hesitate, wondering if I should let him go first, but he gestures for me to descend.
Kent has the ship just above tree level, and the wind whips the ladder from side to side. It’s all I can do to hold on, but by the time I’m halfway down I realize that I’m enjoying the wind through my hair. The air is cool and smells of pine needles.
I feel for the next rung, and then the one beneath it. When I am close enough, Elliott grabs me and swings me down.
“We’ll camp here,” he says. “And enter the city in the morning.”
Enter the city. It’s what I fought for, but still the
“Who will care for the children?” Elliott asks. “You’d abandon them?”
“Kent. He’s done it before.” Will’s voice is steely.
“This is not your fight,” Elliott says.
“Isn’t the fate of the entire city in our hands?” Will asks. “I couldn’t possibly stand by and do nothing.”
Elliott considers Will with a half sneer on his face. “How do we know you won’t turn us over to your diseased friends?” Elliott asks.
“I’ll take orders from you,” Will says quietly. “You don’t know what you’ll find there. It may be worse than any of us have imagined. Take me with you. I’ll swear my allegiance to your cause. Whatever it takes.”
His words are humble, but his tone and demeanor are not.
I open my mouth to intervene, but I don’t know what to say. I wish, quite desperately, that April was going with us. I look to her. She’s laughing to herself, but she understands my silent plea and bites her lip.
“Take him with you,” she says. “Kent and I will care for the children. You’ll need help, and I’ve heard Will is resourceful.”
Elliott slings his bag over his shoulder. “Fine,” he snaps, and leaves the room.
I’m surprised that he’s agreed, but relieved. The city is dangerous. We need Will.
Will pushes Henry’s hair back and pulls the blanket up to the sleeping child’s chin.
“I’ll take care of Henry.” Elise puts on a brave face, but I can tell she’s about to cry. She clings to me. I wish I could think of a way to tell her that even if Will and I aren’t on the best of terms, I still care about her.
April and Elise follow us out onto the deck. Elise wraps her skinny arms around Will’s neck, holding him so tightly that I don’t think she’ll let him go. He tugs her hands away from his coat, but she presses her cheek against him.
“I have to go with Araby,” Will tells her. “She needs my help.” But still his sister clutches him.
Until Kent comes to the rescue. “Elise, will you help me steer the ship?” Elise sets her jaw and finally lets go.
April takes my arm. The wind blows her blond hair back, and when she tosses her head, you could almost forget she is sick. Except for the sores, oozing and deadly. Before Elliott took me into Prospero’s castle, he asked if I would risk my safety to save her. My answer hasn’t changed; I’ll do whatever I must to help her survive. She won’t die, not like Finn. Later we’ll laugh about how afraid we were, about the weeks when she had the contagion, and how she beat it.
She gives me a quick hug. “Take care of Elliott,” she says. And then, because she’s April and can’t seem to help herself, she adds with a wink, “And Will.”
“The ladder is down,” Kent says. He has one hand on Elise’s shoulder and the other on the wooden wheel, which she is holding steady.
“Keep them safe,” I say to him. “And April, too.”
Elliott is already climbing down the rope ladder, carefully balancing his bag and a musket. His sword and his walking stick—which conceals a second sword—are strung across his back. I sling my bag over my good shoulder.
“Sorry I couldn’t bring the ship down. We’re too close to the city,” Kent says to Will, whose face is a chalky white. He’s terrified of heights. When he took me up in the hot-air balloon, he could barely open his eyes.
I hesitate, wondering if I should let him go first, but he gestures for me to descend.
Kent has the ship just above tree level, and the wind whips the ladder from side to side. It’s all I can do to hold on, but by the time I’m halfway down I realize that I’m enjoying the wind through my hair. The air is cool and smells of pine needles.
I feel for the next rung, and then the one beneath it. When I am close enough, Elliott grabs me and swings me down.
“We’ll camp here,” he says. “And enter the city in the morning.”
Enter the city. It’s what I fought for, but still the
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