Read Online Dark Minds (Class 5 Series Book 3) by Michelle Diener - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Michelle Diener
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indicated one of the dining chairs, and she sat, noticing everything was clipped to the floor.
One of them rolled off and went through a narrow door at one end of the room, and the other two took up position on either side of her.
Imogen put her hands on the table and stared at them. They were clean, although the nails were ragged. She had managed to negotiate showers with her guards on Balco, but not every day. On the runner, they'd been happy for her to shower whenever she'd wanted to, there being no danger of her escaping.
She looked up, but the drone hadn't come back. They seemed to be waiting for it. “Do you mind if I do some exercises?”
There was a moment of silence. “Exercises?”
“Move my body, to keep it healthy.”
“You need to do this?” He was back, whoever the puppet master of these drones was, speaking straight to her.
“I do.”
The drones moved back a little, giving her room. “Then you may.”
She stood, and then went into some warm-up tai chi, the smooth, fluid movements calming her, helping her gain her serenity again. She had progressed to some core yoga exercises when the third drone returned, a tray in hand.
Food.
She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, breathed out, and sat down. Her hands were shaking with eagerness. Her heart lurched again at the thought of the hold full of people, feeling just as hungry.
The tray was covered with small bowls and excitement stirred within her that she'd perhaps get something other than the protein and vitamin bars the Tecran had given her. But when the drone set it in front of her, most of it looked desiccated or was less than a mouthful.
She gingerly picked up what looked like a slice of bread but it tasted musty and she grimaced as she swallowed.
“You don't like it?”
“It tastes as if it's going bad. Is it old?”
The drone took the small plate and seemed to study it. Then it turned and went back through the narrow door.
“Is this the ship that abducted me?” The question came out before she could think better of it.
She didn't look at either drone as she asked, concentrating on grasping a thin slice of dark purple fruit from a bowl.
“Why do you ask?”
“The hold where I was earlier looks the same.” She hadn't thought about it until now, but if this was the ship that had taken her, where were all the Tecran?
The Krik might have boarded the ship and taken it from them, she supposed. It would explain why they'd murdered all her guards on the runner, but now the Krik had all been killed, too.
How many dead did that make?
The small piece of bitter blue fruit she'd put in her mouth seemed to lodge in her throat, and she had to choke it down, appetite gone.
When the drone returned, the bread he was holding was steaming a little. “This is fresh.”
She hadn't eaten in nearly a day and she swallowed back the gagging sensation and forced herself to pick up a slice, careful of the heat, and take a bite.
It was fresh, the texture chewy and soft. “Can we give some of this to the others?”
Silence again.
She ate another piece, but she couldn't keep trying to bring the issue up and then letting it slide when she got nowhere. The prisoners would be getting desperate for water now.
And she still had that promise to herself. She'd go out with a bang, not a whimper. If she was going to die, at least trying to get food and water for Kalor and his people was a noble way to go.
She stood up. “If you won't give them water and food, I will.” She maneuvered around the drones and headed for the narrow door, which she guessed led to the kitchen.
She didn't turn to see if she was being followed, but she guessed she was.
She didn't run, they'd catch her no matter how fast she was, so she forced herself to keep her stride smooth and even and determined. She was so surprised to reach the door, she shoved at it when she reached it.
The room beyond was a kitchen, but instead of the neat, clutter-free space she'd expected, it
One of them rolled off and went through a narrow door at one end of the room, and the other two took up position on either side of her.
Imogen put her hands on the table and stared at them. They were clean, although the nails were ragged. She had managed to negotiate showers with her guards on Balco, but not every day. On the runner, they'd been happy for her to shower whenever she'd wanted to, there being no danger of her escaping.
She looked up, but the drone hadn't come back. They seemed to be waiting for it. “Do you mind if I do some exercises?”
There was a moment of silence. “Exercises?”
“Move my body, to keep it healthy.”
“You need to do this?” He was back, whoever the puppet master of these drones was, speaking straight to her.
“I do.”
The drones moved back a little, giving her room. “Then you may.”
She stood, and then went into some warm-up tai chi, the smooth, fluid movements calming her, helping her gain her serenity again. She had progressed to some core yoga exercises when the third drone returned, a tray in hand.
Food.
She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, breathed out, and sat down. Her hands were shaking with eagerness. Her heart lurched again at the thought of the hold full of people, feeling just as hungry.
The tray was covered with small bowls and excitement stirred within her that she'd perhaps get something other than the protein and vitamin bars the Tecran had given her. But when the drone set it in front of her, most of it looked desiccated or was less than a mouthful.
She gingerly picked up what looked like a slice of bread but it tasted musty and she grimaced as she swallowed.
“You don't like it?”
“It tastes as if it's going bad. Is it old?”
The drone took the small plate and seemed to study it. Then it turned and went back through the narrow door.
“Is this the ship that abducted me?” The question came out before she could think better of it.
She didn't look at either drone as she asked, concentrating on grasping a thin slice of dark purple fruit from a bowl.
“Why do you ask?”
“The hold where I was earlier looks the same.” She hadn't thought about it until now, but if this was the ship that had taken her, where were all the Tecran?
The Krik might have boarded the ship and taken it from them, she supposed. It would explain why they'd murdered all her guards on the runner, but now the Krik had all been killed, too.
How many dead did that make?
The small piece of bitter blue fruit she'd put in her mouth seemed to lodge in her throat, and she had to choke it down, appetite gone.
When the drone returned, the bread he was holding was steaming a little. “This is fresh.”
She hadn't eaten in nearly a day and she swallowed back the gagging sensation and forced herself to pick up a slice, careful of the heat, and take a bite.
It was fresh, the texture chewy and soft. “Can we give some of this to the others?”
Silence again.
She ate another piece, but she couldn't keep trying to bring the issue up and then letting it slide when she got nowhere. The prisoners would be getting desperate for water now.
And she still had that promise to herself. She'd go out with a bang, not a whimper. If she was going to die, at least trying to get food and water for Kalor and his people was a noble way to go.
She stood up. “If you won't give them water and food, I will.” She maneuvered around the drones and headed for the narrow door, which she guessed led to the kitchen.
She didn't turn to see if she was being followed, but she guessed she was.
She didn't run, they'd catch her no matter how fast she was, so she forced herself to keep her stride smooth and even and determined. She was so surprised to reach the door, she shoved at it when she reached it.
The room beyond was a kitchen, but instead of the neat, clutter-free space she'd expected, it
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