Read Online Don't Slay the Dragon (The Chronicles of Elizabeth Marshall Book 1) by Rachel Lucas - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Rachel Lucas
Ads: Link
the drop of blood on her neck with a paper dinner napkin, thankfully keeping silent. She gathered the dinner plates from the table and put them in the sink, hands still shaking. She stood at the sink with her back to us both, trying to gain control of herself I would guess. Maybe it was best to get Lisbeth out of here right now.
Lisbeth tugged my arm in a familiar gesture then headed out the front door, knowing I would be close behind.
Chapter T hirteen
We sat on a concrete barrier under the overpass, feet dangling above the river, surrounded by graffiti. I didn’t know what to say. Honestly, I was still shaking from that scene back in the kitchen of her trailer. She hadn’t said anything but she seemed relaxed, her shoulders loose, her feet kicking back and forth like a little girl.
“The stars are so bright tonight.” She looked up at the sparkling sky in wonder, sounding so young, so innocent. “Look, there’s the North Star and the Big Dipper.”
I followed her hand up to where she pointed. It reminded me of those summer nights when we were younger, snuggled up in sleeping bags on lawn chairs, sleeping under the open starry sky. We would stay up most the night and she would point out all the constellations and tell me the fascinating stories about them. When we finally slept my dreams would be filled with mystical beings such as Orion and Cassiopeia, beasts such as mighty bulls and deadly scorpions. We’d end up sleeping in half the next day but the images stayed with me much longer.
I stayed silent, still trying to gage her mood.
“The moon’s almost full,” she whispered and we glanced at the glowing orb rising over the mountains to the east.
She let out a deep breath and brought her knees up to her chest, balancing carefully on the thin concrete barrier. As her arms stretched around her legs I looked over and noticed numerous slanting wounds on her arms. Some looked fresh, others scabbing, still others were now scars.
“Lisbeth, what are these?” I reached out and carefully traced one of the scars.
“Nothing,” her eyes flashed as she pulled back and yanked down on her sleeves, trying to cover her arms.
“It’s not ‘ nothing’,” I persisted. “Those are cuts. Did Barbara do that to you?” I asked, horrified.
“No.” Her words held a finality that told me not to push the issue any further. After what had happened earlier, I decided to heed the warning. Her next words sounded as though they came from a much older person, tired, world-weary.
“I have to get that scholarship, Caitlyn,” she spoke to the night , her voice bleak and desperate. “I have to get out of here.”
She nudged me with her shoulder and I nudged her back . We grinned at each other as the tension started to dissolve.
“You’ll get that scholarship, Lisbeth. I know you will.” I had always been her champion. I knew her mother often tore her down and she needed someone to believe in her. “With your grades and test scores there’s no way they could say no to you.”
She nodded, accepting the compliment with gratitude in her eyes.
“Are you ok going back home?” I had to ask.
She gave me a puzzled look, as though the incident in the kitchen had never happened.
“You and Barbara aren’t going to fight anymore, are you?” I clarified.
She shrugged her shoulders but didn’t look too worried.
“I’ll stay out of her hair and try to avoid her.” She shrugged. “With any luck I’ll be packing for Annapolis soon.”
The next week I thought it odd that I never ran into Lisbeth in the hallway at school. By the end of the week I decided to check with Mrs. Matthews, her homeroom teacher for AP History. She said that Lisbeth hadn’t been to class for several days. I wondered if she was sick. That wasn’t like her. She normally wouldn’t let anything interfere with school.
I was planning to call and
Lisbeth tugged my arm in a familiar gesture then headed out the front door, knowing I would be close behind.
Chapter T hirteen
We sat on a concrete barrier under the overpass, feet dangling above the river, surrounded by graffiti. I didn’t know what to say. Honestly, I was still shaking from that scene back in the kitchen of her trailer. She hadn’t said anything but she seemed relaxed, her shoulders loose, her feet kicking back and forth like a little girl.
“The stars are so bright tonight.” She looked up at the sparkling sky in wonder, sounding so young, so innocent. “Look, there’s the North Star and the Big Dipper.”
I followed her hand up to where she pointed. It reminded me of those summer nights when we were younger, snuggled up in sleeping bags on lawn chairs, sleeping under the open starry sky. We would stay up most the night and she would point out all the constellations and tell me the fascinating stories about them. When we finally slept my dreams would be filled with mystical beings such as Orion and Cassiopeia, beasts such as mighty bulls and deadly scorpions. We’d end up sleeping in half the next day but the images stayed with me much longer.
I stayed silent, still trying to gage her mood.
“The moon’s almost full,” she whispered and we glanced at the glowing orb rising over the mountains to the east.
She let out a deep breath and brought her knees up to her chest, balancing carefully on the thin concrete barrier. As her arms stretched around her legs I looked over and noticed numerous slanting wounds on her arms. Some looked fresh, others scabbing, still others were now scars.
“Lisbeth, what are these?” I reached out and carefully traced one of the scars.
“Nothing,” her eyes flashed as she pulled back and yanked down on her sleeves, trying to cover her arms.
“It’s not ‘ nothing’,” I persisted. “Those are cuts. Did Barbara do that to you?” I asked, horrified.
“No.” Her words held a finality that told me not to push the issue any further. After what had happened earlier, I decided to heed the warning. Her next words sounded as though they came from a much older person, tired, world-weary.
“I have to get that scholarship, Caitlyn,” she spoke to the night , her voice bleak and desperate. “I have to get out of here.”
She nudged me with her shoulder and I nudged her back . We grinned at each other as the tension started to dissolve.
“You’ll get that scholarship, Lisbeth. I know you will.” I had always been her champion. I knew her mother often tore her down and she needed someone to believe in her. “With your grades and test scores there’s no way they could say no to you.”
She nodded, accepting the compliment with gratitude in her eyes.
“Are you ok going back home?” I had to ask.
She gave me a puzzled look, as though the incident in the kitchen had never happened.
“You and Barbara aren’t going to fight anymore, are you?” I clarified.
She shrugged her shoulders but didn’t look too worried.
“I’ll stay out of her hair and try to avoid her.” She shrugged. “With any luck I’ll be packing for Annapolis soon.”
The next week I thought it odd that I never ran into Lisbeth in the hallway at school. By the end of the week I decided to check with Mrs. Matthews, her homeroom teacher for AP History. She said that Lisbeth hadn’t been to class for several days. I wondered if she was sick. That wasn’t like her. She normally wouldn’t let anything interfere with school.
I was planning to call and
Similar Books
