Read Online Envy (Fury) by Elizabeth Miles - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Elizabeth Miles
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Drea,” Em gasped. “It’s exactly what we’re looking for. Conjuring the Furies .”
Drea craned her neck to read over Em’s shoulder. “You’re kidding. That’s really what it’s called?”
They eagerly scanned the call numbers; Em’s pulse quickened with excitement. But when they got to the place where the book should have been, it wasn’t there.
“Excuse me, ma’am?” Em approached the librarian politely, trying to contain her impatience. “We’re looking for this book, here?” She pointed to the call number and the book title.
“It’s gone,” the woman said in a clipped tone.
“I thought you weren’t allowed to check books out?” Em was thisclose to leaping over the desk and looking at the woman’s computer herself.
“It’s missing,” the librarian told them. Em looked at her blankly. “It was stolen on November fifteenth. And frankly, ladies, I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”
“What the hell?” Drea’s voice got loud immediately.
“Drea . . . ,” Em warned through clenched teeth. She turned to the librarian and spoke overly politely. “I’m sorry, Ms. . . . Markwell,” she said, reading the woman’s name tag, which showed that her first name was Hannah. “Are we doing something wrong? We’re just trying to locate this book.”
“I don’t know what you girls are up to,” she said, her eyes darting with distress between Em and Drea. Her lips were so strikingly defined that Em could not look away from her mouth. “But you can’t do it here. You should leave.”
The girls exchanged looks. There was something going on here, some undercurrent that neither of them understood.
“You can’t just tell us to leave. We have a right to be here.” Drea stood up straight and defiant.
Em rose slowly. This woman’s nerves were clearly shot. She didn’t want to startle her even more. She had a feeling—one she couldn’t explain—that she knew what was rankling Ms. Markwell. But she wanted to hear her say it herself.
“Why do you want us to leave?” Em kept her voice steady. “Is there a problem with the . . . subject of our research?”
“Girls,” she said again, her voice trembling. “I can’t allow you to stay. I can’t allow her . . .” She gestured with her free hand toward Em. Em drew back, feeling as though she’d been slapped. It was clear that this woman had a problem with her , not the book, and not even with Drea.
“Let’s go, D,” Em said quietly, tugging on Drea’s sleeve. “Let’s just go.”
“This is bullshit,” Drea said, picking up her bag. “This is total bullshit.” But both of them could see the terror in the woman’s eyes.
CHAPTER SIX
Visibility. That’s what she was shooting for.
“You need to be seen ,” Meg told Skylar when they were in Skylar’s bedroom a couple days later. With a flourish, Meg produced a black scarf covered in white skulls. It looked like something one of Ascension’s goth kids would wear. Skylar had seen them in the halls, skulking around in their hoodies, skinny jeans, and crazy, heavy jewelry. She knew better than to smile at them.
“I don’t know, Meg. . . . It’s not really my style,” Skylar said tentatively, not wanting to hurt Meg’s feelings. “Why don’t you wear it?”
“I have this,” Meg said, touching the red ribbon she wore every day around her slender neck.
“Yeah, I’ve noticed,” Skylar said. “Do you ever take it off?”
“No!” Meg responded as though the answer was obvious. “Then my head would fall off, silly!” She laughed then, louder than Skylar had ever heard her laugh.
“But really,” Meg said, collecting herself, “Even if it’s not your style now, it will be soon. I just saw it in Lucky . Plus it’ll look hot with your new hair.”
It was Wednesday evening, and the third time Skylar and Meg had hung out since they’d met in the ice cream shop two days ago. Skylar was getting used to Meg’s strange sense of humor.
Drea craned her neck to read over Em’s shoulder. “You’re kidding. That’s really what it’s called?”
They eagerly scanned the call numbers; Em’s pulse quickened with excitement. But when they got to the place where the book should have been, it wasn’t there.
“Excuse me, ma’am?” Em approached the librarian politely, trying to contain her impatience. “We’re looking for this book, here?” She pointed to the call number and the book title.
“It’s gone,” the woman said in a clipped tone.
“I thought you weren’t allowed to check books out?” Em was thisclose to leaping over the desk and looking at the woman’s computer herself.
“It’s missing,” the librarian told them. Em looked at her blankly. “It was stolen on November fifteenth. And frankly, ladies, I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”
“What the hell?” Drea’s voice got loud immediately.
“Drea . . . ,” Em warned through clenched teeth. She turned to the librarian and spoke overly politely. “I’m sorry, Ms. . . . Markwell,” she said, reading the woman’s name tag, which showed that her first name was Hannah. “Are we doing something wrong? We’re just trying to locate this book.”
“I don’t know what you girls are up to,” she said, her eyes darting with distress between Em and Drea. Her lips were so strikingly defined that Em could not look away from her mouth. “But you can’t do it here. You should leave.”
The girls exchanged looks. There was something going on here, some undercurrent that neither of them understood.
“You can’t just tell us to leave. We have a right to be here.” Drea stood up straight and defiant.
Em rose slowly. This woman’s nerves were clearly shot. She didn’t want to startle her even more. She had a feeling—one she couldn’t explain—that she knew what was rankling Ms. Markwell. But she wanted to hear her say it herself.
“Why do you want us to leave?” Em kept her voice steady. “Is there a problem with the . . . subject of our research?”
“Girls,” she said again, her voice trembling. “I can’t allow you to stay. I can’t allow her . . .” She gestured with her free hand toward Em. Em drew back, feeling as though she’d been slapped. It was clear that this woman had a problem with her , not the book, and not even with Drea.
“Let’s go, D,” Em said quietly, tugging on Drea’s sleeve. “Let’s just go.”
“This is bullshit,” Drea said, picking up her bag. “This is total bullshit.” But both of them could see the terror in the woman’s eyes.
CHAPTER SIX
Visibility. That’s what she was shooting for.
“You need to be seen ,” Meg told Skylar when they were in Skylar’s bedroom a couple days later. With a flourish, Meg produced a black scarf covered in white skulls. It looked like something one of Ascension’s goth kids would wear. Skylar had seen them in the halls, skulking around in their hoodies, skinny jeans, and crazy, heavy jewelry. She knew better than to smile at them.
“I don’t know, Meg. . . . It’s not really my style,” Skylar said tentatively, not wanting to hurt Meg’s feelings. “Why don’t you wear it?”
“I have this,” Meg said, touching the red ribbon she wore every day around her slender neck.
“Yeah, I’ve noticed,” Skylar said. “Do you ever take it off?”
“No!” Meg responded as though the answer was obvious. “Then my head would fall off, silly!” She laughed then, louder than Skylar had ever heard her laugh.
“But really,” Meg said, collecting herself, “Even if it’s not your style now, it will be soon. I just saw it in Lucky . Plus it’ll look hot with your new hair.”
It was Wednesday evening, and the third time Skylar and Meg had hung out since they’d met in the ice cream shop two days ago. Skylar was getting used to Meg’s strange sense of humor.
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