Read Online Etherworld by Claudia Gabel - Free Book Online Page B

that strategy?” I ask, my hands trembling a little. “Who knows Elusion as well as my dad does?”
    â€œActually, we all do,” Zared says, with an obnoxious level of certainty. “Everyone here was obsessed with Elusion from the beginning. That’s why we went Stealth. That’s how we connected with each other.”
    â€œAnd got to David’s Escape, and past the firewall,” Ayesha adds.
    â€œRight.” Nora smiles. “And that’s how we’ll get home.”
    I wait for Josh to interject, to tell Nora not to disrupt my dad’s plans, but he stays silent. I want to remain perfectly composed right now, but it’s difficult to ignore the bitterness rising inside me.
    â€œI have some ideas on where we could start,” Zared says. “Malik probably does too.”
    â€œI don’t know. He worships Regan’s dad. I doubt he’d try anything that David didn’t approve of,” Ayesha says.
    Zared shrugs his shoulders. “That may not be a problem. David isn’t here, and who knows if he’ll ever be back,” he says, in this cold, matter-of-fact way that’s somehow also void of maliciousness.
    â€œJesus, Zared. Don’t be such an asshole,” Josh says, reaching out to me when he sees my reaction. What I need most right now is some time alone to think—and keep myself together, which is getting more and more difficult every second my dad isn’t here.
    â€œI’ll be right back,” I say, and start walking toward the underbrush and rotted tree limbs that line the pathway to the cavern.
    â€œRegan!” Josh calls out. “Wait.”
    Even though I’m momentarily comforted by the sound of his voice, I don’t wait. “I just need a minute, okay?”
    He catches up to me and gently grabs my arm, pulling me to a stop. I can see he’s upset. “I’m sorry. Nora can be a handful some sometimes.”
    â€œIt’s fine, whatever.”
    I cast my eyes over his shoulder, desperately trying to keep it together.
    â€œYou’re definitely not fine.” Josh lets go of me and steps away.
    â€œNone of us are, now that everyone’s doubting my dad,” I say.
    â€œDon’t you think other people deserve a say about this?” Josh asks, not backing down. “You saw what happened to Claire. Your dad said himself he didn’t realize how painful the return could be. Even he doesn’t know what happened to her in the real world.”
    â€œSo what’s your solution? You want to stay in here forever? How long do you think our bodies will survive? We have no idea if we’re getting any food. We don’t know how any of us are holding up.”
    â€œNo one is arguing that. But people have a right to offer other ideas about getting out. Especially when their lives are at stake.”
    In another place and situation, I might agree with him. But not here.
    Not now.
    â€œMaybe I just should see if I can find him,” I suggest. “He and I can probably pull off the protocol together. No one else has to risk anything.”
    He shakes his head. “No, your dad told us to stay at the base.”
    I throw my hands up in frustration. “Come on, Josh. Didn’t they tell you in military school to never leave a man behind?”
    â€œYeah, but I also learned that you can’t make good decisions when you’re scared.”
    He’s right. I am scared. I’m terrified by the thought of losing my dad again, and by the threat Elusion poses to users. I haven’t felt this helpless since my mother and I first heard about my father’s death. I watched her spiral into a misery so deep she didn’t leave the house for months. There was nothing I could do to help her. When I began to suspect that my dad was alive, I was determined to do everything in my power to bring him back to her.
    But the helplessness I’m feeling now is amplified by new