Read Online Exile (The Oneness Cycle) by Rachel Starr Thomson - Free Book Online
Authors: Rachel Starr Thomson
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this.
“You are sure she left?” Mary asked Tyler once he had slowed down his eating somewhat. He was surprised at how much stronger eating made him feel. He hadn’t realized just how harrowing the day had been. “She didn’t get lost or …”
“She was right behind me,” Tyler said. “It’s a quiet night—I would have heard if something had happened to her. And we were practically at the base of the road when I talked to her last. She could see the cottage from where we were. She must have gone off alone on purpose.”
Chris made an inarticulate sound. Tyler didn’t bother to try to interpret it.
“One thing is certain,” Mary said, “it’s not an accident she came here. Two attacks in a row are not the work of renegades. Something big is happening.”
The story of the capsizing had come out in bits and pieces in between bites of dinner. Chris pushed his chair back from the table, the legs scraping across the kitchen floor. The room was so tiny that he shoved himself right up against the wall before he could even stretch his legs fully.
“So explain,” he said. “You must have some idea what’s happening.”
Mary shook her head, frustration evident in the lines of her face. “If I could have talked to her, I might have learned something. As it is, all we have is a lot of disconnected pieces, and I can’t make them fit. You said your mother has been dreaming … well so have I. Dark dreams, prophetic ones. But they don’t say anything clear. They’re just foreboding. We’ve had letters from other cells, warning us that something is wrong, that they too can feel an attack pending. But that’s all they say. We’ve all been sensing it. And now here we are: April’s gone, demons are attacking …”
Her voice trailed away. “I think Reese might be some kind of key. And now she’s gone too.”
“I think maybe she doesn’t want to be a key,” Tyler said.
The others looked at him.
“I mean, maybe she realized you were here waiting for her, and she didn’t want to meet you. I’ve never seen anyone so broken in my life. She thinks you people rejected her, and that rejection is … it’s like death to her. I can see it. So maybe she’s just scared to be around you.”
“None of it makes sense,” Mary mumbled.
She stood, pushing her own chair back into the wall. “At least we know she was here, and she went off on foot. I think it’s time Richard and I went looking for her. He won’t want to be pulled off searching for April, but maybe it doesn’t have to be one or the other.”
“I’ll help,” Chris said.
She gave him a long, searching look. “All right,” she said finally. “And I’m going to get on the phone and see if any of the other cells of our acquaintance know anything about this exile of yours.”
“The phone?” Tyler asked. “The Oneness uses the phone? I thought you were some kind of supernatural being.”
Mary smiled. “We are. But we’re not above a little old-fashioned sleuthing. Of course, if you really want to see more of the supernatural in action …”
“That’s okay,” Tyler said. The image of the thing that had capsized his boat and died at the end of Reese’s sword was still fresh in his mind. “I don’t mind old-fashioned.” His mouth twisted downward. “I’ll help too. I’m the one who lost her.”
“Hey,” Chris said. “I don’t think it’s your fault.”
“Sure it is,” Tyler said, his expression still grim. “I’ve been watching out for her all day. Don’t know what I was thinking, taking my eyes off her at the end.”
“You didn’t know she was planning to run,” Mary said.
He shrugged. “Maybe she didn’t know that either, until she did it. She’s grieving. People who are grieving might do anything.”
Chapter 6
Mary left the cottage with a heavy heart. The boys had decided to go back out and keep looking for Reese, searching the cliff paths with heavy-duty flashlights. She suspected they wouldn’t find
“You are sure she left?” Mary asked Tyler once he had slowed down his eating somewhat. He was surprised at how much stronger eating made him feel. He hadn’t realized just how harrowing the day had been. “She didn’t get lost or …”
“She was right behind me,” Tyler said. “It’s a quiet night—I would have heard if something had happened to her. And we were practically at the base of the road when I talked to her last. She could see the cottage from where we were. She must have gone off alone on purpose.”
Chris made an inarticulate sound. Tyler didn’t bother to try to interpret it.
“One thing is certain,” Mary said, “it’s not an accident she came here. Two attacks in a row are not the work of renegades. Something big is happening.”
The story of the capsizing had come out in bits and pieces in between bites of dinner. Chris pushed his chair back from the table, the legs scraping across the kitchen floor. The room was so tiny that he shoved himself right up against the wall before he could even stretch his legs fully.
“So explain,” he said. “You must have some idea what’s happening.”
Mary shook her head, frustration evident in the lines of her face. “If I could have talked to her, I might have learned something. As it is, all we have is a lot of disconnected pieces, and I can’t make them fit. You said your mother has been dreaming … well so have I. Dark dreams, prophetic ones. But they don’t say anything clear. They’re just foreboding. We’ve had letters from other cells, warning us that something is wrong, that they too can feel an attack pending. But that’s all they say. We’ve all been sensing it. And now here we are: April’s gone, demons are attacking …”
Her voice trailed away. “I think Reese might be some kind of key. And now she’s gone too.”
“I think maybe she doesn’t want to be a key,” Tyler said.
The others looked at him.
“I mean, maybe she realized you were here waiting for her, and she didn’t want to meet you. I’ve never seen anyone so broken in my life. She thinks you people rejected her, and that rejection is … it’s like death to her. I can see it. So maybe she’s just scared to be around you.”
“None of it makes sense,” Mary mumbled.
She stood, pushing her own chair back into the wall. “At least we know she was here, and she went off on foot. I think it’s time Richard and I went looking for her. He won’t want to be pulled off searching for April, but maybe it doesn’t have to be one or the other.”
“I’ll help,” Chris said.
She gave him a long, searching look. “All right,” she said finally. “And I’m going to get on the phone and see if any of the other cells of our acquaintance know anything about this exile of yours.”
“The phone?” Tyler asked. “The Oneness uses the phone? I thought you were some kind of supernatural being.”
Mary smiled. “We are. But we’re not above a little old-fashioned sleuthing. Of course, if you really want to see more of the supernatural in action …”
“That’s okay,” Tyler said. The image of the thing that had capsized his boat and died at the end of Reese’s sword was still fresh in his mind. “I don’t mind old-fashioned.” His mouth twisted downward. “I’ll help too. I’m the one who lost her.”
“Hey,” Chris said. “I don’t think it’s your fault.”
“Sure it is,” Tyler said, his expression still grim. “I’ve been watching out for her all day. Don’t know what I was thinking, taking my eyes off her at the end.”
“You didn’t know she was planning to run,” Mary said.
He shrugged. “Maybe she didn’t know that either, until she did it. She’s grieving. People who are grieving might do anything.”
Chapter 6
Mary left the cottage with a heavy heart. The boys had decided to go back out and keep looking for Reese, searching the cliff paths with heavy-duty flashlights. She suspected they wouldn’t find
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