Read Online In The Shadows of the Cavern of Death (Shadows of Death Book 1) by Angelique Jones - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Angelique Jones
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to the issue at hand, I listened as Crowley finished telling them the plan and what was expected of them. No sooner had the last word left his mouth then Tina jumped up and raced to her room.
Pulling my eyes from my retreating sister, I looked at an overwhelmed Josie. “You understand what we must do?”
“I understand, I’ll go talk to her and pack,” she whispered, with a dazed look in her eyes. She took the clothing that Tristian offered her and followed her sister’s path. Knocking softly at the door, she whispered a few words, then entered her room to prepare for her new life.
Ignoring the sympathy in his eyes, I asked Crowley, “You’ve made a copy of the map, but what about the vid disc––should you take it or should I leave it hidden here?”
Thinking about it for a moment before answering, he said, “Leave it here. After it’s noticed that you’re gone, the house will be searched, but your hiding place will be overlooked. Especially with the blood we are leaving planted here. It will be assumed you were killed. We already know that I’m under suspicion and leaving it with another Elder would be just as bad.”
Agreeing that was the safest bet, I looked to the clock and realized that it was almost time. Picking up my pile of clothing, I murmured that I would be back. Stopping at the girls’ room as I went, I told them to get dressed through the locked door before going to my room to do the same, wanting to give Tristian and his father a private moment to say good-bye.
A kind of numb calm had descended over me as I prepared myself for what I must do. By the time I was finished putting on the brightly colored clothing and walked to the mirror to see the results, I was ready. Ready to do anything that I had to do to make sure Rose’s sacrifice wasn’t in vain, my sisters would survive. Gathering up the rest of what was needed into the bag, I took one final look around my room before throwing the cloak over my shoulders that would hide my disguise and joined the others, who were already waiting on me in the living room. The girls stared at the floor, nervously shifting from one foot to the other, not raising their heads to look at me even though they knew I was there, the stiffening of their bodies betraying them.
Ignoring them, I went directly to Crowley, stopping a few steps from him. Intense grief shifted through me at the thought of saying good-bye to him. He had been the closest thing I had to a father through the years. He was always watching out for me, never getting angry, no matter how many times I asked him something. For all his faults, he was a good man who served his people, never expecting anything in return and always ready to do what was needed. He was a man who knew death stalked him, but instead of saving himself, he stayed for the same reason I was leaving because we were needed to lead our people to freedom. Seeing my conflict, he stepped forward and pulled me into his arms saying with his embrace what I couldn’t form into words.
“You can do this, you are a survivor. You will lead them into the light and I will not stop until all our people can follow and join you,” he whispered, squeezing me tightly before stepping back. Blinking back my tears, I nodded, my head and my throat too tight to allow words to escape.
Watching as he went to my sisters and embraced them, I felt as if the world was shattering around me, but it was when he embraced Tristian––I felt the world become destroyed. A hard look graced Tristian’s face as he released his father as if he had bury all softness deep, where it could never be touched again. Closing my eyes, I felt his pain that he refused to show and I knew it well. It was the same pain I had felt when Rose had said that she wasn’t coming with us. Though Tristian’s pain was much worst. At least a portion of my family would join me in the new world, but his would remain behind. I silently vowed that he would understand one day that all
Pulling my eyes from my retreating sister, I looked at an overwhelmed Josie. “You understand what we must do?”
“I understand, I’ll go talk to her and pack,” she whispered, with a dazed look in her eyes. She took the clothing that Tristian offered her and followed her sister’s path. Knocking softly at the door, she whispered a few words, then entered her room to prepare for her new life.
Ignoring the sympathy in his eyes, I asked Crowley, “You’ve made a copy of the map, but what about the vid disc––should you take it or should I leave it hidden here?”
Thinking about it for a moment before answering, he said, “Leave it here. After it’s noticed that you’re gone, the house will be searched, but your hiding place will be overlooked. Especially with the blood we are leaving planted here. It will be assumed you were killed. We already know that I’m under suspicion and leaving it with another Elder would be just as bad.”
Agreeing that was the safest bet, I looked to the clock and realized that it was almost time. Picking up my pile of clothing, I murmured that I would be back. Stopping at the girls’ room as I went, I told them to get dressed through the locked door before going to my room to do the same, wanting to give Tristian and his father a private moment to say good-bye.
A kind of numb calm had descended over me as I prepared myself for what I must do. By the time I was finished putting on the brightly colored clothing and walked to the mirror to see the results, I was ready. Ready to do anything that I had to do to make sure Rose’s sacrifice wasn’t in vain, my sisters would survive. Gathering up the rest of what was needed into the bag, I took one final look around my room before throwing the cloak over my shoulders that would hide my disguise and joined the others, who were already waiting on me in the living room. The girls stared at the floor, nervously shifting from one foot to the other, not raising their heads to look at me even though they knew I was there, the stiffening of their bodies betraying them.
Ignoring them, I went directly to Crowley, stopping a few steps from him. Intense grief shifted through me at the thought of saying good-bye to him. He had been the closest thing I had to a father through the years. He was always watching out for me, never getting angry, no matter how many times I asked him something. For all his faults, he was a good man who served his people, never expecting anything in return and always ready to do what was needed. He was a man who knew death stalked him, but instead of saving himself, he stayed for the same reason I was leaving because we were needed to lead our people to freedom. Seeing my conflict, he stepped forward and pulled me into his arms saying with his embrace what I couldn’t form into words.
“You can do this, you are a survivor. You will lead them into the light and I will not stop until all our people can follow and join you,” he whispered, squeezing me tightly before stepping back. Blinking back my tears, I nodded, my head and my throat too tight to allow words to escape.
Watching as he went to my sisters and embraced them, I felt as if the world was shattering around me, but it was when he embraced Tristian––I felt the world become destroyed. A hard look graced Tristian’s face as he released his father as if he had bury all softness deep, where it could never be touched again. Closing my eyes, I felt his pain that he refused to show and I knew it well. It was the same pain I had felt when Rose had said that she wasn’t coming with us. Though Tristian’s pain was much worst. At least a portion of my family would join me in the new world, but his would remain behind. I silently vowed that he would understand one day that all
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