Read Online Kicking It by Faith Hunter, Kalayna Price - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Faith Hunter, Kalayna Price
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power.”
She glanced away, and he saw her slender throat move as if choking back unwanted emotion. “We should go if we’re going to do this. We need the cover of darkness. The human shells don’t have great eyesight, and slipping by them is our only chance at getting in undetected. If you’re going in with me, I’ll need to know how to hide you.”
He held out his hand, palm up. “Take my hand. When you activate the invisibility power, I’ll vanish, just like your clothes and everything else attached to you.”
“That’s it? That’s the big trick?”
Marcus shrugged. “Touch first, activate second. If you weren’t such a loner, you would have already figured it out by now. Not my fault.”
“Are you any good with weapons?”
“Just one. It’s in the back.”
“Then get it. If things go bad, you’re going to need it. While you do, I’m going to set up our safety net.”
“Safety net?”
She waved away his question. “It’s a need-to-know kind of thing, and you don’t.”
“Just hurry up. We’re running out of time.”
3
Simone couldn’t help but think of her dead husband as she scouted for the best entrance. The building below was crawling with human shells—those drained of life. They shambled about, shuffling on failing limbs. Zombie puppets controlled by the Fractogasts.
Jeremy had been a shell just like them, and no matter how many times she told herself what she’d done would have been what he wanted, she still felt sick every time she remembered the feel of her blade slicing into the body of the man she’d loved.
A deep sense of loss flowed over her, leaving behind a fresh layer of anger. No matter how much time passed since that night, her rage never faded. Time was supposed to heal all wounds, but her brain must have been defective, because losing Jeremy hadn’t gotten any easier to bear. All she’d managed to do was hide it better. Shove it down. Pretend she’d gotten over it.
It was the only way to survive in her desolate new world, where everything that mattered had been ripped from her. Who wanted to hire a thief who was always just one heartbeat away from snapping under the strain of her grief?
Then again, maybe those who were desperate, stupid, or slimy enough to hire a professional thief didn’t give a shit how unstable she was so long as she got the job done.
Which she did. Every time. And this one would be no different.
After she finished setting up their safety net, she hurried back to the RV on top of the hill and lifted her binoculars.
Red lights flickered below before steadying out in a constant glow once more.
Simone knew what that flicker meant. Some poor humans down there were being squeezed dry of every spark of magic coursing through them. As they died, the stream of power faltered, causing the lights to flicker.
Either that, or the ’Gasts were firing up something that sucked a lot of juice.
“Time to go,” she told Brighton as she lowered her binoculars.
He loped down the RV stairs, carrying the red purse and balancing a wood-chopping ax on one wide shoulder. The wedge gleamed under the moonlight, its edge honed to razor sharpness.
“Really?” she asked. “An ax?”
He slipped the haft through a leather loop at his belt. “Don’t scoff. It works.”
“Fine. Whatever. Just keep that thing swinging away from me. I’m not looking for a haircut. Or worse.”
He tossed the red purse toward her. She caught it and held it close. “You’re not worried I’ll just turn and run?”
“Not if you want the magic to keep working. It’s a gift. For the night.”
“Or if you die,” she reminded him.
His dimple appeared as a flicker of a smile came and went. “Sure, though I’m not planning on letting that happen tonight. Sorry.”
“How do you know I won’t just kill you?”
“Guess I don’t. You ready?”
His trust made her pause. After a too-long moment, she nodded, pulled her attention away from Brighton, and put it where
She glanced away, and he saw her slender throat move as if choking back unwanted emotion. “We should go if we’re going to do this. We need the cover of darkness. The human shells don’t have great eyesight, and slipping by them is our only chance at getting in undetected. If you’re going in with me, I’ll need to know how to hide you.”
He held out his hand, palm up. “Take my hand. When you activate the invisibility power, I’ll vanish, just like your clothes and everything else attached to you.”
“That’s it? That’s the big trick?”
Marcus shrugged. “Touch first, activate second. If you weren’t such a loner, you would have already figured it out by now. Not my fault.”
“Are you any good with weapons?”
“Just one. It’s in the back.”
“Then get it. If things go bad, you’re going to need it. While you do, I’m going to set up our safety net.”
“Safety net?”
She waved away his question. “It’s a need-to-know kind of thing, and you don’t.”
“Just hurry up. We’re running out of time.”
3
Simone couldn’t help but think of her dead husband as she scouted for the best entrance. The building below was crawling with human shells—those drained of life. They shambled about, shuffling on failing limbs. Zombie puppets controlled by the Fractogasts.
Jeremy had been a shell just like them, and no matter how many times she told herself what she’d done would have been what he wanted, she still felt sick every time she remembered the feel of her blade slicing into the body of the man she’d loved.
A deep sense of loss flowed over her, leaving behind a fresh layer of anger. No matter how much time passed since that night, her rage never faded. Time was supposed to heal all wounds, but her brain must have been defective, because losing Jeremy hadn’t gotten any easier to bear. All she’d managed to do was hide it better. Shove it down. Pretend she’d gotten over it.
It was the only way to survive in her desolate new world, where everything that mattered had been ripped from her. Who wanted to hire a thief who was always just one heartbeat away from snapping under the strain of her grief?
Then again, maybe those who were desperate, stupid, or slimy enough to hire a professional thief didn’t give a shit how unstable she was so long as she got the job done.
Which she did. Every time. And this one would be no different.
After she finished setting up their safety net, she hurried back to the RV on top of the hill and lifted her binoculars.
Red lights flickered below before steadying out in a constant glow once more.
Simone knew what that flicker meant. Some poor humans down there were being squeezed dry of every spark of magic coursing through them. As they died, the stream of power faltered, causing the lights to flicker.
Either that, or the ’Gasts were firing up something that sucked a lot of juice.
“Time to go,” she told Brighton as she lowered her binoculars.
He loped down the RV stairs, carrying the red purse and balancing a wood-chopping ax on one wide shoulder. The wedge gleamed under the moonlight, its edge honed to razor sharpness.
“Really?” she asked. “An ax?”
He slipped the haft through a leather loop at his belt. “Don’t scoff. It works.”
“Fine. Whatever. Just keep that thing swinging away from me. I’m not looking for a haircut. Or worse.”
He tossed the red purse toward her. She caught it and held it close. “You’re not worried I’ll just turn and run?”
“Not if you want the magic to keep working. It’s a gift. For the night.”
“Or if you die,” she reminded him.
His dimple appeared as a flicker of a smile came and went. “Sure, though I’m not planning on letting that happen tonight. Sorry.”
“How do you know I won’t just kill you?”
“Guess I don’t. You ready?”
His trust made her pause. After a too-long moment, she nodded, pulled her attention away from Brighton, and put it where
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