Read Online King 03 - Restless by Tawdra Kandle - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Tawdra Kandle
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near the surface. Although he was trying to block me from reading his thoughts, I knew he had hoped that tonight might be something… more.
There were a few groups of people here and there on the large expanse of grass that made up the green. On a small stage at the far end, musicians were setting up microphones and instruments.
Rafe stopped partway down and spread the blanket. There were fewer people here, and although we could still see the stage, we were slightly out of the way of foot traffic. He dropped to the ground, and after a moment’s hesitation, I joined him.
“This is nice,” I admitted. The air still held a bit of the day’s warmth, and on the slight breeze I could smell popcorn, boiled peanuts and coffee from the concession stand on the other side of the lawn.
“I’m glad you think so.” Rafe’s voice was sincere, and closing my eyes, I began to relax for the first time in weeks. Maybe this was just what I needed: a break from the tension at home and at school, someone who wasn’t accusing or pushing me all the time-
“So would you like to tell me what’s going on with Ms. Lacusta?”
Jerked out of my revelry, I opened one eye and glared at him, annoyed.
“You just couldn’t leave it alone, could you?” With a huff I moved away from Rafe, to the edge of the blanket. Unaffected, he scooted over, too.
“Like I said, Tas, we’re worried about you. Amber and I are, I mean. You’re acting weird all the time, and even if Amber believes that you’re not hanging out with the witch anymore, I know differently. And today at lunch—you want to explain that?”
Frowning, I shook my head. “I can’t. I don’t know what happened.” I drew a deep breath before continuing. “You said I was messing with other—stuff. Other powers. You’re right. I’ve been experimenting. And yes, Marica has been helping me.”
“Marica?” Rafe echoed, derision in his tone. “Seriously? You’re on a first-name basis with her now?”
I ignored that jibe. Rafe might be a pain in many ways, but I knew I could trust him. I needed to talk to someone who wasn’t my parents, Marica or even Amber, and Rafe fit the bill perfectly.
“She’s been teaching me how to expand what I can do, to find out just what my power really is. She’s not evil, Rafe. She’s just—different.”
“When did this start?” This time it was curiosity, not accusation.
“Last fall. My independent study with her—well, it was more about learning the history of her people and what she could teach me. And then the day Reverend Pryce took me…” This was something I hadn’t shared with anyone at all. I swallowed hard. “I was in the woods with Marica. He followed us there, found us—experimenting.”
Rafe’s mouth dropped. “So you’re saying he caught you performing witchcraft in the forest with Ms. Lacusta? You never told me that. No wonder he was so shook up that day.”
I shook my head impatiently. “Rafe, you know it was more than that. He was sick. He was obsessed with me, with my so-called redemption. It was too bad that he saw what he did in the clearing, but it doesn’t change what he did afterward. He tried to drown me.”
Rafe was silent for a moment, considering. “But it does explain why he was so off the wall that day, what he was saying. You played right into his suspicions.”
I pushed away the guilt that had lingered over Cara and her father. Deep inside, part of me had feared that my own actions had made that day even worse, but I couldn’t bear to think about that now.
“Rafe… I want to know. You said it yourself, when we first met, that I wasn’t using my powers to their full potential. You said you couldn’t figure out why I wouldn’t do that. Well, now I am. I’d think you’d be happy.”
Rafe shook his head, troubled. “I know what I said. But I didn’t mean what you’re doing now. What happened at lunch today—you didn’t even know you were doing that, did you?
There were a few groups of people here and there on the large expanse of grass that made up the green. On a small stage at the far end, musicians were setting up microphones and instruments.
Rafe stopped partway down and spread the blanket. There were fewer people here, and although we could still see the stage, we were slightly out of the way of foot traffic. He dropped to the ground, and after a moment’s hesitation, I joined him.
“This is nice,” I admitted. The air still held a bit of the day’s warmth, and on the slight breeze I could smell popcorn, boiled peanuts and coffee from the concession stand on the other side of the lawn.
“I’m glad you think so.” Rafe’s voice was sincere, and closing my eyes, I began to relax for the first time in weeks. Maybe this was just what I needed: a break from the tension at home and at school, someone who wasn’t accusing or pushing me all the time-
“So would you like to tell me what’s going on with Ms. Lacusta?”
Jerked out of my revelry, I opened one eye and glared at him, annoyed.
“You just couldn’t leave it alone, could you?” With a huff I moved away from Rafe, to the edge of the blanket. Unaffected, he scooted over, too.
“Like I said, Tas, we’re worried about you. Amber and I are, I mean. You’re acting weird all the time, and even if Amber believes that you’re not hanging out with the witch anymore, I know differently. And today at lunch—you want to explain that?”
Frowning, I shook my head. “I can’t. I don’t know what happened.” I drew a deep breath before continuing. “You said I was messing with other—stuff. Other powers. You’re right. I’ve been experimenting. And yes, Marica has been helping me.”
“Marica?” Rafe echoed, derision in his tone. “Seriously? You’re on a first-name basis with her now?”
I ignored that jibe. Rafe might be a pain in many ways, but I knew I could trust him. I needed to talk to someone who wasn’t my parents, Marica or even Amber, and Rafe fit the bill perfectly.
“She’s been teaching me how to expand what I can do, to find out just what my power really is. She’s not evil, Rafe. She’s just—different.”
“When did this start?” This time it was curiosity, not accusation.
“Last fall. My independent study with her—well, it was more about learning the history of her people and what she could teach me. And then the day Reverend Pryce took me…” This was something I hadn’t shared with anyone at all. I swallowed hard. “I was in the woods with Marica. He followed us there, found us—experimenting.”
Rafe’s mouth dropped. “So you’re saying he caught you performing witchcraft in the forest with Ms. Lacusta? You never told me that. No wonder he was so shook up that day.”
I shook my head impatiently. “Rafe, you know it was more than that. He was sick. He was obsessed with me, with my so-called redemption. It was too bad that he saw what he did in the clearing, but it doesn’t change what he did afterward. He tried to drown me.”
Rafe was silent for a moment, considering. “But it does explain why he was so off the wall that day, what he was saying. You played right into his suspicions.”
I pushed away the guilt that had lingered over Cara and her father. Deep inside, part of me had feared that my own actions had made that day even worse, but I couldn’t bear to think about that now.
“Rafe… I want to know. You said it yourself, when we first met, that I wasn’t using my powers to their full potential. You said you couldn’t figure out why I wouldn’t do that. Well, now I am. I’d think you’d be happy.”
Rafe shook his head, troubled. “I know what I said. But I didn’t mean what you’re doing now. What happened at lunch today—you didn’t even know you were doing that, did you?
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