Read Online Marked by Sarah Fine - Free Book Online Page B

curled around the chain where her Scope had hung since the moment she turned sixteen and accepted her birthright. Without it, she felt naked. Helpless.
    “Father!” Rylan clutched at his ebony hair as he burst through the door and ran to their father’s side. His eyes were full of tears. “No, no, no ,” he said through clenched teeth.
    Cacy touched his arm. Apart from her, Rylan had always been closest to their father. “I’m sorry, Ry.”
    He pivoted and pulled her against his chest so tightly she could barely breathe. “They said you were there, Cace. Are you all right?”
    “I wasn’t there when it happened. I took the call, though, and brought him here.”
    He looked down at her, rage burning in his dark eyes. “We need to talk, then. I want to go over everything you saw.”
    “Rylan, with all due respect, that is ridiculous.” Aislin didn’t flinch when Rylan rounded on her, his fists clenched. “Going after the human culprit is police business.”
    “I didn’t ask for your counsel.” Rylan stood tall, his arm around Cacy’s shoulders, glaring at Aislin.
    “Do as you wish,” she replied icily. “ After we take care of our father.”
    Rylan’s fingers coiled painfully around Cacy’s arm, but she didn’t move. He stared at Aislin like he wanted to kill her. Or fire her. Cacy was in favor of both at the moment. Rylan didn’t need to be reminded of his duty to their father, and Aislin was a bitch for implying he’d ever shirk his responsibility.
    “Come on, guys,” said Dec quietly. He stood next to their father’s head, still staring at his gaunt face. “Let’s just go. We can fight later.”
    Rylan nodded at Dec and let go of Cacy. He unsnapped the ornate Scope of the Charon from the chain around his neck and ran his thumb over the raven etched on its surface. Jaw set and eyes steely, he pulled the ring wide. He held it as they climbed into the Veil one by one, silent and grim, preparing to say good-bye to their father for the last time.

CHAPTER NINE
    E li parked the ambulance in its spot at the EMS station. He sat in the driver’s seat and stared through the windshield, seeing nothing but Cacy’s face. His chest felt hollow. With a sigh, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. It wasn’t even six in the morning, an hour before shift change, but he needed to hear his sister’s voice right now.
    She picked up on the second ring. “Eli?”
    “Hey,” he said softly. “I thought I’d be waking you up.”
    She chuckled. “Oh, no, I never got to bed. I got back from the lab an hour or so ago, and I’ve been doing some unpacking. Campus security is great, if you were wondering. They drove me door-to-door.”
    He smiled. She knew how much he worried about her. “Glad to hear it.”
    After a few moments of silence, Galena said, “What’s up?”
    Eli leaned his head back against the seat. “It’s been a long night. I’ve got this new partner—”
    “I hope there’s no hazing at this EMS. Is he nice?” Now she was the one who sounded worried.
    “ She is all right. A good paramedic.”
    “And?”
    “And I think tonight might have been the worst night of her life.” Eli closed his eyes, trying to erase the image of Cacy’s grief-stricken face. But he couldn’t shake it, so he told Galena everything that had happened.
    When he was finished, she said, “You feel guilty. Even though you did the best you could.”
    “I want to make it better for her, but I wouldn’t even know where to start. I don’t even know her. Not yet.” He was surprised to hear himself emphasize that final word.
    “And despite that, you want to be there for her.” Galena didn’t question it, didn’t make him feel stupid for his feelings. He loved that about her. And she was right. He couldn’t stop reliving those moments when Cacy had been in his arms. Despite the horrible circumstances, he’d felt like he’d been right where he needed to be. But he wanted to do more.
    “I wish I