Read Online Mutation (Wildfire Chronicles Vol. 4) by K.R. Griffiths - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: K.R. Griffiths
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on his face made something in Rachel squirm.
“I didn’t see anything,” she said bluntly. “There was nothing to see. Just normality one minute and chaos the next. I’ve seen that. Over and over again.”
“I don’t even know when it started, really, other than what I’ve been told,” Darren said almost wistfully. “I was in the mountains. Everywhere was…like this when I came back down.”
“You’re lucky.”
Ah, there it was. Just as the word lucky reached his ears, a crack in the friendly façade. She saw Darren’s eyes narrow a little, just enough to tell her that whatever the man might say, he’d seen plenty too.
“Lucky,” he repeated flatly, as if the word was somehow unfamiliar to him.
“To have found the castle,” Rachel said, and without another word she turned, and strode back into the tower.
*
“I’ve got no time for liars,” Rachel hissed.
When she had returned to the tower, Michael was already awake. The others looked to be slowly circling consciousness, approaching it reluctantly. Rachel didn't blame them for that.
Michael shot a glance at the door as she spoke.
“Keep your voice down,” he whispered. “So the guy doesn’t want to talk about it. Do you? I know I don’t. If he wanted to harm us he would have done it already. We wouldn’t be able to stop him. They outnumber us, and that’s before you take the fact that only two of us could actually fight into the equation. If he was going to do anything, it would have been last night, wouldn’t it?”
Count to ten, Rach.
Rachel breathed deeply.
“He can’t be trusted, Michael. You do see that?”
Michael sighed, and glanced at Claire. Still asleep.
“I see it, Rachel. Of course I see it. He’s hiding something from us, big deal. So did John. So have…a lot of people. Nobody trusts anybody and I don't blame them. When whatever that guy is hiding becomes a danger to me or Claire…or any of you, I’ll do something about. Right now his act seems a lot less dangerous than being out there with them . The best we can do is wait and see, okay?”
“I wasn’t asking for your help or your permission to do anything, Michael, and the next time you condescend to me…”
Michael flinched at the unbridled aggression in her tone, and Rachel caught herself, just before the rage took over.
She breathed deeply again; let ting the air out slowly, allowing it to leak from her lungs. Her heart was hammering. She looked away from Michael and locked eyes with Gwyneth. The old woman looked exhausted, like she had spent the night battling demons. She had problems of her own.
We all do , Rachel thought, and felt the fire that had erupted in her nerves slowly being extinguished.
“Fine,” she said, and rose to her feet. “But I’m watching him, and you should too. Everybody should. I’m going to find something to eat.”
With that, Rachel turned and marched out of the tower, slamming the heavy wooden door behind her.
It was only as she left the tower and followed her nose to the fire and pots of something that smelled delicious cooking over the flames that Rachel’s temper cooled enough to allow Michael’s words to sink in.
I’ll do something about it , Michael had said.
I’ll.
Rachel stalked toward the fire, lost in thought.
She slumped down heavily next to the flames, and a young woman stirring a large pot of what looked like vegetable soup.
The woman looked about the same age as Rachel. In another time they might have made small talk about the weather, or fashion, or whatever topic was dominating the news. Probably they wouldn’t have talked at all.
But the world had changed.
“Is it safe here?” Rachel asked bluntly.
The young woman dropped her eyes to the pot, and Rachel knew even before she opened her mouth. Even before she whispered the words.
“Please help us.”
*
“Please help us,” Michael repeated. “What do you think she meant?”
Rachel’s brow furrowed. Once again she
“I didn’t see anything,” she said bluntly. “There was nothing to see. Just normality one minute and chaos the next. I’ve seen that. Over and over again.”
“I don’t even know when it started, really, other than what I’ve been told,” Darren said almost wistfully. “I was in the mountains. Everywhere was…like this when I came back down.”
“You’re lucky.”
Ah, there it was. Just as the word lucky reached his ears, a crack in the friendly façade. She saw Darren’s eyes narrow a little, just enough to tell her that whatever the man might say, he’d seen plenty too.
“Lucky,” he repeated flatly, as if the word was somehow unfamiliar to him.
“To have found the castle,” Rachel said, and without another word she turned, and strode back into the tower.
*
“I’ve got no time for liars,” Rachel hissed.
When she had returned to the tower, Michael was already awake. The others looked to be slowly circling consciousness, approaching it reluctantly. Rachel didn't blame them for that.
Michael shot a glance at the door as she spoke.
“Keep your voice down,” he whispered. “So the guy doesn’t want to talk about it. Do you? I know I don’t. If he wanted to harm us he would have done it already. We wouldn’t be able to stop him. They outnumber us, and that’s before you take the fact that only two of us could actually fight into the equation. If he was going to do anything, it would have been last night, wouldn’t it?”
Count to ten, Rach.
Rachel breathed deeply.
“He can’t be trusted, Michael. You do see that?”
Michael sighed, and glanced at Claire. Still asleep.
“I see it, Rachel. Of course I see it. He’s hiding something from us, big deal. So did John. So have…a lot of people. Nobody trusts anybody and I don't blame them. When whatever that guy is hiding becomes a danger to me or Claire…or any of you, I’ll do something about. Right now his act seems a lot less dangerous than being out there with them . The best we can do is wait and see, okay?”
“I wasn’t asking for your help or your permission to do anything, Michael, and the next time you condescend to me…”
Michael flinched at the unbridled aggression in her tone, and Rachel caught herself, just before the rage took over.
She breathed deeply again; let ting the air out slowly, allowing it to leak from her lungs. Her heart was hammering. She looked away from Michael and locked eyes with Gwyneth. The old woman looked exhausted, like she had spent the night battling demons. She had problems of her own.
We all do , Rachel thought, and felt the fire that had erupted in her nerves slowly being extinguished.
“Fine,” she said, and rose to her feet. “But I’m watching him, and you should too. Everybody should. I’m going to find something to eat.”
With that, Rachel turned and marched out of the tower, slamming the heavy wooden door behind her.
It was only as she left the tower and followed her nose to the fire and pots of something that smelled delicious cooking over the flames that Rachel’s temper cooled enough to allow Michael’s words to sink in.
I’ll do something about it , Michael had said.
I’ll.
Rachel stalked toward the fire, lost in thought.
She slumped down heavily next to the flames, and a young woman stirring a large pot of what looked like vegetable soup.
The woman looked about the same age as Rachel. In another time they might have made small talk about the weather, or fashion, or whatever topic was dominating the news. Probably they wouldn’t have talked at all.
But the world had changed.
“Is it safe here?” Rachel asked bluntly.
The young woman dropped her eyes to the pot, and Rachel knew even before she opened her mouth. Even before she whispered the words.
“Please help us.”
*
“Please help us,” Michael repeated. “What do you think she meant?”
Rachel’s brow furrowed. Once again she
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