Read Online Of the Knowledge of Good and Evil by Micah Persell - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Micah Persell
Ads: Link
memory.
Eli picked up before the first ring finished. “Jericho! Is that you?” Eli asked in a panic.
Jericho closed his eyes against the overwhelming feeling that he was an ass. “Yeah, it’s me, Eli. Sorry I didn’t call in sooner.”
Eli let out all of his air, resulting in a loud noise over the phone. “Abilene’s gonna skin you alive, man. What did you think you were doing? Did you catch up to Dahlia?”
Jericho opened his mouth to answer affirmatively and let Eli know Jericho had at least one of Dahlia’s secrets and the promise of another, but nothing came out. He frowned. This was the part where he needed to tell Eli that Dahlia had a son — information that would ensure she was easy to handle and manipulate in the future. It was as easy as saying the words.
The silence on the phone grew uncomfortable. After several heartbeats, Jericho heard himself saying, “She’s secured, but I don’t have any intel to share yet.”
What the hell? He’d just lied . To his friend. And why did he get the feeling that the Voice was pleased with his protection of Dahlia?
There was a pregnant pause on Eli’s end of the conversation. Jericho fidgeted, sure any second he would be found out. “Jericho,” Eli said slowly. “I want to warn you that the Impulse is very strong. I know you already know this, but when you experienced it the first time, with Emily — ” His friend cursed on the other end of the phone. “Dahlia’s not Emily, Jericho. That’s all I wanted to say.”
Jericho gritted his teeth. “I know exactly who Dahlia is, don’t worry about that.” Even as he said it, his brain flashed back and forth between the first time he’d touched her, finding out she was evil, and last night. “I also know what my mission is.” Did he? “You know the type of person I am. I’ll follow orders.”
“All right, all right,” Eli said in a tone of voice that made Jericho feel even sicker. “I didn’t mean to insult your honor. We all know that if you say you’re going to do something, you’ll do it.”
Jericho eyes slid closed. Yep, that was the reputation he’d cultivated for himself. He was proud of it. So why was he lying to his friend and delaying his mission?
“You’ll call in more frequently?” Eli asked hesitantly.
Jericho made an affirmative noise.
“Okay, then. Just … be careful out there, okay?”
Jericho hung up before Eli could say anything else. His curse ricocheted around the empty room. “What am I doing?” he asked himself out loud. He should be dragging Dahlia back to the facility by her hair right this second. She was a dangerous criminal, the fruit had confirmed that. Last night, when he’d brushed her hand, had to have been a fluke.
A life-changing aroma drifted through the door, interrupting his self-recriminations. His stomach rumbled, reminding him that he hadn’t taken time out to eat since the train yesterday. He stuck his head out into the hallway and looked left and right before following his nose.
When he arrived at the kitchen, Dahlia’s son, he thought he remembered her saying his name was Gabriel, was sitting at the breakfast table watching the older woman cook at the stove. The family resemblance between the two was startling, which, Jericho reasoned, had to make the woman Gabriel’s grandmother.
She gave Jericho a big toothy grin from where she stood over a skillet. Jericho smiled back uncertainly, not sure why she was being nice to him when he was here to take Dahlia away.
“ ¿Quieres huevos rancheros? ” she asked.
Jericho felt his smile fall away. He shook his head once. “I’m sorry … I don’t — ” He shrugged.
“She’s asking if you want eggs,” Gabriel said from the table.
Jericho turned his attention to the small boy.
“And, by the way, you do. Grandma’s huevos rancheros are awesome.”
Jericho nodded at the woman. “Uh, sí … por favor .”
Her smile widened at his poor attempt at Spanish, and she gestured for him
Eli picked up before the first ring finished. “Jericho! Is that you?” Eli asked in a panic.
Jericho closed his eyes against the overwhelming feeling that he was an ass. “Yeah, it’s me, Eli. Sorry I didn’t call in sooner.”
Eli let out all of his air, resulting in a loud noise over the phone. “Abilene’s gonna skin you alive, man. What did you think you were doing? Did you catch up to Dahlia?”
Jericho opened his mouth to answer affirmatively and let Eli know Jericho had at least one of Dahlia’s secrets and the promise of another, but nothing came out. He frowned. This was the part where he needed to tell Eli that Dahlia had a son — information that would ensure she was easy to handle and manipulate in the future. It was as easy as saying the words.
The silence on the phone grew uncomfortable. After several heartbeats, Jericho heard himself saying, “She’s secured, but I don’t have any intel to share yet.”
What the hell? He’d just lied . To his friend. And why did he get the feeling that the Voice was pleased with his protection of Dahlia?
There was a pregnant pause on Eli’s end of the conversation. Jericho fidgeted, sure any second he would be found out. “Jericho,” Eli said slowly. “I want to warn you that the Impulse is very strong. I know you already know this, but when you experienced it the first time, with Emily — ” His friend cursed on the other end of the phone. “Dahlia’s not Emily, Jericho. That’s all I wanted to say.”
Jericho gritted his teeth. “I know exactly who Dahlia is, don’t worry about that.” Even as he said it, his brain flashed back and forth between the first time he’d touched her, finding out she was evil, and last night. “I also know what my mission is.” Did he? “You know the type of person I am. I’ll follow orders.”
“All right, all right,” Eli said in a tone of voice that made Jericho feel even sicker. “I didn’t mean to insult your honor. We all know that if you say you’re going to do something, you’ll do it.”
Jericho eyes slid closed. Yep, that was the reputation he’d cultivated for himself. He was proud of it. So why was he lying to his friend and delaying his mission?
“You’ll call in more frequently?” Eli asked hesitantly.
Jericho made an affirmative noise.
“Okay, then. Just … be careful out there, okay?”
Jericho hung up before Eli could say anything else. His curse ricocheted around the empty room. “What am I doing?” he asked himself out loud. He should be dragging Dahlia back to the facility by her hair right this second. She was a dangerous criminal, the fruit had confirmed that. Last night, when he’d brushed her hand, had to have been a fluke.
A life-changing aroma drifted through the door, interrupting his self-recriminations. His stomach rumbled, reminding him that he hadn’t taken time out to eat since the train yesterday. He stuck his head out into the hallway and looked left and right before following his nose.
When he arrived at the kitchen, Dahlia’s son, he thought he remembered her saying his name was Gabriel, was sitting at the breakfast table watching the older woman cook at the stove. The family resemblance between the two was startling, which, Jericho reasoned, had to make the woman Gabriel’s grandmother.
She gave Jericho a big toothy grin from where she stood over a skillet. Jericho smiled back uncertainly, not sure why she was being nice to him when he was here to take Dahlia away.
“ ¿Quieres huevos rancheros? ” she asked.
Jericho felt his smile fall away. He shook his head once. “I’m sorry … I don’t — ” He shrugged.
“She’s asking if you want eggs,” Gabriel said from the table.
Jericho turned his attention to the small boy.
“And, by the way, you do. Grandma’s huevos rancheros are awesome.”
Jericho nodded at the woman. “Uh, sí … por favor .”
Her smile widened at his poor attempt at Spanish, and she gestured for him
Similar Books
