Read Online Splinter (Whisper Walker Series) by London Cole - Free Book Online
Authors: London Cole
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when he’d called my voice “shrill.” Jerk.
With a dramatic sigh, I headed back across the hall to the bathroom door. Not wanting any more awkwardness, I knocked.
I heard some sort of mumble and still heard the shower. So I headed in, cautiously looking around to ensure the curtain was in place.
Confident that it was clear, I hopped up on the counter and started kicking my legs, letting them thump lightly back against the wood of the cabinet.
“Sorry, Drake.” I started, clearing my throat. “I was just caught completely off guard.” I was still mad about him calling my voice “shrill,” though. But I was going to let him come to that conclusion and apologize on his own. He had deductive reasoning like no one’s business – one of the many things that made him so good at his job.
My apology was met with only the sound of the water pounding against the wall. I was starting to think he hadn’t heard me, or that he’d fallen asleep, when he finally spoke up.
“Yeah, it was a bit awkward, that’s for sure.” He let out a chuckle. “Sorry for interrupting your shower.”
Really? That’s what he was going to apologize for? “It’s fine. I was done anyway, just letting the hot water relax me.”
“Hey, what’s up with you? You’re really out of it.”
“What makes you say that?”
“Well, aside from you climbing in the shower with me like you didn’t realize someone was in here already, you still have your boxers on.”
“Then why’d you yell ‘you’re naked’?” he asked.
“Pure reflex, mainly because you’re only wearing boxers and I was naked.”
“Girls. So weird.”
I snorted. “So, what’s got you so sidetracked? Still stuck on the ‘invisible bodies’ thing?”
“Are you going to bring that up constantly in such a derisive manner?” He groaned. “And no, well…sorta. That’s part of what has me sidetracked.”
“Yeah, you’re going to hear about that for a long time.” I grinned to myself, already feeling less weird about the situation earlier.
“Great. Looking forward to it.” Drake’s voice said anything but. “What’s on my mind is, well…I need to be honest with you. Remember when you asked me what I saw on the skeletons earlier that totally freaked me out?”
I nodded, bracing myself now. This must be big if he didn’t want to tell me earlier. Especially if it was enough to cause him to forget to take off his boxers and climb in the shower while I was still in it.
“Well, there were a few Council members. Our Council members. One was the Magistrate. Which is crazy since I just saw him out in town. He acted like a total ass to me, also. More than usual.”
“Yeah, that is weird. See? I told you, you’re crazy, he is alive. Nothing to worry about.”
“That’s not all of it.” He paused, taking in a deep breath and letting it out. “I didn’t see it when we first got there. But when I fell back in, there was a body along one wall. A fully detailed − like it was really there − body. It was your father’s.”
I felt my body tense up. My breath catching in my chest, words wedged in my throat. All at once I had so much to say and yet no idea how to say it. Like my mouth didn’t work, or my brain. I let myself sit there on the counter, finding myself rocking lightly side-to-side as though my body understood better than I that my mind was trying to catch up, and it needed to do something.
Out of the corner of my eye, I registered Drake climbing out of the shower in a towel, but I didn’t look up. Finally, I thought my mouth would work again. “How can you be sure? I haven’t seen him in years and neither have you.”
Drake didn’t answer.
“Right?” I demanded, looking at him and wondering why he wasn’t responding.
Drake looked up at the ceiling for a second before answering. “I saw him last winter, I was searching on No-Man’s land, and he was there with a couple of guards. When I saw his body in the pit, I got really
With a dramatic sigh, I headed back across the hall to the bathroom door. Not wanting any more awkwardness, I knocked.
I heard some sort of mumble and still heard the shower. So I headed in, cautiously looking around to ensure the curtain was in place.
Confident that it was clear, I hopped up on the counter and started kicking my legs, letting them thump lightly back against the wood of the cabinet.
“Sorry, Drake.” I started, clearing my throat. “I was just caught completely off guard.” I was still mad about him calling my voice “shrill,” though. But I was going to let him come to that conclusion and apologize on his own. He had deductive reasoning like no one’s business – one of the many things that made him so good at his job.
My apology was met with only the sound of the water pounding against the wall. I was starting to think he hadn’t heard me, or that he’d fallen asleep, when he finally spoke up.
“Yeah, it was a bit awkward, that’s for sure.” He let out a chuckle. “Sorry for interrupting your shower.”
Really? That’s what he was going to apologize for? “It’s fine. I was done anyway, just letting the hot water relax me.”
“Hey, what’s up with you? You’re really out of it.”
“What makes you say that?”
“Well, aside from you climbing in the shower with me like you didn’t realize someone was in here already, you still have your boxers on.”
“Then why’d you yell ‘you’re naked’?” he asked.
“Pure reflex, mainly because you’re only wearing boxers and I was naked.”
“Girls. So weird.”
I snorted. “So, what’s got you so sidetracked? Still stuck on the ‘invisible bodies’ thing?”
“Are you going to bring that up constantly in such a derisive manner?” He groaned. “And no, well…sorta. That’s part of what has me sidetracked.”
“Yeah, you’re going to hear about that for a long time.” I grinned to myself, already feeling less weird about the situation earlier.
“Great. Looking forward to it.” Drake’s voice said anything but. “What’s on my mind is, well…I need to be honest with you. Remember when you asked me what I saw on the skeletons earlier that totally freaked me out?”
I nodded, bracing myself now. This must be big if he didn’t want to tell me earlier. Especially if it was enough to cause him to forget to take off his boxers and climb in the shower while I was still in it.
“Well, there were a few Council members. Our Council members. One was the Magistrate. Which is crazy since I just saw him out in town. He acted like a total ass to me, also. More than usual.”
“Yeah, that is weird. See? I told you, you’re crazy, he is alive. Nothing to worry about.”
“That’s not all of it.” He paused, taking in a deep breath and letting it out. “I didn’t see it when we first got there. But when I fell back in, there was a body along one wall. A fully detailed − like it was really there − body. It was your father’s.”
I felt my body tense up. My breath catching in my chest, words wedged in my throat. All at once I had so much to say and yet no idea how to say it. Like my mouth didn’t work, or my brain. I let myself sit there on the counter, finding myself rocking lightly side-to-side as though my body understood better than I that my mind was trying to catch up, and it needed to do something.
Out of the corner of my eye, I registered Drake climbing out of the shower in a towel, but I didn’t look up. Finally, I thought my mouth would work again. “How can you be sure? I haven’t seen him in years and neither have you.”
Drake didn’t answer.
“Right?” I demanded, looking at him and wondering why he wasn’t responding.
Drake looked up at the ceiling for a second before answering. “I saw him last winter, I was searching on No-Man’s land, and he was there with a couple of guards. When I saw his body in the pit, I got really
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