Read Online The Color of Rain by Cori McCarthy - Free Book Online

get them bathed and colored, will you? I’ll be by to tag them.”
    Kaya nods, but withdraws from Ben’s hand as though it burned her. She beckons us toward the door, and Lo grips my waist like she’s forgotten how to walk.
    We pause at the very end of the crowd of girls, waiting for our turn in the elevator. Kaya combs her fingers through her dark hair, staring at Lo. Her eyes are a stretched, almond shape that I’ve never seen before. “You’re much uglier than most. Johnny recruit you personally?”
    Lo picks at the pink streaks in her stringy hair. “Was just having a drink at the Blackstar, and this guy offers to get me off planet.” She looks at me. “I thought he was that same captain guy that chatted you up, so I thought, why not?” She touches her neck scar, her whole body shaky. “Couldn’t pass up the Void. Plus I wanted to be with you, Rainy. Then next thing, I’m waking up strapped to a wall like a freakin’ nutso.”
    I rub her back. “You think you’ve been abducted like the Touched?”
    She leans into me, fishing out the photo of her mom from her cleavage and rolling it between her palms. “Feels a bit that way, doesn’t it? Like no one will ever see us again?”
    I can’t help but agree.
    She stops fidgeting. “Where’s Walker, Rain?”
    â€œHe’s safe.” I don’t like the way Kaya watches us while we talk. Me in particular . . . and mostly my hair. “He had an accident, but I’m going to get him help when we reach the Edge. He’s going to be all right.”
    Kaya laughs as the elevator opens. “You new girls,” she says. “You always have your heads up hope’s ass.”
    I yank Kaya’s hair so that her whole body jerks back, and she yelps. “That’s for calling Lo ugly,” I add, stepping past her and into the elevator.
    She’s ready to fight, but the doors close and a siren blares: SCHREECHEEENSCH! SCHREECHEEENSCH! SCHREECHEEENSCH!
    All three of us fall to our knees, covering our ears. The sound slices straight into my brain so that I can’t think or move.
    After a few moments, it cuts off, and we breathe into the now deafening silence.
    â€œLet me outta here!” Lo beats fists against the elevator doors.
    â€œNo use,” Kaya says. “You see that red light?” She points to the ceiling. “We’re in lockdown.”
    â€œWhat the shit is lockdown?” I say, wiggling my finger in my ringing ear. “And what was that siren for?”
    â€œAn alarm. Means something’s loose. We don’t go anywhere until it’s been collected.”
    â€œWhat’d ya mean by ‘something’?” Lo turns, her tiny features all bunched up. “Like some kind of space demon?”
    â€œYou for real, girl?” Kaya snorts. “Something or someone set off the alarm. Imreas is a passenger ship, but there’s also things down in the storage areas. Questionable things. People bringinganimals to sell on Entra. Or some other nonsense. Who knows.” She snorts again. “Alarms don’t usually get tripped this early in a run. Bet that Mec is sprinting around like a fool to fix it for Johnny.”
    â€œI didn’t think Mecs could be fools,” I say, both heated by the fact that she’d dismiss Ben and the hint that I care.
    â€œYeah, well, most Mecs stay on the Edge where they belong. Only the idiot ones leave their paradise.” Something about her words is strange. Not to mention that her skin is a warm, toasted color that I’ve never seen before.
    â€œYou’re not from Earth City, are you?” I ask.
    â€œAre you kidding?” She gets to her feet and swings her long hair behind her. “I was born on the Entra settlement, and I’ve been with Johnny since his early runs. Back before he owned this ship.” She rubs the green bracelet. “Takes a lot to keep