Read Online The Eve Genome by Joanne Brothwell - Free Book Online Page A

side and his lips pinched together. “We will come with you. All you have to do is ask.” He glanced at Zoe. “Well, I would.”
                  “I know,” I said. “But I don’t know when I’ll be back. I’m willing to stay until I find out what’s going on, and if it means I have to drop out of college this term, I’ll do it. This is not your problem. But it is Kalan’s.”
                  “I don’t know,” Tait said.
                  Footsteps approached us, two sets. It was them. Twin yin and yang. “Hi guys.” I said, as soon as they stepped onto the platform. They looked amazing together, their faces and bodies exactly the same, the colouring the polar opposite. Kalan looked like some kind of fallen angel, his silver hair glossy in the glow of the tiny white lights. He wore a thin cotton t-shirt and jeans that showed off an athletic build. Beside him, Marcus’s black hair glowed almost blue. His shirt glowed in fiery shades against metallic colours, an image of a burning mechanism with parts that looked like part chainsaw and part clock. It gave him a demon-machine look. The two of them side by side almost didn’t look real. Two perfect specimens, models made to demonstrate the epitome of the male of the species, at polar opposite ends of the coloring spectrum.
                  “Hello, Adriana,” Marcus said. His gaze swept across to Zoe, then to Tait.
                  “Hey,” Kalan said to the group.
                  I did a round of introductions and after a moment or two we sat down on the concrete ledges of the gazebo. It was cold and hard against my bottom and a chill ran through me. Colorado fall evenings were always cool. Kalan and Marcus sat side by side on one end of the gazebo, me, Tait and Zoe on the other side.
                  “When will you leave for Maryland?” Zoe asked.
                  I glanced at Kalan. He nodded. “Tomorrow.”
                  Tait leaned forward beside me, his head turned in my direction. “Flying or driving?”
                  I looked back at Kalan. It was his call. I wasn’t taking my ratty old beater on the Interstate.
                  “Flying,” Kalan said. “Marcus and I are hopeful there will be something or someone here in Stonewood who might know something about our mother. I was wondering if you two would be willing to give Marcus a hand while I’m gone? You might have some ideas of where he could go since you’re from here.”
                  Tait responded, his gaze on Marcus for a lingering moment before he spoke to Kalan. “Of course. We’ll do anything to help out. We just want Adriana to figure out what happened to Analiese. We all loved her very much.” Tait’s voice broke on the last words, and his eyes filled.
                  A gasp burst from my own mouth and tears erupted from my eyes, streaming down my face. Tait put his arm around me and pulled me close. Temple to temple, he whispered soothing words to me in hushed tones until I got a grip on my relentless crying. When I opened my eyes, Kalan and Marcus were no longer across from me. They were talking outside the gazebo.
                  “Do you think this is okay? Showing Marcus around?” I asked.
                  “He seems harmless enough,” Tait said. “I don’t mind. Do you, Zoe?”
                  “He gives me the creeps. Actually they both do.” Zoe paused. “But I guess it’s because it’s not every day I see people that look like… like that .”
                  Kalan and Marcus re-entered the gazebo.
                  Marcus came to us and got down on his haunches in front of me. “Adriana, I’m so sorry for your loss.” I nodded in acknowledgement and he stood back up. “Tait and Zoe—what do you think of our request?” His gaze