Read Online The Onyx Vial (Shadows of The Nine Book 1) by Alexis Lampley - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Alexis Lampley
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listening to both, just as she was.
“You kept repeating, 'I couldn't do it. I couldn't go through with it',” Dilyn added.
“But you can ,” Finn insisted, so loudly that everyone else went quiet. “Look at the Fvudors, Wil. There was a recurring pattern there.”
Ariana almost laughed, realizing that the two conversations hadn't just merged.
Grant buried his face in his hands. “So?” he groaned.
“ So. There's your proof,” Finn exclaimed. “If evil was made , there wouldn't be a pattern. There would be an endless line of Fvudors.”
Hunter didn't appear to be listening to Finn and Wil. He studied the bite of egg at the end of his fork as though deciding whether to eat it or get up and run.
“Fine,” Wil conceded. “Say you could detect a strand in the mark that indicated evil. Do you kill the child? The tiny innocent being unable to do anything for itself? If so, aren't you then evil, though the strand is absent from your mark?”
Perry grunted in disgust, clearly having reached his tolerance for today's argument. He turned back to Hunter. “Anyway. We started talking to you. Told you we'd help you.”
“But you said we'd be caught and killed,” Dilyn chimed in. “'Just like Hunter.' Like you weren't you.”
Hunter shifted in his chair, his eyes not staying on any one person long.
"And then you said something about a phoenix and a sandstorm," Perry said through a mouthful of bread.
Hunter finally put his fork down, then stared at his plate. Ariana watched the rise and fall of his chest grow still for a moment.
Madame Emory stood. The conversations halted. Her eyes were on Hunter. “I—I must return upstairs.” She looked at William. “I believe your father has tangled himself in his work again. Is there something I could use to bring him a meal?”
William was about as surprised by this as any of them. He stood and walked to the counter, where a large mixing bowl sat upside down. He lifted it, revealing a pre-prepared plate.
“Thank you,” her mother said stiffly, and then she disappeared up the stairs.
Ariana frowned. That was disturbing. Her mother's behavior. She had spent too much time with her eyes on Hunter for Ariana to think there was any other reason than him for her abrupt departure. But why would that be so? Who was this boy? He seemed not to be aware that his presence had flapped the unflappable Madame Emory.
Ariana was torn between chasing after her mother, demanding to know why she was acting so strangely, or confronting Hunter here and now.
Slowly, the conversations began again. But Ariana found that she couldn't focus on any of them.
When dinner finally wound down, and Ariana had tensed to the point of snapping, she finally took action. She stood, feeling reckless, and grabbed Hunter's shoulder. “Could you come with me, please?”
He startled at her touch, but recovered quickly. “Sure."
She didn't speak again until they were safely away from the others on the third floor landing, outside the room she shared with Tehya. Then she laid into him. “What is going on? How does my mother know you? Who are you? Why do you keep lying about everything?”
“Whoa," Hunter took a step back. "Wait. What?”
"My mother. How does she know you? Tell me the truth."
He looked at her as if she were scattered. "I have never seen her before in my life, I swear."
Too worked up to accept this answer, though a small voice in her head told her he was speaking true, Ariana pressed further. "What was wrong with you down there, then? Why did my mother look at you like she'd seen a ghost?"
"Maybe you should ask her?" He didn't sound sarcastic, but it stung all the same.
"I'll ask her what I want to," she snapped.
"Look, I know you two aren't getting along, but you don't have to take your anger at her out on me, you know," Hunter noted sourly.
For a moment, Ariana merely stared him down, contempt in her eyes. But then her curiosity got the better of her. "Fine. Then what was
“You kept repeating, 'I couldn't do it. I couldn't go through with it',” Dilyn added.
“But you can ,” Finn insisted, so loudly that everyone else went quiet. “Look at the Fvudors, Wil. There was a recurring pattern there.”
Ariana almost laughed, realizing that the two conversations hadn't just merged.
Grant buried his face in his hands. “So?” he groaned.
“ So. There's your proof,” Finn exclaimed. “If evil was made , there wouldn't be a pattern. There would be an endless line of Fvudors.”
Hunter didn't appear to be listening to Finn and Wil. He studied the bite of egg at the end of his fork as though deciding whether to eat it or get up and run.
“Fine,” Wil conceded. “Say you could detect a strand in the mark that indicated evil. Do you kill the child? The tiny innocent being unable to do anything for itself? If so, aren't you then evil, though the strand is absent from your mark?”
Perry grunted in disgust, clearly having reached his tolerance for today's argument. He turned back to Hunter. “Anyway. We started talking to you. Told you we'd help you.”
“But you said we'd be caught and killed,” Dilyn chimed in. “'Just like Hunter.' Like you weren't you.”
Hunter shifted in his chair, his eyes not staying on any one person long.
"And then you said something about a phoenix and a sandstorm," Perry said through a mouthful of bread.
Hunter finally put his fork down, then stared at his plate. Ariana watched the rise and fall of his chest grow still for a moment.
Madame Emory stood. The conversations halted. Her eyes were on Hunter. “I—I must return upstairs.” She looked at William. “I believe your father has tangled himself in his work again. Is there something I could use to bring him a meal?”
William was about as surprised by this as any of them. He stood and walked to the counter, where a large mixing bowl sat upside down. He lifted it, revealing a pre-prepared plate.
“Thank you,” her mother said stiffly, and then she disappeared up the stairs.
Ariana frowned. That was disturbing. Her mother's behavior. She had spent too much time with her eyes on Hunter for Ariana to think there was any other reason than him for her abrupt departure. But why would that be so? Who was this boy? He seemed not to be aware that his presence had flapped the unflappable Madame Emory.
Ariana was torn between chasing after her mother, demanding to know why she was acting so strangely, or confronting Hunter here and now.
Slowly, the conversations began again. But Ariana found that she couldn't focus on any of them.
When dinner finally wound down, and Ariana had tensed to the point of snapping, she finally took action. She stood, feeling reckless, and grabbed Hunter's shoulder. “Could you come with me, please?”
He startled at her touch, but recovered quickly. “Sure."
She didn't speak again until they were safely away from the others on the third floor landing, outside the room she shared with Tehya. Then she laid into him. “What is going on? How does my mother know you? Who are you? Why do you keep lying about everything?”
“Whoa," Hunter took a step back. "Wait. What?”
"My mother. How does she know you? Tell me the truth."
He looked at her as if she were scattered. "I have never seen her before in my life, I swear."
Too worked up to accept this answer, though a small voice in her head told her he was speaking true, Ariana pressed further. "What was wrong with you down there, then? Why did my mother look at you like she'd seen a ghost?"
"Maybe you should ask her?" He didn't sound sarcastic, but it stung all the same.
"I'll ask her what I want to," she snapped.
"Look, I know you two aren't getting along, but you don't have to take your anger at her out on me, you know," Hunter noted sourly.
For a moment, Ariana merely stared him down, contempt in her eyes. But then her curiosity got the better of her. "Fine. Then what was
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