Read Online The Wraith's Story (BRIGAND Book 1) by Natalie French, Scot Bayless - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Natalie French, Scot Bayless
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kilos and maybe a meter and a quarter tall. His stubby fingers looked like sausages ready to burst from their intestinal casings. His face was pockmarked from a lifetime of radiation in Jupiter's hellish orbit. The two others with him were a bit taller, and twice as drunk. I could tell from the dilation of their pupils they were struggling with the concept of me, possibly even the number of me in front of them.
The short one grunted in my direction. "You selling?"
"Only if you're buying." I ran my tongue over my upper lip suggestively.
He laughed and smacked the table. "Well then, this is my lucky day." Then he pulled out the thickest stack of cads I'd seen at one time and slammed it down. "You can have a couple sheets..." His eyes squinted and his thick tongue wet his lips. "After," he said.
"Uhhh. Nice try…" I said. Then, with the speed only a Wraith can manage, I pulled at a pocket in front of me, snatched the money, and disappeared.
I ran. It didn't take me long to make it back to our room, only a couple of clicks away. I hadn't been there more than five minutes before Cutter came bursting through the door. Her lip was bleeding profusely and she had a bald spot at the front of her forehead with patterned pins of blood already appearing.
I ran to her, wrapped my arms around her waist and helped her to the metal chair at our small steel table. "What happened?" I cried. "Why didn't you run?"
She spat bloodied mucus at my feet. "I needed to blow off a little steam, so I stayed to make sure they didn't follow you. I don't think they'll be following anyone tonight." She laughed and placed her right hand on the table. Her fingers bent in an unnatural curve.
"Cutter, your fingers are broken!"
I ran around the room and gathered what I could – a strap of bandage, some water, a few utensils. I dropped to my knees in front of her and coaxed her injured hand from her.
I splinted the broken digits with the only things I had — a couple of small knives. As I worked, I joked how she'd really be dangerous now, with steel claws.
She watched me in silence – staring at each movement of my hands. I felt her gaze on my lips as I talked to fill the silence — about how much money we had. About how we could move somewhere better. Safer.
Suddenly, she raised her left hand and, for a moment I thought she was going to hit me. I involuntarily pulled away from her, but then she gently reached out to touch my face. She smoothed the hair back from my cheek, the way she had so long ago.
She leaned close and whispered, "You really don't understand do you?"
My confusion must have been obvious. Her voice became infinitely sad. "Trig, do you love me?"
"Of course. You know I do."
"And what about me?"
"I don't..."
"I protect you. I teach you." Her hand slid down to rest lightly on my breast. "I please you." Tears rose in her eyes and flowed down her cheeks. "But there's one thing I can never do — the only thing I truly want."
The ache in my throat was nearly unbearable. I croaked. "What do you mean?"
"Little Wraith, what do you think they take from you in TRIG?"
I was confused. Such an obvious thing. Common knowledge in the Creche. "They take your desire, your need for human connection."
Cutter palmed my cheek softly. "No, Trig. Sex is one of our tools. How could we do what we do without it?"
She looked down for a moment and then her sea gray eyes stared into mine. "The thing they take from us is the one thing a Wraith can't afford. What they take is love."
She stood suddenly and I toppled backward to the floor.
"But I beat them." She continued, "Because, despite everything they did to me, I do love you. So tell me. Tell me you love me ."
I sat on the floor and did my best to comply, as I always did. "Of course I love you. I love you like a sister, a mother, a friend. You're everything to me! I do love you."
"No," she said, "Just say you love me."
I knew what she needed and was such a simple a request. But in the one
The short one grunted in my direction. "You selling?"
"Only if you're buying." I ran my tongue over my upper lip suggestively.
He laughed and smacked the table. "Well then, this is my lucky day." Then he pulled out the thickest stack of cads I'd seen at one time and slammed it down. "You can have a couple sheets..." His eyes squinted and his thick tongue wet his lips. "After," he said.
"Uhhh. Nice try…" I said. Then, with the speed only a Wraith can manage, I pulled at a pocket in front of me, snatched the money, and disappeared.
I ran. It didn't take me long to make it back to our room, only a couple of clicks away. I hadn't been there more than five minutes before Cutter came bursting through the door. Her lip was bleeding profusely and she had a bald spot at the front of her forehead with patterned pins of blood already appearing.
I ran to her, wrapped my arms around her waist and helped her to the metal chair at our small steel table. "What happened?" I cried. "Why didn't you run?"
She spat bloodied mucus at my feet. "I needed to blow off a little steam, so I stayed to make sure they didn't follow you. I don't think they'll be following anyone tonight." She laughed and placed her right hand on the table. Her fingers bent in an unnatural curve.
"Cutter, your fingers are broken!"
I ran around the room and gathered what I could – a strap of bandage, some water, a few utensils. I dropped to my knees in front of her and coaxed her injured hand from her.
I splinted the broken digits with the only things I had — a couple of small knives. As I worked, I joked how she'd really be dangerous now, with steel claws.
She watched me in silence – staring at each movement of my hands. I felt her gaze on my lips as I talked to fill the silence — about how much money we had. About how we could move somewhere better. Safer.
Suddenly, she raised her left hand and, for a moment I thought she was going to hit me. I involuntarily pulled away from her, but then she gently reached out to touch my face. She smoothed the hair back from my cheek, the way she had so long ago.
She leaned close and whispered, "You really don't understand do you?"
My confusion must have been obvious. Her voice became infinitely sad. "Trig, do you love me?"
"Of course. You know I do."
"And what about me?"
"I don't..."
"I protect you. I teach you." Her hand slid down to rest lightly on my breast. "I please you." Tears rose in her eyes and flowed down her cheeks. "But there's one thing I can never do — the only thing I truly want."
The ache in my throat was nearly unbearable. I croaked. "What do you mean?"
"Little Wraith, what do you think they take from you in TRIG?"
I was confused. Such an obvious thing. Common knowledge in the Creche. "They take your desire, your need for human connection."
Cutter palmed my cheek softly. "No, Trig. Sex is one of our tools. How could we do what we do without it?"
She looked down for a moment and then her sea gray eyes stared into mine. "The thing they take from us is the one thing a Wraith can't afford. What they take is love."
She stood suddenly and I toppled backward to the floor.
"But I beat them." She continued, "Because, despite everything they did to me, I do love you. So tell me. Tell me you love me ."
I sat on the floor and did my best to comply, as I always did. "Of course I love you. I love you like a sister, a mother, a friend. You're everything to me! I do love you."
"No," she said, "Just say you love me."
I knew what she needed and was such a simple a request. But in the one
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