Read Online Vanishing Rain (Blue Spectrum Chronicles Book 2) by L.L. Crane - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: L.L. Crane
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it wasn’t his medical bag. “You ready?” he asked. He was wearing a black vinyl jumpsuit this time, and I popped my head up, scrutinizing him. I had never seen him wear anything but white.
I tipped my head up at him. “For what?”
“To be a Rebel Fighter?”
“A Rebel Fighter?” My jaw dropped and my eyes must have popped wide open.
He laughed heartily. “You don’t seem too excited about it.”
I bit my lower lip, thinking. “Well, I’m pregnant. And I don’t want to hurt the baby.”
“That a girl,” he cackled, throwing me a jumble of clothes. “There’s a body shield in there. It will protect the baby. Now, get changed and get rid of that god-awful uniform. It reminds me of when I had to wear one of the damn things.” He twirled around like an acrobat and then bounced out the door. “I’ll be back.”
I stripped out of my boring school uniform and studied the clothes and body shield. The jumpsuit matched the one Pan wore, so that would be easy enough to put on. But the body shield was made of some kind of heavy material with belts and gadgets. I struggled to wrap it around my waist.
“You done in there?” Pan called out to me.
“No. I can’t figure this thing out.”
Without a fuss, or even acting like he noticed I was standing in my underwear, Pan just walked in, took one look at me, and then busted up laughing. “Butterfly, you have it on backward.” He twisted the shield around and showed me how to put it on properly.
“Do you wear one?” I asked him.
“Do I look pregnant to you?”
“No,” I laughed. I slipped into the jumpsuit and zipped it up, the leathery vinyl already making me sweat.
I turned my head to Pan, wondering what was next, when out of the blue, he shot his hand out and smacked me in the chest. I reeled backward and fell hard onto the ground.
My breath was knocked out of me, and I struggled to keep back tears. Pain jolted through my back and chest, and I worried about the baby.
“Rule one,” Pan calmly explained. “Always be on your guard.”
“But we hadn’t even started yet,” I argued.
He kicked me in the side of my leg, pain exploding through it. “Do you really think you’re going to get a warning from those assholes in the Asters?”
I gulped, staring at this crazy man before me. I jumped up as fast as I could and watched him closely. We were civilized in Province A. Any fights that broke out were quickly extinguished with harsh punishments. I had no idea how to fight, how to take on this crazed being in front of me.
Pan continued to bat at me, punch me, and batter me. In short order, I learned quickly how to avoid an oncoming punch, not so much to protect me, but the baby.
He was ruthless, and hate burned in my belly for him again. Every punch, every kick, every assault scorched inside of me, a volcano of feelings that I tamped down.
But I watched. I watched very closely.
Because I was determined to get to the Asters, and from what Garment said, I apparently needed to be a Rebel Fighter.
Whatever that was.
Chapter 15
Practice
Pan came every day, and we worked out for eight or nine hours straight. I would fall into my couch-bed and instantly fall asleep as soon as he left. Blush and Garment made sure that Sergio brought me a lot of food, and I became stronger every day.
I learned to dodge his hits and kicks. I learned to punch the proper way. Part of the day was spent practicing ballet moves. My mom had forced me to take ballet lessons as a child, so that part was easy. The hard part was getting hit and kicked. My body was a bruised mess, a battered arrangement of blues and purples that quickly turned to a yellow color on my light skin. Images of Orion’s scars and wounds, the ones his father ruthlessly inflicted onto his back and chest, would flash into my mind. I wondered for the millionth time where he was. I didn’t get any answers.
The
I tipped my head up at him. “For what?”
“To be a Rebel Fighter?”
“A Rebel Fighter?” My jaw dropped and my eyes must have popped wide open.
He laughed heartily. “You don’t seem too excited about it.”
I bit my lower lip, thinking. “Well, I’m pregnant. And I don’t want to hurt the baby.”
“That a girl,” he cackled, throwing me a jumble of clothes. “There’s a body shield in there. It will protect the baby. Now, get changed and get rid of that god-awful uniform. It reminds me of when I had to wear one of the damn things.” He twirled around like an acrobat and then bounced out the door. “I’ll be back.”
I stripped out of my boring school uniform and studied the clothes and body shield. The jumpsuit matched the one Pan wore, so that would be easy enough to put on. But the body shield was made of some kind of heavy material with belts and gadgets. I struggled to wrap it around my waist.
“You done in there?” Pan called out to me.
“No. I can’t figure this thing out.”
Without a fuss, or even acting like he noticed I was standing in my underwear, Pan just walked in, took one look at me, and then busted up laughing. “Butterfly, you have it on backward.” He twisted the shield around and showed me how to put it on properly.
“Do you wear one?” I asked him.
“Do I look pregnant to you?”
“No,” I laughed. I slipped into the jumpsuit and zipped it up, the leathery vinyl already making me sweat.
I turned my head to Pan, wondering what was next, when out of the blue, he shot his hand out and smacked me in the chest. I reeled backward and fell hard onto the ground.
My breath was knocked out of me, and I struggled to keep back tears. Pain jolted through my back and chest, and I worried about the baby.
“Rule one,” Pan calmly explained. “Always be on your guard.”
“But we hadn’t even started yet,” I argued.
He kicked me in the side of my leg, pain exploding through it. “Do you really think you’re going to get a warning from those assholes in the Asters?”
I gulped, staring at this crazy man before me. I jumped up as fast as I could and watched him closely. We were civilized in Province A. Any fights that broke out were quickly extinguished with harsh punishments. I had no idea how to fight, how to take on this crazed being in front of me.
Pan continued to bat at me, punch me, and batter me. In short order, I learned quickly how to avoid an oncoming punch, not so much to protect me, but the baby.
He was ruthless, and hate burned in my belly for him again. Every punch, every kick, every assault scorched inside of me, a volcano of feelings that I tamped down.
But I watched. I watched very closely.
Because I was determined to get to the Asters, and from what Garment said, I apparently needed to be a Rebel Fighter.
Whatever that was.
Chapter 15
Practice
Pan came every day, and we worked out for eight or nine hours straight. I would fall into my couch-bed and instantly fall asleep as soon as he left. Blush and Garment made sure that Sergio brought me a lot of food, and I became stronger every day.
I learned to dodge his hits and kicks. I learned to punch the proper way. Part of the day was spent practicing ballet moves. My mom had forced me to take ballet lessons as a child, so that part was easy. The hard part was getting hit and kicked. My body was a bruised mess, a battered arrangement of blues and purples that quickly turned to a yellow color on my light skin. Images of Orion’s scars and wounds, the ones his father ruthlessly inflicted onto his back and chest, would flash into my mind. I wondered for the millionth time where he was. I didn’t get any answers.
The
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