Read Online Waybound by Cam Baity - Free Book Online Page A

Depot, dousing him in a brilliant bath of orange morning light. The clouds parted in his mind too.
    The children had been in this camp.
    Goodwin was beginning to see a way forward.
    And his future was bright.

P hoebe awoke in the fetal position, the whist encasing her like a silent womb. Time was a deck of scattered playing cards, moments strewn haphazardly across her mind—climbing after Micah through the crevice, stumbling through the jagged jungle. Then finally, fragments of fitful sleep.
    The air was humid with a loamy scent. Phoebe peeled back her whist and heard the distant thrum of Aero-copters mingling with the groans of suspended metal and a drone of insects.
    She lay in the muddy ore, surrounded by iron vines that trailed across the ground. Above was a dense tangle of tahniks, ebony planets fringed in a canopy of red, swordlike fronds that permitted only a few drops of light.
    Micah was perched a dozen feet above her, playing lookout amongst the tahnik branches. Phoebe did not stir. Her body felt heavy and lifeless. She wished she could drift off to sleep again.
    He saw her rousing and started to make his way down, that idiotic body armor and helmet of his clanking like pots and pans. Of course, Micah had that stupid rifle with him too, as if simply lugging it around made him somebody. She wanted to rip it out of his hands and throw it off a cliff.
    Instead, she rolled over and turned her back to him.
    â€œYou up?” Micah said, landing with a clatter.
    She ignored him.
    â€œSo…what now?” he asked.
    A long moment passed while he waited for her to respond. Phoebe heard his footsteps plod around to face her.
    â€œCome on, I know you’re awake. We gotta figure this out.”
    She pinched her eyes shut and didn’t move.
    â€œThat how it’s gonna be? You just gonna lay here in the mud like some kinda—”
    Phoebe pulled the hood of the whist over her head to silence his words, but he tugged it back.
    â€œOh no, you don’t,” he warned.
    â€œIt’s over.”
    â€œBull crap it is!”
    She didn’t budge.
    â€œDon’t be all…” Micah gnawed his lip, clearly trying to turn his words into a whip. “It ain’t over till I say it is. Now get up.”
    â€œThey’re dead. Axial Phy, Dollop, all of them.”
    â€œNo way. Dollop’s fine. He was with that big ol’ Treth guy.”
    â€œShe lied,” Phoebe breathed.
    â€œSay what?”
    â€œOrei was lying. She didn’t see Dollop at the stables. He fell right near us. She lied so we’d follow her.”
    â€œBut…” Micah said, considering her words. “You don’t know that. Anyway, we can’t stay here. It’s crawlin’ with Foundry.”
    â€œSo what?” she whispered.
    â€œSo we gotta go, that’s what,” he said, raising his voice. “The Doc told me to protect you, so that’s what I’m gonna do.”
    Phoebe’s lids slid open, unsheathing honey-brown daggers.
    â€œLike you did back in the camp?”
    â€œWhat’s that s’pposed to mean?” he said, his hand flexing on his rifle’s grip.
    Her voice was barely a flutter. “Pretty sure using your popgun to lead the bad guys to us doesn’t count.”
    Micah’s face pinched up. “Why you little—”
    â€œIf that’s protecting me, I’d rather just die here.”
    â€œShut your mouth!”
    â€œLearn how to shoot,” she said blandly, neither fearing his rage nor savoring it. “Better yet, give up now.”
    Micah shook in place, bristling, then he stomped out of view in a clash of body armor. She lay there, listening to the mehkan insects buzz in harmony with the Aero-copters.
    â€œI…” she said, not caring if he was listening. “I’m done.”
    The words sank in, hearing them as if from outside herself.
    â€œI’m done. I just want to—”
    â€œYou,