Autumn in the City of Lights by Kirby Howell Read Free Book Online Page B

about my brother,” she whispered. “But...” she stopped, thinking.
    “Out with it,” I prodded.
    “I know...” she said immediately.
    “...You know... what?”
    She stared at me, her brown eyes wide, and I realized suddenly – she was nervous. Or scared.
    “You know... what?” I tried again.
    She clutched her hands and stared at the floor, reminding me more of the scared little girl who used to talk about “the bad people.”
    “Rissi, what’s wrong?”
    She opened her mouth, but nothing came out at first. She glanced out the window, and I followed her gaze. Light glowed behind the closed drapes of Grey’s guesthouse.
    When she finally spoke, everything came out in one long, run-on sentence. “I know about him, about Grey, I know that he can go places quickly, like disappear and go somewhere else that’s miles and miles away and would be impossible for someone else to go to, but he can because he’s different, like a super hero or something.”
    She took a quick breath, her eyes bright.
    “Grey can go anywhere,” she said. “He should go find something to help Ben.”

CHAPTER FOUR
    I stared at her. Was Rissi really saying this to me right now? Or was I imagining it?
    “I’ve been going crazy wanting to talk to you about it,” she continued. “But don’t worry, I didn’t tell anyone! I know how to keep a secret. I’ve been keeping this secret for a long, long, long, long time, and I won’t tell anyone, I promise!”
    I didn’t want to lie to her, but this secret, Grey’s secret, was dangerous to keep. I had to convince her she was wrong and hope she didn’t see through it.
    I began rubbing my eyes like I had a headache, then leaned against the counter and stared at her like I was trying to get my vision in focus.
    “Say again?” I let my voice sound mildly confused and even a touch disinterested.
    She stepped toward me and placed her hand on top of mine. When she spoke, her voice was low and serious. “I know that Grey has special powers. And I can prove it!”
    After everything that had happened in the past two days, I hadn’t expected this. It was too much. The stress of worrying over Ben and everything else...  It all made my head spin.
    She whirled around and ran from the room. I waited for a moment, wondering if following her to find out what her proof was would only confirm her suspicions. On the other hand, I needed to know what she knew, how long she’d known, how she found out, and what threat this might pose to Grey. So I stood and followed her upstairs to her room.
    She was waiting for me, an expectant look on her face. I put up my hands to stop her before she could say anything. “I’m really worn out. I still have a mild concussion, I didn’t sleep last night, and all I want to do is go to bed.”
    Rissi put up her hands beckoning me to hold on, then opened her closet doors and began digging behind a pile of boxes. I recognized something in her closet and stepped forward.
    “Hey! Are those my riding boots?”
    She hurriedly tossed a coat over the boots, and her answer was muffled. I sat down on her bed, slightly miffed that she was turning into a little sister with sticky fingers.
    Rissi unearthed what she was looking for and turned around, a shoebox held reverently in her hands. She placed it on the bed beside me and lifted the lid, hiding the contents as she did so. She removed something and closed the lid again, sliding the box away from me.
    I pressed my lips together and tried not to be annoyed, then suddenly wondered if she might have found the vial of E-Vitamin we lost on the mountain back in Hoover. It wasn’t impossible.
    “Hold out your hand,” she said.
    I did.
    “Close your eyes.”
    “Riss,” I warned.
    “Okay, here’s my proof,” she said, then laid a red lollipop in my outstretched hand. It was circular and flat with a raised, white heart in the center. The candy part was sheathed in clear, crumpled cellophane.  Disappointed, I let my shoulders