Blackout (Darkness Trilogy) by Madeleine Henry Read Free Book Online Page A

Her scrutiny felt like a collar. It’s almost dusk now, and I can see the dim light fading to black through the cracks in our walls. I pack up the quills in anticipation, wiping my hands on my pants. Soon, everything will be better.
    Darkness settles as I make my way to Silk. It’s always some shade of dark here, always some degree of cold, but everything is worse at night. I stride steadily toward her, fast enough to keep warm. I don’t mean to be early again, but I’m just eager to see her. She seemed pretty shaken this morning, so if she needs me, I want to be there to hold her. You’re warm, I’ll tell her. You’re warm. Maybe she’ll laugh when she hears what Mrs. Campbell thought we were doing last night. Then, when she’s calm, we’ll talk about what’s really on our minds: the reason for the breach and the exchange.
    I’ve arrived. Already, there’s a faint smile on my lips. The strangeness of today has only heightened the pleasure I’ll feel when I see her. My heart beats excitedly against my chest as I imagine kissing her ear and breathing in her smoky scent. I pace outside her door and check for her with every turn.
    I wait longer than usual.
    And she still isn’t here. I pull my wool hat farther down over my ears and stare at her door. Come on, I keep thinking. Come here. Muffled voices rise inside, and it almost sounds as if they’re arguing. The door to Silk is an inch ajar, as always, but there is still no sign of Star. She’s never this late. Something is wrong.
    The outline around her door suddenly flashes yellow. It flickers until the light is steady. I block the beams with my hand and pivot to look away—until I realize what I have seen. My head whips back to stare, and it’s true.
     

6
     
    My jaw drops. I can’t breathe, and my belly caves without air. Numb. That’s all I feel. Numb and hollow. As if this isn’t my life. It’s a dream.
    I’m speechless. I can only stare.
    Cold creeps through my down jacket as I stand immobile on the sidewalk. My shoulders start to shiver. I notice my teeth are chattering and, slowly, I understand that this is real. It’s not a dream. Star actually has electricity, and someone inside Silk will be sent to the United States. There’s only one person it could be, because only one girl in the entire goddamn Dark Zone is selfless enough to throw herself blindly into America. Sure, they have power, but who knows what awaits DZs on the other side. My darker feelings emerge now. Wrath. Intense rage. I sneer at the light and bare my teeth, punching air from inside my pockets. The Easies can’t take Star. I won’t let them.
    I swing the door open so hard it almost rips from the hinges. The same contraption we saw at the library stands in the center of her first floor. I recognize the glowing sphere the way I would something out of a nightmare. If the device were anywhere else, I might be ecstatic, but not here. Not here. It illuminates every corner of the room with light so bright it seems harsh. Almost malicious. This particular metal pole slants slightly, as if it got damaged on the way here. As if the Easies couldn’t care less, and this is all some goddamn joke. Either my anger or the glare has become disorienting, because I’m starting to see red spots, and I have to look at the floor. I can’t let her go.
    I step callously toward the pole and feel the air get warmer. Bending to my knees, I extend my gloves and feel the pole expel hot air through hundreds of pinprick holes. Looking up to my left, I see the Lounge’s door is ajar. Star paces there in and out of shadow. I withdraw my hands, wipe the Easy off on my jacket, and race toward her.
    Even with spillover light, t he Lounge is largely dim. Mrs. Windsong sits rigidly on the bar top cloaked in shade, with her thin legs dangling over the edge. She’s always been a fearful woman, quiet like her daughter can be, but she looks different now. Her mouth forms a very thin line beneath cold and