Chasing the Stars by Malorie Blackman Read Free Book Online Page A

must forgive Darren,’ said Catherine. ‘He’s still in shock. We all are.’
    ‘Thanks to her, my wife and child are dead,’ Darren accused.
    I gasped, feeling his words like a stinging slap across my face.
    ‘You need to thank the Mazon for that.
We
rescued you, you ungrateful turd,’ said my brother furiously. He turned to me, his eyes sparkling with anger. ‘Vee, I told you it’d be a mistake to get involved.’
    ‘Aidan, that’s not helping,’ I said.
    ‘Darren, I’m still in command here. Let me handle it.’ The red-headed woman, Catherine, grabbed at the older man’s arm, trying once again to pull him back. He shrugged her off before taking a couple of steps in my direction. I could see his intent in his eyes. He was hurting and he didn’t want to do it alone.
    I was about to learn the hard way that no good deed went unpunished.



10
    Darren was about to do something that we’d all regret. I couldn’t let that happen. I spun round and put myself between Vee and him, my back to Vee.
    ‘Darren, you need to calm down,’ I said.
    ‘Nathan, get the hell out of my way,’ he hissed.
    ‘No way. You need to back up,’ I warned him. ‘If it wasn’t for Vee and her brother, we’d all be dead. Like Aidan said, if you want to blame someone, blame the Mazon.’
    Vee moved to stand beside me. I risked a quick glance at her. She stood with her chin up, her head held high.
    ‘Darren, is it? Well, I’m sorry for your loss but believe me, Aidan and I did everything we could to help you. To help all of you,’ Vee said.
    ‘We couldn’t stay any longer,’ said Aidan. ‘The odds weren’t in our favour for rescuing any of you. If it wasn’t for the time bought by my sister when she sabotaged each of the Mazon ships, none of you would be here now.’
    What did Aidan mean by that? How could Vee have sabotaged the Mazon ships singlehandedly? A whole army would have had trouble doing that.
    ‘I don’t care what the odds said about getting us out of there in one piece. She shouldn’t have left anyone behind.’ Darren turned both barrels on Aidan before turning to Vee. ‘My wife and boy are dead. I’ll never forgive you for that.’
    Next to me, Vee flinched. It was almost imperceptible but I saw it. I felt it.
    ‘Why weren’t your wife and child with you?’ Aidan asked.
    Darren’s eyes narrowed. ‘They were in our living quarters and I was working outside of the compound when the Mazon opened fire.’
    ‘Why didn’t you go back for them?’ said Aidan.
    ‘I
tried
.’ Darren was getting more angry with Vee’s brother with each uttered word. ‘Once the bombing started, I couldn’t get to them.’
    ‘Then you didn’t try hard enough, did you?’ Aidan challenged. ‘I mean, you’re here and they aren’t. Every man for himself?’
    Darren launched himself at Aidan. There was no other word for it. A second later, they were both rolling on the ground and Darren was punching the bloody hell out of Aidan’s face. Some of us had to rush forward to pull him off. Darren was so full of rage, it took four of us to do it.
    Aidan got to his feet, a satisfied half-smile on his face as he considered Darren. Aidan’s lip was split and a couple of drops of blood clung to the corner of his mouth. Slowly, his tongue snaked out to taste the blood on his bottom lip. Wiping at his lip with the back of his hand, Aidan’s head tilted as he contemplated the blood smeared across it. As he raised his head to look at Darren, a strange expression rolled over his face. He was still smiling but there was an unnatural focused calm about him that made me want to take a step back.
    ‘Aidan, stand down,’ Vee urged her brother.
    Aidan took a step forward.
    ‘I said stand down. Damn it, Aidan, I mean it.’ Vee moved in front of her brother. ‘Don’t you dare . . .’
    Aidan turned to look at Vee as if her words were only just registering. The strange, focused expression faded. He stepped back.
    ‘Vee, Aidan, I can