Hailstone by Nina Smith Read Free Book Online Page B

said from the kitchen. “I want to see you front and centre at this rally. Some people in the Congregation doubt your commitment to the cause after recent events. I want them set straight. Here, take this to my car. You go in John’s car though, there’ll be no room left in mine.”
    “Yes Preacher.” Magda staggered under the weight of the box he handed her, but since no other help was forthcoming, took it out the front herself and shoved it into Preacher’s open boot. His back seat was stuffed with placards. He must be expecting the entire Congregation to turn out, and then some.
    She leaned in and turned over one of the placards. Hells Bells Vodka. Named after its maker, it said.
    “Well that’s just moronic.” Magda turned over another. Protect our children, it said, and underneath that was a picture of Adam’s face with a big cross through it.
    Every hair on Magda’s body stood on end. She slammed the door shut and backed away from the car. If she’d believed in God, she would have prayed for a way out of going to this rally, but she didn’t and there wasn’t one. Preacher and John locked up the house and joined her in the driveway.
    “Don’t look so frightened, Magdalene, it’s just a rally,” Preacher said. “You’ll be quite safe. The entire Congregation will be there.”
    Magda got in the car next to John. He ignored her completely and followed Preacher’s car out of the driveway.
    Magda reached for her phone with numb fingers. She tapped out a message to Adam. Don’t be at City Square this morning. Under any circumstances. She pressed send.
    “Who are you messaging?” John asked.
    “Just a friend. Reminding her about the rally.” Magda shoved her phone back in her bag and stared out of the window. The highway flew by. They turned off; cars packed all of the streets around City Square, the one place in Hailstone where big gatherings could happen. It was two blocks from the nightclub district. Magda liked to avoid it, because Congregation people tended to hang around there handing out leaflets. She wouldn’t be seen dead with even one of those dropkicks.
    Except today, when she was supposed to be seen very much alive with every single one of them. Magda stared at the crowd that packed the Square when they drove past, looking for parking.
    John parked three blocks away and they walked back to the Square together. Before they reached their destination, his fingers squeezed her arm a little harder than necessary. “I’m going to join Preacher,” he said. “Don’t disappoint him today, Magdalene. I’m sure I can trust you to behave yourself in this crowd.”
    Magda gave him her most innocent look. “Would I go out of my way to disappoint my own father?”
    “You know sometimes I think you’re not right in the head.” John released her arm as though his fingers had been burned. He walked into the crowd.
    “Fuck you too,” Magda muttered at his back.
    “Mags!” Joseph beckoned to her from the edge of the crowd.
    Magda followed him into the press of knee length skirts, suits and collars. They pushed their way through to the fountain in the middle of the Square.
    “I heard you got drunk and swore at Preacher,” Joseph said, when they were seated at the edge of the fountain.
    Magda chuckled. “Now Joseph, does that sound like me?” She took a second look at him; the edge of an ugly, purplish bruise was just barely hidden by his sunglasses. “Your Daddy lay into you too?”
    “Yeah, but what else is new?”
    “You know technically you’re still a child. You could tell the police or something. They might give you another place to live.”
    “Because that all worked for you, right ? Come on, Mags, you’ve heard it as often as I have. The mayor wouldn’t do that. Not to his own son. You know what’s really fucked up? You’re an adult and you let Preacher keep beating on you. I turn eighteen next week. The minute I do, I’m out of here.” Joseph took off his glasses and showed