Hunted by P. C. Cast Read Free Book Online

confusing,” Stevie Rae was saying.
    The kid shrugged. “It’s a gross story my dad tells about him and my mom making me in Dallas. I never wanted the details.”
    â€œUgh, parent sex,” Shaunee said.
    â€œCompletely disgusting,” Erin agreed.
    I could see a little laugh ripple through the group of red fledglings at the Twins’ comments, making the tension that had been hanging between our two groups begin to really loosen up.
    â€œNext is Anthony, who everyone calls Ant.”
    Ant waved awkwardly at us and said hi. Well, it was obvious why everyone called him Ant. He was one of those little kids. You know, the ones that look, like, ten when they’re really fourteen and supposed to have gone through puberty already. Then, as if to provide thebiggest contrast possible, Stevie Rae moved on to the next kid. “This is Johnny B.”
    Johnny B was tall and built. He reminded me of Heath with his athletic body and the easy confidence with which he held himself. “Hey,” he said, flashing white teeth and obviously checking out the Twins, who raised their brows at him and checked him out right back.
    â€œNext is Gerarty. She’s the best artist I’ve ever known. She’s started to decorate parts of the tunnels. It’s gonna look majorly cool when she gets done.” Stevie Rae beamed at yet another blonde, only Gerarty wasn’t all tall and Barbie-like. She was pretty, but her blond hair was more dishwater than platinum, and cut in a seventies shag. She nodded at us and looked uncomfortable.
    â€œAnd last but not least is Kramisha.”
    A black girl twitched out of the group. It was a testament to how distracted I’d been with Venus and Aphrodite and Stevie Rae that I hadn’t noticed her before then. She had on a form-fitting bright yellow shirt cut low to show the top of her black lace bra and a pair of high-waisted, skintight cropped jeans that were cinched up with a wide leather belt that matched her chunky gold shoes. Her hair was cut geometrically into a short poof on her head, and half of it was dyed bright orange.
    â€œLet’s get it straight right now that I’m not sharin’ my bed with no one,” Kramisha said, weaving her head around and looking bored and pissed off at the same time.
    â€œKramisha, I told you about a zillion times, don’t make an issue outta somethin’ that isn’t one,” Stevie Rae said.
    â€œI just want to be clear about myself,” Kramisha said.
    â€œFine. You’re clear.” Stevie Rae paused and looked up at me expectantly. “Okay, that’s my group.”
    â€œAnd these are the extent of the red fledglings?” Darius asked before I could launch into my introductions.
    Stevie Rae chewed the inside of her cheek and didn’t meet Darius’s eyes. “Yeah, these are all of my red fledglings.”
    Ah oh, that’s her I’m-not-telling-the-whole-truth look
. I knew it,but when she met my eyes, hers so clearly begged me not to say anything that I decided to keep my mouth shut and get the whole story when we weren’t the focus of everybody’s attention.
    But me putting off questioning Stevie Rae didn’t put off the
feeling
that had come back, alarm bells ringing inside my head, loud and clear, at her evasion. There was definitely something going on with the red fledglings, and I didn’t think that something was going to be good.
    I cleared my throat. “Well, I’m Zoey Redbird.” I tried to sound polite and normal in a situation that didn’t feel either.
    â€œI’ve told y’all about Zoey. She has an affinity for all five elements, and it’s through her powers that I was able to Change and we were all given our humanity back,” Stevie Rae said. I noticed she was looking directly at Venus.
    â€œWell, it wasn’t just through me that happened. My friends had a lot to do with it, too.” I nodded at