Night Witches by L J Adlington Read Free Book Online Page A

imagining people’s deaths when our skins connect?
    Roke’s eyes narrow.
    ‘Low p-pain threshold,’ I stutter, unable to stop the trembling.
    He gives nothing away. Why would he? He’s a Scrutiner. He stores the bead of blood from my finger then shoots questions at me so quickly I barely have time to answer them all.
    No , I don’t remember why or when our plane crashed. Yes , there were abnormal life-forms in the Morass. Yes , I was under observation by a Scrutiner most of the time. (What has Reef reported about me?)
    Am I, or have I ever been, a believer in god? No .
    Do I own, or have I ever owned, any bells or bane-metal for protection against abnormal creatures? Never .
    Did I interact with the Crux pilot? Yes.
    No need to mention I’m still plagued by after-images of Steen Verdessica’s face as I kill him. I wonder where Steen is and what they’re doing to him. Whatever it is, I hope it hurts, especially if he fights back, which he’s bound to do, he’s so arrogant and defiant.
    Finally the Scrutiner makes a steeple of his fingers, like the bell tower of an Old Nation god-house. He simply observes me. I notice that, for all his smart uniform, the skin round his nails is ragged and scabbed. He’s an anxious man. What does a Scrutiner have to be worried about?
    Without another word he stands, packs away his equipment and turns to leave. I remember how, as children, me and Zoya always said Scrutiners had eyes in the back of their heads.
    He’s gone. I’m left shaking and scared. I turn the lights down – they’re too bright – peel off my Slick-streaked overalls, stuff them down the recycling chute and do a quick message check. There’s a hello pip good to be back hurrah for hot water and proper lights from Zoya. Nothing about undergoing Scrutiny.
    Now here’s Mama back from work, squashing me in a hug, but that’s OK because I’ve got sleeves pulled low over my hands and a high-neck top on.
    ‘Horrible about the Crux attack, isn’t it? What an outrage! No warning and no provocation! I’m so glad you’re all right,’ she says. ‘You are all right, aren’t you? You look all right.’ All my life she’s been peering at me like this.
    Here’s Papi too, escaping the clutches of Pedla Rue.
    ‘That woman! They should take her to the border to talk the Crux to death. Rain! Glad you’re safe and sound.’ He stares at me anxiously. ‘At least we won’t be hearing any more about flying lessons, will we? Yes, Aura’s updated me all about your failure to impress the instructors at Air Cadets, even after an extra day’s tuition . . . Rain! Don’t connect when I’m talking to you!’
    ‘Sorry . . .’ I put my keypad away. I hadn’t even realised I was still wondering if Reef would be in touch.
    ‘Why’ve you meddled with the light settings? It’s dim in here.’ Papi tells the lights to brighten.
    ‘Sorry, I thought you’d put them up or something, they were really strong when I got home.’
    He frowns. I frown too, but only on the inside.
    ‘Well,’ says Mama. ‘Here we all are again, nice and normal.’
    The invasion isn’t crushed overnight.
    The Crux are defeated, we all know that, it’s just that they don’t seem to realise it. Purely as a precaution, afternoon school classes are cut so students can do war work around the city. Me and Zoya get put on shifts at Glissom’s. Every day Aura predicts imminent final Victory. A month after the crash in the Morass I’m nesting assault rifles in boxes to be transported to the borders when Zoya comes pushing through all the conveyors and cases. She could’ve talked her uncle into getting a nicer job at his lab, but she said she wanted to get stuck in with everyone else.
    ‘I’ve been messaging you!’ she shouts over the noise on the factory floor. ‘Aren’t you even checking?’
    Not so much. I dread connecting these days in case there’s news about the blood sample Roke the Scrutiner took, though there can’t really be