Storm by Danielle Ellison Read Free Book Online Page A

righteousness, his lies, and the facade that he tries to pass off as genuine. “I understand if you have more pressing matters.”
    Sabrina steps forward. She and Rafe always seem to be fighting Dad’s battles for him. “We do need to ensure that our Enforcers are in a stable position.”
    Dad keeps looking between me and Penelope and I have no idea why.
    “We’re here to find out what happened out there. Miss Grey was explaining to us what occurred with the Static,” Rafe adds. His eyes are softer when he looks at me. He’s always been my favorite, of the three. He used to change my diapers, which is sort of weird to think about now.
    “And there was no foul play?” Dad asks, eyes on me.
    “Aside from a Static with magic ?” Pen snaps. The Triad, Connie, and I all look at her and she stands. She’s fearless. “No. None. Taylor Plum is still out there, confused and alone.”
    Rafe nods at her. “You make a valid point, Miss Grey. Many of the Statics are out there alone, afraid, and we should go see to them properly.”
    I meet my Dad’s gaze as he leaves with the Triad. I don’t like the look in his eye, the suspicion that’s only there because I told him what happened last week after De’Interno. Most of what happened, anyway. I had to in order to explain it to keep the Triad from asking too many questions that day. That look makes me feel like he’s not saying everything he knows. Or worse, plotting his next move. He’s always one step ahead, always working his own agenda.
    I hope I don’t regret trusting Victor Prescott last week.

Chapter Seven
    Penelope
    After the Triad leaves, Carter is tense. He barely talks—which is fine because Connie does enough for all of us—but he seems distracted. I take his hand, but leave him alone otherwise. He’s not like me. He’ll want to think through whatever’s going on, instead of word vomiting it out for the whole world to see.
    Maple’s family came an hour ago and the Lins sit on the other side of the waiting room, whispering in Chinese. I look over at the Lins, and Maple’s sister sends me a soft smile, but no one else looks my way. How is she now? When they brought her in, she wasn’t breathing on her own. I can still see herlying there, eyes closed, blood on the ground…
    “Ric Norris.” Carter, Connie, and I jump up in unison. The balding doctor with thick-rimmed glasses walks in our direction. “You’re his partner?” This whole floor of the hospital is the magical level. To the Nons, it’s a regular floor with nothing exciting, but only witches come here. All the doctors who work on this floor are witches. Another way we stay cloaked in the Non world.
    “Family friends,” I say. But Carter steps forward.
    “William Prescott, and you are?”
    “I’m Dr. McGervey,” he says.
    Carter holds out his hand, and the doctor takes it. I stare between them and watch as Carter uses his name to get something else done that they’d never let us do normally. “Mrs. Norris is on a flight in from Seattle. It will be another hour, at least, and we’re really the only people here for him.”
    Dr. McGervey nods slowly and flips open Ric’s file. Apparently his Prescott charm works on everyone. There’s nothing readable from the stony expression on his face. “Once he was stabilized, we were able to do a CT scan. He suffered a mild concussion, and we had to do emergency surgery on a ruptured spleen. He has a few broken ribs and some bruising, but he should recover fully. He’ll have to take it easy for a couple weeks.”
    Ric doesn’t do that. Rest and relaxation are not in his vocabulary.
    “Can we see him?” Connie asks. Her voice is practically dancing with excitement. Ric is my best friend, but he’s like a brother to her. He’s always been around us, eating dinner with us, scolding boys who looked at Connie too long. Ric is family for both of us.
    “One at a time,” he says.
    “And what about Maple—Che Lin?” I ask, looking toward the