The Dust: Book Three - Sanctum by David H Sharp Read Free Book Online Page B

youngster, but she hadn’t responded. She kept changing the subject, and when asked directly she just clammed up.
    The poor little girl had been through so much. Angel looked up to the cloudless morning sky; she still couldn’t believe Iris had jumped. It was all so fast, so final. A life evaporated in the click of a finger.
    She looked back at the horses; they weren’t in the best shape but they would have to do. Her mind went back to Yanto and his horse, Thunderchild; he had the right idea. Yet another friend, gone. Jake was the thorn that hurt the most though. Angel ran her fingers through her hair; if he didn’t make it to Old Mill cottage then she wasn’t sure what she would do. Without him and Lou Pepper, well, she might have followed Iris over the cliff and onto the jagged rocks.
    ‘Tea up.’ Roger’s voice broke Angel’s dark musings. She waved back, acknowledging him.
    Walking back into the farmhouse and across the flagstones, Angel plonked herself down at the large wooden table.
    ‘You’re up early.’ Roger handed Angel her brew. ‘Find anything out there?’
    ‘Checking on the horses, giving them some fresh hay.’
    ‘What about the grass in the field?’ Roger sat down opposite her. ‘I’m no farmer but I thought the hay was for when the winter set in.’
    ‘Too many horses in one field.’ Angel sipped the piping hot tea. ‘They should have been moved a week or so ago, the land has been stripped.’
    ‘You obviously know what you’re talking about.’ Roger pushed the biscuit barrel over towards Angel. ‘Not much in there I’m afraid.’
    ‘When I was in care I used to go to all sorts of summer camps and country parks. The foster carers would have rest bite and we would be shipped out for a few weeks. I hated it at first, but coming from the concrete jungle I grew to love the countryside.’ She opened up the biscuit tin; Roger was right, there were three stale looking Rich Tea biscuits. No one under seventy five ate a Rich Tea biscuit ‘Can we ride the nags?’ Roger asked.
    ‘Yes, it shouldn’t be a problem; all the saddles and tack are in an out building across the front yard.’
    ‘The Purebloods must have missed this place.’ Roger drained his mug.
    ‘What’s to take?’ Angel leant back in her chair. ‘They have transport; they don’t need horses.’
    ‘I suppose so; there’s no fuel here, I checked yesterday evening.’
    ‘They most probably came here and saw it for what it was. A struggling small estate with not much to offer.’ She took another sip of tea. ‘For us, paradise. For them, a pile of old bricks with nothing to offer.’
    ‘Shall we leave today?’ Roger was fully aware he mustn’t just take over and make all the decisions himself. Angel didn’t like it, and at the moment their relationship was a good one.
    ‘Nope, I need to teach you to ride.’
    ‘I thought you said it was easy?’
    Angel laughed. ‘It is, but it will take a day for the basics to click in. Plus we need to suss out the horses.’
    ‘Suss out?’
    ‘Not all horses are the same. Some are easy, some are unpredictable.’
    ‘Like women.’ Roger burst out laughing. He liked to make himself laugh, and it had been a while since he had done so.
    Angel smiled and nodded. ‘Nothing wrong with a bit of unpredictability.’
    Naomi Hardcastle entered the kitchen with a big yawn. ‘What’s so funny?’
    ‘Roger was just telling me that he likes easy women.’ Angel winked back at her.
    He laughed again. ‘Okay you two, don’t start, it’s too early.’ He poured Naomi a mug of tea.
    The teenager walked over to the kitchen and lifted herself up to sit on the work top. ‘What are we going to do about him ?’
    Roger knew exactly who she meant. ‘Harry James?’
    Angel sighed. ‘Not this again. Just untie him and tell him to piss off. We don’t need his sort hanging around. I don’t like Lou being near him, she’s been through enough.’
    ‘Surely we have some sort of duty to look