The Rising by Kelley Armstrong Read Free Book Online Page A

turned sixteen?”
    â€œYeah.”
    â€œAnd you know why I’m asking?”
    A pause. But only a brief one. His gaze started my way, then stopped, and he stared at the forest instead.
    â€œYeah.”
    â€œHoly hell,” Corey murmured. “You’re Maya’s brother.”

EIGHT

    I S THERE A PROPER reaction for meeting your twin for the first time? A twin you never even realized you had until a week ago?
    I’d seen long-lost-relative reunions in movies. I’d even read a couple of real-life stories where siblings were reunited. Judging by those examples, I should race over and throw my arms around his neck. Only I didn’t.
    I stood there, staring at this stranger, thinking, My brother, my twin brother over and over. I couldn’t process it. We’d shared a womb for nine months. We’d been babies together, probably in the same cradle, his face the first thing I saw every morning and the last I saw at night. And yet he was a stranger. A complete and total stranger.
    His reaction didn’t help. He wouldn’t even look at me. Just stood there, hands in his pockets, gaze defiant, as if . . .
    As if he couldn’t bear to look at me.
    â€œIt’s true?” I said.
    â€œYeah.” His voice was gruff, emotionless.
    â€œHi,” I said, which was a dumb thing to say, but all I could manage. “I’m Maya.”
    â€œNo shit.”
    Daniel rocked forward, like he wanted to cut in. He didn’t, though. Not until Ashton yanked his hands from his pockets, the sudden move startling me. Daniel caught me and yanked me behind his back, then faced off with Ashton.
    â€œI wasn’t going to hurt your girlfriend.” A sneer. “Damn benandanti.”
    â€œShe’s my friend .”
    â€œGood for you.”
    â€œJust my luck,” I said. “Finally meet my twin brother and, turns out, he’s an ass.”
    Corey laughed. Ashton looked at me for the first time, staring, as if he’d misheard.
    â€œOh yeah,” Corey said with a chuckle. “She said that. You may have inherited the jerk genes, but Maya got the brutal honesty ones.”
    â€œEnough,” Daniel said, stepping forward. “Is anyone else here? Or were you the one who sent the email?”
    â€œIt was me.”
    We all struggled not to look disappointed.
    â€œSo how did you get the email address?” I asked.
    He turned and looked at me. Just looked.
    â€œGreat,” I muttered. “Do I need to relay my questions through an interpreter?”
    â€œThat depends. Are you going to call me an ass again?”
    â€œThat depends. Are you going to act like one?”
    I expected Daniel to intercede. He just stood there, arms crossed, face impassive, as Corey struggled not to laugh.
    â€œLook,” I said. “We’re in trouble. Serious trouble. We reached out to the only contact name we had. You show up instead, spy on us, try to run, and now act like we’re keeping you from a hot date. Somehow you got that message, knew it was your twin sister, and replied. That would make perfect sense if you wanted to help your sister. But that’s obviously not the case.”
    â€œOh, that’s obvious, is it?”
    â€œIf I’m wrong, then let’s start over. I’m Maya. That’s Daniel and that’s Corey. Is Ashton your real name?”
    â€œAsh. Nobody calls me Ashton.”
    Guy couldn’t even answer a benign question without attitude. This was going to be fun.
    â€œHow about we sit down somewhere and talk. Maybe grab something to eat,” Daniel said.
    â€œUmm, correct me if I’m wrong, but aren’t you guys supposed to be dead? Currently being chased by two Cabals? You’re waltzing around Vancouver, eating in restaurants?”
    â€œHell, no,” Corey said. “I never waltz. I do the fox-trot sometimes, though.”
    â€œThere’s a café just a little walk away,” I said