Uprising by Jessica Therrien Read Free Book Online Page B

follow you, Kara, they were supposed to. Everything happens for a reason. I’ve learned that by now.”
    I couldn’t see her through the dark, but I could feel her looking at me. I really am sorry , she said with genuine regret. I never should have come .
    I’m glad you did , I answered, surprised by the thought. Whenever I expected the van to roll to a stop, it kept on.
    There wasn’t much else to do but sleep. I rested my head on William’s shoulder and tried to forget the flames as we huddled together in the deepest corner of the cab. Kara kept her distance, staying close to the back hatch. In time, we all drifted off, glad to be alive.
    When I woke up, William was still asleep next to me, but we were alone. The back door of the van was left open letting the early morning light in. We’d driven through the night.
    I nudged William, eager to get out. “Hey, we’re here.”
    He sat up, his grown out hair sticking up in places, and I laughed as he squinted away from the light.
    “What?” he asked. “Rough night?”
    He smiled. “Get me out of this van.”
    We shuffled out of the back, and my heart stopped when I realized where we were. William walked on unaffected, but I couldn’t move.
    “What’s wrong?” he asked, turning back to me.
    I couldn’t believe it. Of all the places, how could they choose this one? I didn’t like the feelings it stirred up in me, and I didn’t want everyone rifling around here either. This place was a part of me that I didn’t want to share.
    “Why here?”
    “Why not here?” William answered without understanding.
    A buried ache I’d learned to keep hidden over the years suddenly throbbed in my chest. “This is my parents’ house.”
    ***
    I let William go in on his own. I wasn’t ready to face the inside of the house just yet. Instead I kicked past the sagebrush down to the creek where I used to play as a kid, giving myself a moment to think. There was so much to process. Rescuing Anna and Chloe was always at the forefront of my mind, but now there was the news about Iosif, Christoph’s new plans, the attack, and knowing that The Council was actively hunting us down. They were close. Too close. Not to mention after all of that, being here forced me to relive moments with my parents before their death, each memory adding to the burden that already weighed so much.
    They let me be for a while, but William was sent to drag me home before I was ready. Moments of peace were a luxury in war, one I’d have to live without.
    “Are you okay?” he asked as he approached.
    “No,” I answered truthfully, chucking a handful of pebbles into the water.
    He took my arms without asking and wrapped them around his waist. “Me either.”
    “Throwing rocks helps.” I laughed, trying to lighten the mood. At least we had each other. I pressed my cheek into his chest, letting the soft sound of his heart settle my own. “They got to us so easily.”
    “I know.” He ran his fingers through my hair. “But my dad’s here. He says they’ve lost us. We should be safe.”
    “That’s good,” I said, feeling relieved for William. “Did he say how he knew they were coming?”
    “He had Descendants in place, watching the area.”
    “Maybe one of them was followed. It might not have been Kara.”
    He pulled away just enough to look me in the eyes. “You’re sure she’s on our side?”
    I nodded. “Did you ask your dad about everyone? How are your mom and sister?”
    “He said they’re all being watched. There have been some disappearances, but nobody you know.”
    Being watched. I worried for them. If there were already disappearances, if The Council was tightening their grip, his family would be in more danger than anyone else. Why weren’t they being hidden?
    “Can I ask you something?” I pulled my arms from around his waist and folded them across my chest. I felt guilty for even thinking it. “Why was your dad never punished after he started the last war? He never went