Dark Days (The Childe Series, #2) Read Online Free PDF Page A

his left.  He saw she was biting her lip as she waited for someone to speak.
    “I guess I’ll break the ice. Rachel, Sam, it is our pleasure to finally meet you both. I know I speak for Trevor and myself when I say, we can never repay the selfless act you both have done for our family.” Ròs’ thick Irish brogue shook a little as she glanced at her husband for support. Ròs noticed the confused expressions that Rachel and Sam were sending her way. “I’m doing this a bit badly, aren’t I?” she asked, looking back at Trevor.
    “What my wonderful wife is trying to say is that as Catherine’s aunt and uncle, we want to thank you for taking such great care of her,” Trevor said kindly.
    “What? You’re who? Is this some kind of joke, Michael?”  Rachel asked in disbelief.
    “No, Rachel, it’s not a joke. This is William’s sister and brother-in-law,” Michael answered.
         
    Cat sat on her bed staring out the window. She hadn’t gone down to dinner and now she was starving . Cat hoped she wouldn’t enco unter anyone as she quietly made her way down the stairs to the kitchen, making sure to miss the creaky ones. With a plate full of food and a glass of water, she started walking back to the staircase, when she heard voices coming from the closed study door. She moved closer, and was surprised to hear her Uncle Michael telling everyone to calm down. Cat placed her glass and plate on the hallway side table and bent to listen with her ear to the door.
    “What are you two doing here?” she heard Sam ask forcefully. The anger in her dad’s voice startled Cat. Her father was usually a very calm man, and raising his voice was unlike him.
    “We’ve come to take Catherine with us. It’s not safe for her here anymore. I know we should’ve given you some warning, but we knew that we needed to see you in person to talk about this.” Cat heard a woman say with an Irish accent. Not safe? Who the hell is this lady? And why is she here to take me away?
    “She doesn’t know about her past yet, only that she’s adopted. She only found that out a week ago, and hasn’t been dealing with it very well, I can assure you. So for you to add this to the mix, I just don’t know what she’ll do,” Rachel’s voice begged.
    “She found out a week ago that she was adopted? Why wasn’t I told this?” Cat heard Michael ask.
    What is he doing here? Cat thought.
    “Erika gave Cat to us to care for. We love her as much as if she was our own. You just can’t take her from us!” Cat could hear her mom’s heart-wrenching sobs clearly through the door.
    “Rachel, I’m sorry to upset you. Michael has told us what a wonderful job you’ve done with Catherine. We know she’s truly been loved, but Trevor and I feel she needs to be with us. Her own kind. We can teach her what she needs to survive,” Cat heard the unfamiliar Irish woman reply.
    “You have no idea what she needs!” Sam’s angered voice made Cat jump back this time. “She’s the only one of her kind alive and nobody knows what she’s capable of!”
    Before she could even think it through, Cat stepped forward and flung the study doors open. She witnessed the shock on the faces of the five people within as they all looked her way. “It sounds like there are more secrets I should know. So, I think I should hear them now,” Cat said quietly, even though she was screaming on the inside. Michael moved first, put his arm around Cat, and brought her to stand in front of the others.
    “Cat’s right . She deserves to know. So, everyone just calm down and we’ll tell her. Now Cat, you ask the questions and we’ll answer them, truthfully,” Michael stated. Cat looked at the couple seated on the couch and noticed they had bright red hair like hers.
    “Who are you?” she asked them.
    “We’re your Aunt Ròs and Uncle Trevor,” Trevor answered, squeezing Ròs’ hand as a solitary tear trickled down her cheek from seeing her niece for the first time.