Feudlings In Smoke (Fate On Fire Short Story) Read Online Free PDF

away.
    She slept for hours, finally wandering in sometime after three. “Whatcha doin’?” she asked, trying to untangle her wild curls.
    He glanced at her and back to his computer. “Working. Some of us have to earn our keep.” He grinned at his computer, ready to duck if she tried to smack him.
    “Right. Curse my lazy hide. I'm going for a walk. Want to come?”
    A walk. Outside, in the fresh air. What a concept. He nodded, shoving himself away from his computer. “Yeah, I could use a break.”
    Ari stayed for several hours, visiting the other Renegades in the colony. And before she went back to school, she skipped out into the real world to grab pizza and his mail, which was always a bonus.
    “And that is why I let her leave to live in the outside world,” he told his empty room after she left. “Who else is going to bring me pizza?”

Chapter Three
     
    Over the next few weeks, Ari had to call him three times for a shroud, which meant three times she went into battle without him. The knowledge that he was making her face this all alone ate at him, and sleep was pretty much nonexistent.
    So when the phone rang at 3:00 a.m., he was awake, staring at the ceiling. Only two people ever called him. Anyone in the colony would just walk over unless it was a serious emergency. He jerked upright, tangled in the blankets, and careened off the bed in an attempt to reach his nightstand. His hand just caught the phone as he plummeted to the floor, and it sailed after him, landing with a painful thump on his head before bouncing to his lap. Ari's name and face lit up the screen.
    “Ari? What's wrong?”
    “Nothing, Will. I'm just worried about something. Can you talk?”
    Relief flooded through him, but he knew Ari wouldn't be calling if there wasn't something seriously stressing her. “What's up, baby sister?”
    “Can I come home? It's hard to talk here. I'm hiding in the bushes right now and I'm pretty sure there are spiders all around me. Crickets, too.”
    Will smirked. Mighty warrior afraid of bugs. “Yep. Ready?” He counted down, hearing her muttering the same numbers across the line, and then he swirled his hand through the saldepement spell. He halfheartedly wished she would bring him food, but the fact that it was the middle of the night gave him little hope.
    The doorway shimmered to life and Ari rose to her feet, long black and red curls tumbling loose nearly to her waist. She was in shorts and a tank top and if he wasn't mistaken… yes. His big, tough sister was wearing fuzzy pink slippers.
    He fought valiantly to hide a smile. He failed.
    “What? My feet were cold.” She strode past him and plopped on his bed, staring up at him expectantly. Their mother had black and red hair like they did — wild curls just like Ari's. Otherwise, he'd never seen anyone like them, but it was rumored Ada Aleshire, the Edren responsible for starting the entire war, had also possessed the black and red hair. Also like him and their mother, Ari had big super dark-brown eyes. He knew his sister was beautiful. What surprised him was that he hadn't had to threaten or kill any boys yet. He'd been waiting for that day his entire life. He had high hopes that Hunter or Shane wouldn't disappoint him.
    “Come.” She patted the bed next to her, bouncing just a bit. “Sit. Talk.”
    Will ran a hand through his hair and flipped on the lamp before collapsing next to her. He stretched out his long legs and propped himself up on his pillows. “What's up, buttercup?”
    “Is there any chance whatsoever that there could be a spy in the colony, Will?” As usual, Ari got straight to the point, although she had the decency to wince after she said it, realizing how painful that question must be.
    He shook his head. “No. Not a chance. These people are like family, Ari. Better than family. These people don't turn on you like family does.”
    She held up her hands, as if warding off his anger. “I had to ask. Something… isn't