Naomi Grim (The Silver Scythe Chronicles) Part 1 Read Online Free PDF Page B

should
start acting like a man. I don't want to wait for my Confirmation."
If I had said what Keira had, Bram would have told me to shut up.
But he smiled at Keira. "Why, were you worried about
me?"
    "No, I didn't think twice about it," she said,
standing up. She slid her feet into her flip-flops, so I knew she
was preparing to leave. She usually fled the scene when Bram
flirted. I didn't blame her. There was no point in loving a person
you could never be with. She pushed past Bram as she
left.
    "I'll walk you home," Bram offered.
    "I'm good," she said as she headed to the
stairs.
    Bram, looking dejected, slunk out of the room.
As far as I knew, Keira was his only weak spot.
    "So that's still going on," Chase said after
Bram was gone.
    "What?" I asked.
    "He still has feelings for her. I thought
losing fifty years would have taken care of that. It doesn't make
any sense. Your parents aren't going to wait two years for Keira to
turn eighteen. The whole thing's a shame really."
    "Why?" I asked. "Keira deserves better than my
ass of a brother."
    Chase took a marble ball from my dresser and
passed it from one hand to the other. "I think she's good for him.
She calms him down. Keira's the only one he listens to. Besides,
think of the poor girl he’ll marry. She'll always live in Keira's
shadow. His wife will never really have his heart."
    "They'll get over each other eventually. Mother
told me you don’t always love your betrothed at first, but you
learn to love them."
    Chase shrugged. "Well, we'll never know, now
will we?"
    "Want something to eat?" I had the sudden
desire to not be alone with Chase in my bedroom.
    "Nah, I should get home. I just wanted to come
by and say congrats."
    "Thanks." I walked Chase to the door just as
Father was coming in.
    "Chase, how are you?" Father asked.
    "I'm fine, Mr. Nox. Thanks for asking," Chase
said as he left.
    Father smiled and shut the door behind him.
"He's a nice kid. Too bad his father doesn't know how to play the
game." He kissed me on my forehead as Mother called us all into the
kitchen.
    Mother rubbed seasoning onto a chicken breast.
"Rosaleen and her family will be joining us for dinner
tonight."
    "Why?" Bram asked, even though he knew very
well why. Our parents had been speaking with Rosaleen's family for
several months about marriage.
    Mother flipped the chicken over to repeat her
actions on the other side. "Bram, I expect you to be on your best
behavior."
    My older brother slumped. "But Rosaleen looks
like a velociraptor."
    "Bram!" Mother said.
    Father put his hands on Bram's shoulders. "Son,
you have to understand, your behavior has made it hard for us to
find you a wife." Father was correct. Every girl in Farrington had
a crush on Bram, but parents feared pairing their daughters with
him. To them, he was a reckless boy who would shorten their
daughters’ lives, like he had done with Keira.
    "In other words, take what you can get," Dorian
said.
    Father shot him a look, and Dorian muttered an
apology.
    "Don't you want to be Confirmed?" Father asked.
"That will never happen until you are engaged."
    "Why does it have to be her? I haven't said
more than five words to the girl in my lifetime. I'm pretty sure
she detests me," Bram said. "And she has bad skin."
    I didn't know Rosaleen, but I felt sorry for
her being talked about like unwanted goods at a rummage
sale.
    Father sat in his seat at the head of the table
and took his pipe from his shirt pocket. "Well, I'm sorry, son. We
can't wait for Keira. Even if we did, Emery wouldn't give her to
you."
    "Who said anything about Keira?" Bram
snapped.
    "Don't worry, Bram. You'll learn to love
Rosaleen," Mother said softly. She said that so often that I
wondered how long it had taken her to love Father. "They will be
here promptly at seven, so do what you need to do. Don't be
late."
    That left Bram a few hours to get groomed and
primped for his future fiancée. I planned on spending the time
catching up on some reading. Who knew how much