Red Sky at Night (Home in the stars, #0.5) Read Online Free PDF
Author: Jolie Mason
and barely aware of what she was saying.
"You murderous bastard," she shouted. "I'll see he knows just what you are! He'll know." Her own sobs cut her off as she fell onto her knees beside their father.
The marshal told Carnes he'd handle them, and gestured for the other man to go upstairs. Arden glared at him, stepping around in front of Ari, putting himself between her and the lawman. Crispin St. John was marshal in name only. He ran the town for Carnes, so anything he was about to say would be a lie.
"Arden, hate to be seeing you like this. As I understand it, your Da's been on some hard times lately." He rested his hands on his hips, near his side iron. Arden thought his own feelings might be shining through pretty clear, judging from St. John’s caution.
"It looks like your Da might have tried to break in on Mr. Carnes and steal a few valuables."
Arden growled, "That's a damn lie, and you know it. We all know you're Carnes' creature, Cris. You'll say just what he tells you to say."
In the oily way of corrupt officials everywhere and with a smug superiority only true moral decay could give a man, the marshal said, "Now, Arden, I understand this is difficult. I really do. There's no video feed. Camera malfunction. So, I have to go off the forensic evidence that I have. Everything seems to line up with his story."
"Because you make it line up." At his feet, Ari was beside herself. He heard the medic van pull up, sirens going. They'd be here for a body now.
He coaxed Ari into letting her Da go, and she broke his already cracked heart in two with her sobs and cries saying it was her fault. He held her to his chest as they bagged his father's body. Finally, he looked at St.John.
"Carnes is going to go too far one of these days, Crispin. Be careful you aren't standing too close when he does."
The lawman smiled at him. Smiled, then said, "I'll keep that in mind. You be careful you aren't too free with your words, now. God knows, words said in anger have put many a man on death row."
Still glaring at the two men, Marshal and deputy, he led Ari back out of the house and outside to watch their Da be taken away to the morgue. Cold, clear rage boiled in his heart.
*
S omehow, he got Ari home, and, somehow, he got her into bed and asleep. It was late by now. Dawn in a couple hours. He needed air. He'd changed his clothes and gotten the blood off his shirt where Ari had attached herself. He made his way to the roof restlessly. It was like his true North now. He always went to the roof, but it was Brinn he was drawn to.
Brinn sat on the end of the daybed waiting with silent tears tracking down her cheeks. He looked at her with what felt like desolate longing, a pain so deep yet tempered by the certainty that she was there.
The world had turned uglier in the last few hours than he could have imagined it could get. She was his saving grace, the place he wanted most to be. Maybe, she was the last truly good thing left for him in this ugly, greedy world. He walked stiffly to her. His footsteps ringing on the hard roof, causing her to look up at him and open her arms.
He fell into them, pressing his face into her soft belly. He curled onto his side, and she rocked him quietly. He hadn't even realized he was crying, until he heard her sobs as well.
Brinn was so perfect, he thought. She never said a word, just held him. She just let him be, until he could think again. In this one thing , he thought, I've been given a gift. And, no one was going to take her away. No one.
His mind had been lost the whole way back to town in that thought. The realization that the things we love could be gone in seconds, stolen from us by time, circumstances or evil men.
He wrapped his arms tighter around her and fell asleep with her hand brushing over his head softly. And, he held onto her like she was the only thing in the world to hold onto.
*
T he weather turned colder as Gathering approached. Taarken never had anything like snow and ice,
"You murderous bastard," she shouted. "I'll see he knows just what you are! He'll know." Her own sobs cut her off as she fell onto her knees beside their father.
The marshal told Carnes he'd handle them, and gestured for the other man to go upstairs. Arden glared at him, stepping around in front of Ari, putting himself between her and the lawman. Crispin St. John was marshal in name only. He ran the town for Carnes, so anything he was about to say would be a lie.
"Arden, hate to be seeing you like this. As I understand it, your Da's been on some hard times lately." He rested his hands on his hips, near his side iron. Arden thought his own feelings might be shining through pretty clear, judging from St. John’s caution.
"It looks like your Da might have tried to break in on Mr. Carnes and steal a few valuables."
Arden growled, "That's a damn lie, and you know it. We all know you're Carnes' creature, Cris. You'll say just what he tells you to say."
In the oily way of corrupt officials everywhere and with a smug superiority only true moral decay could give a man, the marshal said, "Now, Arden, I understand this is difficult. I really do. There's no video feed. Camera malfunction. So, I have to go off the forensic evidence that I have. Everything seems to line up with his story."
"Because you make it line up." At his feet, Ari was beside herself. He heard the medic van pull up, sirens going. They'd be here for a body now.
He coaxed Ari into letting her Da go, and she broke his already cracked heart in two with her sobs and cries saying it was her fault. He held her to his chest as they bagged his father's body. Finally, he looked at St.John.
"Carnes is going to go too far one of these days, Crispin. Be careful you aren't standing too close when he does."
The lawman smiled at him. Smiled, then said, "I'll keep that in mind. You be careful you aren't too free with your words, now. God knows, words said in anger have put many a man on death row."
Still glaring at the two men, Marshal and deputy, he led Ari back out of the house and outside to watch their Da be taken away to the morgue. Cold, clear rage boiled in his heart.
*
S omehow, he got Ari home, and, somehow, he got her into bed and asleep. It was late by now. Dawn in a couple hours. He needed air. He'd changed his clothes and gotten the blood off his shirt where Ari had attached herself. He made his way to the roof restlessly. It was like his true North now. He always went to the roof, but it was Brinn he was drawn to.
Brinn sat on the end of the daybed waiting with silent tears tracking down her cheeks. He looked at her with what felt like desolate longing, a pain so deep yet tempered by the certainty that she was there.
The world had turned uglier in the last few hours than he could have imagined it could get. She was his saving grace, the place he wanted most to be. Maybe, she was the last truly good thing left for him in this ugly, greedy world. He walked stiffly to her. His footsteps ringing on the hard roof, causing her to look up at him and open her arms.
He fell into them, pressing his face into her soft belly. He curled onto his side, and she rocked him quietly. He hadn't even realized he was crying, until he heard her sobs as well.
Brinn was so perfect, he thought. She never said a word, just held him. She just let him be, until he could think again. In this one thing , he thought, I've been given a gift. And, no one was going to take her away. No one.
His mind had been lost the whole way back to town in that thought. The realization that the things we love could be gone in seconds, stolen from us by time, circumstances or evil men.
He wrapped his arms tighter around her and fell asleep with her hand brushing over his head softly. And, he held onto her like she was the only thing in the world to hold onto.
*
T he weather turned colder as Gathering approached. Taarken never had anything like snow and ice,
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