Refracted (The Celadon Circle Book 2) Read Online Free PDF Page B

Richard had kept to the shadows. 
    Still, Quinn couldn’t imagine the guilt and stress his father had lived with, every breath spent protecting a child who wasn’t his. The only person to share that secret was his wife, and she had died giving birth to Jordan. There were so many unanswered questions. Why had his mother gone through with the birth if she knew a demon had impregnated her? Why had his father died to keep Jordan away from demons when the angels were just as hell-bent on taking her away?
    Quinn took a quick peek through half-closed lashes. A vein bulged in Case’s forehead. His uncle flexed his fingers before uncapping the whiskey. Instead of spiking his coffee, he tipped the bottle to his lips and downed the remainder in three deep swallows.
    “I’m sorry,” Nathan whispered. “I didn’t mean it.”
    His eyes were those of someone tortured. Swollen and bloodshot, the red veins magnified by unshed tears.
    Casen took a deep breath. “I know.”
    “Please…”
    Nathan held out his hand, as if needing something. Quinn wondered if he had any idea what.
    Casen grasped his nephew’s hand in both of his.
    “I didn’t mean it,” Nathan repeated. “I don’t know why I said it. I don’t feel that way. I’ve never felt that way.”
    Casen nodded. “You needed to vent, to let the poison out. It’s about damn time.”
    “Huh?”
    “You keep it all inside – always have.”
    Uncle Case pointed at the sandwich. Nathan picked it up the way one would a heavy bag of rocks.
    “You’ve got to have an outlet. Lord knows I don’t agree with how your brother releases stress. He probably has several rug rats he doesn’t know about, and every demon within the first three pits of Hell wants a piece of him, but–”
    “Hey!” Quinn interrupted.
    “–But,” Casen continued, speaking over Quinn’s grumbling, “he doesn’t keep it all inside. Nathan, you can’t always be the anchor for this family. Everyone has a breaking point. If you don’t create some sort of outlet to release all that worry and tension, it’ll end up killing you.”
    Nathan rose on unstable legs. Quinn jumped up, happy to be the one providing support for once, and wrapped an arm around his twin’s waist.
    “I don’t know what to do – how to help her.” His words, slurred from lack of sleep and alcohol, were barely discernible. “It’s hopeless,” he mumbled.
    Casen got up and pulled Nathan’s free arm around his shoulders. Together, they managed to half-walk half-drag him to his room. Once there, Casen pulled the quilt down on Nathan’s bed and Quinn helped him to sit.
    “What are we gonna do, huh?”
    His brother continued to talk even though his eyes were closed. Quinn unlaced his boots and pulled them off.  
    When Casen slipped the T-shirt over his nephew’s head, a black leather necklace with a Crescents Rising protection amulet swayed back and forth from his neck. Jordan had given it to Nathan the same day she’d gifted Quinn the Celtic Warrior ring he wore. As he worked a knot loose in his brother’s boot laces, Quinn wondered if Nathan ever bought Jordan anything. His chest tightened and he swallowed several times. He never had.
    They got Nathan stripped to his boxers and tucked under the covers. It probably would have been easier shoving a wild boar into a burlap sack. Nathan complained that he wasn’t sleepy, that they needed to plan. He flailed around and fell off the bed twice, once landing on top of Quinn.
    “What the hell, Nathan?!”
    His brother didn’t drink much but wasn’t a teetotaler, either.
    How much of that whiskey did Uncle Case give him?
    “Get off me, you oaf!”
    Nathan patted Quinn’s cheek.
    By the time they got him settled, Quinn felt like he’d gone ten rounds with a sumo wrestler. Uncle Case, on the other hand, still had some juice – either that or he was a good actor.
    He sat on the edge of Nathan’s bed and spoke softly. “Don’t worry, son. Get some rest while Quinn and