»» BOOK #2 of the X-MARKS: Shadows Series «« Valen and her friends are on the run once again. After their camp is disassembled, they take shelter in a series of traveling homes and meet hosts that will shape their journey in unexpected ways.
When...
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Sometimes I preferred silence.
It wasn't so awful to be left with your thoughts and escape to somewhere new.
This was not one of those times.
We sat around the table, in the dimly lit kitchen, with our backs stiff to the chairs like we were kids again and listening to Ms. Clavette. On the table was our dinner of vegetable soup filled with carrots and leeks, a roasted chicken and a bowl of mashed potatoes.
Neil sat at the head of the table and chewed his meat like a famished dog as picked his teeth clean with the bones after he was through.
The pale woman, with the dark waves of hair we had learned, was named Petra. She watched Neil's and his rude table manners like she counted his chews. A lot of attention for someone who was just a traveler passing by like us.
What could these two be hiding? I wasn't sure and didn't want to know. I just wanted to stretch my legs and look at something other than Mat, and how he ate the same as Neil, like disgusting pigs.
Petra talked to us like a bird at dawn. We were half asleep, and she was squawking in our ears.
"I embroidered all of these, myself," she said and pointed to the colorful drapes tossed across the room.
"They're beautiful," Ocean smiled and took a bite of chicken on her fork.
I continued to eat slowly from my plate. This was all too exciting.
"But it's not all my beautiful work," Petra said and turned her grin to the head of the table, "Neil weaves all the fabric himself."
We each nodded, our tight smiles were shared.
"Now, let's keep eating before it is too cold," Petra said with a pearly smile and picked up the bowl of steaming mashed potatoes.
Neil looked up, though only for a moment, to pass the bowl to Ocean and took nothing for himself.
"Are you not hungry?" Petra asked and looked at Neil with concerned eyes.
Neil waved his hand like he was swatting away his own invisible flies.
"We have guests, it would be rude to eat so much," he mumbled and took another gulp of the water soup.
"So," Petra said and turned to us, "How long have you children been traveling for?"
"This is our second home," Ocean said and returned Petra's smile.
"Then you must have just begun," Petra said and took a sip of her water, "This is my fourth home."
"Where are you traveling to?" Valen asked, and passed the bowl of potatoes to me.
Its glass bottom burned my palms.
"I'm looking for another camp," Petra said and lifted a napkin from her lap, "My home camp was - well it was disabled."
"Disabled?" I blurted.
Neil lifted his face from his plate, to look at me. His fiery stare made me squirm in my seat a bit.
"Yes, but Neil," Petra said with a smile that pinched the side of her eyes, "He's been the best host to me by far."
We sat as stiff as anyone could and did not lift our spoons or bowls. I waited for whose face would reveal our true thoughts about Neil first.
Under his golden beard, Neil's face reddened as dropped his spoon on the table.
"It's time I turn in for the night," Neil said and pushed his chair away from the table with a loud screech.
