Death Weavers Read Free Page A

teen said. “Nobody returns.”
    â€œWhy not get moving?” Cole asked.
    â€œAre you trying to kill me off?” the teen asked, mildly offended.
    â€œNo,” Cole said. “But if you have someplace else to go, why stay?”
    â€œWhy do you go on living?” she countered. “You could come here.”
    â€œI’m alive,” Cole said. “You died. Why not go to heaven?”
    She stared off to one side, her gaze slightly skyward. “I could, I suppose. I don’t feel ready. I’m not sure what to expect. You call it heaven. Hopefully, that’s what it is. You don’t learn much just by dying. You become an echo and see there is an afterlife. But nobody here has been beyond the echolands, so everyone is still just guessing. Moving on will mean leaving behind the echo of my body. I feel the call sometimes. It’s exciting but also scary. Unknown. I want to wait for my mother to join me. It would be nicer to set off together. But her heart keeps ticking.”
    â€œHow’d you die?” Cole asked.
    â€œYou’re nosy,” she said.
    â€œYou’re the one who was spying on us,” Cole reminded her.
    â€œIt wasn’t very nice,” she said. “I had a lung disease. In the end I couldn’t breathe. I was full of liquid. It felt like drowning.”
    â€œThat’s horrible,” Dalton said, scrunching his face.
    â€œIt seemed pretty awful at the time,” the teen admitted.
    â€œWhat’s your name?” Cole asked.
    â€œI was starting to wonder if you’d ask,” she said with a giggle. “That usually comes before the details of your death. I’m Yeardly. You’re Cole and Dalton. I’ve been listening since you entered the garden.”
    â€œYou know what we’re after,” Cole said. “Is there any way you can help us?”
    â€œI’ve been helping you!” Yeardly exclaimed, sounding a little exasperated. “I felt bad for you. I mean, you’re kids! I told you to watch your words because others are listening. Who is Jenna?”
    â€œMy friend,” Cole said. “We came to the five kingdoms from Outside. Slave traders brought us. I want to find her.”
    â€œI hear the Temple of the Still Water is beautiful,” Yeardly said. “I’ve never been there. It’s far away.”
    â€œDon’t you travel?” Dalton asked.
    â€œWhy?” Yeardly asked. “I’ve gotten to know the echoes here, and the lay of the land. I have a good shrine for when I want contact with mortals. And I’m close to my hometown for when Mom crosses over.”
    Cole spoke quieter. “Is there anybody who might know where we can find Honor or Destiny? Can you point us in the right direction?”
    â€œSomebody might know,” Yeardly said. “Hard to say who. I haven’t caught wind of any rumors about their locations.” She paused. “Tell me about Aaron.”
    Cole stared at her. She had paid attention to their names. Good thing Hunter had suggested aliases. Aaron was Hunter’s middle name and the name of Cole’s paternal grandfather. The name Sally for Mira came from an old nickname derived from her middle name, Salandra. Hunter had maintained it was best to use codenames that weren’t complete lies, because some echoes were experts at detecting falsehood.
    While serving as one of the most feared of the High King’s Enforcers, Hunter had typically covered his face with a mask. As a result, to move around anonymously, he could simply dress in normal clothes and let his face show. Cole didn’t like Yeardly’s interest in his brother. If word got out who he really was, it could bring a lot of trouble. Had they made a mistake? Had Hunter’s identity slipped?
    â€œWhy?” Dalton asked.
    â€œNo big reason,” Yeardly said. Her tone was casual, but her eyes showed real interest. “He seemed to be in charge.