Fever 4 - DreamFever Read Free Page B

you not trust me?"
      I'm massively suspicious of that word. It means to accept without question. I did that
once. "I'm sorry, Rowena." My voice catches on the words. I hang my head. I want my
sword back.
      "I can see you have feelings for that, that--"
      "Mac," I supply, before she calls her something that really pisses me off.
      "But I swear I will never ken the why of it." She pauses heavily, and I know it's my
cue to begin justifying my existence.
      I tell her everything she wants to hear. I'm lonely, I say. Mac was nice to me. I'm
sorry I was so stupid. I'm really trying to learn to be the person you want me to be, I tell
her. I'll do better next time.
      Ro dismisses me but keeps my sword. I deal. For now. I know where it is, and if she
doesn't give it back soon, I'll find an excuse for something that needs killing.
       In the meantime, I got a lot to do. Because I'm superfast, they have me whizzing all
over the county, collecting lamps, bulbs, batteries, a whole list of supplies. The crazy
stuff we saw in Dublin hasn't started happening out here yet. We still got power. Even
if we didn't, we got backup generators out the wazoo. Our abbey's totally self-
sufficient. Own electric, food, water. We got it all.
      So far, I haven't spotted a single Unseelie. Guess they prefer the city. More to feed
on. Kat thinks they won't go rural `til they've gorged on urban, so we should be safe for
a while, `cept for those fecking Shades. `Tween times, I check on Mac. Keep trying to
get her to eat. Ro has the key to her cell. Don't know why she needs locking in, since
she has all those wards around her and can't seem to walk. If I don't get food in her
soon, I'll be requisitioning that key. I can coax her to crawl over to the bars, but I can't
force her to eat through them.
       Thing I really want to know is: Where the feck is V'lane? Why hasn't he come for
Mac? Why didn't he stop the Unseelie Princes from raping her? I call for him as I dart
around the countryside, but if he hears me yelling, he doesn't answer to me. Guess not
to Mac anymore, either.
      And Barrons--what's his deal? Doesn't he want her alive? Why have they all
abandoned her when she needs `em the most?
      Men.
      Dude, they suck.
    I dump supplies in the dining hall. Superglue, lights, batteries, brackets. Nobody looks
up. Sidhe-seers at every table, making more of the cool helmet Mac was wearing the
night we fought together. After I snatched her from the princes, Kat and the others went
in, kicked ass, snagged Mac's spear and backpack, and found the pink helmet inside.
       Now they got an assembly line going that I keep supplied, `cept it's getting hard to
find Click-It lights. I might have to go into Dublin, even though Ro says not to raid
stores there.
      Since so many of us work as bike couriers for Post Haste, Inc.--that's the front for
the international sidhe-seer coalition, with offices around the world--most of us already
have our own helmets. Just need `em modified. With Shades in the abbey, everybody's
arguing to be first in line for the next one done. I told `em Mac called it a MacHalo, but
Ro forbade anyone to call it that, like it pissed her off Mac thought of it or something.
      I whiz into the kitchen, yank open the fridge so hard it tips over catty-corner and I
have to right it, then stand there cramming my mouth full of food. Don't know what I'm
eating, don't care. I'm shaking. I have to eat constantly. Superspeed drains me. I go for
high fat, high sugar. Butter, cream, raw eggs go down fast. OJ. Ice cream. Cake. I keep
my pockets stuffed with candy bars and don't go anywhere without my fanny pack. I
gulp two sodas and finally stop shaking.
      I picked up a couple protein drinks for Mac at the store. I worry she might choke on
solid food if she resists. She's gonna eat this time, period.
      Cassie says Ro's making rounds. It's time for that key.
    I don't cry. I don't remember if I ever cried. Didn't when Mom was killed. But if I