Inquest Read Free Page B

That seemed right to me. While his brain hadn't been the smartest before his memories returned, it had retained a great deal of wisdom — the kind of wisdom that came from a pure heart, something he still kept even though he remembered experiences that might taint that purity remaining inside of him. But compared to so many of my peers, I guess I am still a lot more innocent than anyone else I've met.
    "I'll think about it," Jewl said. "Being honest about what I'm feeling is still pretty new to me, though I've noticed Anj really likes it. Go figure. Anyway, so are you going to tell me anything?"
    "Um...Cheyenne is gone. I know that," he said, struggling to figure out how much information he should share.
    "I know that, too."
    Biting down on his lip, he replayed the past week or so again. "I wasn't too involved in what was happening. I know Denver was trying to do some family stuff. He didn't want me to get in the middle of things too much because they aren't safe. When the demons attacked us, he wanted me to run away. I chose to stay and fight anyway. It wasn't his fault. I don't know why he's in so much trouble."
    "Because people don't want him here," she said. "Sometimes people look for excuses to get rid of someone, grasping at straws, or making up stupid reasons in order to have their way."
    "You don't hate him?" he asked.
    Jewl shook her head. "There are few people I hate, but Denver isn't one of them. We're not friends, but we're not enemies. I, personally, don't think he's as bad as everyone says he is."
    "I don't either."
    "Obviously, but you seem to think there's good in everyone."
    He didn't think that. A lot of people he knew were bad news, and he did his best to stay far away from them. Why argue with her? Instead, he kept his mouth shut.
    "So that's all you can offer me?" She pouted. "You have no clue why Cheyenne went missing and why everyone is going crazy? Nothing?"
    "She went missing because the bad guy took her away," he said. That seemed like the kind of statement his stupid self would have made.
    Jewl rolled her eyes. "Duh, but beyond that?"
    "It has to do with why Lucien tried to hurt you earlier," he mumbled. "He wants more magic and stuff. I think Denver did something to make Lucien not as powerful, and it freaked him out, so he took Cheyenne away for...um..."
    "Leverage?" Jewl provided.
    He nodded. "Yeah, that." Being dumb is hard work.
    "How much more will happen before all this ends?"
    Three deaths and a mountain getting sucked into the underworld, unless I can stop it. He shrugged and gazed out the window. Looking at her was hard. It made him weak. If he was weak, he might cave and confuse everyone by acting strangely — or say a whole lot more than he should.
    Thankfully, a knock on the door broke up their conversation. Halyn Alpay stood in the doorway, and when his gaze met hers, she lit up, giving him the biggest of smiles.
    "I'll go," Jewl mumbled. "Feel better and I'll see you when you get back."
    And he knew she wouldn't be back to visit him again. A shame. He understood all the same. All he could do was hold on to the last memory he had with her from the future. Teague needed all the good thoughts he could get his hands on.
    ****
    "Hey turd." Cory shook Teague hard until he woke up.
    Teague hated that nickname, but it was better than some of the other, more colorful, things his older brother liked to call him. Groaning, he swatted his brother away and rolled to the other side, desperate for just a few more minutes of sleep. On the other side of the bed, however, was his brother Alain. He ripped the pillow out from under Teague and hit him with it.
    "Mom has been calling for you for at least ten minutes," Alain stated. He tossed the pillow to his identical twin Cory and walked out of the room.
    Cory gave Teague one more firm swat with the pillow. "Besides, you've got lots of things to do before tonight. Don't waste your time sleeping."
    "I do?" Teague frowned. "You said there wasn't