Resistance Read Free Page A

kitchen towards the coffee
maker. In spite of her attitude, she looks like she might cry when
she meets her father’s eyes. “I didn’t realize you’d be gone for
two weeks,” she says shakily. “Has the plan changed?”
    “Don’t worry, Fi,” Patrick says; using the hand that
is not on Maeve’s back to squeeze her shoulder. “Your mother and I
are only leaving to follow up on something Hugh mentioned. You know
what to do. You’ll be fine.” He releases his wife and pulls Fi into
a tight hug. I can’t make out all of what he says to her, but as he
pulls away he adds, “Take care of your brother. They’ll come for
him.”
    Smarty. A+ for your knowledge, sir.
    Fianna, who didn’t seem to understand the weight that
hung on that last statement, just shook her head. “Wait — Hugh
mentioned something? Why haven’t I heard about this before now?
Since when do you listen to anything he has to say?”
    I sigh. The tone in which she says things astounds
me.
    Patrick opens his mouth to reply, but Maeve sticks
her nose in the air and speaks over him. “Fianna, we are not so
stubborn as to ignore information that could help our cause because
of who it came from.” These people get dumber by the second.
“Everything will be fine, I promise you.” She pats her palm against
Fi’s cheek and pushes her hair out of her face. “We will see you
soon. Why don’t you try and get some rest? Tomorrow will be busy
for you.”
    Fi still looks like she may vomit, but she nods and
accepts the hug her mother gives her. She kisses her cheek and
whispers, “Be safe, my sweet. And look after your brother.”
    They walk away from her then, hand in hand. I leap to
the next tree so I can see them further. Once they are out of
sight, Fi pulls in a shaky breath and rushes back inside, followed
shortly by her uncle. Patrick’s footsteps slow and I hear Maeve
say, “What’s the matter?”
    “Do you think we should tell her?” he asks, unsure.
He is about to continue when his wife huffs. “No, dear.”
    “Maeve, if something happens to us she’ll go into
this blind—”
    “Listen to me,” she snaps. “ Nothing is going
to happen to us. We’re going to go, find these things and return in
one piece. Everything will be fine.” I’m right above them now. She
places her hands on his neck and kisses him. “Why stress her when
we don’t have to?”
    After a moment of hesitation, Patrick sighs and nods
his agreement. It’s obvious he doesn’t agree with his wife, and I
have to concur that her statements are foolishly optimistic. He
takes hold of her hand again and they step outside of their
boundaries. The guard at their exit nods his head and they’re
gone.
     

     
    A fortnight comes and goes and Fianna’s parents have
still not returned. Weeks pass after that without disruption, and
the hope slowly burns out of everyone’s eyes. It becomes more and
more apparent that Patrick and Maeve are either dead or have been
captured, either of which means they won’t return. No one says
anything. It’s as if they never were.
    It’s early morning about eight weeks later, and the
guard who nodded at them as they left is getting coffee. Fi sits
outside on the patio with a mug of her own and looks at nothing in
particular. I am on the ground, shielded by a pile of bright red
autumn leaves, glowering up at the clouds above. An early winter
would be just my luck. Fi doesn’t look pleased about it either,
huffing to herself as she eyes the green-gray sky. She grips her
coffee mug a little tighter and shakes her head.
    The tall guard comes out and nods to her;
interrupting her train of thought. “Fi.”
    “Sean,” she replies. “Sean?”
    He stops and looks at her; lifting a brow. He’s
tired, but he pulls himself out of a slouch and sighs, “Yeah?”
    “Any sign of them?” she asks in a sad voice. She
already knows the answer.
    “No.” He shakes his head, obviously tired of this
conversation already. “Fi, they’re not