The Blade of Shattered Hope (The 13th Reality #3) Read Free Page A

it?”
    “Gotten over what? Being imprisoned by a bunch of thugs, forced to torment you and your friends, almost killed? What’s there to get over?”
    Tick shook his head, trying not to look sad, but knowing he did. Thinking back to what had happened in the Fourth Reality, and everything that led up to it, always made him sad. He didn’t even really understand why—or at least he told himself that. After all, they’d escaped. They were safe. All seemed fine in the world.
    But deep down, he knew why he felt sad. He knew all too well.
    It was her. It was Mistress Jane. What he’d done to her.
    “Tick,” Mr. Chu repeated, snapping his fingers again. “What’s buzzing in that brain of yours?”
    “I didn’t mean to hurt her,” Tick said, almost whispering. His heart felt like a squishy pile of mud. “I don’t even know exactly what I did to her. For all we know, I killed her.”
    Mr. Chu stood up, shaking his head. “Enough of that.” He picked up the book and slid it inside Tick’s backpack, then held the pack out toward him. “Seriously. You shouldn’t feel one ounce of guilt for something that happened completely out of your control.”
    Tick didn’t respond, just reached out and took his backpack, slipping the straps over his shoulders.
    “I’m not even going to talk about it with you anymore,” Mr. Chu continued. “Maybe that’s making your subconscious mind think it’s something you should feel guilty about, something you should come to terms with, seek forgiveness for. Well, it’s not. As soon as blame the wood for killing with fire.”
    “Huh?” Tick asked.
    Mr. Chu shrugged. “Sorry. It was the best I could come up with.”
    For some reason, that made Tick feel better. “I’m fine, I guess. It’s just that . . . she seemed like maybe she was starting to feel bad about being so evil. I thought maybe she was going to change, maybe even help us.”
    Mr. Chu put two fingers together and swiped them across his lips like pulling a zipper.
    Tick rolled his eyes. “Fine. Well, thanks for helping me study. I’ll see ya next week.”
    “Sounds like a plan. Study the chapter on natural electricity’s role in physics carefully. A lot of things build off that information.”
    “I will. See ya.”
    “Take care.” Mr. Chu smiled then, and he looked nothing like his diabolical twin who had almost driven billions of people permanently insane.
    Tick turned and headed out the door, deciding at the last second to swing by the city library to check his e-mail before going home. He was looking forward to the best weekend ever—his sisters Lisa and Kayla had gone to stay with their cousins in Seattle until Monday night. Uncle Ben and Aunt Holly had two daughters the same ages as Tick’s sisters, and the two families swapped weekends between Deer Park and Seattle about every five months.
    No girls for three whole days. Well, unless you counted his mom, which he really didn’t.
    Peace and quiet. Books, junk food, and video games. It was gonna be great.
    ~
    Mrs. Sears, the librarian, was in her usual good mood, greeting Tick with that lilting laugh of hers as the gray cleaning pad she called her hair wiggled back and forth on her head. She asked him about the pros and cons of homeschooling, the latest books he’d been reading, and how he’d been faring against his dad in the latest installment of his favorite video game, Football 4000. But every time he answered a question, he eyed the long line of computers, trying to give her a hint.
    Finally she nodded toward an empty chair and said, “Well, I know why you’re here. Go on, and I’ll find you a good book before you head out. Deal?”
    “Deal,” Tick responded, already moving away.
    He was logged into his e-mail in no time. Just as he’d hoped, there was a letter from Sofia and one from Paul. Jackpot. Paul’s had been sent first, addressed to both Tick and Sofia, as usual. Tick opened Paul’s e-mail and began reading.
    Dudes,
    Okay, I’m