Crimson Rising Read Online Free

eyes pierce mine, “from those who would steal them.”
    I ignore her. “What happened to the one last night? Did anybody find who was inside?”
    “No,” she says. “It … er … the Drifter likely escaped through one of the air hatches below the engine works. Nobody saw, Jesse. We don’t know age, gender. No details.” She pauses. “You know, when I was an adolescent—”
    I hold the glass in front of me and release it. It plunges to the ground, crashing in a mess of glass and water. I watch the shards dance along the tiles before turning to gauge her reaction.
    Her fingers unclasp. Then she smiles. A small, fake one. “Hmm.”
    We sit in silence for a moment, watching the water pool along the indentations between tiles. Mrs. Dembo doesn’t make a move to clean it up. Instead, she pulls her arm around my back and squeezes. I resist the urge to fight back. I let her think that she’s comforting me.
    Her voice is low and soft this time, like she’s afraid others will hear. “I never liked it. I know that’s easy to say now, but I always felt rotten having to lie to you. We comforted ourselves in the knowledge that it was for your safety, but I’ve always believed that truth is more important than logic.”
    These are the types of things they say, now. Sweeping, vague slogans that are supposed to make me feel better. All they’re doing is trying to make themselves feel better. They know they’re screwing up, but they’ve dug a hole so deep that the only way to get out is to keep lying to themselves. They think they have the luxury of doing that.
    “I remember when you first came to us,” she continues. “You were a confused little boy, always staring off into the distance like you needed to be somewhere else. Our nurturing staff took good care of socializing you, but you were terrified of loud noises. I guess every child is, to some degree. We didn’t know what trauma you’d been through before we found you. We didn’t want to make things worse, so we invented a story. We explained your parents away in the most respectful, honorable manner we could think up. It was only ever meant to keep you safe. Everything we do is meant to keep you safe.” She extends her hand toward my knee. I pull away.
    “You lied.”
    She brings her hand back to her lap, sighing. “It … wasn’t my decision.”
    “Yeah, it was Alkine’s.”
    “Jeremiah Alkine is a good man.”
    “I don’t care how—”
    “And more importantly,” she continues. “He’s your commander. Don’t tell me that all the training we’ve given you thus far has amounted to nothing.” She pauses. “Look, you and I both know that things would be different if we could make it so. In a perfect world, Pearl Power wouldn’t be an issue. We could focus on what’s happening to you without consequence. But the climate out there, especially after our rescue operation in Seattle … we broke laws to help you. Important ones, to the Tribunal at least. I know it isn’t easy to hear, Jesse, but we can’t help the Drifters until we know that we’re safe ourselves. It’s a horrible choice to make, I understand that. We all do. But it’s the logical approach.”
    I keep my eyes pinned to the broken glass, unwilling to look at her. “I thought you said truth is more important than logic.”
    “I am telling the truth,” she responds almost immediately. “And that’s why it’s so difficult.”
    I close my eyes, wishing I could rewind time about six months. To think I used to be worried about scoring well on exams or passing skill courses. “Aren’t you scared of being my teacher?”
    “Why? Should I be?”
    I open my eyes. “My last head teacher died, you know.”
    She scoots closer. “Mr. Wilson died protecting you. It’s not something he would have been ashamed of and it’s not something you should feel guilty about. So, no. I’m not scared.” She stands, narrowly missing the broken glass, and crouches next to me. She tries to catch