Inquest Read Online Free Page A

Jewl get up and leave without so much as a glance. The pain his family would forever suffer through was just beginning to unfold. It was hard to watch.
    "Bad time?" Halyn asked from the doorway.
    He shook his head. "No, come in. We were just talking."
    Halyn walked in and hugged him close, shoving his head against her chest. "Why do you boys always have to pick stupid fights?"
    "I couldn't leave him alone to take on all of those demons," Teague said. "It would have ended up even worse."
    "The demons can have him, as far as I'm concerned," she mumbled. She released him from her grip before pulling up a nearby chair so she could keep sitting with him while holding his hand. Her skin was warm, her hand so small in comparison to his own. Halyn was petite and fierce. The daughter of witch doctors from the Philippines, she gained similar magic to them. She knew spells and herbal treatments. Overall, she was one of his favorite people to spend time with at the school because of her bubbly personality and optimistic outlook on life.
    Not to mention she was pretty cute. Large, almond shaped, dark eyes always gazed at him like he was the most fascinating person on the planet. Despite her being small in size, she had a body proportioned to her height. Her creamy skin was probably just as soft as it looked. He continually found himself wanting to touch her to find out.
    What was even more interesting about his attraction to Halyn was how she was nothing like his girlfriend back home. The thought of Chanel stabbed him with guilt. I didn't know I even had a girlfriend for the longest time. And it's not like Halyn and I ever dated. The way Halyn held his hand suggested the attraction was mutual, and he did remember wanting to ask her to be his date to one of the school events. He'd never gotten the guts to actually do it.
    How did he nip whatever was going on between them in the bud before it got out of hand? It wasn't like he could pick up their relationship from where it left off once he got home again. The age difference was gross, for one, and secondly, Halyn wasn't even in his version of the future. Come to think of it, I don't even know what happened to her. She just doesn't exist.
    "So, have I missed anything interesting?" he asked, casually pulling his hand away from hers so he could put it under his blanket. He hoped the action was subtle enough that she wasn't insulted by it.
    Halyn laughed. "You are the interesting thing, T. Everyone has all these theories floating around about what happened. Most of them are stupid and probably bogus. No one knows what's going on for real."
    "I'm sure they're entertaining anyway," he said. There was no way he was going to tell her anything. She loved her gossip. If he needed to, he could probably trust her with a major secret, but he'd have to tell her in advance that her confidence was needed. Most people didn't need a warning. They could discern based on content alone what was appropriate for sharing and what wasn't. He didn't think Halyn had that filter.
    She gave him a small smile. "Of course they are. Seriously, though, I have been worried sick about you. No one would let me in on how you were. I tried to see you yesterday, and the doctors said that wasn't okay."
    "Weird, because I've had a few visitors," he said.
    "Jewl is your sister. She doesn't count."
    "She brought the twins. Denver stopped by a couple of times as well."
    Pouting, she put her hands on her hips. "Someone has some explaining to do then. Because I tried and kept getting told no."
    "I think the twins got in because of Jewl, and Denver...he doesn't listen to anyone."
    "Yeah, he's such a...a jerk." She clenched her fists. "Everything is his fault."
    He didn't say anything, not wanting to get into a conversation about his friend. Halyn may have loved gossip, but Teague didn't. Nor did he enjoy talking badly about people he cared about. He tried to wrack his brain for a new topic, and fast, something to fill the pause in their