Numbers Ignite Read Online Free Page A

waist in a single braid.
    “Yes, ma’am.” Coltrane immediately stood.
    She stepped aside to let him pass, then approached the bed. I caught a glimpse of silver roots in her dark hair. She smiled, but it never reached her eyes. “I’m Lillibeth. I have to apologize for my son. He doesn’t get much practice talking to girls.”
    The inner panic went down a notch. These people thought they were helping a simple desert wanderer. I lay back down again, then winced when my ankle moved slightly. “The snakebite?”
    She sighed. “You were lucky. You’ll keep your leg, although I’m sure there was some tissue damage. We won’t know the extent of it for a while. The swelling should go down in a few days. I’ll keep you on healing stimulants and see how we do. Has your painkiller worn off?”
    I started to nod, then winced again.
    “I’ll give you another injection after you’ve eaten.”
    Coltrane emerged, holding a plate with a lump of something soft and yellow. It jiggled when he handed it to me across the bed.
    I took the plate, unsure how to proceed. “Thanks.”
    “What in the dying stars were you doing out there all by yourself?” Coltrane asked as his mother stood. “No gear, no food, and that ridiculous number on your head.”
    “Hold your questions, Coltrane,” the woman said quickly, taking the plate from my shaking hands. She scooped a metal tool into it and held it to my mouth. “It doesn’t matter now. This will have you feeling much better.”
    I stared at the food for several seconds. “Um, that’s okay. I’ll do it.” I took the tool from her hand. Nice or not, this woman would not be feeding me like an infant. I took a tiny taste. It was overwhelming, like an explosion of flavor in my mouth. It took everything I had to swallow.
    “A little strong?” Lillibeth asked. I could swear she hid a smile. “Well, I know just what you need. I’ll be right back.”
    After she left, Coltrane took her chair and leaned toward me, hands clasped together. “I know where you come from. I’ve heard about that big competition they have in the cities. Yours is the highest number I’ve ever seen. What’s your name?”
    I set the plate aside, suddenly feeling nauseated. No matter their intentions, these people couldn’t know who I was. “Um, you can call me Amy.”
    He sat back with a satisfied smile. “There, now. Was that so hard?”
    “Coltrane,” Lillibeth said, walking back in. She nodded toward the doorway. They engaged in silent battle for a moment, but Lillibeth’s stern expression won out. With one last glance, Coltrane slunk out and dropped the curtain behind him.
    As Lillibeth twisted the lid off a tube she held in her hand, it made a familiar click. I squinted at the bottle. She shook it and a pill fell into her palm. A nutrition pill. I’d know them anywhere.
    “Just one for now,” she said, handing me the pill and a glass of water. “You can take another in a couple of hours if your stomach adjusts. Figure it’s what your body’s used to, anyway.”
    I didn’t ask her how she’d gotten it. The water was silty and metallic, but it was the most wonderful thing I’d ever tasted. I drank every drop before handing her the glass. “Thank you.”
    Lillibeth set the glass down and slid the tube of pills into her pocket. The container was full. There had to be an entire week’s worth of pills in there. That single container could get me the rest of the way to Vance.
    The woman retrieved a syringe from her pocket, then twisted open a small tube. “While I inject your medication, I don’t suppose you want to tell me who you really are?”
    Panic welled up again. It must have shown on my face because she chuckled and shook her head, filling the syringe and then replacing the lid. “Well, that answers that. Nobody is forcing you to talk. I just want to make sure you aren’t a danger to our community. Our generosity extends only as far as our self-preservation allows, especially with