Rise of the Sparrows (Relics of Ar'Zac #1) Read Online Free Page A
Author: Sarina Langer
herself.
"What do you want from me?"
"I-" Cephy began crying quietly to herself. It was obvious that she was feeling as lost as anyone could feel, but Rachael didn't know what to say. She had never had to offer her sympathy before. What if her understanding would get this girl killed?
"There are plenty of homeless kids here,” Rachael said. “Can't you go live with them?" There were groups of homeless children and teenagers all over Blackrock. They stuck together for safety and they always took in new kids. They knew how to cope with something like this, unlike her.
Her voice was so tiny Rachael had to strain her ears to hear her. "I don't want to die." The admission made something inside Rachael ache worse than anything she had ever felt. "You know where to find food. You know how to defend yourself. I was hoping if I watched you, I could learn.
"I came to bring you this." From under her rags Cephy brought forth a small loaf of bread. It didn't seem to be warm any more, but it still looked good. " You were twitching in your sleep a lot, and you were crying. I was scared, and thought about getting help, but then you woke up and you looked scared, too."
All Rachael could do was stare at Cephy. No one had ever wanted to help her before. She would never have found anyone willing to help her, but that wasn't the point. Cephy had wanted to help her. That had to count for something.
People in Blackrock didn't help strangers—at least, not that she knew off. Maybe Cephy was too young to understand that?
"I was having a bad dream.” Cephy nodded as if she understood. Rachael was glad that she didn't. "You came to bring me bread?" She hoped to lighten the mood a little. By the faint blush on Cephy's cheeks she could tell that it had worked.
"Hmh. And I came to tell you something."
"Oh? And what could that be?" Rachael felt herself getting more and more comfortable talking to the girl. The bad feeling in her gut was still there, but this was the longest she had talked to someone in years. She didn't want it to end just yet, and she had to give the girl credit for wanting to help.
"I'm not scared of you."
“That's not very convincing when you're shaking. You can't even look at me.” Now that Rachael looked at Cephy she noticed that the girl wasn't shaking as much as she had been. Still, Cephy was lying. People were naturally scared of her, and they had made it clear to her that there would be no exceptions. It was in their nature to fear what they believed to be evil. A little girl would be no different. Cephy hadn't always been homeless, her parents would have taught her.
"I'm cold, is all. I know how the mean kids make you feel. And the grown ups.”
Rachael gave her a sour smile. "I doubt you know-"
"They do the same to me." She knew Cephy meant well, but the girl didn't understand. How could she?
"It's not the same.”
Cephy's eyes had glazed over with the shadow of a painful memory. "They called me a monster. They said I should come to you so we can both go to the Dark Mists together."
Rachael froze where she sat. Even if that were true, those were horrible things to say to a child.
"Why would they say that?"
"My father threw me into the street when I set my bed on fire." Cephy was staring at the ground again, her hands balled into fists and her forehead creased.
"But accidents happen. What was he doing leaving matches lying around?"
Cephy began to shake harder again, and Rachael understood. She hadn't shaken with fear or from the cold before. Cephy had been crying.
"I didn't mean to! Father was shouting, and it scared me, and suddenly everyone was screaming and Father picked me up and pushed me out into the street! Mummy told him to stop, but he wouldn't listen!" Cephy's glistening eyes and red cheeks told Rachael to be quiet despite all the questions she desperately wanted to ask. "It wasn't their fault. See?" Cephy held out her hand, opened it to the pile of branches Rachael had been struggling to
"What do you want from me?"
"I-" Cephy began crying quietly to herself. It was obvious that she was feeling as lost as anyone could feel, but Rachael didn't know what to say. She had never had to offer her sympathy before. What if her understanding would get this girl killed?
"There are plenty of homeless kids here,” Rachael said. “Can't you go live with them?" There were groups of homeless children and teenagers all over Blackrock. They stuck together for safety and they always took in new kids. They knew how to cope with something like this, unlike her.
Her voice was so tiny Rachael had to strain her ears to hear her. "I don't want to die." The admission made something inside Rachael ache worse than anything she had ever felt. "You know where to find food. You know how to defend yourself. I was hoping if I watched you, I could learn.
"I came to bring you this." From under her rags Cephy brought forth a small loaf of bread. It didn't seem to be warm any more, but it still looked good. " You were twitching in your sleep a lot, and you were crying. I was scared, and thought about getting help, but then you woke up and you looked scared, too."
All Rachael could do was stare at Cephy. No one had ever wanted to help her before. She would never have found anyone willing to help her, but that wasn't the point. Cephy had wanted to help her. That had to count for something.
People in Blackrock didn't help strangers—at least, not that she knew off. Maybe Cephy was too young to understand that?
"I was having a bad dream.” Cephy nodded as if she understood. Rachael was glad that she didn't. "You came to bring me bread?" She hoped to lighten the mood a little. By the faint blush on Cephy's cheeks she could tell that it had worked.
"Hmh. And I came to tell you something."
"Oh? And what could that be?" Rachael felt herself getting more and more comfortable talking to the girl. The bad feeling in her gut was still there, but this was the longest she had talked to someone in years. She didn't want it to end just yet, and she had to give the girl credit for wanting to help.
"I'm not scared of you."
“That's not very convincing when you're shaking. You can't even look at me.” Now that Rachael looked at Cephy she noticed that the girl wasn't shaking as much as she had been. Still, Cephy was lying. People were naturally scared of her, and they had made it clear to her that there would be no exceptions. It was in their nature to fear what they believed to be evil. A little girl would be no different. Cephy hadn't always been homeless, her parents would have taught her.
"I'm cold, is all. I know how the mean kids make you feel. And the grown ups.”
Rachael gave her a sour smile. "I doubt you know-"
"They do the same to me." She knew Cephy meant well, but the girl didn't understand. How could she?
"It's not the same.”
Cephy's eyes had glazed over with the shadow of a painful memory. "They called me a monster. They said I should come to you so we can both go to the Dark Mists together."
Rachael froze where she sat. Even if that were true, those were horrible things to say to a child.
"Why would they say that?"
"My father threw me into the street when I set my bed on fire." Cephy was staring at the ground again, her hands balled into fists and her forehead creased.
"But accidents happen. What was he doing leaving matches lying around?"
Cephy began to shake harder again, and Rachael understood. She hadn't shaken with fear or from the cold before. Cephy had been crying.
"I didn't mean to! Father was shouting, and it scared me, and suddenly everyone was screaming and Father picked me up and pushed me out into the street! Mummy told him to stop, but he wouldn't listen!" Cephy's glistening eyes and red cheeks told Rachael to be quiet despite all the questions she desperately wanted to ask. "It wasn't their fault. See?" Cephy held out her hand, opened it to the pile of branches Rachael had been struggling to
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