The Fire Sisters (Brilliant Darkness 3) Read Online Free Page B

everyone dies at the end.”
    I’ve rarely heard Cuda speak, but every time I do, I wish I hadn’t. He sounds like a younger, stupider version of Moray. I don’t say anything, though. Sparring with Moray and his brothers is like pushing the loaded sled up the hill from the water hole with the sick ones groaning in my ears—an exasperating experience under the best of circumstances. I’m not up to it so soon in our journey.
    Derain ignores them. “I don’t expect any trouble this close to Koolkuna, but it’s best to keep your weapons close.”
    I pat the pocket where I stowed the knife that Peree gave me and Bear showed me how to use. I’m not sure I'll be any kind of help in a fight, but at least I won't be totally helpless.
    “So what’s our plan?” Bear asks.
    “We will travel in the direction we last saw the Sisters moving,” Derain says, “staying on this path as far as it goes. Then there is a hunting trail through the forest to the Restless. The guru must be at least a few hours ahead of us, but if we move quickly, we might catch them before they reach the river.”
    “And if we don’t?” Conda asks. “What then? You said they were hard to track.”
    “The Sister who… who took me, used a path along the Restless,” Kai says. “Sometimes, we were up in the trees and other times, on the ground, but I think I can find it again.”
    “Great. She thinks she can find it,” Moray mutters.
    “If you think you can do better when we get there, be my guest,” Kai shoots back.
    “Shut up, Moray. We’re all doing the best we can in a bad situation,” Bear says.
    We need to work together now more than ever, but sometimes, Moray makes that impossible.
    “If we do catch up with the Sisters,” Kai says, “don’t let them get close. They can… control people.”
    “What do you mean?” Bear asks. "What do they do?"
    “I don’t understand how it works. Just… don’t let them touch you.”
    My shoulders twitch.  As if taking our children wasn’t bad enough. E very time I learn something new about the Sisters, they sound more sinister. Is this control thing how they kept the children silent? How do they do it?
    We continue on the path, moving past the Myuna. At first, the stream we follow seems to be winding back toward the hills that Koolkuna is settled against, but then it turns away, heading in what feels like a slight downhill direction. I’ve been this way before, weeks and weeks ago, with Kadee.
    The soft creaking of branches and the twittering of birds on either side tells me that trees line the path. After a few minutes, the air around us brightens as if we’ve entered a clearing.
    Bear asks, “What is this place?”
    “The remains of a village.” Amarina's high voice takes flight. “It has not been inhabited in many generations, but we can guess what some of the structures were used for. Those were homes. That was a kind of meeting place.”
    “One of them is full of old books. Kadee said it’s called a library.” I can easily recall the musty, mysterious odor of the place. It swallowed the sound from outside, making it as still and peaceful as the caves at home. I’ve been meaning to ask her to bring me back here, but I haven’t had a chance.
    “Books?” Conda says.
    “They’re full of stories and information. You can read them, if you learn how to.” Most people, anyway.
    Bear whistles. “I can’t believe this place hasn’t collapsed yet. It had to have been here at least since the fleshies came.”
    “The forest is doing its best to reclaim it,” Amarina agrees.
    I hope that’s not true.
    We leave the silent reminder of our world’s past behind. The stream continues to guide us, but it sounds as if it’s shrinking. The water has started to trickle instead of rush. We follow it for a time before it takes a sharp left. A  damp, earthy smell fills the air, and trees close in on either side of us. W e’re plunged into darkness.
    We must be on the hunting trail.