The Graves of Plague Canyon (The Downwinders Book 3) Read Online Free

replied, thinking of her own mother and how she
disliked anything related to her gift, considering it evil. Deem flipped the
letter over, checking the back side, and dropped into the River briefly to inspect
it, but nothing special appeared. Then she took another look at the envelope.
    “There’s a return address in New Harmony,” Deem said. “Do you
know who sent this?”
    “No idea,” Ester said. “Lizzy said she’d reached out to
someone who could diagnose her, and that’s all she communicated before she
passed out yesterday. I have no idea who she talked to.”
    “Well, I can take this letter back to Carma if you want,”
Deem said. “If she thinks it’s a good idea, I can drive up to New Harmony and
try to talk to whoever sent it.”
    “Oh, would you?” Ester asked. “I’m worried sick about her,
and I just don’t know what to do to help. I’m not a big believer in these
things, but I know Lizzy is, so if you would do that for me, I’d be extremely
grateful.”
    “Sure,” Deem said. “No problem.” She stared down at the girl
in the bed, and couldn’t help thinking that she seemed a lot like herself —
same age, same size, same looks. Even the same hairstyle, though Lizzy’s hair was
dark black.
    “I guess I better head back,” Deem said. “Can you give me
your phone number? I’ll call you as soon as I find out anything.”
    “Sure,” Ester said, leading them out of the bedroom and back
into the living room. She went to the kitchen and jotted her number down on a
small pad, then ripped off the top paper and handed it to Deem. “Here it is.
Thank you for coming all the way out here. I’m really quite desperate, and
Carma was the only one I could think of to turn to. With her unresponsive like
this, I want to take her back to the hospital, but Lizzy was so insistent that
it wouldn’t help. I really need Carma’s opinion on what I should do.” Ester
opened the door for Deem.
    “I’ll discuss it with her,” Deem said, walking through and
down the front steps. She turned back to Ester. “Don’t worry. I’ll call you!”
she said, and watched as the worried look on Ester’s face melted a little into
thankfulness.

Chapter Two
     
     
     
    “I just think it’s disgusting that you’d pick up the phone
while you’re having sex,” Deem said as Carma scooped a large spoonful of
casserole from a baking dish in the center of the table and dropped the
steaming hot food onto Deem’s plate.
    “Oh, Winn, you didn’t?” Carma said, tilting her head toward
Winn and giving him a disapproving look that held a small smile.
    “Have sex?” Winn asked, sipping from a beer. “Of course I had
sex.”
    “Who would take a phone call in the middle of sex?” Deem
asked, digging into her casserole. “Not only is it weird, what must the other
person think? Weird and rude!”
    “What if they were on the phone to someone else, too?” Winn
asked, cracking a smile at Deem.
    “I don’t understand sex these days,” Carma said, pouring wine
for Deem and herself. “Back in my day it was so simple and clothed. Now
everyone gets naked for sex. Doesn’t seem very erotic.”
    “I’ll have to try that,” Winn said. “Sex while fully clothed.
I don’t think I’ve ever done it.”
    “Oh, my,” Carma said. “This talk is making me blush. Can we
please change the subject?’
    “Want to go with me up to New Harmony after dinner?” Deem
asked Winn.
    “What’s up in New Harmony?” Winn replied.
    “Deem did the most wonderful favor for me today,” Carma said.
“She drove all the way out to Fredonia to check on my niece. Her daughter is
ill, and received a diagnosis that was far too cryptic to read.”
    “By the way, Ester says she’s your great-great-great-niece or
thereabouts,” Deem said.
    “Details,” Carma replied, waving her hand dismissively.
    “The diagnosis was mailed by someone in New Harmony,” Deem
said, “but I couldn’t make sense of it. I brought it back, and Carma can