Black Wolf by Eileen Merriman

Author:Eileen Merriman [Merriman, Eileen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780143775416
Publisher: Penguin Random House New Zealand
Published: 2013-04-08T00:00:00+00:00

TWENTY-EIGHT:

VIOLET

To say Johnno isn’t too happy with me would be an understatement. We’re on the road again, and he’s gripping the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles are white. I don’t think he’s ever been this angry with me.

‘You could have killed yourself.’ His tone is a low growl. Wolf Black. Black Wolf.

I flip the sun visor down. ‘But I didn’t. That’s why I asked you to take care of me. Thank you.’

‘Well, don’t ask me to do that ever again, because I won’t. We’ve wasted a whole day.’

I grit my teeth. ‘It wasn’t a waste.’

‘Yeah? What can you do now that you couldn’t before?’ We jolt over a rut. My head feels as though it’s going to split open, but I don’t want to admit to my L25 hangover, or whatever you call it when you come off an acid trip.

‘I heard … stuff.’ I prod the scab that has formed on the split in my lip.

‘They’re called auditory hallucinations. Like when you have schizophrenia.’

‘There you go again, as patronising as ever.’

Johnno’s voice rises. ‘No, Violet, I’m being realistic. In case you haven’t noticed, all we’ve done for the last few days is drive around in circles.’

Swallowing a scream of frustration, I fling open the passenger door, waiting until Johnno slows before leaping into the dirt. Johnno slams on the brakes and jumps out after me.

‘Trying to kill yourself again?’

‘No. I’m not.’

‘Could have fooled me. I’m not going to keep rescuing you every time you do something stupid.’ His thoughts are so loud. Javier virus. L25. And then, But it wasn’t her fault she got attacked yesterday, it was all mine. A stricken expression crosses his face.

I stamp my foot. ‘You rescuing me? If it weren’t for me, you’d still be at the Foundation being deconstructed. If it weren’t for me, we’d keep driving in circles until we’re dead or taken prisoner again. Believe me, I’d rather be dead.’

‘Yeah?’ Johnno points at me. ‘Tell me one thing you achieved by taking that stupid drug, just one.’

I swat his finger away, and for a moment I think he’s going to swat me back. A split second later, I feel his self-control kick in, his mind closing over like a steel trap.

‘Yeah, block me, why don’t you?’ I say. ‘Fine, but why don’t you try listening to me for just five minutes?’ Clenching his jaw, Johnno leans against the van. Batting away a fly, I say, ‘I did have hallucinations, OK? For a while I thought I was going crazy.’

He raises a tattooed eyebrow at me, as if to say no kidding. Ignoring him, I carry on. ‘But towards the end, I heard a voice. A real voice. Not yours, not any of the VORTEX members. There was someone else.’

I have his attention at last. His steely gaze on mine, he says, ‘Like who? Greta? Melody?’

‘No.’ I hesitate. ‘Did you ever hear Ethan talk about a friend called Rawiri?’

‘The one who designed Eternity with him?’ Johnno wipes his brow. ‘The news reports said he’d died, right?’

‘Sure, just like they said we died.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.