True: An Elixir Novel by Duff Hilary

Author:Duff, Hilary [Duff, Hilary]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Published: 2013-04-15T16:00:00+00:00

nine

CLEA

“You should have told me,” Ben says. “That was exactly the kind of thing you were supposed to write down in the notebook.”

The rows in the plane are so close together that all he has to do is lean forward a little and his voice is right in my ear. Sage and I are in one row of two, me on the aisle, with Ben right behind me and Rayna right behind Sage. Sage is asleep, or Ben and I wouldn’t be having this conversation.

“I know,” I say, “but I was handling it.”

We’ve been going over this again and again since last night. Once I’d decided on our new plan, I went to find Sage and tell him. That left Rayna and Ben in the house together, and she told him about Sage’s violent episodes. He cornered me later and I admitted everything to him, and while he’s been smart enough not to say anything in front of Sage, he hisses my ear off about it every chance he gets.

“Handling it? You got your head busted open. You still don’t know what the hell he did before you found him in Rhode Island. He could have assaulted someone.”

“I’m sure he didn’t assault anyone.”

“How are you sure?”

I’m not sure at all. The truth is, I’ve been torturing myself about it for days, scouring the papers online and holding my breath while I wait for a story about a random body left in the woods. But I don’t want to say that to Ben.

“He’d have wanted you to tell me,” Ben says. “If he was in his right mind, you know he would. He told us what he wanted me to do.”

I wheel in my seat to face him. “He doesn’t need to be locked up. Look at where we are. We’re taking steps to heal him. And you’re here, right? That should make you feel better.”

My original plan hadn’t involved Ben coming to Sedona. I wanted him and Rayna to stay with Sage and keep an eye on him while I went alone. When Sage refused to stick around without me, Rayna insisted on coming too, to help me handle him, which Ben thought was a joke. If Sage acted out at Transitions, I’d need more than just Rayna’s help. Much as I hated to admit it, he was right, so now there’s four of us jetting out to Arizona.

Sage groans in his sleep and shifts mightily. His knees push against the seat in front of him, and the woman sitting there glares back at us. I give her an apologetic, close-lipped smile and wish I’d thought to upgrade us to business class. Ben, meanwhile, leans back in his seat, and I’m grateful for the break in his diatribe.

After a five-hour flight and a two-hour drive, we get to Sedona. The minute we cross the town line, it’s like the atmosphere gets thinner and we can all breathe again. It’s so beautiful, like driving through a watercolor. Giant red striated rocks

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