Read Flame for Free Online Page B

they do to her?”
    The old man worked at the handle of his cane with his bent fingers. “I don’t know,” he said, bemused. “I’ll have to ask around.”
    “Will you please?” Waverly asked. “Maybe you can fix her? If you find out what’s wrong?”
    “I’m sure there’s some kind of treatment.” He nodded.
    Waverly laid her head on her mother’s trembling shoulder. “It’s okay, Mom.”
    “I didn’t mean to make him mad,” Regina whispered.
    “You didn’t,” Waverly said. “No one’s mad at you.”
    “Jared,” the doctor said to the door, not bothering to raise his voice. Immediately Jared came back in and took his place behind the wheelchair. As the old man was wheeled out, he raised an eyebrow.
    “Remember what we talked about,” he said sternly. “I’m counting on your help.” Jared pulled him out the door backward, and the old man kept his eyes steady on Waverly as he added, “Just as you’re counting on mine.”
    Waverly looked at her mother’s confused, wandering eyes, and with bone-chilling dread, understood exactly what kind of trade the doctor meant to make.

 
    REUNION
     
    Kieran walked into the central bunker, his hands crammed into his pants pockets, trying to control his anxiety. Mather had called him the night before to inform him that after four days of stalling, she was finally gathering all the surviving Empyrean children together for a breakfast reunion. The room was bright with flower arrangements and glass pitchers of fruit juices. Children had already situated themselves into the rows of metal chairs, arranged in front of a small riser where a microphone and a podium stood. Did Mather expect him to make a speech to the Empyrean kids? Did the kids expect it? Why should they, after he’d failed them so utterly?
    “Kieran!” cried a squeaky voice. A group of little girls rushed up to him, gripping his hands and clothes, all looking at him with hope.
    “My mommy isn’t here!” cried Harmony Goia, hanging on to his shirttail. “Where is she?”
    “Mine neither,” cried Stephanie Horan, pulling anxiously on one of her red curls. “They won’t let me look for her.”
    He looked from one little face to another, at a loss. Weeks before, Anne Mather had sent a complete list of all the parents held captive on this ship, which meant that any parents not on the list must be dead. As acting captain, Kieran should have informed the children, but what could he have done with all that grief? Now here they were, their hopes of finding their parents on this ship completely dashed. He could see the ravages of worry on their little bodies. Stephanie had pulled one lock of her hair so relentlessly she was making a bald patch in her scalp. Little Monica Reese was sucking on a red, infected-looking thumb. Teresa Pratt picked at bloody cuticles. They were all pale and fretful and too thin.
    What could Kieran tell them? “I…”
    “Felicity!” cried Stephanie, running toward the door, forgetting all about Kieran.
    He looked up to see Felicity Wiggam coming toward him, a radiant smile on her face. Kieran tried to think of something to say to her, but she was already kneeling down to kiss the children. “I missed you so much!” she said to each of them. They barraged her with questions, and she held her hands up in surrender. “One at a time!”
    When she’d finally appeased the little girls, she came to him, took both his hands in her own, and kissed his cheek. She smelled like vanilla soap. “Kieran, how are you?”
    “I…” His mouth had gone dry.
    “I heard about the Empyrean.” She blinked tears from her large blue eyes. “I can’t believe it.”
    “Me neither,” he said quietly.
    “Felicity.” Stephanie was pulling on Felicity’s light blue dress. “Have you seen my mommy?”
    Felicity turned to the little girl, her smile wiped away. “No, my sweet girl. I have not.”
    “Where is she?” The little girl pulled savagely on her red curl.
    “I don’t see