AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You mean you won’t.”
“Why does it matter?”
“You were my first friend here. But now it doesn’t feel like you are anymore.”
The steel settled into gentleness, a raw truth that dug into her core. She gawked at him, shaken, as he stood in the sunlight, skin a slight shade of pink but stubbornly standing there, anyway, because she was there—because he wanted to hash this out. Instinct had her grabbing his shoulder, intent on dragging him toward any shade, but her hand ended up just resting on the spot.
“I am. I’m your friend. You can count on me. You can…hold that thought. Shit.”
The moment broke as two more figures approached, strides quicker and brand of magic as familiar as the one she possessed since birth. She pushed Maddox away.
“I’m not going anywhere,” he said before she could ask.
She glowered at him, then whipped her focus back to the front to swiftly assess the two. The taller, blonde-haired woman had a placid expression as sharp green eyes mentally filed the damage, while the shorter, curvier brunette was torn between disbelief and panic.
“I can explain,” Ruby blurted out.
“My tools!” Pearl cried out, running toward the metal pieces still scattered in place.
“That can be fixed,” Ruby assured. “Pearl, Em…”
Emerald Sutton silenced her with those green orbs that held just a whiff of disappointment, perhaps exasperation.
“Sapphire asked us to lay low for a week. Just a week. It’s only the second day of that talk.”
“I know.”
“Youwere present in that meeting, Ruby,” Emerald continued. “You know how much we are being looked into right now, and how it’s vastly affecting our business and our reputation here in Broom’s Isle, where reputation matters. You know how much your last excursion brought all the blowback.”
“You mean my kidnapping?”
“It’s all the same to them.”
“What about you?” Ruby challenged.
That shut Emerald up, who gaped at her. Pearl wandered over, eyeing the two of them warily before deciding to focus on searching for more metal parts. After a while, Emerald sighed.
“You know we believe you, but this…what’s going on, Ruby?”
“She had an accident. Mr. Magoo asked for an investigation, but frankly, I don’t think the judgment will surpass the one your brother elicited in the past.”
Ruby closed her eyes, inwardly groaning that Maddox’s casual defense of her strayed to the touchiest subject between the siblings. On cue, Emerald stiffened at the last part and turned her frosty look toward him.
“This is none of your business, Mr. Hendricks. Just because Ruby gave you a place to stay here doesn’t mean you are privy to this little conversation.”
“He is standing right here and can hear what you are saying in the open, so it’s not all that private,” Ruby shot back, fired up. “And I didn’t give him a place to stay. He is an independent man, and decided to come here on his own. Everything from the housing to his presence here was the council’s decision.”
“With your help. Causing more judgment.”
“Oh, come off that high horse, Em.” Pearl scoffed, approaching them once more and staying this time. “Maddox isn’t so bad. In fact, he is better than most arrogant assholes on this island. Hey, Maddox.”
“Hey, Pearl. I can take that for you and gather up the rest if there are any pieces left.”
Her gray-eyed sister smiled, admiring him briefly before turning to face them. The smile disappeared.
“And Ruby, Em’s kind of right. The villagers haven’t been looking at us right since…well, since Silver’s betrayal…”
“He didn’t betray us,” Emerald and Ruby said at the same time.
