Free Plagued: Book 1 by Eden Crowne

when she was nervous or upset. Sky did the same thing. She couldn't bear to have her hair touch her face when she was unhappy.
    “Of course I admire Kara. Mostly, though, I worry. Raising her was like raising a tiger cub, never knowing when the claws would come out. She's stiff and proud but doesn't actually believe in herself. You, Sky, are so much stronger. You don't need to be constantly told you're smart or pretty or whatever. You're like water, able to shift and turn. Adapt to your surroundings in any circumstances.”
    “You mean I'm weak and transparent?”
    Her mom placed her hand against the screen as though she could reach out and touch Sky. “No, not at all. God help anyone who wrongs you or yours because you will come down on them like a tsunami.  Your confidence in yourself means you relax around other people and just let them be who they are. Kara always wants everyone to be what she wants. Does that make sense?”
    Sky liked the sound of that. “You think I'm strong?”
    She stroked the screen, “I think you're incredible. I really do.”
    “Oh, Mom.” Sky gave a watery sniffle and wiped at the tears rolling down her cheeks and chin. “I miss you so much. I'm not like water. I'm just a little muddy puddle right now and I feel lost and don't know what to do.” She couldn't get the image of the dead man's face out of her mind. His surprised look when the other man calmly shot him.
    “Something happened tonight,” she interrupted her mother who was saying more soothing things.
    Her tone made her mother instantly alert. “What happened, Sky.”
    Sky wanted to unburden herself. Tell her mom everything. But even though they were using a secure government channel, it didn't mean someone wasn't listening somewhere. She needed to be careful. “There was another room, beyond the corridor we ended up at. Something big and important was in the room and I shouldn't have seen it, I think. But I did.”
    “Was anyone in there with you?”
    Something made her hesitate about revealing the murder and just how close Sky had come to death. “A man.” She decided to say. “Someone more senior than me.”
    Her mother leaned in close to the screen and spoke very quietly. “Was he in uniform?”
    She shook her head.
    “This is important, Sky. What did he tell you to do?”
    She swallowed, somehow talking about it made the whole incident much more frightening. “He said not to tell anyone about what I'd seen.”
    “Did he threaten you?”
    “No,” she said sincerely. “Pretty much the opposite. He said he was trying to keep me safe.”
    Her mother looked relieved which ironically made Sky even more scared. What had she stumbled on in that vault?
    “If he didn't threaten you or tell you he would come after you, then I think you should follow his request for now. If the situation changes or he approaches you at any time, you call me. Do you understand?”
    She nodded. Though unless the mysterious someone was wearing a crazy hi-tech Stealth suit with a voice synthesizer, she wouldn't be able to recognize him.
    Eloise came back with some ice coffees and sat close to Sky. The three of them talked until the doctor finally came out in his scrubs. He asked to speak with Sky's mom first, taking the tablet PC into another room.
    Sky excused herself to go to the bathroom while they waited for him to come back. Her stomach was dissolving from nervous tension. This was her fault. She'd entered the building despite not having orders. Until forensics sifted through the debris, they wouldn't know if Sky had somehow set off a booby trap. If Kara died, what could she say to Mom?
    When she came out of the restroom, Eloise handed her the tablet. Sky forced herself to meet her mother's eyes.
    “Good news. The doctor believes Kara will be fine. Kara and,” her mother hesitated and for some reason, Sky's stomach seized up. “Kara and the baby.”
    Sky and her aunt exchanged the exact same looks of surprise.
    “Baby?” they both