Free Rebellion by J. A. Souders Page B

about a hundred feet into the tunnel, water splashes against my ankles, soaking my shoes. I remember seeing water puddled along the sand floor last time I was here and thinking the tunnels must fill during the rainy season. I guess I was right. The whispers I hear are just the slap of the water against the cave walls.
    Guilt pulling at me, I force myself to turn around and step back out through the cave’s wide mouth onto the rocky ground at the bottom of the ledge of rocks. Carefully, I pull myself up hand over hand to the top of the cliff and wind my way through the foggy forest, to the beach where Connor and I left what could roughly be called a raft.
    There’s not much left, but I have to hope it’s enough to get me across before it falls apart altogether.
    After dragging it into the water, I use a stick to push toward the cove. Luck seems to be a little on my side this time, at least. The tide is coming in and I’m able to use that as a propellant to get me across the cove toward my beach as quickly as I can. I take a few minutes to hide the raft in the underbrush again.
    I rush toward my house, more eager than I expected to see Mom and Tristan.
    I stop on the threshold of the door, suddenly anxious. What the hell do I possibly say to them?
    Sorry for taking off for over a month without telling you where I was going or what I was doing and probably dredging up old feelings from when Dad died. Or maybe: Hey! I know I just got here, but I have to go right back out and find Asher’s grandma because I’m in the middle of a mutiny and it turns out she’s the key to everything after all.
    For a moment I even debate just getting Lenore without seeing them at all. I’ll be back after everything is all over and they’ll never even have to know the dangerous parts. But then it hits me that even if everything turns out for the best and we do get Evie’s people up here, there’s the distinct possibility I won’t be returning. That it isn’t just a simple mutiny, it’s a full-out revolution, and every revolution throughout history has had casualties. I have to accept I may be one of them.
    I can’t just leave them like that.
    Not again.
    Not like Dad.
    After taking two deep breaths that really don’t do anything to relax me, I push open the door and walk straight to the kitchen, where I know they’re either eating, or Mom will be cooking.
    I’m right. She’s at the stove, stirring something in a pot. It smells so good my mouth waters. I’ve had to endure Elysium’s food for entirely too long. I smile when I see her. I can’t believe how much I’ve missed her.
    â€œMom,” I say.
    She spins around so fast, the pot she was stirring catches on her apron strings and flies off the stove to drop at her feet.
    â€œHoly shit!” I run to her, dropping all my stuff as I go. “Are you burned? I’m so sorry. Are you okay?”
    She doesn’t answer; she just wraps her arms around me. Her whole body is shaking and I realize instantly that she seems so much thinner than she was. I can almost feel every bone in her back as I hug her.
    Was she always like this? Did I just never notice how thin she was?
    I push her back a little and really study her. Her face is drawn and thin, her eyes all red from crying. And there’s a bruise on her right cheek.
    Guilt tears through me. “What happened?” I touch her cheek.
    Something like fear fills her eyes, and she glances to the door. “Did anyone see you come? Did you talk to anyone? Did you come straight here?”
    â€œNo. No. And yes,” I say with a frown. “What’s going on? What’s the matter?”
    She shakes her head. “It doesn’t matter,” she chokes out, pulling me to her again. “It doesn’t matter. You’re home now and it doesn’t matter.” She’s still surprisingly strong for as thin as she is. “They said