A Hunger to Share ( Book One )

chapter 29

Ada   

The stony path continued for what seemed like a long time, illuminated by pale lights, and decorated with wine bottles.

Ada looked back over her shoulder. She couldn't see Nora anymore. The path had taken a couple of turns, and now she was out of her sight.

Jack, and James were in the front, engaged in whispered conversation. Maggie was staring at the map.

Ada took a shaky step, and felt the walls moving closer, the narrow path becoming even narrower. She tried to push herself forward, but her knees were locked.

She couldn't breath.
She needed to breath.
She couldn't...

Ada felt two sets of fingers lace through hers, sqeezing her hand, grounding her. She looked at Maggie and James, and took a shaky breath, tears of gratitude filling her eyes.

"It's Ok. We're here. Breathe." Ada looked to her left, and saw James staring back with a little smile.

"I've got you Brooks." Maggie was on her right. She kissed her cheek.

"T-thank you." Ada whispered, squeezing their hands back with shaky fingers. She forced her feet to move, and her lungs to breathe. This time they moved a little easier.

"You want to go back?" Jack asked her.

She shook her head. "No I'm fine."

Jack nodded and continued walking.

They finally reached a big room with a stony ground, and arched, stone walls, filled with even more wine bottles, illuminated by torches.

Ada uttered a sigh of relief, and sagged against the wall, letting go of Maggie's and James's hands. The torture was over for now. She took in the stone well in the middle of the celler, and the tall, brown skinned woman standing beside it.

When she saw the man sitting on the edge of the well, drinking from one of the wine bottles like it belonged to him, her temporary relief evaporated. "Gideon? What the fuck are you doing here?"

"That's not a good way to greet an old friend, is it?" His dark brown cheeks were flushed with wine.

His British accent was as rich as Ada remembered, his mischievous brown eyes glowed with warmth.

"I said what are you doing here?"

"Helping my friend." He jerked his chin towards Maggie.

"How do you two know each other?" Maggie was looking at them with narrowed eyes.

"How do you two know each other?" Ada countered.

"Remember when I called for  backup? Gideon and Marcia are my friends. I've known them for a while." Maggie explained.

"And how did you meet them?" Ada asked.

"Marcia got me out of a bad situation. I'd been searching for the cure for a coupe of years, and I'd lost hope. She and Gideon helped me get on the right track again. I've been living with them ever since."

"They helped you out of the goodness of their heart?"

"We don't want the cure." The woman answered.

"Why not?"

"Not all of us hate what we are." Marcia said calmly.

"Or want to lose our gifts." Gideon added.

"Now you. Spill." Maggie looked at Ada expectantly.

"I met Gideon on Halloween last year. He disapeared on me a couple of months later without bothering to say goodbye."