Red Rider RIsing: Book 2 of the Red Rider Saga by D.A. Randall (best books to read for beginners .TXT) 📗

But now he was gone. And the wolves were still out there. Who else would stand up to them?

The Mass ended. Papa and Monsieur Leóne

joined four other men to carry the casket outside.

They secured thick ropes under it and lowered it down into a dark rectangular pit.

Then they pulled the ropes out and left Francois there in the dirt forever.

“I don’t understand,” Pierre said, suddenly beside me.

“Don’t understand what,” I said. My throat felt like dry leaves.

“Those wolves. Four of them, maybe more.

Just breaking into Francois’ house and attacking him all at once. Like they meant to do it.”

I said nothing. I just stared into the dark hole.

“Red. That animal we saw, in the tunnel near the bridge. You think that might have been one of them?”

“… yes.”

“We should have said something.

Somebody could’ve stopped it.”

83

I

kept

staring

into

the

emptiness.

Wondering if Pierre was right. But who could we have told? Who would have stopped that wolf, let alone the others?

“We gotta be careful,” Pierre went on.

“Things like that running around, attacking out of nowhere. I can understand why your parents don’t go out at night.”

“Pierre!”

I glanced to see Monsieur Leóne beckoning Pierre away. He was speaking to a couple of people I didn’t recognize.

“I think Papa’s gathering some new clients.

Probably wants me to talk to them, too, to discuss what we can make for them.” He touched my shoulder. “Red. You all right?”

I stood stiff and unmoving. Then I nodded, for Pierre’s sake.

“Just take care, all right? Those wolves make me nervous.” He hurried away to join his father.

“They’re not wolves,” I muttered to no one.

At the back of the crowd, I saw Francois’

friend, Monsieur Touraine. He stared sadly at the hole where Francois was laid, but his gaze soon turned blank. I wanted to speak to him, but he turned suddenly and disappeared.

“I’ll write to the court again,” Duke Laurent was telling Papa, as he and Mama approached from behind me. “I’ll send Simonet there in person if I have to. Maybe the guards will let him through. Or at least recognize the urgency.

They have to see we need soldiers and hunters here 84

to help Lieutenant-General Sharrad’s police kill these things.”

“I would appreciate that, Monsieur,” Papa said, sounding numb. Almost as numb as I felt.

“Helena. Are you ready to go? Did you get to speak to Father Vestille?”

I turned, spotting Father Vestille shaking hands with a couple of guests across the graveyard.

“No,” I said, my senses burning. “Not yet.”

I strode straight past Papa and Mama and Duke Laurent toward Father Vestille, as he smiled and nodded and showed his concern for the couple talking to him. A couple of people I had never seen before. People he must have visited all of last week, when he disappeared on another of his frequent journeys.

Father Vestille lowered his head and spoke quietly with them, a man and a woman in a plain cloak and shawl, which the woman curled about her shoulders as she listened. Seeing me, Father Vestille stopped speaking abruptly. He managed a small smile. “Helena. I want you to meet some friends of mine. This is Monsieur and Madame Serrone, from DeSarte. They came to –.”

“Where were you? Where did you go?” I glared up at him, fists clenched. I knew his friends were gaping at me in shock but I didn’t bother looking. I couldn’t care less about them.

“I was – visiting some friends.” Father Vestille tugged at his collar with two fingers. “I went to DeSarte, to visit the Serrones here, and some others at their parish.”

85

“That’s why you couldn’t come to Francois’ party?”

His Adam’s apple shifted as he swallowed, like a minstrel performer who had forgotten his next line. Did he assume no one would question him? Where he went, what he did? And why?

“I wanted to come. I simply – There were other matters I had to attend to, Helena. I’m sorry I couldn’t be with you.”

“That doesn’t help anyone now. Does it?”

“Helena!” Papa barked. “Mind how you speak to Father Vestille.”

He bent down