Equinox Read Online Free

to get a handle on her anger. “Riley, Orbitcorp interrogated her like she was a criminal. They almost accused her of being part of Helios when she couldn’t explain why she’d been on Mars when we brought the Enclave down. She had to make stuff up to protect us. They found her ship on Mars – which we crashed, by the way. Remember that?”
    “Of course I do.” He looked at her wearily, like she didn’t understand.
    “She never told them she was kidnapped by Helios,” she said. “Or that they infected her with the MalX and she almost died. She hasn’t told them how we got the files out that exposed Helios, even though it could have exonerated her. She’s kept our secrets. She told them she was on Mars alone and crashed her own ship. She said there wasn’t any surveillance of her in the colony when we blew the Enclave because she was embarrassed she’d crashed. And she kept our release of the files about the MalX anonymous, so Helios’s people in Orbitcorp couldn’t find out about you, or me, or even Pip.” She held his gaze, pleading. “You can’t just cut her out after all that. You owe us. It was your parents’ files that started all this, remember?”
    “I remember,” he said, but the look he gave her was set, inflexible.
    “So what, that’s just it? What you say goes?”
    His face was grave, but also sad. “I’m sorry, but yes. And your aunt and I agree on this so don’t go back to her with it. We have an understanding.”
    What did that mean? Rosie searched his face, but as usual he gave nothing away. Was he saying they were more than friends? It was possible; her aunt did get a little softer round the eyes when she mentioned him. Rosie kept staring, but it was clear he was immovable.
    “Will you at least tell me who this boy is that Cassie was talking about?” she said. “You haven’t mentioned him before.”
    “You know I don’t tell you about any of the others who work with us; it’s safer that way.”
    “Safer?” She almost snorted. “I can look after myself. I saved your butt that many times on Mars–”
    “Once,” he said.
    “Twice actually, but who’s counting?” His calm was infuriating. “Riley, I can’t just sit back knowing this. Let me go up to Gondwana. It won’t take that long; the Academy can wait. Or at least let me do something!” She went to the desk and searched the stack of com parts and tech gear. She picked up a filament com that became invisible in hair. “I can wear this. I’ll hang out places, try to pick up information. I’m sure I saw someone follow me from the apartment this morning. Don’t worry, I lost him,” she said quickly. “But I could track him to find out who he is.”
    “No.” Riley reached for the com, but she flicked it out of his reach. “That’s useless unless I activate it,” he said.
    “Then activate it.”
    He looked at her with the same patient but immovable expression she knew far too well.
    She sighed and threw the com back on the desk. “How can you expect me to just do nothing?”
    “Because that’s what I need from you right now.”
    “Nothing?”
    He nodded. “Yes, carry on like normal, Rosie. Go to class, be a schoolkid for a change.”
    A kid. What did that mean? She wasn’t sure she knew how to do that any more.
    “I need you to understand, Rosie,” he said. “I can’t have you giving them any reason to pay you more attention. I don’t want you or anyone in your family suffering again because of me. Essie has already told me in no uncertain terms that she expects me to limit your involvement and I’m not going to undermine her trust.”
    “Trust, sure,” Rosie said, but her heart had gone out of the fight. She sighed. “Why do I always feel like you’re not telling me everything? Do you know who runs Helios?”
    “No one does.”
    “You know something, but you won’t tell me.”
    “Knowledge is dangerous.” He gave her that bland, almost apologetic look. “I tell you enough. Having my