Page 32 of Claim the Twilight
The drivefrom the carriage park to the office was a strange one because of how normal everything looked.
I studied the world from my spot nestled between Ordell and Ezekiel. Brighter and sharper with my vampire vision.
We stopped at a crossing to let people pass. A group of four, a family unit maybe. A mother, father, and two children. A young couple walked close behind them. The family seemed relaxed,smiling and waving at us to thank us for stopping, but the couple behind them shot us a furtive glance before quickening their stride. Across the street, they hurried down an alley and out of view. It was clear the family was human and the couple supernatural.
We drove by a couple of cafés that should have been open and weren’t. Establishments owned by supernaturals. There were notes pinned to the insides of the windows, too far away for me to read.
“If you focus with intention, you can look closer,” Ezekiel said.
I frowned across at him. “What do you mean?”
“He means you can zoom in,” Ordell said, his eyes on the road. “With your eyes.” He took a left at the intersection onto the main street lined with stores and restaurants.
I twisted in my seat to look at Ezekiel. “I have telescopic vision?”
“You should,” he said with a smile. “Try it now.”
We slowed at a stop sign, and I leaned forward to scan the street, locking in on a restaurant several meters away. There was a note pinned to the window. I squinted, focusing on the square card. The world around me seemed to melt away as the note expanded to fill my vision, the words crisp and clear.
Closed until further notice due to family emergency.
I widened my eyes, letting the focus go, and the note zoomed away. “Whoa, that was strange.”
“But you did it?” Ezekiel said, his voice thick with pride.
“I did.” We passed a few more cafés. Closed. “The owners are probably hiding in their homes, scared and confused about what’s happening.”
“Godor will get the word out,” Ezekiel said.
“Yeah, until then, people will be safe as long as they stay indoors.”
Ezekiel shared a quick glance with Ordell.
“What?” I looked between them. “What was that look?”
Ordell sighed. “There’s nothing to stop Loviator sending her minions into people’s homes. I’m sure they can sniff out the souls she needs, wherever they may be.”
I sat back hard in my seat. “How can we possibly get word to everyone?”
“We can’t,” Ezekiel said. “But we will do our best.”
“There are messenger services,” Ordell said. “Taverns, inns, and a network that provides intelligence to the supernatural population of this territory. Supernaturals will either come to Branwood or find somewhere safe to hole up until they get word that the threat is averted. Hopefully, Crush will agree to give sanctuary too.”
We pulled up outside the Order office, quickly climbed out of the van, and headed up the stone steps to the entrance.
I unlocked the doors and disabled the alarm before hurrying through to the waiting area. “Can you grab Holly’s bag in the office across the hall? I’ll be right back.” I strode past reception and into the corridor leading to our archives.
The teapot was just where I’d left it, hidden under packing paper in a small box at the back of the archive room. I wrapped it back up and took the box with me. It wouldn’t do for the teapot to get broken now. We might need it intact, especially if the entity turned on us. It had been trapped in the teapot once, so maybe we could trap it again.
Back in reception, Ordell was fiddling with the coffee machine while Ezekiel sat in one of the plastic waiting room chairs, a leather case on the seat beside him.
They both turned to me with inquiring expressions, and I held up the box. “Let’s go.”
Back on the pavement, Ezekiel put Holly’s case in the back of the van, then climbed out, looking up and down the street with a frown. “Do you feel that?”
A shiver skated up my spine, the hairs at my nape quivering.
Ordell growled low in his throat. “I feel something.”
