Page 88 of Ashes and Lilies
“Where are we going?” Miles put his hands in his checkeredprint pant pockets as I met him at the door.
I glanced at the others as they not-so-discretely listened to our conversation. “Out.”
“Out where?” Brayden asked, stepping away from Bryce.
“A special place,” I told them. What were they doing? There was no time for trivialities. “Get your coats.”
“Really?” Miles stopped me before I stepped out into the hallway. “We’re going out in our pajamas?” he asked, allowing his gaze to linger on my silk cami. “Won’t you be cold?”
I pursed my lips. “That’s why we are getting our coats.”
“Are other people going to be there?” Brayden asked.
I narrowed my eyes at them—they were the worst co-conspiratorsof all time. We were supposed to be on a mission, and they were basically trying to alert the others of our eventual location, hence ruining my vision.
“There wasn’t going to be,” I answered, pulling out my phone.
They left me with no choice but to move on to desperate measures. With every second that passed, every strike that Damen had made to sharpen his blade and prepare for his own ritual, my advantage was being lost.
“Who are you texting?” Miles eyed my hands.
“Finn,” I told him, hitting send. He, at least, knew how to do these things.
“Wait—” Miles covered my hand, but he was too late. “—why are you texting him? When did you even start texting him? I thought he scared you.”
Even Brayden was scowling now. I wrinkled my nose. “I’m not scared of Finn Abernathy. Didn’t I tell you my plan?”
“The one where you’re supposed to stay away from him?” Miles asked.
“No, that one sucked.” I waved my hand in the air. “The better plan.”
“Oh,” Miles frowned again. “The one where you were going to kick him in the balls and destroy him.”
“Yes!” I clenched my fist to my chest. How dare these men insult me so. “It would not be prudent to fear him.”
“So…” Miles said slowly, looking at me warily. “You are not afraid for the sole reason that you’ll ultimately win against him?”
“Yes.” Miles was catching on. I didn’t need to worry about Brayden. I could tell from his smirk that he’d followed my logic from the very beginning. Bryce, too, seemed to understand.
“But”— Miles looked at the other’s dumbfounded faces— “That still doesn’t explain anything. Where are we going? Why did you contact Finn?”
My phone vibrated, and I opened my messages.
“Excellent,” I said and turned my screen off. At least someone knew how to listen.
I waved to the rest of my quintet. “Bye, everyone! Have a good time!” Then I left before anyone could stop me, Miles and Brayden following behind.
Let them waste their efforts. Damen Abernathy would rue the day he tried to harm a spirit under my protection.
In the end,it was decided that we’d take Miles’s environmentally unfriendly orange Jeep. While I did not comment on the juxtaposition of his purchase, it was only because I was reviewing the scattered pieces of my findings that I’d gathered over the past few days.
“Just keep driving towards Damen’s,” I told Miles, barely looking up from my phone. “I’ll let you know when we should stop.”
“So”—Brayden unbuckled and leaned over the center console — “what are we doing?”
“We’re going to summon the spirit before Damen has a chance to,” I told him. “And save it.”
I could do it with Rosalie; I might be able to do it again.
