Chapter
Twenty-Four

Nearly an hour later, miles after fleeing the city, the GPS on Opal’s phone instructs her to make a right onto a barely visible gravel road.

The sky has lightened from black to inky blue, with streaks of lavender brushed across the horizon. Glancing out the window, Sebastian’s brow furrows. “If I don’t find shelter soon, the sun’s going to fry me.”

“Don’t worry.” Opal punches on the gas, kicking gravel behind us. “According to the map, the place is just ahead.”

I know I should be relieved that we have somewhere to stay—at least for the day—but I’m unable to take my eyes off of Jax. I don’t know what I’m expecting him to do—transform and kill us all? But if that was going to happen, wouldn’t he have done it by now?

A thread of guilt winds through my ribs, pulling tight. What kind of terrible person suspects—even mentally—that their dog might kill them? I mean, I found him in a box when I was a kid. He’s been my best friend ever since. Thanks to the vampires, am I now the kind of paranoid person who’s going to suspect everyone of an ulterior motive? I mean, true, that kind of thinking might keep me alive, but it will also make me crazy.

The trees around us begin to thicken until they stretch over the car like a canopy. The road winds to the right, revealing a tiny, wooden cabin at the end. The sight of it tugs something inside me that makes me long for my own cabin. Several bird feeders sway from the branches of the surrounding trees. A small, rusted grill lays toppled on its side just beside the stone path leading to the door.

“This is it,” Opal says, shutting the car off. “The Anima said the cabinets are stocked with canned goods, and there should be a couple bags of blood in the fridge for the bloodsucker.” She wrinkles her nose.

“Wait here,” Sebastian says, opening the door. “I’ll go first and make sure it’s clear. If I don’t return, drive like hell.”

Opal nods. Sebastian walks to the door and opens it. My muscles tighten when he disappears inside. When he reappears, waving us forward, I’m able to breathe again.

Jax jumps out the driver’s side after Opal. He raises his nose in the air, sniffing a couple of times. He wanders to a tree and hikes his leg. When he’s finished, he trots inside the cabin.

I almost laugh.

See, you paranoid freak? Your dog is a dog, after all.

Sebastian watches me from the doorway, the corners of his lips turned slightly down.

I shake my head to let him know nothing is wrong and follow them inside.

Sebastian shuts the door behind me and locks it. Next, he goes from window to window, drawing all the curtains closed. The cabin is set up much in the same way as my own. One large open room is a combination kitchen and living room. There are two doors on the right. One leads to a room with nothing but a set of bunk beds, and the other is a bathroom with a toilet seat so grimy you couldn’t pay me to sit on it. A dust-caked bookshelf in the corner holds mostly yellow-paged books on bird and plant identification.

Opal climbs onto the kitchenette counter. Standing, she flings open the cabinets and roots inside. “Score.” She withdraws a can and holds it above her head like a trophy. “Beefaroni.”

“I will definitely take some of that,” I say.

Sebastian makes a gagging noise.

When I turn to glare at him, he gives me a wink, warming the pit of my stomach. “You can get your own blood-aroni from the fridge there,” I answer, pointing at the rust-pocked fridge humming in the corner. “Sorry this place didn’t come equipped with a Natalie for you to suck on.”

He arches an eyebrow, his grin amused. “Are you actually jealous I fed from that girl?”

“Of course not.” I turn so he can’t see the flush warming my cheeks. Nope. No jealous, irrational, insecure girls here. Only a big fat liar.

“Double score,” Opal shouts, interrupting us. “There’s a can opener.” She looks at Jax, who sits on the floor, watching her with a tilted head. “Do dogs like SpaghettiOs?”

“He likes rabbit poop,” I say. “SpaghettiOs will be like caviar to him.”

“Cool.” Opal jumps down to the floor. “Dinner—or breakfast to normal people—is coming up.”

A rattle at the window makes us all freeze.

Jax’s hair lifts, as a low grumble emanates from his chest.

My breath catches in my throat. “Shit, not again.”

Sebastian places a finger over his lips and moves soundlessly to the window, pulling the curtain back a fraction. His muscles visibly relax. In several quick strides, he walk to the door and opens it.

A crow flies inside, landing on the floor.

Jax stops growling.

The bird shakes, growing larger until Delaney stands before us. “Thank God, you are all right.” She marches over to me, grabs me by the shoulders, and looks me over. “You’re skinnier.”

“They starved me.”

Frowning, she nods. “Typical. Are you otherwise hurt?”

I shrug. “A little bruised, but nothing I can’t recover from.”

She pulls me to her, crushing me with a hug. I can feel my eyes bulge from their sockets. I mean, I knew Delaney was cool with me and all, but I had no idea we were at the hugging stage of our relationship.

Clearing her throat, she releases me. “Matteo will be pleased to hear it.”

“How is he?” I ask. “And my aunt?”

“Your aunt is recovering well,” she answers. “She is eating on her own, as well as moving a little. Like you, she was emaciated and drained of far too much blood. She still has a long road of recovery ahead of her. Normally Anima blood can heal minor wounds and illness, but Matteo was worried, with your aunt so unwell, that vampire blood might accidentally turn her. He decided to let her heal naturally.”

My hands curl into fists. “I hate the Mentis,” I say, my voice quivering.

Delaney presses her lips together. “She’s asked for you. She refuses to answer our questions about your lineage until she speaks with you first—and that’s not a safe option at the moment. Matteo won’t leave her side. As you know,” she says as pain pinches her face, “he cannot turn from his bird form.”

I feel the blood drain from my face.

“Forever?” Opal asks.

Delaney shakes her head. “Nothing is certain. But it doesn’t look good. Of course, the clan is just happy he is alive.”

“How are they?” I ask.

“Scattered,” she replies. “As expected, the Queen retaliated. An army of Mentis showed up at the compound last night and burned it to the ground.”

I gasp, my chest tight with grief. I can’t help but remember the laughing, singing humans who lived there, not to mention the Anima themselves.

“Not to worry,” Delaney continues. “None of our clan or our human allies were injured. We’d moved everyone days ago. Which is why I’m here. Scattered the way we are, our people are hard to locate. This is by design, of course, as the Mentis have so far been unable to follow our trail. This is why I’m going to need you to stay put for a little while.”

“Here? In this dump?” Opal groans. “How long?”

Delaney levels her with a gaze. “The Queen is on the hunt. We all need to lay low until enough time has passed that we can regroup. I will visit you weekly to make sure you are safe and have provisions, as well as the latest news. Sebastian”—she turns to him—“the King is counting on you to keep the girls safe.”

Sebastian turns to me. The intensity of his gaze brings heat to my cheeks. “You can trust me.”

Delaney clasps a hand on his shoulder. “I was wrong about you. You’ve proved yourself a trustworthy and valuable ally.”

He shakes his head. “You were right to be wary. This is a war, one I intend on making sure we all survive.”

Delaney nods. “Me, too.”

War. The word swells inside the cabin, until it rests heavy on my shoulders. My knees wobble. I sit on the couch, only to regret my decision when a cloud of dust billows up from the cushions. Fanning the dust from my face, I say, “I guess I was pretty dumb for thinking that, after we’d escaped from the Mentis compound, this would all be over.”

Opal walks over to me and hands me an open can of pasta with a spoon sticking out of the top. She sits on the couch beside me with her own can.

“Not dumb,” Delaney answers. Her lips twitch in an almost-smile. “That is why the Anima choose to ally themselves with humans. Your kind are so full of hope.”

“Except humans aren’t my kind, remember?” I say this as I shovel a bite of Beefaroni into my mouth. It’s cold and easily the most delicious thing I’ve ever eaten. It takes almost all my willpower not to groan in relief.

“You’re right.” She nods. “It’s easy to forget when you appear to be like any other young girl.”

Taking another bite, I shrug. “I can’t think of too many creatures that can survive off of Chef Boyardee.”

“Speaking of creatures,” Delaney says, shifting her gaze to Sebastian. “Is it true the necklace glowed when you held it?”

“Yes,” he answers, his face expressionless. “But I’m sure it had to be a mistake—maybe a result of Seraphina wearing it.”

Delaney shakes her head. “The necklace doesn’t make mistakes. May I see you hold it?”

Sebastian hesitates, before finally nodding.

Setting my empty can on the armrest, I withdraw the necklace from my pocket. It smokes in my hand as a small flame runs along the tail. Frowning, I toss it to Sebastian. He catches it, the flames immediately going out as the snake’s eyes glow green.

Delaney’s own green eyes widen, blazing a little bit brighter. “I don’t understand,” she whispers.

“I don’t either.” He tosses the necklace to me, but I’m not ready. It hits the tip of my finger and falls onto Opal’s lap. The golden snake lifts its head and stares at her, tongue flicking from its mouth.

“Okay,” Opal says. “It’s warm. Why is it warm? Please take the creepy jewelry away.” She picks the necklace up by the tail, and the snake’s emerald eyes blaze green. “Holy crap,” she yelps, dropping the necklace on the floor. “It glowed. Why did it glow?”

“Does it glow for everyone but me?” I ask.

Frowning, Delaney scoops the necklace off the floor. The snake flicks its tongue at her, but the eyes remain dim. “Impossible… A human hunter and a Mentis…” Pocketing the necklace, she shakes her head. “King Matteo will need to know about this immediately. I’m afraid at dusk I must leave you. Stay safe, all of you.”

“I will make sure of it,” Sebastian says.

Delaney nods. “I know you will. Now,” she turns her gaze back to Opal and me, “there are clean clothes in a suitcase in the closet. I cannot guarantee how well they fit. Remember, the Queen is looking for you. Do not leave the cabin unless absolutely necessary. I will return as soon as I can.”

“How long do you expect us to wait here?” Opal asks.

“As long as it takes,” Delaney replies.

“That’s all well and good, but I kind of need to know what the glowing necklace thing means. It’s really freaking me out.”

“We will figure it out,” Delaney says. Turning from us, she strides over to the window beside the door. Pulling back the curtain, she peers out into the waning night. “The answers we seek might be the only things that can save us now.”