The Awakening (dp-2) by Kelley Armstrong

Author:Kelley Armstrong [Armstrong, Kelley]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: sf_fantasy_city
ISBN: 978-0-06-185784-3
Publisher: HarperCollins e-books
Published: 2009-10-24T04:00:00+00:00

Twenty-three

“IS HE GONE?” TORI asked as I approached.

I nodded and inhaled. The icy night air burned my lungs. I didn’t feel the cold, though—I was wearing my shirt, one of the new sweatshirts with the hood up, and the oversized jacket on top. Sweat dripped down my face as I struggled to catch my breath. I’d separated from the others a couple of blocks back, thinking that without a group, I might lose him easier. I’d been right.

We didn’t know who’d come to investigate the noises. Maybe cops like Simon thought, maybe street people—we hadn’t stuck around long enough to find out.

Now we stood in a parking lot, between a minivan and a pickup. Music boomed from a nearby club. That had surprised me—a packed parking lot and a busy bar so late at night on a weekday. Then I’d checked my watch and realized it wasn’t even midnight yet.

“You shouldn’t have taken off like that,” Derek said.

“I told you what I was doing. It worked, didn’t it?”

“You can’t—”

“Ease off,” Simon murmured. “We need to find a new place to sleep.”

“Thanks to someone,” Tori said.

“It isn’t Chloe’s fault.”

“Sure it is. Even Derek said so.”

“He didn’t mean—”

I held up my hands. “I take all blame. Can we please stop bickering? I know everyone’s on edge, but if we’re going to get through this—”

“If you start a speech about how we all need to overcome our differences and work together, I’m going to hurl,” Tori said.

“Well, I would, but I’m afraid this genetically modified supernatural would be eaten by a genetically modified shark.”

Simon burst out laughing. “Deep Blue Sea.” He looked at Derek. “You didn’t see it. Samuel L. Jackson is giving this group of survivors the speech about how they have to stop fighting and to work together. In the middle of it, the shark comes up behind him and eats him. Best death scene ever.”

“And a fitting one for anyone who makes that speech, which is why I’m not going to.”

“But you’re right,” Simon said. “Time to call a moratorium on the bickering.”

“Moratorium?” Tori said. “Oooh, big word. Showing off, Simon?”

We all turned to look at her.

“What?” she said.

“No bickering means no jabs, no insults, no snark, no baiting,” Derek said. “And it means we probably won’t hear another word from you for days.”

“As for this situation,” I said, “I take the blame, so I’ll fix the problem. Stay here and I’ll find us a place—”

Derek caught the back of my jacket. “You still have a pissed-off ghost looking for you and a huge reward on your head. Stay here with Tori. Simon and I will find a new spot.”

Before they took off, Derek turned back to me. “I mean it, stay right here.”

“Even if the owners of these”—Tori rapped the vehicles on either side—“come out?”

Derek ignored her. “She’s your responsibility, Chloe.”

When they were gone, Tori turned to me. “Why do you let him get away with that? He treats you like a little kid.”

I said nothing, just started walking away from the spot where Derek told me to stay.

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