Tangled

Unshift 280

Unshift 280

280 Ava: Debrief

I can't help but laugh at Lisa's horrified expression. Her eyes are wide, her mouth hanging open in a perfect 'O' of shock. It's such a quintessentially Lisa reaction that, for a moment, I can almost forget everything we've been through.

We lapse into a comfortable silence, the kind only possible between best friends. It feels like old times, before vampires and shifters and mates complicated everything. I close my eyes, savoring the moment. "I miss my parents."

Lisa's voice, small and fragile, shatters the peace. My eyes snap open to find her staring at her hands, twisting them in her lap.

"I'm sorry, Lisa. The cell phones aren't working right now. We can't-"

"I know," she sighs, her shoulders slumping: "Just wishing I could tell them I'm okay. They're worried sick, I'm sure."

I reach out, squeezing her hand. There's nothing I can say to make this better, so I don't try. Suddenly, Lisa jerks upright. Her eyes, when they meet mine, are bright and intense. "Ava, Chloe and Mia... they're not very good people."

The abrupt change in topic throws me. "What? Who?"

Her gaze darts around the room, landing on the walls, the ceiling, the floor. "Are they listening?" she whispers, leaning in close. "The guards, I mean."

My face goes blank as I nod, careful to keep my expression neutral. "There's a place we can go to talk, if we need to."

Lisa's on her feet in an instant. "Can my friends come too?"

I blink, startled by her urgency. "Um... I guess so? We'd have to check-"

"Great," she interrupts, already heading for the door. "Let's go."

Bewildered, I follow her. When I open the door, Kellan's there, his posture tense. I can see the longing in his eyes as he looks past me to Lisa.

to the conference room. Can you

finally shifting to me. "It would be better to wait a few

okay" Lisa pipes up from behind

snap back to her, filled with a yearning so intense it makes my chest ache. I

twisting in my gut as

through cabinets. "What are you doing?"

11:30

280 Ava: Debrief

Ah.

flipping to an empty page and handing Lisa the pen. "Here you

out of my hands, she rushes to the table, scribbling across the paper and then turning to

Brought vampires

I lean in close to Lisa,

she turns the notebook back to me, I

Damn.

for the names to click in my head. Lisa knew everyone's names more than I did, but I remember now the two girls at the party, with their intrusive questions and their clear disdain for me. I'd figured they had crushes

traitors.

And why?

among their peers. Why would

It doesn't make sense.

to have Kellan come

mouth closed, teeth clicking with the force of it. I purse my lips in thought. "Or not. Okay. Why don't I see if I can figure out the coffee situation

***

couple hours and two cups of coffee, Kellan brings us to the conference room,

about the vampire's visit to her cell and how it took forever until her

one of his

disturbing to know their minds can be so affected by their bond with a vampire, and I wonder if Sister Miriam's thralls are in a similar situation. It makes my mouth taste like dirt

are the true surprise of her story. Sister Miriam had refused to elaborate over the details of Lisa's rescue; of all people, I never expected the gnomes to