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.

conference room. Can you escort us?

to me. "It would be better to wait a few hours. Ryder's debriefing

Lisa pipes up from

back to her, filled with a yearning so intense it makes my chest

guilt twisting in my gut as his face

her rummaging through cabinets.

11:30

280 Ava: Debrief

Ah.

left her notebook, so I grab that, flipping to an empty page and handing

the paper and then turning to face the notebook in my direction. The words

traitors. Brought vampires

dart to the door, heart pounding. I lean in close

she turns the notebook back to me, I see POSITIVE!,

Damn.

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

traitors.

And why?

their peers. Why would they

It doesn't make sense.

you want me to

purse my lips in thought. "Or not. Okay. Why don't I see if I can figure out the

***

and two cups of coffee, Kellan brings us to

door is closed, Lisa launches into everything that's happened to her since the party, shuddering as she talks about the vampire's visit to her cell and how it took forever until her

one of

their bond with a vampire, and I wonder if Sister Miriam's thralls are in

Miriam had refused to elaborate over the details of Lisa's rescue; of all people, I never expected the gnomes to be