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 go to the conference room. Can you escort us?

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

pipes up from behind me. "We can

back to her, filled with a yearning so intense

my gut as his

rummaging through cabinets. "What are

11:30

280 Ava: Debrief

Ah.

an empty page and handing Lisa the pen.

rushes to the table, scribbling across the paper and then turning to face the notebook in my direction. The words

vampires to attack. Party =

I lean in close to Lisa, my voice barely above a whisper. "Are

across the page, her hand shaking slightly. When she turns the notebook back to me, I see POSITIVE!, underlined

Damn.

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

traitors.

And why?

well-regarded among their peers. Why would

It doesn't make sense.

me to

of it. I purse my lips in thought. "Or not. Okay. Why don't I see if I can

***

and two cups of coffee, Kellan brings us to the conference room, leaving us alone and promising to

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

be one of

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

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