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? And

frowns, his gaze finally shifting to me. "It would be better to wait a few

from behind

yearning so intense it makes my

gut as his face

her rummaging through cabinets. "What

11:30

280 Ava: Debrief

Ah.

notebook, so I grab that, flipping to an empty page

across the paper and then

are traitors. Brought vampires to attack. Party =

close to Lisa, my voice barely above

page, her hand shaking slightly. When she turns the notebook back to me, I

Damn.

names more than I did, but I remember now the two girls at the party, with their intrusive questions and their clear

traitors.

And why?

well-regarded among their peers. Why

It doesn't make sense.

you want me to

me snapping my mouth closed, teeth clicking with the force of it. I purse my lips in thought. "Or not. Okay. Why don't I

***

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

since the party, shuddering as she talks about the vampire's visit to her cell and how it took forever until her cravings for him faded, and

must be one of his

so affected by their bond with a vampire, and I wonder if Sister

the