Tangled

Unshift 281

Unshift 281

281 Ava: Catching Up

"That sounds..." I grope for a word. "Unpleasant?"

"Very: She shudders and leans forward. "Anyway, Chloe and Mia brought the vampires to the last place, and we barely escaped. We've been flying under the radar since and finally got here." Puzzling over that, I ask, "Are you sure it was them? You didn't hear what they were saying."

I hate both of them, so I'm not trying to defend them. I just don't want to tarnish any innocent names. Lord knows I have enough black marks against me in this pack.

Lisa looks at me soberly. "No. But the way they were acting... And the Grand Sage-ugh, sorry. Dr. Blackwell said he saw something on the phones."

I shudder. Even with as much hatred as I felt toward Blackwood, I never wanted them wiped from the map. Well, sometimes-but to call down an army upon the same people who watched me grow up, even if they turned a blind eye to my abuse, sours my stomach.

There are innocent people in any pack. They don't deserve to live through a nightmare like that.

squeeze

"I'm glad you're okay. Reaching over the table, I her hands. "Really glad. It was hard. Sometimes, I had to stop thinking about you..." Shit. That sounds terrible.

Lisa shakes her head and grips my hand tightly. "Trust me, I had to do the same sometimes."

"Yeah, but you were the one in a jail cell. I was out here." My lips twist into a grimace. "I should have been able to do more."

"Shut up, Ava." With a gentle squeeze that belies the harshness of her words, Lisa continues, "We're both unequipped to deal with all these supernatural guys. No wonder Jericho pushed us so hard. And yet..."

And yet we were still so easily overpowered.

her unspoken words, my soul shrivels

while I

Ah.

studies my face, her brows drawing together. "Ava?

compared to what you went through. Rubbing at my forehead, I sigh. "He's lost his memories.

too, she

don't even know where to start. Everything's a blur anymore. A memory hits me and

leans forward, curiosity

My

201 Av. Catching Up

who gave you the

magic book after the

the Moon Goddess can intervene like that, why doesn't she do anything

no idea. Honestly? I only half-believed in the Moon Goddess because of how I was

never believed in the Moon Goddess at all, Lisa admits. "I mean, I'm human. It wasn't part

it all. Here we are, discussing deities like

where you were held. Sister Miriam got me

widen. "Really? I'm glad she

for me to doubt her anymore. Even Selene is warming up to her. She's had it out for

like she's just going to

about to dive into a long explanation. "That's... a bit of a story." Over the next hour, I give Lisa a crash course in the madness that's been my life since she was taken. I tell her about my training at the Fae Ward, about the imposing yet oddly paternal Magister Orion, and how communication with the outside world suddenly ceased

disbelief. "I can't even imagine. And

Miriam left together to gather intel," I say, still feeling a twinge of worry at their absence. "It was right before everything went silent. I

story, I don't even know the details. I just know she kept him alive. They're out now, trying to get more information from somewhere, I think" My

That's legitimately crazy. My head's swimming just hearing about it." Lisa scrunches up her nose. "I feel like I'm more lost