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 at the

says, "What happened while I was

Ah.

face, her brows drawing together. "Ava?

my forehead, I sigh. "He's lost his memories. He doesn't feel our bond. I don't really

matters, too, she

a hand over my face. "So many things have happened, I don't even know where to start. Everything's a blur

leans forward, curiosity

My boss

201 Av. Catching Up

"The lady who gave you the apartment,

a bloodline of old witches. She brought me a magic book after the Moon Goddess brought her to Blackwood. Which I

Moon Goddess can intervene like that, why doesn't she do anything directly? Why can't she just give you whatever knowledge you need, if

bit sheepish. "I have no idea. Honestly? I only half-believed in the Moon Goddess because of how I was raised.

never believed in the Moon Goddess at all, Lisa admits. "I

at the absurdity of it all. Here we are, discussing deities

anything from it. Instead I ended up in the city where you were held. Sister Miriam got me a teacher there, in

I'm glad she

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

she's

"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

shakes her head in disbelief. "I can't even imagine.

to gather intel," I say, still feeling a twinge of worry at their absence. "It

somewhere. Sister Miriam saved Lucas' life-" Lisa gasps, and I sigh. "It's a long 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 brain's been such mush, I can't even

about it." Lisa scrunches up her nose. "I feel