Flight (The Crescent Chronicles #1)

Chapter Nineteen

My stomach woke me up the next morning. I hadn't eaten anything since the few bites of ice cream. I wasn't sure if I would ever eat the horrible substance again. If it weren't for my stupid craving, I might already be back in New York.

Walking into the kitchenette, I poured myself some cereal before collapsing in a chair in the living area. I finished quickly, rinsed out my bowl and pushed back the blinds. A man was sitting in a chair on the balcony wearing sunglasses with a paper in front of him. He could have been any tourist. At least he knew how to blend in. Tugging on the ring, I had no idea what I was going to do.

A knock on the door startled me from my thoughts. I ignored it but the knocking only got more intense.

"Allie, it's Owen, open up please."

"Go away; I don't want to talk to any of you."

Things got quiet and I thought he had left before a lighter knocking resumed.

"I said go away!"

"Allie, it's me," Hailey called out. "Please open up."

A part of me refused to believe she was in on all of this. If anyone was going to help me make sense of things it would be her.

"He isn't with you, is he?" I didn't even want to mention his name.

"No, I told him he'd only make things worse. And okay, he's being physically restrained, but either way he's not here."

I decided to trust her and reluctantly opened the door.

Returning to my seat on the couch, I pulled my knees up against my chest.

"Nice pjs," Owen joked. I guess opening the door to Hailey gave him an invitation as well.

"Shut up, Owen," Hailey snapped.

I laughed despite myself. "Are you seriously going to come in here and make fun of what I'm wearing after everything that's happened?"

"No, sorry. I honestly don't know what to say. Jared told us... He said you were in rough shape and weren't exactly dressed..."

"Stop, I'm not talking about it with you!" I let out the anger that felt ready to boil over.

"Okay. I get it. I wanted to make sure you realized you were safe now. You're safe here."

"What if I don't want to stay?"

"You don't have a choice," Owen said calmly, with no hint of the seriousness of what he was saying.

"Jared told me that, but why? Can you really guarantee I'm safe? Besides, can't someone reverse things and take off this damn ring?" I struggled once again to pull it off.

"Don't waste your energy, it's not budging. And you are safer here, where we can protect you," Owen said. "Besides, to answer your question, no one can reverse it. Levi chose you, and you agreed, so it's a done deal."

"I didn't agree to anything." I felt my temper rising.

"Maybe not with words but-"

"Don't go there Owen. Just don't," I warned.

"It wasn't fair of him. I'm not going to sit here and defend him." Owen cracked his knuckles.

"You better not!" Hailey fumed. "Levi can be such an idiot and jerk sometimes, or okay most of the time. But this is his biggest mess yet."

"If it helps any, he did it because he cares about you," Owen said.

"You've got to be kidding me."