Dark Shadow (Book 1 in DARKNESS DUOLOGY)

Thirty-Four: Blindsided

The rain pelting down was making it a lot harder to see even with the headlights and windshield wipers which didn’t help much. I kept having to lean forward, squinting my eyes.

Letting out a defeated sigh, I sat back in the driver’s seat and decided to turn my attention elsewhere; like to the two sleeping forms beside me. I first glanced at Vicky in the passenger seat; leaning against the door with her head using the window as a pillow. Sometimes her head would slowly nod downward before she would subconsciously pull it upright again. Her arms were crossed in front of her, probably being cold from the lack of a sweater over that tank top of hers.

Unless she needed to speak, Vicky had not spoken much. Vicky was the type of person who dealt with things in her own way. And I couldn’t imagine dealing internally over your own flesh and blood being a completely psychotic person, and having said flesh and blood kill your sister.

Vicky held a bit of harshness in her response to me when I had questioned earlier if she was hungry. She narrowed her eyes and sneered that she was fine before turning away.

She wouldn’t even answer Emory when he would ask her through sniffles on the whereabouts of Iota.

I did see the way she swallowed hard and kept her tear-brimmed eyes on the window when she whispered, “She’s gone.”

I glanced down by my arm where Emory was resting his head with it slightly tilted up. His mouth hanging open.

Dried tear streaks were still on his cheeks after he and I had to sit down when we stopped to use the restroom an hour after leaving the State Park area. Vicky seated herself away from us because she was pissed off at me for whatever reason.

When I explained to Emory what happened back there, his dark eyes were worried. He frowned more and more as I started to tell him about the bad woman who showed up and that said woman happened to be related to Iota and Vicky.

“Emory…”

I bit my lip, looking down a moment to take a deep breath. Looking back at him, I started to open my mouth to speak but couldn’t get a word out. The way he was looking at me was heartbreaking.

With his brows quirked, Emory slowly leaned to my ear with his hand cupped around the side of his mouth. He whispered, “Gianna…? Am I not going to see Iota again?”

When he pulled back to give me those big doe eyes, my head tilted to the side and I shook it slowly. “No… No, you’re not, Emory.”

Emory vaulted himself onto me. He tightened his arms around my neck and I just held him. His hard sobs made my heart ache, and I snuggled up against him.

From where we were kneeling on the side of the road, I glanced over at Vicky who was leaned back against the truck with her arms crossed. She raised her gaze to me and then looked away after watching Emory cry his heart out.

Emory sought comfort in my side as we drove on the road and whenever he slept it was on either my lap or my side. It made it a bit difficult to drive, to be honest, but he’s a kid and just lost the woman taking care of him. I’m just going to have to set aside my own comfort for his.

The windshield wipers squeaked as they dragged themselves back and forth against the window, giving me brief moments to see before the rain covered it up again. When the truck made a slow turn along the curved road, the headlights passed over the large rectangular shaped sign that read “Welcome to Carmel-by-the-Sea!”

I bit my lip as I continued to drive on; my fingers gripping tightly to the steering wheel. My nerves were starting to get the best of me.

It’s been a little over a month since I left Carmel. I was coming back to warn my pack and hopefully get Emory to a place that was safe for now. My only hope is that Mr. Beaumont would let me keep Emory there at least, if not me, after what I did to his son.