Gifted Ones

Chapter 28 Haven

I barely got any sleep that night. The couch was fairly comfortable, and I was tired enough, but I couldn't seem to settle down. My mind was racing from the kiss, in a good way, of course, but there was something else as well, something that sat just under the surface of my consciousness. It bothered me that I couldn't figure it out.

I finally fell asleep sometime after two in the morning, only to be woken three hours later by the sound of a slamming door and running water coming from Chase's room. Unable to get back to bed, I decided to unpack and reorganize my bag and fold the couch back, wasting time until Anne got up.

We got breakfast downstairs with the rest of the hotel, eating quickly so that we could be on our way. In the end we checked out a little after seven, rushing out to the station as fast as possible. The traffic held us up a bit, so we just barely made the seven thirty train before it left. Originally I intended to talk to Chase on the train, but I was so tired I fell asleep as soon as we started moving. The next thing I knew we were in London and it was time to move again.

We checked in our bags as carry on items when we reached the airport. I remember that Chase's pack was much bigger than it used to be. I guess that he put Matthew's stuff in with his. Whatever it was, I didn't question it.

Now we sit in the chairs next our gate, nervously waiting for them to let us in the plane. I feel exposed, sitting out here in the crowd of people. Any number of Gabriel's scouts could be here, looking for us. I count down the minutes until we board, my eyes searching furtively for anyone who looks suspicious. Unfortunately, this is an airport; everyone's looking for something. After a while I just ignore it, deciding instead to take out a book I bought from one of the shops on the way. It's a murder mystery, my favorite genre, and I throw myself into it in order to distract me. Anne keeps busy on her phone the whole time, and Chase listens to music through a pair of earbuds he brought with him.

Finally they call our flight in over the intercom, letting us know that they're boarding now. I breath a sigh of relief, picking up my bag and heading towards the desk. The others follow suit, and I think that they're just as relieved as I am. We all want to return to the relative safety of the Clan.

The man at the desk verifies our tickets before letting us pass into the hall that leads to the plane doors. I can hear the dull roar of the plane's engines from here, and the sound continues up until we enter the belly of the plane itself. A pretty blond flight attendant greets us on our way in with a smile so big it looks painful. I nod at her and step past, ignoring the first class and heading for the area normal people sit in. This plane has three rows of seats, a row on each side next to the windows and one isolated in the middle. Our tickets, thankfully, are for the window row on the left. We make our way over to the seats, carefully avoiding the other passengers as they stuff their carryons into the overhead compartments. We do to, closing them before taking a seat and waiting for the safety video that they play on every flight.

We start moving a while later, the seatbelt sign coming on as the plane taxis down the runway in preparation for takeoff. The airport shoots past us as we move, getting faster and faster until we start to go upwards, gravity pushing us back into our seats. I feel pressure build in my ears until it pops painfully and I can hear correctly again. We're leaving England behind, now. And yet, I don't think any of us really relax until we've stopped climbing and the captain has turned off the fasten seatbelt sign.

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"Haven?" Chase asks, turning towards me. We're about six hours into the flight and Anne is asleep against the window.

I close my book, having already guessed the ending. "Yeah? What is it?"

"Yesterday, uh. . . It's just. . . You were right. About the people counting on us and the ignorance thing. I know that. I shouldn't have gotten mad at you. Matt and I signed up for this mission knowing what might happen. I guess I never really imagined that he would be the one who. . ." He trails off, lost in thought. "He was always the one protecting me from things, mostly my own stupidity. I didn't consider that Matt could need protecting."