Vita

Chapter Eighteen

I tap my fingers on the steering wheel of my jeep. Isaiah sits in the passenger seat next to me as we're stopped at a stoplight.

"He broke up with me didn't he?" I bite my lip, staring at the road ahead.

"I mean-"

I interrupt Isaiah, "What did you say when you broke up with Avery?"

"I told her that I was ending things with her and that I'd see her around," Isaiah looks at me with a sad look, "he didn't break up with you."

"Really? Because he was really pissed when he told me he'd talk to me later," I grasp the steering wheel, "if he didn't just break up with me; he probably will next time we talk."

"I doubt he's going to break up with you, Hale. And he'd be stupid if he did."

I give a soft smile, "thank you."

༺༻

We arrive at the empty school that afternoon.

"You think she's in here?" I sigh.

"I know she is," Isaiah starts to walk to the school door.

"Isn't it locked on Sunday's?"

"Of course it's locked on Sunday's. That's why you brought me. I know how to pick a lock," he smiles at me as he kneels on the ground to start picking the lock.

Finally it unlocks, and we enter the dark hallways of the school. Isaiah leads me back to the janitor closet where he took me last year. We walk down the cement steps, and I look at the claw marks on the wall that I saw last time I was down here and that will forever haunt me.

"How do we know what cell she would be in?" I ask Isaiah.

"We look for her name," he starts walking the long hallway of cells and I follow.

Finally we find the cell numbered, 313. The name Piper crossed out and beside it says Ember. Isaiah opens the door and it swings open. There lays Ember on the cement floor passed out. She's partly covered in blood, and her red curls now a mess.

"Ember!" I scream and run down next to her, "She won't wake up, Isaiah, she isn't waking up."

Isaiah kneels beside me and checks her pulse. She's still there. She's just not waking up. I start crying as I move her curls out of her face. My best friend could've died because of me. This is my fault. I should be the one passed out and tortured not her. Not someone as innocent as Ember. Isaiah wraps his arm around me and I continue to cry on his shoulder.

"We should get her out of here," he whispers to me.

I nod, and stand up. I watch my hands shake and then see Isaiah's hand grab mine. Instantly it stop shaking and I give him a soft smile.

"Full moon tonight," he whispers. Best for her to be somewhere safe.

I hear the door creak and whip my head around to find Avery and Zoe walk into the room.

"Eleanor," Avery smiles, "come to rescue your friend?"

"Yes. My friend that you kidnapped," I scowl her.

"Mhm, and where's Levi? I see Isaiah, but not your boyfriend, or did he dump you when he found out you cheated on him?" she tilts her head.

"That's enough Avery," Isaiah yells at her.

"No, Isaiah. It's not. I want to know," she stares at me, "now, Eleanor, please tell me. I'd love to hear the story."

"There isn't anything to hear," I tell her.

"Oh, but there is. The way I see it is that he did forgive you until he heard that you kissed Isaiah without provocation. And well, that broke his heart," she sighs.

"How do you even know any of this?" I ask her cautiously.

"That," she laughs, "I cannot explain to you. You'll have to find out on your own."

"Now," I smile to her," if you don't mind, we'll be leaving now."

"Oh, but I promised The Black Angel I'd hand you over," Avery laughs.

"She's standing right there. Surely she can handle it herself," I motion over to Zoe.

"You think Zoe's The Black Angel? Oh, darling, you're so wrong. You won't know who The Black Angel is until you meet her in person," Avery smiles.

"Isaiah and I are leaving now with Ember and you can't stop us," I tell her.

"And why is that?" Avery asks.

"Because you won't be able to catch us," I give her a smile before taking out my dagger that I kept in case of a situation like this and threw it so it hit Avery's hand perfectly and pulled her backwards to the wall where she hit her head on the cement.

Zoe threw a punch at me, but missed as I swung a punch to her stomach. She, also, falling backwards.

"Impressive, Hale," Isaiah smiles at me as he picked up Ember, "where did you learn that?"

"My dad taught me self-defense growing up. Now, I know why," I smile and we walk out of the cellar with Ember. Leaving Avery and Zoe passed out in cell 313.