City of Lies

Chapter 29 - Lilith's Daughter

I wake up with him on my mind. Chase. My mind keeps replaying my first kiss and I keep smiling to myself. Then I remember, Lacey and Matthew are gone. Jane, Chase, Claire, Nathan and I are the only ones here in this tent.

What's going to happen when I find Magnus? Will he actually help me? Will I find the answer that I'm looking for? Will I find Jocelyn?

I catch Nathan starring at me from the other side of the tent. I fight back to yell out that I know the truth about him. "When are we leaving?" He asks.

I now realize that may be the first time he actually spoke to me. "Um I'm not sure," under my covers I'm clenching my fist. Anger is boiling up inside me for what he is and that he's lying to all of us.

I wish Lacey were here. She'd be the one already studying the map and planning where we need to go. I'm not very good with maps so I'm hoping Jane or Chase is.

"Wow you're actually up before me?" Jane says sarcastically.

I give her a glare and no words.

"Chill, I was teasing," she gets up and takes an intex shower. Her outfit is leathery black pants and a sleeveless green top. She has a satchel running across her shoulders. It's a Fae outfit. "Nathan and I will set up the fire and food," with that she grabs the infinity pack, but leaves a couple intex's, and heads out with Nathan.

I slump back in my sleeping bag. Claire and Chase are still asleep. That's a surprise, Chase is usually always the first one up. Before I even saw her get up, Claire is already dressed and heading outside. She didn't even say a word.

I look over at Chase and he is still restfully sleeping. Quickly I sprint up and put on an intex. When I go outside the sunshine hits me hard. I can see Jane and Nathan off into the forest laughing and collecting wood. I'm glad she might be over Chase but I wish she could see the truth about Nathan.

I shrug it off and quietly run in the direction Claire went. She's fast and is already gone so I have to follow her footsteps. I can hear mumbling in Latin off in the trees. Claire is talking to a pond. But the pond is red and there's a figure in it, instantly I recognize that it's Lilith.

My heart rate picks up and I duck behind a couple of bushes. I stay about thirty feet away from them but I can still clearly hear what they're saying. And they're speaking in Latin.

"te aliquid profecisse ?" Have you made any progress? Lilith's voice comes out cold and fierce. It's the kind of voice that sends chills down your spine.

"huiusmodi , dico quod inter eos quidam puer et Morgenstern . ut semper uti possumus ." Kind of, I can tell that her and the Morgenstern boy have some connection between them. We can always use that. How does Claire and Lilith know that Chase is a Morgenstern?

"thats facile INTERMINOR . Si ei nocere in nocere nobis ... Ritcher ut tentaret , et illa non Blooded diu purus." That's easy blackmail. If we hurt him the Ritcher might try and hurt us...she won't be Pure Blooded for long. Lilith is cold blooded.

With that they end their conversation. They're planning to hurt Chase. Without thinking I half sprint up from my kneeling position. It was a bad idea because it made a lot of noise and got Claire's attention. Claire darts her teal eyes toward my direction.

I sink down as far as I can in the ground. I'm afraid my heart beat is so loud she'll be able to hear it. I wrap my hands around the roots of bush without thinking. Soon leaves spread from it so fast it creates a bush to hide me. Claire's footsteps are around me but soon disappear when she finds nothing.

I unclench my fist and the bush disappears. I get up and brush off the dirt then run back to our little camp site. By the time I get back Jane and Nathan are working on the fire and Claire is heading back into the tent. Chase!