Midnight Rose (completed)

Chapter 24

Tiptoeing across the gravel yard, I was frantically looking around for danger, but the night was dead silent. We were in the middle of nowhere, but Penelope had come home with fast food and it was still warm, so it had to be somewhat close by. I had never walked more than a couple of miles, but I was in good shape, so I could probably jog most of it.

When I was a good distance from the house, I picked up my pace to a steady jog, the loud crunching of the gravel under my shoes escalating my nervous energy. It took several minutes to get to the main road, and I knew it was at least a mile to the highway. I didn't remember seeing anything other than farmhouses vastly spread apart as we drove here, but I wasn't giving up. I needed to get as far away from Penelope as possible. I quickened my pace to a sprint, sweat beading on my forehead and my chest burning after a few minutes. I was cursing myself for not joining the track team last year.

I was about a hundred yards from the edge of the highway when I heard Penelope's angry voice break through the quiet. For a second I froze and then searched frantically for a place to hide. If I kept running to the highway, she would see me. I was flanked on both sides by tall forests of weeds, so I tore off a piece of my shirt and tossed it on the weeds to the left and then took off running to the right. Maybe it would fool her long enough to give me a better lead. I ran low and quietly, trying not to agitate the weeds too much. What if she caught me? Would I fight or give up?

My feet were aching and my shins were burning, and I was losing stamina quickly. My nerves were shot, and I hadn't heard a peep from Penelope again. Suddenly, I heard weeds rustle close by. I dove down into the cover of the weeds and tried to steady my breath and listen to where the rustling was coming from. A hand suddenly wrapped tightly around my mouth, suffocating me with fear. I struggled violently until a whisper paralyzed me.

"Shh! It's me. Elijah."

He spun me around to face him. His green eyes met mine, and I wrapped my arms around his neck, my body collapsing into his. "How did you find me?"

"I tracked you. I'm sorry it took me so long, but I'm here now."

I pulled away. "Where's my dad?"

"With The Order council. We parted at the airport. I tried to call him, but there's no service out here."

"Elijah, Penelope's hunting me."

"I know. We need to keep moving. My car is about a mile down the road."

He peeked up, listening, and then motioned for me to stand with him. "Let's go," he whispered.

"Let's not." Penelope stood maybe ten yards in front of us.

Elijah pushed me behind him protectively. "Penelope, it doesn't have to be this way."

"Yes, it does." She took a few steps in our direction.

"What could possibly make you go rogue like this?"

Elijah had no idea. I was surprised Penelope hadn't told him, considering her insinuation that they had been close.

"Zander was everything to me, Eli," she bellowed unstably.

Elijah was like a brick wall in front of me. I could hide behind him completely unnoticed with his stocky frame in comparison to my thin one.

"And that's why you joined The Order, Pen. To right the wrongs, but Abigail has nothing to do with this."

I was waiting for the bomb to drop.

"The Order is corrupt, Eli. They aren't what you think." She held up her wrist, flashing the tattoo. "This isn't what you thought."

I wondered for just a moment where Elijah's tattoo was.