Rage of Vendetta (The Vendetta Series #2)

Chapter 17

Author's Note: Hi guys! I'm so sorry for my lack of updates, I've been doing Camp NaNoWriMo so I've been focusing more on just writing rather than editing my stuff so I can put it up. The bright side to that is I've actually written up to Chapter 25 at this point, so hopefully, there won't be giant wait times for the next few chapters. Anyway, my lovely readers, enjoy! Don't forget to let me know if you enjoyed :)

Chapter 17

So we end up setting off at sundown, after Lily feeds us full of ramen noodles and junk food. We would have left earlier, actually, but then Lily and Sasha made us wait around for an extra ten minutes because they were bonding over if water-based paints were better than oil-based paints.

Artists.

"The only reason I'm not insisting on coming along is because I can't run for a minute without heaving like an old lady with asthma," Lily says when we've dragged ourselves to the door, giving me a great, big, bear hug. "Don't die, okay?"

"I don't plan to," I reply. I don't. I can't. "I'll come back, I promise."

"We have to finish high school together," Lily insists.

She still smells like charcoal sometimes.

"We will," I say. "I'll come back in one piece."

And I will, I will, will.

Right as we've stepped off her driveway, a red car lumbers down the road, one I recognize as her parents'. I wave to Lily one last time, and hurry us so her parents don't spot me.

"We wouldn't have left a trace here or anything, right?" I ask.

"Don't think demonic traces work that way," Jesse says. "It sticks on us, not the places we've been."

I nod.

"I'll miss this place."

"Hey, you'll come back," Sasha assures me, seeing my expression. She knocks my elbow with hers. "When we win this war, when we get that relic, when everything is settled: Cambions will be able to wander wherever we want."

"Just as long as she doesn't perish in the process," Courtney adds on.

"Courtney!" Vee hisses.

"What?" Courtney says, shrugging. "I'm being realistic."

"Talk about a mood-killer," Eric mutters. "It's always death-this, death-that. We haven't died so far and we know we've come close. Maybe we're being protected after all."

It is that very preposterous suggestion we all just about die laughing.

Above us, the sky has darkened dramatically. It's a hazy dark purple hue that does little to light our way. Slight moonlight shines in slivers through the thick clouds.

"So, where are we going?" Jesse asks.

"Town center," I say simply.

Maybe it's time to start considering legal options for traveling to New York City. We had that wad of cash from Uriel now.

"But we just passed a bus stop," Eric says.

"The bus stop at the town center is going to go farther," I say. "That one-" I turn to point at the stop we passed, and am distracted momentarily by a flash of light. I shake my head, ignoring it, and continuing, "-might just go to the next neighborhood."

I mean, it's not like it would be impossible to get to New York by taking the small buses. It would just take very, very long.

"Ariel?" Vee asks, moving forward. "Is it always so creepy here at night?"