Chapter 3

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Lark Tanning

"What the hell are you doing here?" I whispered angrily. Laune rolled her eyes through the window, clearly telling me she couldn't damn answer me if I didn't let her in.

As quietly as I could, I eased the window open and popped out the screen. "I'm kidnapping you," Laune answered bluntly. I raised an eyebrow at her but she just ignored me, scanning the room. Her eyes alighted on my suitcase. "Oh fantastic, you've done some packing already."

"What are you doing?" I questioned as she started shoving my books back into my suitcase.

"Finishing what you started," she answered as though it were obvious.

"No," I snapped. "I mean, what are you doing? I'm not going anywhere with you."

"See that's what makes this a kidnapping," Laune grinned. "You're not willingly coming."

"Kidnappers don't usually pack your bags for you," I growled.

"Hmm, you're right," Laune thought out loud. "You pack then."

"I told you," I told her firmly. "I'm not going with you. I'm not going back to Vale."

Laune sighed, dramatically, grinning deviously. "I was hoping you'd say that." Before I could even open my mouth, something blunt knocked into my head and I fell, the world fading to black around me.

***

Stars sparkled in the sky above the interstate. My head rested against the cold glass of the window, staring forlornly out at the sleeping world. The trees loomed over the strip of highway, ominously tall and bare of any leaves. It was odd for the middle of summer.

The car started to slow down, pulling to the side of the road. I glanced to my side when we pulled to a stop but no one was at the wheel. In fact, no one was in the car with me. I started to panic.

I looked back out the window at the dark woods in front of me. A pure white, faintly glowing fox stepped through the tree trunks, seeming to glide towards me. The eyes were blue and streaks of the same blue interlaced itself through the glowing pelt.

My breath started coming quicker, in shorter strides. The fox pulled back its lip, showing me its sharp teeth. Hello Lark...

I woke with a start, breathing heavily and frantically looking around for Crevan. "Calm down, will you? Stop being so weak," Laune snapped at me from the driver's seat. The sun was high in the sky at this point, the interstate running eternally under the wheels of the vehicle. The trees were still full of green leaves, some slightly tinged with the colors of fall. Odd for the middle of summer but it was a dry one.

"Fear isn't weakness," I retorted, not caring whether I admitted I was or not.

"Maybe not, but showing that you're afraid definitely is," she pointed out. I just turned to the window. "Didn't your parents ever tell you that showing the bully that they affect you only gives them power over you?"

I whipped my head around and glared. "I'm not afraid," I backtracked.

"Then stop acting like it," she snapped back, staring straight back. Her glare was much fiercer than mine, throwing me for a loop. I scowled at her, but she only smirked back at me, knowing she'd won.

"Where are you taking me?" I asked once again.

"I'm taking you to the Foxfire Council," she sighed in exasperation. 

"I already told you, I'm not going to Vale," I crossed my arms over my chest like a five year old.

"First of all, I'm pretty sure I'm driving this car and you're the passenger and your door is child locked so... yeah, go ahead and keep thinking you have the option," Laune pointed out. "Second, who said we were even going to Vale?" There was a twinkle in her eye that gave me a very bad feeling in the pit of my stomach.

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