A Lonely Road

On Wednesdays We Wear the Blood of our Enemies

Kaelie felt her mouth go dry as Jace immediately tore his gaze from hers and stared intently at the floor. She looked to the others for help, but they just shrugged. They weren't used to dealing with regular civilians. It's not like Kaelie was surprised, she knew what she'd done, but she thought she'd proved that she was a good guy when she saved his life.

"Jace," she called, "Look at me, will you?"

He looked up. "Twenty-three? You killed twenty-three people?"

"To be fair, I've killed more since then. And so have they," Kaelie reasoned before snapping her mouth shut and realizing she was probably not helping. She took a deep breath. "Look, Jace," Kaelie started. "I get it, you don't exactly associate someone who could be considered a mass murderer with being a good guy. It's not like I fucking liked it. I kill them or I die. Or someone like you, an innocent, dies."

"Besides, I think we've got more to deal with right now, don't you think?" Michael asked.

Sarah nodded in agreement. "We can't stay in town anymore, of course."

"What are you talking about?" Jace asked. "You guys are just gonna up and leave?"

"Not 'you guys.' You too, you're coming with us," Lilith said firmly, leaving little room for argument in her tone.

"Like hell I am!" Jace exclaimed loudly. Kaelie rolled her eyes. Everyone around here was always so dramatic.

"Jace," she said. "Sweetheart, I'm gonna need you to shut up and chill with the melodramatics, 'kay?"

"But.. But I can't just.. You can't-" he spluttered.

"I said shut up, pretty boy," Kaelie snapped. "We can, and we will. You are my problem now, under our protection. You don't have a choice."

"Listen, Jace," Michael said. "We weren't kidding when we said these people were ruthless. They will kill you on sight, not just because you were at the campus, but because you helped thwart their attack. They know you are with us. They have your scent, and they're like bloodhounds. They won't stop until they've killed you."

Jace was silent.

"So where are we going?" Jace heard as he sat and stared at his half empty coffee cup.

"I'm thinking we're probably going to have to go out of the country this time. This attack was a lot more vicious," Lilith said.

"That and the fact that these were an entirely new species of murderous demon spawn doesn't make me think it'll be all that effective to just hop across a couple states," Sarah chimed from her place around the table.

"I totally call Italy. I'm in the mood to have me some decent pizza," he heard Kaelie say as she moved to stand beside him again, close enough for him to smell her shampoo.

Michael gave a laugh, but shook his head. "No. They have a lot more spies there than they used to. We're better off going somewhere so painfully obvious they won't think to check."

"So the genetically engineered psychos can track you down to a school, but aren't smart enough to think of that idea too?" Jace said snarkily.

He was summarily ignored.

"Anyways," Lilith continued in her quiet, lilting voice, "we're gonna have to make him a passport. And we need to change, they know what we look like."

"Yes!" Kaelie gasped, clapping her hands- well, hand and cast- gleefully. Now that was frightening, Jace thought, given her favorite pastimes seemed to be murder and pizza. "Can I? Oh, can I, can I? Pleasseeeeeee?" she asked, turning her mismatched eyes on Michael, who sighed in annoyance.