An Angel Among Us

Chapter 7: Hey Taxi!

So good news. We finally left the house without another sibling argument starting. Bad news, we had to walk all the way from Angel Headquarters to the city. It took hours for us to get there and twice as exhausting as it was yesterday. This time we were walking with heavy duffel bags and weapons. Before we left, Jasmine helped me pick out a silver bow and a set of arrows to use as a weapon since Jayden decided to point out that I knew how to use one. What I hadn't told him was that I hadn't been to summer camp in two years so I was out of practice.

Jasmine also gave me a silver dagger just in case I have to deal with close combat on the way to Angelus Urbem. I was kind of hoping I wouldn't need it but my luck doesn't seem to be very good lately.

Other bad news, when we got to the city we had trouble getting a taxi. We spotted a few of them but none of them would stop for a bunch of teenagers. Finally, Jayden was able to hail a taxi after letting out a piercing whistle and shouting at the driver

" Hey Taxi!". This would have been funny if the driver hadn't been annoyed with him for using the phrase. Apparently, taxi drivers get that a lot and after a while it gets annoying.

After putting our duffels in the taxi and settling in the backseat, we were on our way. Jayden decided the quickest way to get there would be to take a taxi to the airport and then fly a plane to California. And after that, we would take a boat with a friend of theirs to Angelus Urbem. Sounds easy when you say it like that but like I said, my luck isn't that good.

The ride was slow and slightly uncomfortable. With Jasmine and Jayden claiming the window seats, I was squished in the middle between them. The middle seat was hard and ill-fitting. My butt was a bit numb after just five minutes of driving. And since, I couldn't really look out the window to enjoy the scenery, I was left to my thoughts which is never a good thing. I couldn't help but wonder what my Mom was up to.

By now, she must have seen the mess the hellhound made of her living room and noticed that I was missing. I wonder if she called the police and issued a missing teen report or if she was looking for me herself. My Mom wasn't one to let other people do all the work for her. She was pretty independent when it came to important things.

I wish I had left a note. To let her know that I was okay or given her some sort of excuse as to why I wasn't there. I had asked Jasmine earlier if I could use a phone to call my Mom and

tell her I was alright but she said it was too risky.

According to her, the less my Mom knew about what was going on, the better. She would immediately become a target of Mehki and he would send monsters after her just to get to me. If keeping her in the dark kept her safe and out of danger, it was worth it. Even if I did miss her already.

After ten minutes or so of staring into space, lost in my thoughts, I was suddenly jolted back to reality as the car came to a screeching halt. If it wasn't for the seat belt around my waist, I most definitely would have went through the windshield. I looked around confused as to why we had stopped.

" What's going on?" I asked the twin siblings, hoping one of them would know the answer. They didn't.

" I don't know." They spoke in unison, similar looks of confusion written on their faces.

I heard a loud roar sound from nearby. I felt a tingling sensation on the back of my neck as if someone had just poured ice cold water down my back. Jasmine's face paled as she too heard the disturbing sound.

"Everyone out of that car. Quick!" She spoke urgently, leaping out of the car as soon as she got the door opened. Jayden and I quickly followed her lead and so did the cab driver. Good news: we got out of the cab just in time. Bad news: the car spontaneously lit up in flames like the fourth of July fireworks. The flames licked the car seats and the smell of burning leather made me gag.