Underground Angels

Chapter Twenty-Six | On the Road Again

Chapter Twenty-Six

On the Road Again

                                    It was nearly daybreak when they stopped. Noel had recuperated enough to sit up, and though she still felt nauseous she managed not to have to sleep in Gabriel’s lap.

The car was packed, to say the least. Four demigods, one seer, one dog the size of a small bear and enough weapons to fight of a small army was a lot to cart around in a Volvo and a roof rack. Noel was glad her mother hadn’t insisted on making her take the portable toilet.

A gas station on a long, lonely road was their first pit stop in the eight hours they had been driving.

“Why don’t I take Noel inside?” asked Constantine, putting a gentle hand on her shoulder. “We can get some food and water.”

“Don’t forget the jerky!” Stephan called as they went inside.

“I’m going to use the bathroom.” She mumbled, rushing over to the door. As soon as it shut she kneeled on the disgusting floor and retched into the grubby bowl; her brain was screaming at her to bathe in sanitizer, but the rest of her was to fuzzy.

Her insides felt cold, the left over frost from the God’s icy hold. Her whole body felt used and thrown away, crumpled up and not even recycled. Shaking, she stood and stumbled over to the sink, rinsing out her mouth and splashing water all over her face, getting her bangs wet.

Noel knew everyone was looking at her oddly, even Gabriel – as if she were a bomb about to go off. And Noel knew that she was.

If a God could simply reach inside her like that, use her as a puppet – what did that mean? Was Noel destined to be jerked around by bully Gods forever?

“Noel?” Constantine’s voice came after a hesitant knock. “Are you okay?”

Clearing her throat, Noel took another look in the mirror. She looked like death, literally. Her skin was ashen, dark bags sagged under her eyes and she shook slightly even now. “Yeah, um – one sec.” In attempt to make herself look a little more alive, she pinched her cheeks and tugged her matted hair into a low bun. It didn’t really help.

She opened the door to see Constantine with that look on his face – the one everyone had. Even Gabriel and somehow that hurt most of all.

“What?” she snapped, and Constantine gave a start.

“Sorry.” He apologized “It’s just…I don’t think a God has spoken through, well, anyone in a really long time.”

“Doesn’t make a me a freak, though.” She said quietly, heading for the tofu jerky and small selection of fruit. “What does Lola like?”

“Oranges.”

They paid for the food and headed out into the cold, where Lola was looking especially foul.

“Just shadow travel her home, Gabriel!” she shouted.

“Lola, I can’t just toss my Nias –”