Ignite (Midnight Fire #1)

Chapter Nine

A ringing phone woke Kira the next morning. Her eyes were swollen, and she was dehydrated and dizzy from the days before. When she turned over in bed, a cool chain rolled across her skin. She pulled the locket back over her heart, cupping it in her hand. At least it's something, Kira mused. She had photographs and stories, some little tokens to remember them by. Love will prevail, she thought. It was comforting to know her parents had loved each other enough to risk it all to be together. She hoped she could do the same if the time ever came.

The incessant ringing sounded in her ear again, and Kira reached under her pillow to grab her cell phone. She looked at the caller ID—Luke. Was she ready to get out of bed and face the world? No. But, Kira realized, she would probably never feel ready to start moving on to her new life in a new world she had yet to figure out. She flipped open her cell.

"Hello?" Kira’s voice came out scratchy and hardly loud enough for her own ears to hear.

"You sound like crap."

"Thanks." She rolled her eyes at Luke, wishing he could see her reaction, some sign she was at least alive enough to make fun of him again.

"Get out of bed, get dressed, and be downstairs in ten minutes. The gang and I are on the way."

"Good lord. Couldn’t you have given me some warning?" Kira asked, jumping out of bed and running to her closet. Ten minutes was not nearly enough time for her to start looking like a human being again. She needed to shower, and she needed some caffeine.

"Ah, sorry. I totally forgot you’re a girl. Emma said I should have called you earlier."

"Tell her I said thanks. See you soon."

Kira hung up and used both hands to search her closet for jeans and a super comfortable, oversized sweater to wear. She might be venturing outdoors, but she still wanted to feel as though she was lounging in her pjs.

Five minutes later, Kira heard a beep outside and cursed Luke for of course being early. She peered out of her window while quickly buttoning her jeans and saw Emma kick Dave out of the front seat of her small convertible. He sheepishly jumped into the back with the boys, and Kira decided to hurry up before he tried to steel shotgun again.

"Hey!" Emma waved from the driver’s seat as Kira walked outside. Kira smiled back.

"So, what’s the mystery event today? Luke didn’t give me any information over the phone."

"Well, it was my idea," Emma began while fiddling with the radio and shushing the boys’ complaints when Taylor Swift came on.

"Shopping?" Kira guessed from the glimmer in the other girl’s eyes.

"Costume shopping!" Emma seemed positively giddy as she pulled away from the curb and eased onto the empty street. She stepped on the gas, and the car sped down the road. Kira liked feeling the wind in her hair and the roar of the other cars when they turned onto a busier street. It drowned out her thoughts, and part of her felt like a normal girl about to spend a crazy afternoon with her friends.

"Halloween is in two weeks, and we have nothing to wear! It’s a travesty!" Emma infused feigned sadness into her voice—well, at least Kira thought it was feigned. "We need to get costumes now before all of the good ones are taken. And I figured we could all plan some sort of theme together."

"Not this again." In the back seat, Miles scrunched up his face, making his glasses slant sideways.

"Oh please, it’ll be fun!" Excited, Emma released both hands from the wheel to make her point. Kira jumped forward and grabbed it before the car could swerve out of control. Emma flashed her a sheepish smile.