Sought and Snatched

Chapter 29

Josephine's P.O.V

As I see Carter's figure pacing in front of my door my spirits are lifted. He was still in a tux and his hair was a mess. Justin parks the car in front of my house and faces me. He shifted incessantly in his seat and cleared his throat. His lips brush my cheek. He places his hand on my thigh.

"Josie..."

"Bye Justin."

I get out of Justin's car and run towards Carter. His face lights up when he sees me and wraps his big strong arms around my body. I lean my head against his chest, letting his shirt soak up my snot and tears.

When had I started crying?

He sets me down and places his hands around my face and I hold his wrists not once looking away from his stunning dark eyes. "Are you okay? Luna and I were so worried about you. We had to leave when the principal came. We tried to warn you but-"

A laugh escapes my lips. "It's okay." I place a hand around his left cheek. "I'm okay."

His eyebrows knitted together. "Are you sure..."

"Yes. Everything is fine. Justin picked me up from the station. That's all that happened. Only that. Nothing else." I tried to hide the slight high pitch change that occurred in my voice.

Carter looked behind me at Justin who had gotten out of his car and was standing on the sidewalk. Really? He couldn't stay in the car?

"Thanks."

Justin nodded towards Carter in acknowledgment.

"You're sweating. Are you sure everything's okay? You know you can tell me right?"

I nodded. Then I looked away from his deep dark brown eyes and gulped. I watched as Justin snuck one last apologetic look at me before getting in his car and driving away. I could feel Carter's eyes on me and decided to ignore his gaze and go inside my house.

"Where's Luna?" I needed us to talk about anything that would distract the tingling on my lips.

"I could have sworn she was right behind me...."

"It's fine she'll turn up later."

"Yeah."

Looking at Carter was different and fascinating. The sharpness of his jaw and the glint of gold in his eyes made something inside me itch. The way his dark brown hair was in a mess and his cheeks were flushed just made my head whirl.

I tried to search for answers in my brain, an explanation for why I was feeling the way I was. Why looking at him was breathtaking in a way that wasn't before. But this familiar feeling felt right. Yet I was fighting my body's urge to be closer to him.  

Carter's lips brushed against my cheek and my stomach twisted with a mixture of guilt and excitement. Then his lips slide down my throat. My hands find their way around his neck and he pulls me towards him staring down at me with a lopsided smile.

My breath instantly turns shallow and fast. Carter looked so cute and he was so sweet but right now I just felt like....like crap and I couldn't just kiss him after what had just happened.

Yet I felt like I couldn't pull away from him either.

When did a simple choice like this didn't feel like my own anymore?

It was as if I had to kiss him, had to let him hold me because it was the only explanation that made sense. When really all I wanted to do right now was crawl in my bed and cry.

It was as if my body betrayed me and my mind was too terrified to speak.

Ask me.

Ask me if it's okay to kiss me, to touch me. But he doesn't and I kiss him anyway. My body loosens but my mind is a raging storm of confused thoughts and emotions even though deep down I know what I really want.

Something breaks through the window and lands with a thump on the floor. Carter and I pull apart and I stare at the small silver item.

A burst of orange flames erupted between Carter and me I. Above the roaring of the flames I hear Carter's voice. "Josephine! Are you okay?!"

"Yeah! Are you?"

"Hold on! I'm coming to get you!"

As soon as he said those words the flames soared higher. I begin to sweat as flickers of heat singe the hair on my skin. I waited a minute and I could feel my skin peeling.

Come one Carter.....where are you?

I wiped the soot from my eyes and coughed as smoke filled my lungs. I climbed onto the kitchen counter and decided to use the chandelier as a swing. I shut my eyes, took a hold of the chandelier between my fingers, and swung across the flames and onto the side of the kitchen where Carter was standing, looking flustered.

He broke out of his running stance and turned to face me, mouth agape. Was this boy really going to just run through fire?

I grabbed his hand and let his fingers entangle with mine. "Come on! We have to get out of here!"

"We can go out the back!"

How did he even know that my house had a back door?

"Look out!"

I jerked Carter back and his feet skidded and stopped firmly on the ground. The door was completely engulfed in flames and the house was crashing down around us.

We were trapped.

******

The light takes me by sunrise and I shut my eyes quickly. I tried to move but I couldn't. My wrists and ankles were in shackles that connected to the wall behind me. I wasn't at home anymore. This kidnapping thing was getting old. Where was I anyway? Was this another room in the Dark Horses hideout?

What happened to the fire? My house? To Carter?

Just as I am about to find a way out the door swings open and a small body with short bright purple hair crashes to the ground. She moaned in reply but not before swinging at the guard. She misses and the guard locks her in the shackles beside me and closes the door.

Her head hangs down by her shoulders.

It's Luna.

It has to be.

"Luna?"

Luna raises her head and there's a spread of purple around her left eye and right cheek, with small yellow blotches. 

"Luna, what happened?!" I coughed violently, the soot from the fire at my house, still clinging to my lungs.

She spits out blood and hangs her head down again. "I really put up a fight."

"What do we do now?"

"I don't know. The Indomitable has been crazy. Samuel is missing, no one's following orders..."

That can't be good. If Samuel Brown is gone, what chance do we have?

I know what you're thinking how did Josephine survive the fire?! It's called storytelling magic!!

Anyways... I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Till Next Time,

-Miss Yanxiet :)