Just Like Fire | J. Saltzman - Legacies [2]

F O R T Y - F O U R

"Dad, why are we doing this?"

Josie has her arms crossed in the back seat with her half-empty thermos next to her as she stares ahead at the dark road in front of them, despite the itching of her eyes. Lizzie, asleep in the passenger's seat, snores softly as Alaric drives. Despite the calm car, Josie's skin tingles the further they get from home—like sharp tacks digging against her but never truly breaking the surface.

"Dad, seriously. I shouldn't be here. Plus we have the whole 'Nyx not being gone thing,' and the waking up screaming," Josie says as she clenches her jaw. "Dad, can you answer me?"

"I thought we should get away for a day," he replies without looking.

Josie rolls her eyes. "You know that's not possible. Can you turn on the air, please?"

Alaric glances down at the dashboard, pointing out the already low temperature. "Eljun bond?" He asks.

With a sigh, Josie flops back against the seat. "Probably."

He stays silent for a while, letting Lizzie's snoring fill the car once more. "You should get some sleep. You look tired."

"Why'd you even bring me?" Josie asks. "I don't have my magic, and I'm a security risk. Shouldn't Hope be here? Or even MG?"

"Well, the Hales tell me Hope is occupied, and I wanted to spend some time with my girls," Alaric says. "Even if it's just a recruitment mission."

"Which brings me to my next point—why are we recruiting now anyways?"

Josie watches as Alaric's grip tightens on the steering wheel. "Just get some sleep. Maybe the car will cool down."

As he says the words, Josie feels her eyelids droop as they pass the Leaving Virginia sign. "Don't you think we're a bit far?" She asks as her voice drips with sleep. "Shouldn't we—"

"Trust me, Josie. This is exactly where we need to be."

"What do you mean?" Josie asks but receives no reply. The outside, now much darker than before, does not even show a road. "Dad? Hey!"

"You're dreaming." A voice pulls Josie's attention away from the road. The cold body seated beside her makes her shout, pushing herself against the door. "I'm not going to hurt you."

"What the hell do you want?" Josie demands. "Last time we had a conversation, I was writhing on the ground in pain."

Nyx looks down at her clasped hands. Josie's never seen the being nervous, let alone shy. "I needed to talk to you without anyone listening. To explain. I won't get another chance."

Josie looks back to the front, but neither her father nor Lizzie move. "What if I don't want to talk to you anymore?"

"Then we can sit here in silence until you wake up," Nyx replies. "Though, I have a feeling your father drugged your coffee before getting in the car. It may be a while."

Josie glares at the back of her father's head. "Of course, he did."

The two fall into a tense silence, thick enough to slice. The crawling under Josie's skin disappears when Nyx inhales sharply and says, "I'm sorry."

Josie glances over to see those dark eyes staring at her. "For what part of it?"

"Every part of it," she replies. "There's so much you don't know yet, and I'm going to disappear soon."

"Good," Josie snaps. "You deserve it for all that wasted time. We could've been looking for Stella, but we were listening to you instead."

"Maybe I do," Nyx says with an attempt at a smile. "I don't think you'll see me again, Josette. I think...I'll be gone soon."