Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 90630 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 453(@200wpm)___ 363(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90630 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 453(@200wpm)___ 363(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
“Okay,” Devon relents. “There’s no point trying to talk you out of this.” Emotion crosses his face and he takes a small step closer. “Just be careful, Wren.”
“I will be. I’m going to find my sister, have some strong words with her about the dangers of running away, and then I’m coming home. There’s no demon this time. No deranged older sister with a whack-a-doo vendetta against me. Gia is a scared kid who ran away and needs her family to tell her it’s okay. And by her family. I mean me, Toni and Leo because we’re the only reasonable ones left out of the bunch.”
“When you’re included in the reasonable lot, that’s scary,” Devon jokes and I smile.
“Terrifying. Wanna help me set up for the locator spell?”
“Yeah. We are basically pros at it by now.”
“You’re telling me.”
Antonio comes back with one of Gia’s stuffed animals, and we all go into the dining room. Devon and I silently set up a map of Charlotte. I mix up the herbs and Devon puts the crystals in the correct positions on the map in front of us. Mabel sits at her normal spot, silently watching us.
I hold Gia’s stuffed cat, close my eyes, and think about her. I see her face, and can hear her voice, remembering the last time we saw her and how sweet Xavier was with her. I do the spell, and watch the herbs move into place.
“She’s at the Hilton?” I ask, marking the spot on the map. “What is she doing there?” My mind goes to her being kidnapped and trafficked. “We’ll find out.”
Grabbing my purse, Antonio and I rush out of the house and get into his car.
“That vampire…is, she, uh, all there in the head?” he asks, gripping the steering wheel tightly. It’s a good twenty-minute drive to the hotel, and I swear time moves backward when you’re stressed like this.
“Sometimes. Sometimes not. But, that’s just Mabel for you. She’s probably one of the sweetest people you’ll ever meet. And obviously not a threat.”
“That’s the one Larissa kidnapped?”
“Yep. The most dangerous Malus vampire.”
Antonio just lets out a breath. “Do you think she’s okay?”
He’s talking about Gia. “Yeah, of course,” I lie, but I actually have no idea and I can’t get a read on it, good or bad. “My spell wouldn’t have worked if she wasn’t.” Another lie.
We drive the rest of the way in relative silence, and we drive right up to the hotel, and I go in while Antonio parks. This hotel is big, and I didn’t narrow down Gia’s location beyond the building. I run to the front desk, ready to pull out the “Xavier is my husband so you better fucking listen to me” card, but then someone calls my name.
I turn, and Gia waves. “Wren!” She’s sitting in the lobby, reading a Warrior Cats book. She puts it down and runs to me.
“What the hell, Gia?” I throw my arms around her. “You ran away?”
“You call it running away, I call it vacation. I was coming to see you.”
“You could have called!”
“They blocked your number. I couldn’t.” She looks up, brows furrowing. “Mom said you’re bad. But you’re not.”
I just hug her again. “Don’t worry about it.”
Antonio joins us, letting out the biggest sigh of relief. “Are you okay?”
“I’m perfectly fine,” she tells him and then looks at someone coming in the door. “My DoorDash is here.” She walks over to the delivery driver, takes a bag of food, and tips him in cash. Antonio and I look at each other, both slow blinking.
“So you’re like, staying here?” I ask her. “At the hotel?”
“What? If the kid in Home Alone can do it, so can I.” She shrugs and reaches into her bag. “And I got ice cream for dinner.”
I laugh. “Let’s get your stuff and get out of here.”
“I’m only leaving if I come with you,” she says.
“Everyone is looking for you,” I try to reason. “It won’t be long until someone catches on to the fact that a kid is here without an adult and then Mom and Dad will show up.” I slowly inhale and look at Antonio. “Let’s get some real food and talk, but I’m going to strongly suggest that you, Toni, and Leo take a little road trip.”
“I’m not opposed to that idea,” Antonio says and Gia nods.
“Fine. I haven’t unpacked yet, at least.”
All I can do is laugh. We go with her to her room and grab all her stuff. The kid was prepared. Even though she’s only nine, the girl has more survival skills than a lot of adults, thanks to how she was raised. Still, there’s an innocence about her and I’m sure Vivian has been given shit for it. By eleven, I was already killing demons—and really fucking good at it.