Chapter 192: Chapter 192
Heather
It took six steady, brutal hours of mixing and baking and cross-checking spell books, but we ended up with ten variations of potions, each vial labeled with a number so we could weed out the ineffective ones.
I’d suggested we modify my original potion using with holy water and the saint’s hand, but Claudia had plussed it. She said holy oil would work much better than water. She disappeared for an hour and came back with this oil that smelled like heaven.
We took a break for dinner, while the potions cooled in the lab, and decided the only way to test them was to try them out. Luciana had released demons last night, so chances were she might do the same tonight.
Mr. Langdon hadn’t liked it, but he also hadn’t been able to come up with a decent argument against it. If Luciana summoned any demons tonight, we were the best equipped to fight them. That was saying something about how unprepared we all were, but the fact remained the same.
We couldn’t stand idly by while humans were slaughtered again.
So we dressed all in black, and jumped into two of the huge black SUVs reserved for the Cazadores. We didn’t have a destination in mind, but headed toward San Antonio and hoped that I’d at least get a feeling if I drove.
We ended up wandering aimlessly for hours. I tried to relax and keep my mind open, but nothing was coming.
I drove one car. Brent sat in the passenger seat, and Xander, Shane, and Adrian were in back. Donovan drove the other car with Serena, Cosette, Raphael, Claudia, and Lucas.
It was three in the morning. If something was going to happen, it was going to be soon.
"I’m starving," Xander said from the backseat. "We should definitely stop at Whataburger."
"How can you be hungry again?" Shane said. "You packed a lunch. How much can one Were eat?"
"More than you’d think," I said.
"Where does it all go?" he asked.
"If you figure it out, let me know." I took a turn down a residential street, weaving through the blocks. All the house lights were out, which was to be expected at this time of night. We hadn’t come across many people. It seemed like the locals were taking my warning seriously.
I drove slowly, keeping an eye out for anything out of the ordinary. If something was going to happen, I wasn’t getting any visions. At least not yet. The windows were rolled down so we could listen—and smell—for trouble. It was a little chilly, but nothing that a sweatshirt couldn’t handle.
"Food," Xander moaned from the backseat.
I would’ve rolled my eyes at him, but I was starting to get hungry too. "If we don’t see anything in the next hour, we’ll go to Whataburger."
"Do you see that?" Adrian tapped the window.
I sped up, catching movement down the block, but laughed as we pulled closer. Two kids a little younger than me were making out on the lawn. A bike lay on its side on the pavement in front of them. The skunkish smell of pot drifted through the open window.
Teenagers... I said to Brent.
You only just turned eighteen.
But I feel at least thirty. I feel like I get extra maturity points for all the shit I’ve gone through.
True.
The girl started to push at the guy with a whimper, and I almost got out of the car.
"Might want to head inside," Brent called before I could do anything. "It’s not safe out here."
They jumped and broke away from each other. The guy shot us a dirty look. "Fuck off."
Brent flicked on the dome light, and they froze.
The girl grabbed the guy’s arm. "She’s that werewolf from the news."
"Just your friendly neighborhood werewolves." I motioned to the house. "Go home. Being outside at this hour isn’t safe." And not just because of Luciana and her demons. Nothing good happened at three in the morning.
"Of course. Thanks." The girl seemed more than grateful.
The boy grabbed his bike and took off, and I waited as she scrambled up the lawn and went inside. She waved from the door.
This was good. I’d actually helped someone tonight, and that felt damned good. I waved and went back to coasting down the street. "Well, that was fun." Donovan had stopped behind us, but he followed as I turned down another street of sleepy houses.
Shane grunted. "Focus on your abilities. You have to harness them to find where the action will be tonight."
"What do you think I’ve been doing?"
"Nothing useful," Shane muttered.
I jerked the car to a stop, and twisted to look at hm. "Not cool. And you’ve got years of brujo practice on me. Where are all your brilliant suggestions?"
He stared at the ceiling for a second before meeting my gaze. "Sorry. It’s not your fault. I’m just feeling antsy."
"I know it’s been a really shit week, but let’s try to hold it together." I hit the gas and tried to take my own advice. A note of sympathy passed through the bond and I glanced at Brent. You’ve been awfully quiet.
I’m not sure how to help, Brent said.
I tapped my fingers on the steering wheel. Yeah, me neither. If we were close to Luciana, I wasn’t sensing anything. No magic. The night was quiet. Maybe she’s still laying low.
No. She’s got power to spare. She’s not going to sit quietly by. Not anymore. He was quiet for a second, but I could feel his thoughts, like gears turning, clicking by as he saw them and dismissed the ones he deemed unworthy. She’s already started trying to make us look bad. I doubt anything’s stopping her from doing more of that.
If she’s feeling vindictive... I chewed on my lip. Who was I kidding. It was Luciana. She was always feeling vindictive. She’ll try to get us where it’d hurt the most.
But St. Francis’s is too well protected. Everyone’s already on alert.
Exactly. I was missing something. Something big. Last night, she’d let her demons tear through a few residential neighborhoods. Eight families were dead before the sun rose.
She’d made the point that she could get the humans where they slept. They weren’t safe in their own beds.
I thought of those families, and hurt for them. I couldn’t imagine the pain their loved ones were in. If something like that happened to my—
Fuck.
No. She wouldn’t go after...
I swallowed as the realization sank in. No. She totally would.
Where the hell was I? We’d been wandering for hours. I slammed on my break.
"What’s going on?" Xander asked as Brent’s cellphone started ringing.
"You really think—" Brent started but cut off when I shot him a look.
"Yeah." It was the most horrible thing I could think of, so why wouldn’t Luciana try it?
My hands shook as I tried to work the navigation system. I needed to get to my parents’ house. Now.
"Please proceed to the highlighted route," the robotic voice said, and I gunned it, taking the turn so fast I thought I might flip the SUV.
"The guards are still on my parent’s house, right?"
"Of course. I’ll find out who’s on duty." Brent punched the buttons on his cell. "Hey, Gill. Who’s on the Jones tonight?"
"Let me check." Rustling sounded through the phone like the guy was flipping through papers. "Shit. It was supposed to be Rory but he left with the others. I’m sorry. I don’t know how this got overlooked."
I slammed the steering wheel. "You’ve got to be fucking kidding me."
"Send a team in now." Brent growled. "We’re on our way. We might have a situation." He ended the call. "They’re okay. Don’t worry. We don’t know anything yet." Brent tried Dad’s cell, but he didn’t answer. Neither did Mom. With each ring tone, my anxiety rocketed.
"Shit." My heart pounded, and I ran a stale red light. No one else was on the road in small-town Texas at this hour.
Donovan’s headlights shone in my rearview mirror. If what I thought was going to happen was happening, then we all needed to get there. Five minutes ago.
"We’ll get there in time," Brent said.
"What about your brother?" Adrian asked. "He texted me to check on you after the press conference. He was thinking of coming down, but I don’t know if he did."
That’s right. Dad had told him not to come, but if West wanted to come home, he was home. He didn’t always listen to our parents. Especially when it came to me. He was my first friend. For a long time, my only and best friend.
And I wasn’t going to lose my family today.
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