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“You worry too much,” Knox told me.
“I saw her tear down the bridge to the North Tower, then take down damn near every shade between there and you. Trust me, she can manage some shopping on her own.” Wade walked into the room, a cup in his hand. “In fact, next Black Friday, I’m taking her with me to score the best deals. She’ll be able to clear out any competition.”
I frowned and gestured at his coffee. “Where’d you get that?”
“Gas station.”
“You aren’t supposed to go out.” I shoved the words out through gritted teeth.
“It’sfine,” he assured me before taking a drink of the coffee. “Whereas you two look like the type people notice, I am unfailingly forgettable. It is one of my few redeeming qualities. I look like any young college student, or even like a high school senior trying to look older. No one looks twice at me.”
“And you didn’t get me any?” Knox managed to look downright offended. “I thought we were friends.”
“You share women with your friends—not coffee. Come on, now, some things are sacred!”
Knox reached out and snatched the cup from Wade, who gasped and pressed his now empty hand to his chest. “You just wait, buddy. The next time you want to quiet your incubus, I’ll leave you flat on your ass!”
I turned from the two and back to Hera, trying to ignore the bickering of the children. “You should just get going. They’ll keep this up for a long time.”
Hera nodded, fumbling with the strap of her bag as if uncomfortable. It made me chuckle, that oddly innocent sweetness she had.
She nodded, then took a step toward the door. I stopped her with a hand around her arm and tugged her back to me, not giving a damn if the other two saw. I offered one more short passionate kiss before pulling back to look into her eyes. “Be careful,” I repeated.
Hera’s tongue touched her lip, as if she missed my taste, and I forced myself to let her go and step away before I took her right there.
She turned away and left, a quickness in her steps that suggested her cheeks were bright red.
I twisted to find the other two no longer bickering, but instead staring at me with wide grins, as if they’d just gotten treated to the most amusing sight they’d ever seen.
I glared, then flipped them both off before storming back into the main area of the empty shop.
And I tried my hardest to ignore the laughter from behind me.
Chapter Two
Hera
Finding the items we needed proved rather easy. The list didn’t have much left on it. A bit more food—mostly jerky and other non-perishable items—a few bags and some other camping items.
We needed to head north. I’d heard Canada had fewer restrictions on shades and more people willing to help. They might have similar laws on the books, but it seemed they had less of an interest in enforcing them. Their travel rules were more relaxed, which meant getting out of the country would be a far cry easier than here.
So our gear would allow us to make that long trip safely in case we had to camp along the way. Knox could get us a car—people tended to offer him whatever he wanted when he turned on that charm—and the farther we got from Larkwood, the safer we’d be.
It was strange to think that we could be past this in just a few weeks. If all went well, if we moved quickly and didn’t run into trouble, we could get out of the Warden’s reach.
Then what? Act as if it had all never happened? Pretend to be human? Live our lives looking over our shoulders in fear that Larkwood would still find us someday?
I sighed when I didn’t have an answer to that. Getting out of Larkwood was my only goal, but now? Now I didn’t know what life could be like after that.
I finished getting the items on our list, reusable totes slung over my shoulder to carry it all. A pad of paper along with a pen tucked into the side pockets of the leggings I wore had allowed me to communicate, when needed, though I’d mostly tried to avoid dealing with anyone.
I tried to remain as unremarkable and forgettable as possible.
Now, I could head back to the shop. We’d pack up and be off, headed for a new life, for freedom. I couldn’t picture what that meant, what it would look like, but I wanted to find out.
A young girl ran past me, bumping into me as she went. It was impossible to not notice the fear painted across her features.
She turned down an alleyway, her clothing dirty and her face streaked with dirt. She was only nine or so, if I had to guess. Behind her came two men, though they avoided running into me—good thing, since they’d have easily knocked me down if they had.
