Destined by Aprilynne Pike Page A

to decide what was right . But the sound of the gunshots – the mental picture of bullets ripping into Shar – it was blocking out everything else.
    Tell Ari and Len I love them.
    Ariana and Lenore were in Avalon. Those weren’t simply tender last words; they were instructions.
    Tamani had received his final orders from Shar.
    “To the gate,” he said. “To Jamison. Shar didn’t have to tell Klea we were on the phone, but he did. You heard Klea – she was done with us. Shar made us a target again, to divide her attention and throw her off balance. He bought us the time we need to warn Avalon, so that’s what we do.” The pieces were coming together in his mind. “Now!” he added, already pulling his keys out of his pocket.
    He headed for the front door, but David stepped in front of him. “Whoa, whoa, whoa,” David said, putting up his hands. “Let’s wait for just a second here.”
    “Move,” Tamani said darkly.
    “Avalon? Now? I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
    “No one asked you.” Of course he would pick now to fight over this.
    David’s eyes softened, but Tamani refused to acknowledge it. He didn’t want pity from a human. “Listen, man,” David said, “you just heard your best friend get mowed down. I barely knew him and I’m feeling pretty sick right now. Don’t make any rash decisions so soon after . . . after what just happened.”
    “What just happened? You mean Shar getting murdered ?” The words were salt on his tongue and he tried not to let David know how much it ripped him apart to even say them. “Do you have any idea how many of my friends I’ve watched die?” Tamani demanded, even as he pushed the memories away. “This is hardly a first. And you know what I did? Every single time?”
    David shook his head, a convulsive shiver.
    “I picked up my weapon – hell, sometimes I picked up their weapons – and I kept doing my job until it was done. It’s what I do. Now I’m going to say it one more time: get out of my way!”
    David stepped hesitantly back, but stayed close by his side, wedging a foot in front of the door as Tamani reached it. “Then let me come with you,” he said. “I’ll drive. You can sit in the backseat and think for a while. Decide if this is really the right choice. And if you change your mind . . .” He spread his arms in a shrug.
    “Oh, so now you’re the hero? Now that Laurel’s here to see you?” Tamani said, feeling the grip he had on his temper begin to slip. “Last night you left . You ran away instead of doing what needed to be done with Yuki. I’ve been doing what needs to be done for eight years , David. And I haven’t failed or run away yet. If there’s one person who can keep Laurel safe, it’s me – not you!”
    When had he started yelling?
    “What’s going on?” A groggy voice made them all turn to the stairs, where Chelsea stood, her T-shirt wrinkled, the wild curls around her face a halo of darkness.
    “Chelsea.” Laurel pushed between David and Tamani, her arms steady and strong, forcing them both to take a step back. “It’s Shar. Klea . . . Klea got him. We have to go to Avalon. Right now.”
    Tamani couldn’t help but feel a sliver of pride that Laurel had sided with him.
    “You can go back to sleep, or home, or whatever you want. I’ll call you the minute we get back.”
    “No,” Chelsea said, the weariness in her voice gone. “If David’s going, I’m going too.”
    “David is not going!” Tamani insisted.
    “I just . . . I don’t want you guys to get hurt,” Laurel said, and Tamani could hear the strain in her voice.
    “Come on,” Chelsea pleaded softly. “We’ve been through everything with you. We do it together. That’s been our motto for months.”
    The last thing Tamani wanted was more passengers, and time wasn’t a luxury they had. He opened his mouth to declare exactly who was and was not coming, but the expression on Laurel’s face stopped him. She had her car keys