against her ear, her head down to avoid the onslaught of the wind.
"What?"
"There was an explosion and Christophe vanished and…"
He interrupted her. "I don't understand what you're saying. Where is Marina?"
How could he? She wasn't making any sense. Taking a deep breath, she tried again. "Marina is hurt. Drew is missing…or at least I can't find him. The coffee shop we were in exploded when we were leaving. They're putting Marina into an ambulance. I'm not sure what to do."
"Listen to me very carefully. You need to get yourself some place safe. Do you understand? I don't know about Drew. He's like a cat; he'll land on his feet, whatever has happened to him. I'm sending Jason to Marina now. He'll catch them at the hospital. You need to get out of there. If Sebastian blew up that coffee shop and killed innocent humans, he's upped his body count drastically. I need to know you're safe. Do you understand?"
She nodded and after a moment realized he couldn't see it. "Yes. I'll get somewhere safe and call you when I know where I am."
Ruby stared in front of her. Two men stood in the distance observing the scene behind a barricade. One of them she didn't know but the other one, an older man leaning on a cane, she recognized him immediately. Jacob Talbot.
Her heart raced. Jacob Talbot, the preacher she'd set out to find, watched the scene in front of him without a single expression on his face. She'd witnessed his sermons for years on television. He had more of a reaction to being told that someone hadn't been to church in years than he did to seeing a building burn and people suffering.
She stormed forward, Leonardo's words fleeing her mind. Safety couldn't be paramount, not when Jacob Talbot was so close. They'd traveled out to get his cane. She intended to get it.
"We need to rush this one. I'm losing her pulse."
Ruby whirled around. Shoot . She couldn't leave Marina by herself, despite what Leonardo said or her desire to get the stick from the old man. In two strides, she reached the ambulance and grabbed the arm of one of the paramedics.
"She's my friend. I'm going with her."
The man opened his mouth, and she suspected he wanted to argue with her about going in the ambulance, but he didn't. Instead, his eyes scanned behind her for a moment before he nodded.
"Whatever you'd like. We're getting ready to leave."
Ruby turned around to see what had made the paramedic so nervous. Christophe stood behind her, looking fierce with his eyes narrowed and his hands on his hips. Her shoulders sagged. They didn't know each other, not really, but she'd never been so glad to see another person in her entire life.
"You're okay." He didn't ask it but spoke the words as if he felt certain she hadn't been harmed.
She swallowed. "I hit my head and had the wind knocked out of me during the explosion."
Christophe pointed to the ambulance. "Then you should get in there."
"No." She swallowed through the lump in her throat. When was the last time anyone had cared about whether or not she'd been hurt?
Ruby grabbed his arm and pulled him a distance from the paramedics. "These people can't help us. They can't help Marina. Only Jason can do that. Leonardo's going to send him to her to fix her. I can't leave her alone. Drew is missing. And you're okay," she said fast, all in one breath.
The whole day had been so off . Ruby dealt in order, in facts, in things going a certain way. She didn't know how to handle demons, fire, and explosions. Her breath came in and out rapidly. She also didn't hyperventilate, and yet she couldn't seem to stop the progression of panic forming inside her body.
"Listen to me." Christophe took her cheeks in his hands. "All will be well. You'll see. Whatever is going on here, it is destiny, yes?"
She loved the way his warm hands felt on her cooled skin. "Yes. I guess so. It's all part of a destiny. Not one where we necessarily win but a fate, of some kind, I guess."
"Right." He smoothed her bangs off her
"What?"
"There was an explosion and Christophe vanished and…"
He interrupted her. "I don't understand what you're saying. Where is Marina?"
How could he? She wasn't making any sense. Taking a deep breath, she tried again. "Marina is hurt. Drew is missing…or at least I can't find him. The coffee shop we were in exploded when we were leaving. They're putting Marina into an ambulance. I'm not sure what to do."
"Listen to me very carefully. You need to get yourself some place safe. Do you understand? I don't know about Drew. He's like a cat; he'll land on his feet, whatever has happened to him. I'm sending Jason to Marina now. He'll catch them at the hospital. You need to get out of there. If Sebastian blew up that coffee shop and killed innocent humans, he's upped his body count drastically. I need to know you're safe. Do you understand?"
She nodded and after a moment realized he couldn't see it. "Yes. I'll get somewhere safe and call you when I know where I am."
Ruby stared in front of her. Two men stood in the distance observing the scene behind a barricade. One of them she didn't know but the other one, an older man leaning on a cane, she recognized him immediately. Jacob Talbot.
Her heart raced. Jacob Talbot, the preacher she'd set out to find, watched the scene in front of him without a single expression on his face. She'd witnessed his sermons for years on television. He had more of a reaction to being told that someone hadn't been to church in years than he did to seeing a building burn and people suffering.
She stormed forward, Leonardo's words fleeing her mind. Safety couldn't be paramount, not when Jacob Talbot was so close. They'd traveled out to get his cane. She intended to get it.
"We need to rush this one. I'm losing her pulse."
Ruby whirled around. Shoot . She couldn't leave Marina by herself, despite what Leonardo said or her desire to get the stick from the old man. In two strides, she reached the ambulance and grabbed the arm of one of the paramedics.
"She's my friend. I'm going with her."
The man opened his mouth, and she suspected he wanted to argue with her about going in the ambulance, but he didn't. Instead, his eyes scanned behind her for a moment before he nodded.
"Whatever you'd like. We're getting ready to leave."
Ruby turned around to see what had made the paramedic so nervous. Christophe stood behind her, looking fierce with his eyes narrowed and his hands on his hips. Her shoulders sagged. They didn't know each other, not really, but she'd never been so glad to see another person in her entire life.
"You're okay." He didn't ask it but spoke the words as if he felt certain she hadn't been harmed.
She swallowed. "I hit my head and had the wind knocked out of me during the explosion."
Christophe pointed to the ambulance. "Then you should get in there."
"No." She swallowed through the lump in her throat. When was the last time anyone had cared about whether or not she'd been hurt?
Ruby grabbed his arm and pulled him a distance from the paramedics. "These people can't help us. They can't help Marina. Only Jason can do that. Leonardo's going to send him to her to fix her. I can't leave her alone. Drew is missing. And you're okay," she said fast, all in one breath.
The whole day had been so off . Ruby dealt in order, in facts, in things going a certain way. She didn't know how to handle demons, fire, and explosions. Her breath came in and out rapidly. She also didn't hyperventilate, and yet she couldn't seem to stop the progression of panic forming inside her body.
"Listen to me." Christophe took her cheeks in his hands. "All will be well. You'll see. Whatever is going on here, it is destiny, yes?"
She loved the way his warm hands felt on her cooled skin. "Yes. I guess so. It's all part of a destiny. Not one where we necessarily win but a fate, of some kind, I guess."
"Right." He smoothed her bangs off her
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