was now doggedly filling her suitcase. Wow, she could work fast when she needed to.
“Showtime,” he muttered to Odji, switching the security feed from the laptop to his iPhone. They started for the door; there was a Guardian vehicle waiting for them in the neighboring garage so they could tail the girls up to the city.
Oh, shit! Simone had changed course and was heading down the hallway toward their room. Anock signaled frantically to Odji. They leapt back onto the beds and tried to look casual, like she was just interrupting some lounging around.
A hesitant knock; then after his answer, the door swinging open. Simone with a tentative smile on her face, like she was going to ask him a favor. But Simone never wore that smile—
Just as Anock registered that something was wrong, Simone’s wrist flipped up, quick as a whip, and shot two blasts of energy into the room.
Damn, I underestimate the princess was Anock’s last thought as he lost consciousness.
Simone entered the room and gently placed the weapon she’d stolen from Anock on the bed next to him, then slipped out of the house and got in the driver’s seat of the Lexus.
Chapter 6
The sun hung low in the sky, finally dipping below the horizon, as the convertible sped along from Santa Cruz to San Francisco. The melancholy splendor of the picturesque hills in the slanting light matched Arianna’s mood. Even though she knew she was no longer safe anywhere, it felt like she was saying goodbye to all familiarity and safety along with her beloved redwoods. She might never see them again. She looked to the side to hide her tears from Simone, who had initially tried, very obviously, to cheer Arianna up, but now was thankfully leaving her alone with her thoughts.
The entire time, her intuition kept tugging at her, but she didn’t know what it was trying to tell her, its message drowned out by the heavy sadness aching in her heart. Or maybe, they were the same thing; these heightened senses were all so new to her.
She started feeling a little better once they reached San Francisco, the energy of the city and the relief of doing something—anything—about her situation taking hold of her. And Simone inspired confidence, weaving her way through the city as though she had spent her life there.
“Here we are,” Simone said as she turned into a multi-story parking garage several city blocks away from the main downtown area. “The Legacy has a helipad on the roof here.”
Arianna abruptly registered that Simone was on high alert, her head and eyes making repetitive circuits to the front and side, then in the rear-view mirror, and her grip on the steering wheel tight, white-knuckled. At the same moment, Arianna felt her own intuition leap inside her. Something’s wrong . With a rush of adrenaline, her senses went on full alert. Suddenly riding in a convertible lost all its glamor; it just made her a sitting duck.
“I think there’s a car behind us,” Simone was muttering through clenched teeth like she was afraid someone would read her lips. “Listen to me, Ari. I’m going to stop at the next stairwell. Jump out and run up the stairs to the roof. You can tell who’s Legacy because they all have arrow tattoos, above their thumbs, on their right hands. Undo your seat belt, now .”
“What about you?”
“Don’t worry. They’re vampires, I can tell. They are my people.”
“No, I won’t leave you alone.”
Interesting, Arianna thought. I can tell that they’re vampires, too. She reminded herself to analyze it. Later. When her life wasn’t in danger.
“Listen to me, Ari: they want you . They won’t harm me.” Simone slammed on the brakes. “ Go! ”
Arianna pushed the door open and flew out of the car and up the stairs, two at a time. A moment later she heard the screeching of brakes, then of metal against metal. She forced herself to keep going: she couldn’t help Simone, but if she got to the Legacy guys, maybe they could.
Hitting a
“Showtime,” he muttered to Odji, switching the security feed from the laptop to his iPhone. They started for the door; there was a Guardian vehicle waiting for them in the neighboring garage so they could tail the girls up to the city.
Oh, shit! Simone had changed course and was heading down the hallway toward their room. Anock signaled frantically to Odji. They leapt back onto the beds and tried to look casual, like she was just interrupting some lounging around.
A hesitant knock; then after his answer, the door swinging open. Simone with a tentative smile on her face, like she was going to ask him a favor. But Simone never wore that smile—
Just as Anock registered that something was wrong, Simone’s wrist flipped up, quick as a whip, and shot two blasts of energy into the room.
Damn, I underestimate the princess was Anock’s last thought as he lost consciousness.
Simone entered the room and gently placed the weapon she’d stolen from Anock on the bed next to him, then slipped out of the house and got in the driver’s seat of the Lexus.
Chapter 6
The sun hung low in the sky, finally dipping below the horizon, as the convertible sped along from Santa Cruz to San Francisco. The melancholy splendor of the picturesque hills in the slanting light matched Arianna’s mood. Even though she knew she was no longer safe anywhere, it felt like she was saying goodbye to all familiarity and safety along with her beloved redwoods. She might never see them again. She looked to the side to hide her tears from Simone, who had initially tried, very obviously, to cheer Arianna up, but now was thankfully leaving her alone with her thoughts.
The entire time, her intuition kept tugging at her, but she didn’t know what it was trying to tell her, its message drowned out by the heavy sadness aching in her heart. Or maybe, they were the same thing; these heightened senses were all so new to her.
She started feeling a little better once they reached San Francisco, the energy of the city and the relief of doing something—anything—about her situation taking hold of her. And Simone inspired confidence, weaving her way through the city as though she had spent her life there.
“Here we are,” Simone said as she turned into a multi-story parking garage several city blocks away from the main downtown area. “The Legacy has a helipad on the roof here.”
Arianna abruptly registered that Simone was on high alert, her head and eyes making repetitive circuits to the front and side, then in the rear-view mirror, and her grip on the steering wheel tight, white-knuckled. At the same moment, Arianna felt her own intuition leap inside her. Something’s wrong . With a rush of adrenaline, her senses went on full alert. Suddenly riding in a convertible lost all its glamor; it just made her a sitting duck.
“I think there’s a car behind us,” Simone was muttering through clenched teeth like she was afraid someone would read her lips. “Listen to me, Ari. I’m going to stop at the next stairwell. Jump out and run up the stairs to the roof. You can tell who’s Legacy because they all have arrow tattoos, above their thumbs, on their right hands. Undo your seat belt, now .”
“What about you?”
“Don’t worry. They’re vampires, I can tell. They are my people.”
“No, I won’t leave you alone.”
Interesting, Arianna thought. I can tell that they’re vampires, too. She reminded herself to analyze it. Later. When her life wasn’t in danger.
“Listen to me, Ari: they want you . They won’t harm me.” Simone slammed on the brakes. “ Go! ”
Arianna pushed the door open and flew out of the car and up the stairs, two at a time. A moment later she heard the screeching of brakes, then of metal against metal. She forced herself to keep going: she couldn’t help Simone, but if she got to the Legacy guys, maybe they could.
Hitting a
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