“Close. A few hours.” The tapping resumed.
I set my head back against the seat and tried not to think about what might happen, but it proved too hard to ignore the future we were racing toward. What would happen when we got there? Would they even know who I was? We knew from Joshua that the dreamer had learned her history and our purpose, and she’d been afraid. That had been our last contact with him before everything started to go so very wrong for Blake.
The hum of the tires on the road and Frank’s impatient tapping on the steering wheel crawled into my ears and ate at my thoughts with annoying persistence.
When the car started to slow much later, I sat up and looked around. Trees surrounded us on both sides. The Others raced ahead, outlining more trees.
“Are they here?” I asked.
A wailing filled the air, along with Frank’s snarled, “No.”
“Tell him we’re here,” Frank said, pulling the car to a stop.
“Have you tried texting him?”
With a snarl, he opened his door. I quickly released my seatbelt and braced myself. My door flew open, and Frank jerked me from the car. My head hit the jamb on the way out, likely intentional. Bitter cold wrapped around me and burned my lungs with each careful breath while the Others swirled around Frank in a frenzy.
Frank’s fingers dug into my shoulders as he yanked me toward him. His sour breath bathed my face, and his nose touched mine.
“You are less than worthless,” he said, his voice deceptively calm. “You think this is some kind of game?” The flat of his hand cracked across my face, lightning fast. I would have staggered if his fingers hadn’t returned to grip my shoulder again.
Face throbbing, I focused on his shape and tried to breathe through the pain.
“Where are your witty comments now?”
“Beating me doesn’t change anything,” I said slowly. “Blake will continue to ignore us, and you and I will still need to—”
Crack.
My jaw joint crunched slightly, and a small grunt of air left me.
“Have anything else to say?”
I shivered and kept my mouth shut.
“Good girl. Maybe you do have a brain after all.”
The Others stilled. Blindly, I turned my head.
“Don’t turn away from me,” Frank said, gripping my abused jaw cruelly and forcing me to face him.
“I have a brain,” I said. “And ears. They’re coming.”
He swore and released me. “Get in.”
He shoved me back toward the car, and I spread my arms wide to catch myself against the frame, not willing to sink onto the seat like he wanted.
“No, Frank,” I said, trying to swivel away from his gripping hands. “This is why we’re here. To face them. To give them a message.”
The bruising pushing stopped.
“What message?” he asked.
Tires crunched on gravel, and I turned my head toward the sound.
“What message?” Frank demanded, stepping closer.
The world exploded with motion again, outlining Frank and the four vehicles pulling to a stop just inside the clearing. Frank’s anger wrapped around me, and I opened my mouth to prevent another blow to my head.
