The place was small, no other places to hide, but it was exactly like I saw it in the book. Like the very last time my father was here was that night.
Stepping in, I felt like an intruder to their sanctuary. The musty air was the most prominent, but under, I swore I could smell my father’s cologne. My hand brushed the wood chair at the table, and I imagined him sitting there, writing in his journal. I still struggled to really picture my mother, though I was sure I could feel her presence touching the room. She was a stranger, but familiar at the same time.
Opie and Bitzy jumped off my shoulder onto the counter while I took in the little things like the sugar and black tea, which I knew my dad loved. In a small bottle was cinnamon. My father never used cinnamon. Was this my mother’s? Did she like it on her toast like I did?
“Brex?” Ash yanked my attention to him. “Where are we looking?”
Moving to him, I went to where I sawapastuff something into a hiding place, my hand going to the stone, running over it. “Somewhere here—” I felt the rock wiggle under my palm. Energy burst up my nerves, knowing I found it. What would be inside? Would it be the journal, or was it the nectar?
My nails dug into the crevice, pulling at the stone. My breath hitched as I lifted it away, adrenaline pumping down my arms as I shone the flashlight into the hiding spot.
“Oh gods...” I croaked, my heart beating against my ribs. Jammed into a hole laid a leather-bound book.
My father’s journal.
It was here. I found it.
My hand shaking, I reached inside, like I found a piece of my father I had never known about. A hidden gem, more precious to me than any real treasure. Blowing off the dusty cover, I coughed, billows of dirt filling my nose.
“That’s it? We came here for a notebook?” Maddox frowned.
I brushed at the cover with care. “It’s what’s inside the note?—”
Bang!
A bullet sparked off the stone right above my head, coming through the door. My body jolted, a cry breaking from my lips as arms wrapped around me. Ash hauled us to the ground with a thud. Glass shattered through the kitchen window with another round of shells.
“Opie?” My gaze darted to where I had left Opie and Bitzy. The counter was empty.
“Here. Fishy!” His figure darted from under the sofa, carrying Bitzy, diving into the bag, where I stuffed in the journal.
More bullets shot through the open door and window.
“Fuck!” Maddox yelled, diving next to the table below the window. “Who the hell is attacking us? Who knows we’re here?”
“I don’t know,” Ash gritted while we both scrambled up, tipping the sofa back. Using it as a barrier, we pointed our weapons, ready to shoot out into the pitch-black night.
We couldn’t see anything in the thick woods beyond the door.
“We’re sitting ducks here,” Maddox hissed as another round of fire burst into the room, tearing into the couch. “What the fuck is our plan?”
We may have cover now, but the endgame didn’t look good for us.We could close the door, but then we locked ourselves in a box for them. Had a shoot-out ever gone well for the people inside? I had one time seen it play out in real life when I was a kid to a wealthy elite not conforming to the new life after the worlds meshed. He went crazy, holding his wife and son hostage, spouting conspiracy theories. Istvan had him shot in the head by a sniper by the third hour.
Whoever was outside could have a sniper trained on us too, ready to wait us out or even try to burn us out. No matter what, they had the upper hand.
“Girl, I’m starting to think you have a tracker device installed in your ass!” Maddox pulled out a second gun, leaping up and firing out the broken kitchen window at the mystery assailants.
A moment of panic scorched my skin, wondering if Istvan had done something like that to me. I never would have believed it before, but now I wasn’t sure.
“If we get out of this, I will personally inspect your ass myself.” Ash grinned, though I felt his tension growing, his focus still out the door.
More shots shredded the couch, instantly upping the urgency in the room.
“We can’t stay here.” Maddox snapped at us, his gun blasting off. I heard a cry from right outside the house, sounding like he hit someone.
They were closing in on us.
“Why don’t you go ask them to kindly stop?” Ash volleyed.
