Wow. The council makes it sound like everyone loves them, but that's not the case. So, everyone outside our town is outcasts. Why am I not surprised?
"Everything okay out there?" Shirley steps out with her eyes narrowed, looking between him and me.
"Yeah, just delivering his food." Thank God. I want to get away from him and it's close to quitting time. My feet are close to killing me and I'm exhausted.
"I got you covered." She smiles at me. "I think it's time for you to head on out anyways."
As if on cue, my feet begin to ache. I glance at the clock and realize it's close to ten. "Yeah, I'm beat."
"Hey, wait." The guy reaches out to me.
Oh, no. My magic begins to thrum inside me and the urge to get the hell away courses through me. Granted when I left town the day the artifacts absorbed into me I needed distance, but I didn't expect this. Illinois seems a lot further than six hours away from here. The magic inside me is too much and being there was too much. I needed space to clear my head and figure out what's going on within me. At times, it feels as if I'm barely in control and that's not good.
"Whatcha need?" Shirley steps in between us and grins. "Do you need some cream or anything?"
Times like these show me she's not as flighty as she lets on. I head to the back and clock out, grabbing my things. I should tell everyone bye, but I don't want to prolong getting out of here. Raw energy is still pulsing through me and I need to get out and get some fresh air.
After I head outside, I pause and let the cool breeze moves against my face. I've got to get my shit together. I blow out a breath and walk three blocks over to the small brick motel I've been staying at since I got stranded here. The exercise seems to burn off some of the excess energy that’s thrumming in me.
It's surprising, but these places aren't bad, nor super expensive. Once at my unit, I lock the door after I turn on my lights. It doesn't matter if this town seems small and safe. You never know what could be lurking behind anywhere.
The room is a dingy white with a king size bed in the center. There is a thirty-two-inch flat screen tv on the wall facing the bed, with a bathroom on the right. But other than that, that's all I have to my name.
My nose cringes as the usual musty odor fills it. Ugh, the Febreze I sprayed earlier has already stopped working. What the hell is wrong with this place?
I want to crawl into bed, but I smell like grease. I force myself into the bathroom and turn on the water. The pipes groan under the pressure and the water spurts to life. I grab some clean pajamas from my backpack and bring them in the bathroom while the shower warms.
My body and mind are exhausted. I never realized how hard it is to be a waitress. Maybe being a Malone has made me soft in ways. I take a quick shower, crawl into to bed, and turn on the tv.
After just a few minutes, my eyes become droopy. This is the part of the day I hate, but it's inevitable. My eyes close and as soon as my eyelids meet for more than a split second, the flame springs to my mind.
It's a flame that burns blue and red, and radiates off a white stick. All around it is dark and there are screams that echo in my ear and my skin almost burns as if I'm standing there. This has to be Hell. Of course, an artifact would be found there.
Just like all nights, I must force my mind clear. It's hard, because the freaking flame doesn't want to leave my mind. But I'm not sure if I clear it or I'm just so tired, I fall asleep.
Something claws at me, desperate to get out. I shift in bed and turn trying to get comfortable. My power thrums inside of me, as if it's pulsating against my skin trying to clamber its way outside my body.
I sit in bed and reach out to the lamp beside me. However, my hand catches air and falls to the side.
What the hell?
That's been there ever since I was twelve.
Something nags at me in the back of my head, but I can't put my finger on it. I rub my eyes, and everything crashes back in. Holy shit. I'm not at home. What the hell am I thinking? Hell, my parents don't even own that home any longer.
My energy is still restless, but it seems to be calming down. I don't know what's going on with it. I sure wish I had someone to talk to. Let's be real. It's not like I'm fooling myself at this point. I wish I could talk to Charlie.
Hell, I've thought about him so much, I've memorized his number. It's been two weeks. I miss Charlie, and I need to hear his voice.
Before I allow myself to consider the consequences, I grab my phone and dial his number. It rings twice before he picks up.
"Chris?" His tone sounds full of concern and relief.
Just hearing his voice makes my heart pick up its pace. What am I doing? I shouldn't be calling him. There is no telling if the council is still looking for me and I could be putting him in danger. Dammit.
"Chris, are you there?"
I want to answer him, but I can't risk him. If he knows anything about me, the council could try using him. Taking a deep breath, I make myself hang up the phone.
Now that both artifacts are inside me, they are going to be
