Darkest Powers - The Awakening Part 12

"It smelled me," Derek said. "The werewolf thing."

"Do they always do that?"

He shook his head. "I used to just make them nervous. They'd steer clear, maybe bark a bit. Now?" He waved toward the racket. "I get this. We need to shut it up."

"I'll-Wait. Liz!"

She was already running over.

"Could you distract that dog?" I asked her. "I think he wants to play fetch."

Her brow furrowed. Then she smiled. "Right. I can do that."

"Play fetch fetch?" Derek whispered as she took off. "What-?"

I motioned him to the end of the van and pointed. There, on the other side of the fence, a stick levitated, then shook. Liz was holding it, but Derek could see only the stick. The dog watched it fly, then spun back to the fence, barking and jumping again. Liz retrieved the stick, and tapped it on the dog's back. Once she had his attention, she threw it. This time, he chased.

I looked up at Derek, who was staring at the dog.

"Remember Liz thought she had a poltergeist? Turned out she is the poltergeist. She's a half-demon with the power of telekinesis."

"Huh." He turned to stare again, slowly shaking his head, as if wondering why he he hadn't figured that out. Probably because he didn't know half-demons could be telekinetic, but for Derek, that wouldn't be an excuse. hadn't figured that out. Probably because he didn't know half-demons could be telekinetic, but for Derek, that wouldn't be an excuse.

"Coast is clear!" Liz shouted. "And this pooch is getting bored!"

Derek and I got across the street. We headed for the service road on the other side, leading through the industrial buildings bordering the factory. Then Derek stopped.

"Tori," he said.

I peered past him. "Where? I don't see..." I noticed his face lifted to the breeze. "Not see, smell, right?"

He nodded and led me to where she was huddled behind a wall, peeking around the other side.

"It's us," I whispered.

She saw Derek and without so much as a h.e.l.lo, leaned to look behind him. "Where's Simon?"

"He's-"

"Is he okay? Why isn't he here?" She glared up at Derek. "Where'd you leave him?"

"Pa.s.sed out in an alley." Derek frowned in thought. "Not sure where, though..."

"He's kidding," I said as Tori sputtered.

"We need to get moving." Derek hooked a thumb at Tori while looking at me. "She's your responsibility."

"Excuse me?" Tori said.

Derek didn't even glance her way. "Make sure she keeps up. And shuts up."

As we headed out, Liz returned to say the Edison Group was in the factory yard, having slipped in the rear way again. We found the spot where Derek had left Simon, behind a building with faded For Sale signs on the boarded-up windows.

"Well, where is he?" Tori demanded.

"Huh. Must have broken his chain."

"He means Simon's a big boy and he's free to move around." I turned to Derek. "Can you track him?"

"Yeah."

He dropped to a crouch. It was a long way from stooping to sniff the ground, but Tori still stared.

"Please tell me he isn't doing what I think he's doing," she said.

Derek scowled-not at Tori but at me. "There'd better be a good explanation for this," he said with a pointed look her way.

"Not really," I murmured.

He took a deep breath and pushed to his feet. "Stay here."

Tori waited until he was gone, then shuddered. "Okay, Derek always weirded me out, but that wolf man stuff is seriously creepy. Suits him, I suppose. A creepy power for a creepy guy."

"I thought he looked better."

She stared at me.

"What? He does. Probably because he's starting his wolf changes and he's not stressed out about being in Lyle House. That must help."

"You know what would really help? Shampoo. Deodorant-"

I raised my hand to cut her off. "He smelled fine, so don't start that. I'm sure he's wearing deodorant and-for once-it's working. As for showers, they're a little hard to come by on the street, and we won't look much better soon."

"I'm just saying-"

"Do you think he doesn't know know what you're saying? News flash-he's not stupid." what you're saying? News flash-he's not stupid."

Derek was all too aware of the impression he made. At Lyle House, he'd showered twice a day, and it still hadn't fixed the p.u.b.erty smackdown.

She went back to watching for Simon. I stayed where I was, ten feet away, better hidden, while keeping an eye on her and and on that corner, waiting for- on that corner, waiting for- A soft poke at my shoulder blade startled me.

"Still jumpy, I see."

I spun to see Simon, Derek hanging back behind him.

Simon grinned, the sight as familiar as Derek's scowl. "Got my note, I hear," he said.

I pulled it out and waved it.

He plucked it from my fingers and tucked it into my jacket pocket. Then he caught my hand, his thumb rubbing my knuckles, and the back of my throat ached with the relief of seeing him, finally actually seeing both both of them after all the worry and the nightmares... of them after all the worry and the nightmares...

If I'd had the courage, I would have hugged him. Instead, I just said, "I'm really glad you found us," my voice cracking.

Simon squeezed my hand. His lips lowering to my ear, whispering, "I-"

He went rigid, head lifting.

"Hey, Simon," Tori said behind me.

"What is she doing here?"

Derek jabbed his thumb at me. "Ask her. I'm not getting any answers."

"It's a long story," I said.

"Then it'll have to wait," Derek said. "We need to get away from here."

Simon whispered to me, "But is everything okay?"

"No," Tori said. "I kidnapped her and forced her to escape with me. I've been using her as a human shield against those guys with guns, and I was just about to strangle her and leave her body here to throw them off my trail. But then you showed up and foiled my evil plans. Lucky for you, though. You get to rescue poor little Chloe again and win her undying grat.i.tude."

"Undying grat.i.tude?" Simon looked at me. "Cool. Does that come with eternal servitude? If so, I like my eggs sunnyside up."

I smiled. "I'll remember that."

"Enough yapping," Derek said. "Move out."

Eighteen I N THE MOVIE VERSION N THE MOVIE VERSION of our flight, we'd have run straight into a trap. Everyone would have been taken captive...except me, being the heroine. I'd be smart enough to avoid capture, so I could plot a daring rescue to free my friends. But it wouldn't be easy. Or quiet. Tori and Simon would blow up a city block with magic. Derek would throw a few trucks at our pursuers. I would recruit a platoon of zombies from a conveniently located cemetery. of our flight, we'd have run straight into a trap. Everyone would have been taken captive...except me, being the heroine. I'd be smart enough to avoid capture, so I could plot a daring rescue to free my friends. But it wouldn't be easy. Or quiet. Tori and Simon would blow up a city block with magic. Derek would throw a few trucks at our pursuers. I would recruit a platoon of zombies from a conveniently located cemetery.

But as cool as all that would have looked on the big screen, I was really more in the mood for a quiet getaway. And that's exactly what we got. The Edison Group never left the factory yard.

We walked at least three miles. When we were far enough from the factory to stop skulking, Derek led us into the commercial section on the other side of the neighborhood, where four teens wouldn't look so out of place on a school day.

"I know you guys love this cloak-and-dagger stuff," Tori said finally, "but can't we just grab a taxi?"

Derek shook his head.

I cleared my throat. "A cab would be risky, but if there's a shorter route to where we're going, my feet would really appreciate it."

Derek stopped short. I smacked into his back-not for the first time, since he insisted on walking in front of me. I'd been tripping on his heels and mumbling apologies the whole way. When I'd slow down to let him get farther ahead, he'd snap at me to keep up.

"We're almost there," Simon said.

He was beside me-sticking to the curbside, walking as close as Derek. While normally I wouldn't complain about Simon being so close, I had the weird sensation of being blocked in.

As we started forward again, I tried dropping back with Tori, who lagged behind, but Simon put his fingers on my elbow and steered me back into place.

"Okay," I said. "Something's up. What's with the walking blockade?"

"They're protecting you," Tori said. "Shielding you from the big bad world."

Neither of the guys said a word. Whatever it was, they weren't telling me. Not yet.

Our destination was some kind of unused industrial building in a neighborhood so rundown that even the g.a.n.g.b.a.n.gers and the homeless seemed to steer clear.

Just as we were about to go inside, Liz called to me. She stood by the missing front door like she couldn't cross the threshold. I asked whether there was magic keeping her out, but she said no, she just needed to talk to me. So I waved Derek and Simon on, telling them I had to speak to Liz.

She'd been quiet since I'd met up with the others, staying out of sight. Now she crouched on the dirt patch beside the building to tug up one purple and orange sock.

"You know, I really loved these socks, but another day of having to look at them, and I'm going barefoot for eternity." She tried to smile, but after a moment's struggle, gave up and straightened. "I'm taking off now. You don't need me anymore."

"No, I-I mean, if you want to, sure, but-"

"That came out wrong. I just..." She lifted her foot, adjusting the sock again. "I should go. But I'll be back."

"I don't have your shirt. We'll need to set up a rendezvous point or something."

She laughed, almost genuine now. "No more rendezvous points. I'll find you. I always do. It just...might be a while. I've got stuff to do. And you..." She looked toward the building, and the wistfulness in her eyes stabbed through me. "You've got stuff to do. You and the others."

"Liz, I-"

"It's okay. You do your thing, and I'll catch up."

"I'll miss you."

She reached out, and I swore I felt her fingers brush mine. "You're sweet, Chloe. Don't worry about me. I'll be back." Then she disappeared.

The others were waiting just inside the door. We picked our way through the debris, walking single file in the near dark behind Derek.

As we moved, the hairs on my neck rose, and a dull throbbing started in the back of my skull. I slowed. Now it was Tori's turn to smack into me.

"Come on, move move," she said. "Oh, that's right. Chloe's afraid of the dark. Simon, you'd better hold her hand or-"