Chapter 33 Ch. 22.1
Ethan walked away from Zara, ignoring the sting on his lips and the heat in his chest. But as he turned the corner and headed toward the student parking lot, the sharp burn on his stomach came back. It did not even feel like pain from the fact that he had gotten mauled badly, it just had this sensation as if he was in fire.
He didn’t stop moving. He just got on his bike with his gym bag over his shoulders and drove straight to the hotel.
It was a crappy hotel off the main road, the sign missing a few letters already. His dad had no idea where he was, and he planned to keep it that way.
The elevator creaked as it took him up to the fourth floor. He fumbled with his key card, pushed the door open, and walked into the room.
He tossed his keys onto the small table and peeled off his jacket. His black shirt was already damp with sweat and blood, so he pulled that off too and went straight to the bathroom.
He turned on the light and looked in the mirror. The wound was glowing but it was not like normal red or anything. It was an orange kind of light, dull but still bright enough to make him squint.
"Great," he muttered, running cold water and splashing it over his face. He grabbed a towel and wiped his mouth, then stepped back into the main room.
Something was wrong.
His charger cord, the one he always looped around the lamp base since he started staying here was hanging loose. His bag was open, even though he zipped it before leaving. And the curtain wasn’t where he left it.
He tensed and then suddenly noticed a body slumped in the corner, near the desk.
He walked closer, heart racing. It was a hotel cleaning lady. Her hair was messy, and she was lying face-down with a blood stain around her collar.
Ethan crouched beside her and gently turned her over. She had a bite mark on her neck.
He suddenly felt a presence behind him and then he smiled slightly.
“Jace,” he said quietly, standing up.
“Hello to you too,” a voice said from behind him.
Ethan turned.
Jace stood by the window, his blond hair a mess and his hoodie stained at the sleeve. His lips were still wet with blood. He looked like he hadn’t slept in days, and he smiled like this was all completely normal.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Ethan asked, walking toward him.
Jace raised a brow. “Is that how you greet your best friend now? I come all this way, and no hug?”
“I haven’t seen you in months,” Ethan said, stopping a few feet from him. “Did you drink from her?”
Jace licked his lips and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “She was already tired. I just… helped her rest faster.”
“God, Jace.”
“What? She’ll wake up in a few hours. Probably won’t even remember... Because, well... anyways, it was barely anything.”
“You shouldn’t drink like that,” Ethan said, rubbing the side of his neck. “We can’t go around hurting people carelessly. That's inhumane."
Jace laughed, walking toward the mini fridge and kicking it open. “Speak for yourself. We’re literally not human."
“You know what I mean.”
“No, I don’t. Because you suddenly actinv like you’re some saint... we both know that’s not true.”
Ethan didn’t say anything. He looked at the woman on the floor again, then back at Jace.
“You’ll bring attention,” he said finally. “I’ve been trying to lay low. My school’s already a circus.”
Jace smirked. “Speaking of attention, I saw your little sprint on the news. Nice moves, track star. I especially liked the part where the camera almost couldn’t keep up with you.”
Ethan groaned and sat down on the edge of the bed. “I didn’t mean to bring attention.”
“Too late for that.”
“I’ve been trying to fix things. Now you show up and bite some poor woman in my room?”
“Relax. It’s me,” Jace said, flopping onto the chair by the desk. “I’ll clean it up.”
“You always say that.”
“And I always do.”
Ethan looked down at his stomach again. The light under his skin was still there.
Jace leaned forward, suddenly noticing the injury. “What’s that?”
"Nothing really. I handed them last night."
"Bi, looks like they handled you."
"No I—"
Jace tilted his head, watching him for a long second. Then he smiled.
“Well,” he said. “Looks like I came back at the right time.”