Chapter 47 The odd taxi driver
The wind howled, and the sky rumbled.
It was about to rain again.
On my palm, the rock was pitch black as the moon retreated behind dark clouds, journeying west.
The figure moved closer and my eyes widened.
“Gianna?” I stared at my sister, shivering under the rain.
Her sudden appearance was a relief. I could hand her witch over immediately. There was also the quiet pleasure of seeing her like this, bent and humble.
Her eyes went to Finn where he stood, silent.
“Who is he?”
“None of your business,” I pushed Lucia into her hands. “This is the last time this will happen. You really have to back off, Gianna.”
She gave me a sullen look, and in her eyes, I saw that she had no intention whatsoever of backing off.
I darted a worried glance at Finn, and he was staring right at her. There was a silent murderous glint in those aqua-colored eyes.
Before I could grab his arm, he moved past me. In a blink, his hands were wrapped around both women's necks.
“You didn’t see us. You didn’t speak to us. You came here and found your friend had broken out on her own. Now turn around, and take her home.”
Like zombies, both women nodded, and turned around.
I watched them walk away, Lucia leaning against Gianna for support. They rounded a corner without so much as a backward glance.
“That’s so cool.” I whispered as we turned away from the building. “It’s unfair that werewolves are the only ones who do have compelling abilities.”
Finn smiled. “Do you know what I would give to shift into a big bad wolf, and tear through my enemies?”
I slipped my hand through his as we moved into the shadows of hydrangeas and lilacs. The first rain drop touched my upper lip.
“Let’s trade, I’ll give you Rhea, and you’ll give me the power to wipe memories.”
“Whose memories would you want to wipe off, sweet Lys?” Finn chuckled, pulled his hand away from mine, and wrapped an arm around my waist.
He moved like a dark wind, and when my vision cleared, we were standing two blocks away from Mom and Dad’s mansion.
“Mine,” I whispered.
He glanced at me. But he did not ask, and I said nothing further.
It would be a relief to forget what happened four years ago.
If I could wipe Hale's memory too, take away his pain. That would be perfect.
We walked out of the serene estate as more drops of rain touched my brows, hair, back, wrist.
And by the time we were sitting in the back of a taxi, the clouds had let loose again.
Thwap! Thwap! The wipers switched back and forth across the windshield as we pulled away from the Grunders' part of Hollywood.
“Terrible weather, eh?” The taxi driver glanced back at us in the rearview mirror.
I smiled politely and gave a small nod. But Finn sat in Stoic silence.
And when the driver said, “You look like good kids, what has you out so late at night?”
He responded in a hostile voice, “We’re not kids.”
“Ah, my bad.” He tapped the steering wheel awkwardly. “Lady there looked nineteen to me.”
A blush crept up my cheeks. It’s not everyday you get seven years sliced off your age.
“I look nineteen to you too?”
I winced, turning to level Finn a look at this unnecessary hostility. The man was just being polite.
He was probably lonely from driving strangers around all day.
“No, not you.” The driver laughed, still taking no offense. “You look like you’ve been around a while.”
His fingers drummed against the steering wheel again. “Tis only, at my age, you consider anyone under the age of fifty, kids. Good kids and bad kids.”
His eyes found mine in the rearview mirror, “I’m only chatty-chatty with the good kids.”
I tilted my head a little, and this time my smile was lopsided.
With a chill, I finally realized something was a little off about him. My eye ran down his body, and stopped at the small peep of skin just behind his neck.
It was currently midnight, with only the occasional washes of streetlights as the car tore down the freeway, but I was almost certain the skin on his neck was blue.
My eyes squinted at the alternating light and darkness. Yes. Definitely blue.
Like coloring or something.
I froze when I glanced up to find him watching me through the rearview mirror. I jerked my head towards the window.
The rest of the ride passed without incident and when Finn asked him to stop in front of a bar, he stepped on the brakes immediately.
We got out, and as Finn leaned down to pay, my eyes caught the driver's lips moving, whispering.
I strained my ears.
“Nice couple. Now if you’d be a little more courageous and less pouty, she could be yours this lifetime.”
“What did you just say?”
The man stepped on the gas, and sped away.
Finn and I turned to each other, and then back to squint after the car in disbelief. He had not taken his payment.
“He was probably drunk,” I offered.
Finn reached out and pulled me to himself, still staring out at the car as he brushed his lips against my temple.
We walked down the street, and passed through the rusty gates of an abandoned school, the portal to the Hearthrown Alphas’ mansion.
A final vampire hop, and we were standing right inside the grounds of the mansion.
“We’ll not do this again,” Finn said as we walked through the dim-lit courtyard.
“You bet!” Came Draki’s roar, and the force of it sent me flying through the air.
Finn, caught off guard, was too startled to save me, but I landed against a wall of flesh instead of the concrete pillars.
“You could have hurt her!” Finn spun around, furious, unafraid.
“Finn.” I called, as Hale steadied me.
Those patient, midnight blue eyes stared into mine in that way that sent butterflies fluttering in my belly.
I yanked my eyes away.
“You should be more scared for yourself, princeling.” Hale said from beside me then. “Where did you take her to?”
“You…” Finn spun back furiously, but I cut him off before he got himself killed.
“It was me. It was all me.” I hurried forward and pushed him back to stare up at Draki. But I could not hold his gaze. “It’s my fault.”
My eyes dropped to his feet.
“Doll...”
My eyes stung with tears at the disappointed ring in his voice.
There was this growing, compulsive need burning through my heart to get on his good side.
I wanted him to give me that impressed look, to explain the thought process of dragons and human culture hundreds of years ago in that deep voice. To cuddle me in his arms.
What did I tell you about eye contact? He barked in my head.
My shoulders trembled, and I lifted my gaze again.
His eyes were intent, burning, all gold now.
The tears broke through my eyes.
“Where did you go?” He moved closer, towering over me.
I had a suspicion he already knew. He was probably only testing me and I ached to look away.
But I did not dare to.
“My parent’s house. I had…” My heart was pounding so loudly I feared it would burst through my ribs and shatter on the floor.
“I had to…” I could not finish the statement.
I could not tell him about Gianna. He would kill her in a blink. Or worse, raise hell with Mom and Dad, who would send her back to that horrible rehab.
Earlier today, he told me he never forcefully read people’s minds. I had to trust that he wouldn't start today.
His hand shot out, and I flinched, but when his thumb touched me, it was gentle. He wiped my tears tenderly and took the finger to his lips.
I watched his eyes burn as he sucked on his thumb, just like that day they found me at the cave.
Finally, he turned around, and I heard Hale’s relieved exhale behind me.
“That’s the last time either of you would do something so stupid.” He walked with heavy strides back into the mansion, his dark hair floating around his waist.
Big and tall. He looked like a god straight out of a fantasy book.
“Do not force me to give you both a curfew…”
“Relax, fairy,” Hale’s arm circled my waist, guiding me from the shadowed courtyard into the bright light hallway as Finn’s footsteps echoed behind.
I ached to lean against the Alpha, to lean my head on his chest like old times.
But he halted suddenly, and when I looked up, Draki was staring at us.
No, staring at me. “What’s that?”
My heart stopped. Confused.
Then my eyes followed his gaze to my chest. The world shifted under my feet.
I thought all the hickeys were hidden under my shirt. I had no idea they were this bad, this visible.