Page 52 of Magic's Rise

Then again, Mel claims he used to be fun.

Tris listens with a smile, his attention divided between the road ahead and our conversation. “I remember watching some of those shows, too, but cartoons were my jam. The more retro, the better. What about you, Haut?”

“Can’t say I watched much TV growing up.” His tone turns wistful. “We didn’t have a television in the Wendall house until Charlene’s joints stiffened too much for her to move around in the garden. But I’ve enjoyed the movie nights we’ve had since Rowe came home.”

Sympathy twinges in my chest for the cold home Haut was raised in after his father died, though it had been better than what happened to Owen, who lost his dad at the same time. My mother’s death had changed a lot of lives, and no one came out of it without scars.

It’s shocking that I’m the only one in therapy.

We continue to chat, the traffic worsening as we approach rush hour, and no matter how much Tris tries to hurry us along, the miles inch by.

As the sun sets, casting blinding light through the windshield, Tris takes the exit for a rest stop.

After a quick restroom break and stretch of our legs, Haut claims the wheel and we climb back inside.

“We’re on track to arrive by seven o’clock.” Levi pulls out his phone. “I’ll let my pack know to expect us.”

I buckle myself into the front seat. “Is there a hotel in Silver Hollow?”

“We have one, but we’ll put you up at the pack house.” Levi sends his message and tucks his phone away. “With everything that’s going on, it will be easier to protect you that way.”

Hand lifting, I stifle a yawn. “So long as there’s a blanket and pillow, I’m good.”

In the middle seat, Tris leans his head back and closes his eyes. “Don’t even need a pillow if we have Greyson.”

“Greyson?” Levi questions.

“Me. My first name is Greyson.” Haut flips on the headlights as the sky continues to darken. “They like to call me by it when I’m in my wolf form.”

My fingers kneed against my thighs. “So fluffy.”

“And warm,” Tris adds.

“It will be interesting to see how the pups react to having a wolf around when it’s not a full moon,” Levi muses before his voice raises. “You’ll want to take the west exit onto the highway coming up.”

Excitement fills me that we’re nearly at our destination.

Quiet falls over the van as we head down the darkening highway, and only the steady hum of the engine breaks the silence.

We pass a few exits, the other cars on the road slipping away until we’re alone. It shares an eerie similarity to the road to Hartford Cove. It makes sense that Silver Hollow would be in an equally remote location to avoid detection.

As I glance out the window, movement in the side mirror sends my heart pounding. I turn to peer out the back but can’t see anything in the darkness past our car’s lights.

A chill runs down my spine as I realize we’re the only vehicle on this deserted stretch of asphalt.

“Haut,” I whisper, my voice barely audible. “Do you see that?”

His grip tightens on the wheel as he scans the rearview mirror. “Yeah. I see it.”

Tris leans forward, his expression tense. “Are we being followed?”

Haut’s brow furrows, his gaze flicking from the road ahead to the one behind. “Not sure. The lights mess with my night vision.”

The sudden flare of lights through the rear window blinds us, and Haut flinches, the van fishtailing as it crosses the line onto the graveled shoulder. With a shout, I throw a hand against the dashboard as the seat belt cuts into my chest.

Haut wrenches the wheel, and the tires bounces back onto solid pavement just as the headlights behind us cut off.

The vehicle behind us vanishes into the darkness.

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