Page 39 of Road To Runes

I grinned to myself, taking one last look at the mayhem gathering traction before darting out of the room, draggingAsher along with me. Hecate trotted out after us, her distraction sufficient even for her to make a casual exit.

I picked her up in one arm and pressed a kiss on her head. Even if she had technically gotten us into this mess, she had done a good job.

“Let’s get out of here before you get into any more trouble,” Asher muttered.

I gritted my teeth, wanting desperately to argue with him that my plan would have gone down without a hitch without him. But as the warmth seeped up my arm from the touch of his skin, and into my core, I couldn’t help but feel grateful.

With that, we dashed off toward our escape route, with Hecate digging her claws into my shoulder as she bounced in the crook of my elbow.

I didn't drop the invisibility until we couldn't see the Franklin house any longer. As soon as I did, I let go of Asher's hand. Rather I do it than him.

Asher and I didn’t say a word to each other for the rest of the walk back to my bike. I kept his face in the corner of my eye, analysing every change in his facial expressions.

He didn’t look angry, not that I cared. But he had a touch of concern that occasionally travelled down to his jaw, which would clench as he chewed his tongue, a bad habit he had tried to shake for years and failed.

Hecate and I got on my bike once we were on the other side of the teleportation portal we had taken, and Asher took his car. AsI kicked the bike into gear, I realised he had parked up right next to me, almost as if to make a statement.

Once we had got home and entered the house, I went into the kitchen to pour myself a glass of water. All that stress had me needing to hydrate.

Hecate paced around on the counter top as I lit up a cigarette and opened the window in a poor attempt to justify smoking indoors. Nobody liked it, which I understood, but I was in no mood to give a damn.

As expected, Asher followed me into the kitchen and leaned against the counter, watching me as I filled up my glass from the tap.

“Bea…one of these days, you’re going to end up in a jail cell,” he said, easing his head from side to side as if trying to relieve a neck ache.

“That’s my problem,” I said.

“That’s really selfish of you.”

“How? I’mtryingto leave you out of it, if you hadn’t noticed.”

“That’s my point. Why don’t you care thatwecare if you get into trouble?”

I snorted. This was usually the time I would ask him how much he could really care given all he had done recently, but the argument felt sour on my tongue. I had said it so many times, to death even, but he didn’t ever rise to it. It didn’t even seem to faze him.

Time to take a different tact.

“If you hadn’t noticed, I’m trying to do something important,” I said. “Important to me, anyway.”

“Then it’s important.” Asher slid further down the counter until he was standing next to me. “But I just wish you’d let people help you. Even Edward of all people thinks you’re isolating yourself and if you really need to go down this path offinding out what your prophecy is, why can’t you let other people in to help you?”

“Who’s going to help me?” I took a generous swig from my glass. “Talk me out of it, maybe.”

“Did I?”

“Before you realised why, yeah. But I don’t need help, anyway.”

“Everyone needs someone watching their back.”

I tapped a finger against the glass, my other hand grasping the sink in a vice grip. I couldn’t figure out Asher’s motives. We had always had each other’s backs when we were together. I didn’t need to worry about anything because if anything went sideways, he was there, and me for him. Was he still trying to do that now, and if so, why?

Didn’t exes usually leave each other behind and never look back?

“I’ve got Hec,” I said, and took a long drag off my cigarette.

“And a fat lot of good that did you tonight.”

Hecate hissed and batted at Asher’s arm but he didn’t even flinch. Instead, he grabbed my glass, set it down, then snatched the cigarette from between my fingers, extinguishing it in the water glass.

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