Page 63 of How to Hide Your Angel Kid

Pinks melted. At the same time, guilt whispered through his stomach. He’d promised his friends he’d stick with them, before they and their babies had all been captured.

Pinks’ friends needed help sometimes. Walren, Ivo, Nat, and Killian—they were all missing parts of their bodies, in some way or other. Walren had one leg shorter than the other—he was missing a knee. Ivo was blind in one eye and covered in scars. Nat had missing fingers. Killian refused to tell them what was wrong with him, but he had panic attacks a lot.

It was the reason they’d created the distraction with the kidnappers and shoved Pinks toward safety—because he was the most mobile of them all, and he had the highest chances of getting out alive.

What was Pinks going to tell them, if—not ‘if’—whenthey were rescued? He always ran errands for them because he had theleast trouble doing things. He’d be breaking that promise if he stayed in Southern California with Galent.

“Pinks?” Galent asked gently.

Pinks snapped out of his thoughts. “Just—Just thinking.”

Galent cupped his face, brushing his thumb over Pinks’ lips. “You’re not happy.”

Pinks sighed. “I’ll tell you later.”

“Okay.” Galent leaned in and kissed Pinks’ forehead. Then he bundled Pinks into the backseat, and slid in with him.

“All ready?” Handsome asked from the driver’s seat.

Galent waited for Pinks to nod, before telling Handsome, “We’re ready.”

They took the quiet roads away from the safehouse. Pinks kept glancing out of the window. The last time they’d left the safety of the wards, they’d been chased down by a spindly creature. And before that, Galent had been attacked by thething.

Galent didn’t live too far away, right? They’d be safe soon enough? Pinks reached over, slipping his hand into Galent’s. Galent smiled and squeezed him.

In hindsight, Pinks should’ve held Zarrie’s bundle more tightly. With a wriggle and a kick, Zarrie stuck her hand out of her blankets, reaching for Galent again.

Before Pinks could wrap his arm back around her, Zarrie heaved herself forward and fell into Galent’s lap. She grabbed his other hand.

Galent spasmed like he’d been electrocuted. The next moment, Zarrie turned into stone.

“Zarrie!” Pinks snatched her off Galent, but he was too late.

Except Zarrie’s statue began to crack, bright rays of light shining out of it.

“What was that?” Handsome said, right before the car swerved sharply, sending Pinks crashing into Galent’s side. “Holy alligator!”

They slammed to a halt. In front of them, on the empty road, was the shadowything.

And it had brought friends.

15

THE CURSE STRIKES AGAIN

“Handsome,”Pinks said, panicking. Galent was still twitching, and Zarrie’s statue form was leaking so much light, he feared the worst. “We can’t fight them right now.”

Thethingand its friends were slowly approaching, like it knew they were trapped.

“I’ll fight them,” Galent growled through gritted teeth.

Handsome met Pinks’ eyes through the rearview mirror. The butler said, “What do you propose?”

“I don’t suppose you could... keep on driving.”

The butler snorted. But he stepped hard on the gas so the car engine roared, and abruptly released the brakes.

The SUV shot forward. They hurtled toward the group of cloaked creatures, and Pinks gripped Galent tight when thethingraised its arm to curse them.

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