Page 27 of Fallen Angel

Hannah didn’t move. She looked at Callan in horror. “You killed him.”

“He shan’t stay dead for long.”

Chapter Eight

Hannah and Callan sat on a shuttle bus that took them from the Bellcliff campus to the Cape Cove town center. The sun was almost set, causing the clouds to streak purple and pink across the darkening blue sky. Callan kept his jaw tight and sat up straight. Hannah could tell that he didn’t trust the contraption they rode. He jolted every time the bus went over a bump or made a sharp turn.

“It’s safe, I promise,” Hannah said.

He nodded and kept his hands firmly gripped to the seat. “It moves very quickly.”

“We’ll be there soon.” Hannah tried to find amusement in Callan’s first interactions with modern technology, but she was too overwhelmed by everything that had happened. “Why do we have to leave Bellcliff?” she asked. Though she assumed the answer, talking was a better alternative than letting her mind go wild in the silence between them.

“Nathaniel would be sure to discover us. Or find Mara and disclose our whereabouts.”

“How did he find us in the first place?”

“Magic can sense magic,” Callan said. “When I locked magic away, he mustn’t have been too far afield. He could have followed the pull of our magic or the magic of the book. There is also a tracking spell. There are a number of ways.”

“So, we’re really not safe wherever we go.”

“More space between us and them shall make it more difficult for them to find us.” Callan cleared his throat. “However, there is a strong chance that they shall track us.”

Hannah wished Nathaniel would stay dead, and the thought disturbed her. Maybe the reason why Mara’s grimoire was so difficult for her to resist was because she harbored darkness within her. Hannah always considered herself a good person, but maybe she wasn’t. Maybe the Convergence blackened her soul. She was the one responsible for killing her parents and she had already done Mara’s bidding by reawakening magic. Even now, she felt drawn to the magnetism of the grimoire in her bag.

“How do you kill a Vampire?” Hannah asked, nearly wanting to laugh at how ridiculous she sounded. Thankfully, the shuttle was empty of any other students. She still kept her voice low, however, so the driver couldn’t hear her.

“Decapitation, wooden stake to the heart, or removing the heart entirely.”

“Well, that one survived the test of time.”

“Nathaniel shan’t be the only creature Mara sends after us. Once she learns you are living, her will shall be strong.”

Hannah’s throat went dry, and her chest fluttered with nerves. She braced herself to learn more about these other creatures, but the shuttle pulled into a commuter parking lot near the Cape Cove marina. One of the wheels dipped into a pothole, causing Callan to grab onto Hannah’s wrist. His jaw clenched.

“You weren’t afraid to bury yourself for eternity, but a bumpy ride makes you jumpy?” Hannah said.

Callan released her arm and sighed. “Just as magic is new to you, this contraption is new to me.” The shuttle parked, and the driver opened the door. Callan remained still in the seat next to Hannah.

“We’re here now,” she said. “It’s safe to get up.”

Callan cleared his throat and unclenched his grip from the seat. “Of course.” He stood up and let Hannah out in front of him. They got off the bus with only Hannah’s bag in tow.

“We must get out of sight,” Callan said.

“I don’t have enough money for a hotel.”

Before Hannah could formulate a plan, Callan took her hand and guided her to the marina. They walked along the long wooden dock that housed a number of small boats, only a couple tall lamps providing light against the darkening night sky. The marina was empty. Toward the end of the dock, Callan looked around before motioning for Hannah to get into one of the boats.

“Seriously?” she asked. “We can’t go onto someone else’s boat. That’s trespassing.”

“Might you have something else in mind?”

Hannah thought for a moment, but came up empty. She was too exhausted to think of a creative solution, and the thought of laying her head down was too tempting to ignore. She took Callan’s hand and let him help her down into the boat. They went below deck and fastened the door closed behind them. The space was small. It had a couch, table, and a few chairs.

“Boats have certainly changed since the 1690s,” Callan said. Hannah sat on the couch. Callan closed the curtains to the small windows that provided a view of the harbor. She took a deep breath and reveled in the silence. Water lapped against the side of the boat. The sail’s metal clasps clanged against the mast. The gentle sway of the boat soothed her.

“Is Bryce going to die?” Hannah asked.

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