Page 35 of Kingdom of Chaos
“Never mind,”I say, brushing imaginary lint off my lap, as if that will distract us both from the heat in my cheeks.
His lips twitch like he’s fighting a smile, but then he lets me off the hook.
“You’ve been asleep for about four hours,” he says smoothly. “We’ve got maybe three left until we reach the swamp. I’m glad you got some rest. You needed it.”
Right. So we’re just going to ignore the fact that I spent hours passed out on top of him while he may or may not have been petting me like some kind of housecat.
Cool. I’m good with that.
“You need sleep too,” I say, rubbing my eyes and then scooting to the other side of the bench seat. “Did you get any?”
“A little,” he says, but something tells me he’s lying. He tips his head toward the door and then opens it. “Come on. The gate will be there in a few hours. Let’s get some food.”
Talon slides out of the car, and I climb out the other side. We’ve stopped at what looks like a truck stop, with a rundown diner sitting across the cracked parking lot. Without a word, Talon starts toward it and I follow, the sky still cloaked in darkness though the faint glow on the horizon hints that dawn isn’t far off.
The sign above the diner entrance readsThe Greasy Spoon. I suppose they get points for keeping it real. A bell jingles as we step inside. It sounds exactly like the one at our antique shop, and a sudden wave of homesickness washes over me. As I follow Talon down the narrow aisle, I pull out my phone and type a quick message to my parents, letting them know I’m still okay.
Titus, Ensley, and Imogen are already settled in a semi-circle corner booth.
“There they are,” Titus says with a smirk. “Wasn’t sure if you two were going to make it. Talon here refused to wake you up to eat.”
My eyes shoot to Talon in surprise, but he won’t meet my gaze as he slides into the booth next to his cousin. I slip into the seat across from him beside Ensley, who’s glancing between us with a slight frown. Imogen doesn’t look thrilled either, though she stays quiet, sipping her black coffee with her head down.
A waitress comes to take our order. I ask for a stack of pancakes, French toast, three eggs, sausage and bacon, hash browns, and a cinnamon roll. I’m so hungry it feels like my stomach’s trying to devour itself.
Talon arches a brow after I order, and I catch Ensley trying to hide a smile behind her hand. But in my defense, I haven’t had a full meal in days.
“Stop judging,” I say once the waitress walks away.
“Yeah, she’s a growing girl,” Titus jokes.
“So,” I say changing the subject, “do we have to worry about fighting through Society members to get to this gate?”
Imogen shakes her head. “They don’t know where it is.”
“They don’t know?” Ensley asks in disbelief. “How is that possible?”
“Some of the gates are hidden,” Talon explains. “The Society guards the gates that are visible, the ones in plain sight. Creatures don’t know what the gates are or how to use them, but the Society still protects them just in case. But the ones that are magically hidden were deemed safe. Even if a creature stumbled across one, they wouldn’t know it was there. So they aren’t guarded.”
“Okay, but that doesn’t mean your mom hasn’t dispatched creatures to head us off,” I say, just wanting to have a clear picture of what we are going to be facing.
“That’s the thing,” Imogen says. “Not even Aunt Jade knows where the hidden gates are. Their locations are secret.”
I sit back and cross my arms over my chest as questions swirl in my head. “Then how doweknow where we’re going?”
Imogen slaps the table, making me jump. “Finally, someone asked the right question.”
Talon cuts his gaze toward his cousin, lips pressed in a thin, irritated line. “The book Imogen stole?—”
“Borrowed,” Imogen cuts in.
“It has the location of all eight gates, including the four hidden that aren’t guarded,” Talon explains. “Society members aren’t allowed to access the book.”
“Then how did you get it?” Titus asks Imogen, looking a little impressed.
A sly smile curves across her lips as she leans in, slow and deliberate, dragging her tongue over her bottom lip. Titus’ gaze dips to her mouth for a beat before snapping back up, and he shifts a few inches away from her.
I knew I liked him.
