Page 104 of Enspelled

I feel Keane dart a glance at me, but I keep my focus trained on Sera. And on her hands tightening around the steering wheel.

The slow breath she releases seems overly loud before she speaks. “Yeah, she was.”

Silence.

So she’s dead.

I don’t say the words, but Sera must hear them, regardless.

“I’m sure she died with everyone else,” she murmurs.

“You didn’t say.” Keane’s voice makes me jump a little. Not that I’d forgotten he was sitting beside me, but because he’s been silent all this time, I guess I must have let his presence slip my mind.

Sera’s jaw tightens. “Why? So you could rub it in my face that—”

“No.” Keane’s voice cuts right through hers. “Losing someone isn’t easy. That’s all.”

I feel Sera’s surprise at Keane’s words, because it almost sounded like he was trying to comfort her, or at least acknowledging her pain. Which, considering how many times Sera has nearly blasted him with a spell, I’m kind of surprised he would care enough to say anything at all. But maybe I shouldn’t be. If anyone knows what it’s like to lose people, it would be Keane.

And me.

Shaking my head, I refocus on the matter at hand: Sera’s pain.

Here I was falling apart, and my best friend just lost her mom. Some friend I am. “Sera, I’m so sorry. I wish—”

She shakes her head. “No, it wasn’t your fault. Truth be told, I’ve been trying not to think about it. Maybe later I’ll fall apart.”

Her eyes meet mine in the rearview mirror. “Well, if we survive this, I’ll be right there with you. Whatever you need,” I promise.

“I know. But enough about—”

An explosion silences her.

It’s so big that it rocks the car to the side. Sera struggles to regain control, and the tires squeal as we veer across the road. Leaning over, Bodie grips the wheel and, with painful ease, turns it so we’re no longer in danger of smashing into a tree.

“Thanks, Bodie.” Sera doesn’t try to hide her relief.

But I’m too busy gaping at Sera for thanking a wolf. And meaning it.

“No problem. What the hell was that?” Bodie asks once the car’s straightened out.

“It came from town. Something tells me it was Mel’s strike against the elementals,” Sera says.

“So what do we do?” I shift my focus between the front seat and Keane, who’s gazing off into the distance with his brow creased.

As if he feels my attention, he turns to me.

I look away.

“We should check it out. We need to know what Mel did, what she’s capable of, and if we have to still worry about Georgia Calla coming after us,” Keane says.

“Briar, can you still shift?” Sera asks as we continue down the road.

I shrug. “Doubt it. I haven’t for a while, so maybe she took that ability as well.”

“We’ll swing by town, then,” Sera says. “I’m not saying I want Georgia dead, but I’d just—”

“Like her not to be yet another person out to kill us?” I finish.

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