70 Elena
Elena
The rain is really coming down. Elena is looking out the window, her senses heightened by a spark of something she hasn’t felt in a while.
Excitement. She finally, finally feels like she’s on track.
She tries to imagine what Gael will say about this role that’s fallen in her lap, and she doesn’t know, but it will be perfect, whatever it is.
She wants to thank Cal too. Thank him for what he’s done for her because he really does have no idea.
But she won’t gush. That’s not her style.
Cal is mixing drinks in the kitchen, and he’s put music on to signify that the work is done, and now it’s time to reward themselves. She looks up to see his reflection in the glass. He buries himself in the refrigerator.
Past the reflection, she sees something moving outside. A person. No, two people. They’re coming closer. Elena’s heart leaps into her throat. She cups her hands around her eyes and presses up against the window. What the hell?
Joey is sprinting, hunched over, toward the front door.
Sophie is right behind her. They both throw a finger to their lips.
Shhh. Elena has no idea what is going on, but she gets the sense that they do, so she spins slowly to look at Cal out of the corner of her eye.
He’s still doing something with his back to her.
She creeps along the wall and behind the staircase to reach the front door and pulls it open.
Rain splashes on her shoes, and she pulls her friends inside.
Sophie reaches out and touches Elena’s sleeve. “Thank god,” she whispers, and she looks desperate, relieved.
“Listen to me,” says Joey as quietly as possible. Her eyes are wide and flecked with fear, and seeing this is what finally makes Elena realize something serious is going on. Joey is looking around. “Where is he?”
“In the kitchen,” whispers Elena. She feels Joey’s hand on her wrist. She pulls, but Elena yanks her hand away. “What’s going on?”
“He’s dangerous, okay?” Joey reaches for her again, but she doesn’t tug this time. “He murdered Quinn as a blood sacrifice so he could steal the magic, and he’s going to try to kill you tonight for that same reason.”
Elena frowns, confusion jumbling her thoughts.
“Please, Elena. We’ll explain everything. Right now, we have to go.” Sophie’s now tugging on Elena’s arm.
Elena only has a minute or so before Cal comes back with the drinks.
She doesn’t know if it’s the lack of Sophie’s typical positivity that does it or Joey’s uncharacteristic frenzy, but she suddenly knows what they say is true.
She can feel the truth moving through her, slipping along with the blood in her veins.
There’s an echo of something, a memory or a dream, that calcifies her thoughts.
He’s dangerous. Elena knows this. She didn’t realize it before, but suddenly, unequivocally, she does.
And then she just feels rage. “I’m not going anywhere,” she says.
Their faces drop.
“You say he stole our best friend, that he drove the rest of us apart, and you think he desecrated our magic.” Elena doesn’t ask this.
She is just laying out the facts as she sees them.
They both nod. Joey cranes her neck to try to see beyond the staircase.
Elena continues, “But you want to let him get away with it?”
“No,” says Joey in a whisper-yell. “We’ll go now and deal with him later. Let’s just get somewhere safe.”
“I said I’m not going anywhere,” she says, wrenching her arm free of Joey’s grip. “Quinn deserves fucking justice.” Joey and Sophie are apparently speechless. The seconds are ticking away, and there are no more sounds coming from the kitchen.
Her friends are anxious. That much is obvious.
But then—and the sight makes her want to let out a war cry—both of their expressions shift.
It’s slight, but she knows she has buy-in.
One small nod from each of them, and that’s it.
They’re in agreement. Joey cracks her neck, like she’s preparing to fight.
Even Sophie looks feral all of a sudden.
Cal Pierce will pay for what he’s done.
In a flash, Joey’s gaze drifts past Elena’s shoulder.
Elena turns.