Inferno of Darkness (Divisa Huntress #2) - J.L. Weil Page 0,13

our houses.

“Does it matter? If I say yes, you’re going to tell Chase. If I say no, you’re going to tell Chase.”

She sighed, her fingers shifting over the steering wheel. “It’s only because I worry.”

Pulling my eyes from the window, a half smile curved on my lips. “I know, but you have your baby to worry about now. She comes first.”

“And she will, but I’ll never abandon you. We’re family. We stick together. Ride or die.”

Amusement tugged at my lips. “Has Chase been taking you out on his bike again?”

She rolled her eyes. “Please. That would be categorized under dangerous, and I am currently banned from doing anything in that category. Basically, anything fun.”

“Can you blame him? Look at everything that has happened. As much as it pains me to admit, you were right.”

“Me? Right?” She put a hand over her heart, batting her eyes like an innocent belle, and she might have pulled off the look if it weren’t for those glowing rings of red circling her eyes. “Who would have thought?”

Now it was my turn to roll my eyes. “I need to do something. I can’t sit around any longer feeling sorry for myself. The last month hasn’t been easy for me, but I also know that it hasn’t been a walk in the park for my family to see me like that either. I’m done feeling sorry for myself. ”

She smacked her hands on the steering wheel. “Damn straight. You’re one of the strongest females I know. I never doubted for one second that you would get through this.”

“It’s not over yet,” I reminded her. In fact, I believed the real trouble was only just starting.

“Lex, I think your story is just beginning,” she said, echoing my thoughts.

“That’s what scares me,” I admitted, rubbing the pad of my thumb over my fingers. The chill of winter still lingered under the skin. “You know how I feel about horror movies.”

She grinned. “I’m thinking it is going to be an epic love story.”

A snort breezed through my nose. “More like a tragic romance of forbidden love.”

“I’m hooked already.”

I shook my head. “You play too many fantasy games.”

“Probably,” she agreed. “But nothing beats our life.”

Truth.

She flipped on the turn signal, the beep, beep, beep, repeating as she approached the turn. “I just wish there was something I could do to help you.”

“You’ve done enough. The only thing you need to worry about is feeding my niece. Chase is going to be pissed off as it is when he finds out about the shade. It might not be the best idea for us to hang out.”

Her brows bunched together. “Hell, no. I am not letting her divide us or isolate you. Besides, who says we need to tell him?”

“You want me to lie to my cousin?” I said in mock outrage, a hand flying to my chest.

“No, of course not,” she huffed. “I would never ask you to lie. It’s not like he is going to ask if we bumped into any shades today. Just don’t say anything, unless he specifically asks.”

My lips twitched. “You know, a lie by omission is still a lie. And my cousin is bound to find out. The two of you have no secrets.” As it should be. Secrets caused bigger problems, and their bond made it easy for Chase to sense what Angel was feeling.

“I will tell him, just not yet. We don’t know for sure if there is any reason to be concerned. The shade wasn’t here to hurt you.”

“Fine,” I sighed, relenting. “I won’t say anything… yet, but you have to promise me to stay out of this. No more poking around. We don’t need to draw any more attention to you. The queen is currently distracted; let's keep it that way. I won’t put you or my niece in danger.”

“Agreed. I have no desire to take up my throne in Hell, but if she pushes me…”

“That’s not going to happen. I won’t let it.” This was my fault. The Queen of Darkness might have set me up, but I fell for the trap and, in doing so, endangered everyone I loved. I had to be the one to set it straight.

I ducked under a frosty tree branch, running deeper into the woods behind my house. Flecks of snow fluttered off the towering pines and bare oaks above my head. Privacy was required for what I had come out here to do, and the woods offered the perfect coverage from unwanted eyes as