Chapter 29

MAEVE

Ethan drivesme and Ash to a bus stop close to the edge of the suburb, enough of a walk from the rental house that we won"t lead people following Ethan directly to our door. We"re living in a livelier part of the area, which helps as we can blend into evening visitors while we walk from the drop off spot to the house.

"The hybrids always have an ulterior motive," mutters Ash, as he walks beside me, arm around my shoulder.

"To be fair, he does need Confederacy information too," I reply. "You don"t think Ethan took us there just to help, did you?"

Ash huffs as we manoeuvre around round metal tables and chairs set out on the pavement, where people relax and chat beneath the restaurant"s bright blue canopy as they eat. I"ve a twinge of envy as I watch the relaxed, happy couples in their normal lives. I"d planned to live in London one day, or at least become part of the student society that exists around here, but that"ll never happen.

"We can stop for a drink, if you like?" asks Ash.

"Like Ethan did?" I tease. "No. It"s fine. We"re a little overdressed."

"I"ll bring you here for lunch some time," he says and smiles.

I want to smile too, but I doubt Ash can take me on a lunch date any time soon. "We"re sticking together for now and need to get back before the others worry." I pat the small purse containing my phone. "Tobias messages every half hour."

"Tobias still takes the guardian role seriously, huh?" asks Ash. "Even now he isn"t cursed to?"

I poke him in the side. "Like you do?"

He grins and kisses the top of my head. "Since day one, Maeve. I had to look after the rugby fan who fainted at the sight of me."

"Ha ha," I say but smile at the memory of watching Ash play—just before I collapsed with a vision.

Neither of us knew what we were on that day.

We reach the end of the busier street that meets the tree-lined one that leads to our temporary home amongst the other squashed together terraced houses. Ash halts, and my arm pulls tight.

"What"s wrong?" I ask.

"Somebody"s following." He starts walking again but shifts direction and we approach the crossing towards a different road, ready to loop back into the café strip.

"Who?"

"Not sure." Maintaining our pace, we walk along a less familiar street, nodding hello to a couple wandering by. We pass the closed shops, which would bustle with customers in the daytime. Now, the area is quiet, save for the odd car driving through. Ash pauses again. "In here."

A narrow alleyway between the sides of two tall buildings ends in a brick wall that"s the back of another. There"s no way for anybody to get into the u-shaped space without passing us, and Ash"s figure takes up half the entrance.

"Okay?" I ask.

"Someone—or a couple of someones—are definitely still following. I recognised the same footsteps as we changed direction." He takes my hand and pulls me closer. "Not shifters. I don"t think they"re vamps, either."

"Witches who"ve cloaked themselves?" I suggest.

"Yeah, they"re not human hunters."

Hunters. I"d almost forgotten about them, they faded into the background once things became focused on the academy. Faded in my mind or have hunters decided to regroup and lie low as the Dominion increases in strength? Maybe the group knows there"s a war coming and are leaving us to kill each other and save them a job. Matt and Amelia work with Alaric who trusts and works with hunters; after my encounter when they attacked Ash, I never would.

"Do hunters operate in cities?" I ask.

"Yeah, they normally do. Easier prey and easier to hide. But the people following aren"t humans."

"If they"re witches, they"ll spot we"re hiding here now," I say.

"Yeah, well, could be useful for them to find us." He arches a brow. "If they"re Gabriella"s lackeys, they obviously don"t know everything about us if they"re willing to stalk on the Dominion"s behalf."

"Newer recruits? Dorian told Tobias he"d come across a few."

"I almost feel sorry for these people when they attack us," says Ash with a snort.

"Subdue, don"t hurt them?" I suggest as much to him as myself. "Get information?"

Ash shrugs. Great. I edge further along the alleyway away from the faint light illuminating the entrance and rest against the wall, close to a dumpster reeking of rotten vegetables. We"re not hiding—watching for our pursuers separately makes more sense.

"It"s hard to haul someone off a street subtly," I comment to Ash"s broad back, and he shrugs again.

I"ve no coat to help against the cool evening, and I rub my arms as I look at my impractical shoes. I expected a quick walk back to the house, but of course nothing"s ever easy.

There"s a scuffle and I snap my head up as Ash drags a hooded figure into the alleyway. Within a heartbeat, he"s dragged the individual halfway along the cobbled ground. A second, smaller figure charges after him, and a female voice shouts out Ash"s name. Ash pauses, fist drawn back, a moment away from hitting the guy in the face.

"Dude!" shouts the guy and Ash pulls the witch"s hood down. With no light shining that far along the alleyway, I struggle to see why Ash doesn"t strike.

The smaller figure in the entrance draws down her hood too and watches my hands warily. I drop my eyes to my fingers and jerk in surprise, but the shadows that sprang to my fingers dissipate.

"Amelia?" I half-whisper, as I look up again.

"And Matt. Ash! You must know it"s him!" she calls.

Ash steps back and drags a hand through his hair. "Why the fuck are you stalking us?" he growls. "We do have phones!"

"Because you"re all hiding shit from us," retorts Matt and Amelia"s lips purse at me.

"You were away," I say, still so shocked by Amelia"s presence that I don"t hug her.

"Like Ash says, you have phones," she says pointedly. "What"s happening? Why are you in London?"

The pair dressed for their roles, dark clothes and hooded jackets, a world away from to the Amelia who liked brighter colours. Everything about her changed. She"s lost weight, her hair now long enough to pull back from her pale face. Amelia startles at a voice outside the alleyway, bracing herself, palm upwards, ready to conjure.

"Like I said, if you knew we were in London, you should"ve bloody called," says Ash as he and Matt walk over to us. I"ve only met Matt once, the guy's similar in build to Jamie, but he"s slimmer now too, hair cut shorter and a harder set to his jaw.

"Tobias is paranoid someone might follow us if we go straight to you," says Amelia. "He wouldn"t tell Alaric where you are and made us promise not to call."

"Tobias spoke to him?" I gawk. Why didn"t he tell us?

"Yeah. Gave half a story." He looks Ash up and down and then switches to examining me—closely—then looks back to Amelia. "I told you! Andrei hasn"t turned her, Amelia."

"What?" I ask sharply. "You think we"re hiding from you because I"ve become a vampire?"

"Something"s happened. What?" asks Matt. "Take us back to where you"re living and explain because there"re too many secrets around. Weird shit is happening inside the Dominion, too."

"You know what the Dominion are doing right now?" I ask.

Amelia crosses her arms. "I think it"s time for an information exchange, don"t you?"

"Yeah, and for you to show us where you"re hiding—and why," adds Matt.