I found the sign for the restroom and stood. "Hey, order me that veggie burger. I'll be back."
I passed several tables on my way to the bathroom. One of the groups of people made me stop in my tracks. The table had a man and a woman sitting at it, and they were both glowing. The same glow I had seen from the magical creatures at the Circus parties. These people weren't human. Could they see me the same way I saw them? Were they here to find me? Did they work for Terra?
Realizing that I had stopped to stare, I forced myself to move forward to the bathroom. The man and woman at the table had seemed too engaged in their conversation to notice me. I was probably just being paranoid. I knew there were a lot of different types of magical creatures that lived in our world. They weren't all connected to Terra or Brenon, right?
A chill ran through me as I washed my hands. What if they worked for Tristan? Or another Fae I didn't know? I took a deep breath. There was no reason to assume that any of these people here were after me. And if they were, I was counting on the magic I had inside me to protect me again. Then my thoughts turned to Joe. He couldn't protect himself.
I ran out of the bathroom, heart racing. I let out a breath when I saw him sitting at the table where I'd left him, drumming his fingers on the table to the beat of the music. Glancing over, I noticed that the table with the glowing people was now empty. They must have finished and left. I ran a hand through my hair. It was probably good that we were looking for Gia. Hopefully, she'd be able to help me figure out how to navigate this new world.
Joe and I ate our food with little conversation. We were only a few hours away from our destination and didn't have any ideas about what we'd do when we got there.
"Maybe find a room for the night?" Joe suggested.
"Probably. It'll be late when we arrive. We could spend tomorrow looking around." I was feeling nervous and excited about finding Gia. Would she know I was there? Did I let off some kind of signal the way the other magical creatures glowed? I would have to ask her about that; along with the other hundred or so questions floating around in my mind.
We paid for our food and headed out of the restaurant. It was dark now, and the parking lot was nearly empty. I guess things shut down early in this little town.
I walked to the passenger door and could hear the jingle of Joe's keys as he turned them to unlock the car. Just as he reached across to unlock my door, somebody grabbed me and pulled me away.
Joe yelled, the sound muffled by the car. I looked over at him and saw a figure standing at his door as if trying to keep him in there. In the dark parking lot, I couldn't tell who it was, but I had a feeling it was one of the people who had been sitting at the table inside. One of the creatures that had been glowing.
From the angle I was being held, I couldn't make out the face of my attacker. I twisted and grunted, kicked my legs and yelled. "Let go of me."
"Stop moving," a woman's voice sounded in my ears. Then she pushed me to the ground, throwing her body on top of me.
I lifted my knee to her chest, and twisted, hoping to maneuver my way out from under her.
She was one of the strongest women I'd ever encountered. It didn't even seem to take any effort for her to keep me pinned down. "I'm trying to help you."
I stopped struggling for a moment as I processed her words. "Help me? You attacked me and pinned me down." I managed to get one of my hands free and swiped at her face.
Grabbing my wrist with ease, she held it away from her. "I'm going to let you go, but if you run, Terra's wolves will grab you. If you come with me, I can help you."
"How do I know you're not working for Terra?"
"You don't. But you're a Sayge, start using your damn powers and check your intuition. I don't care if you live or die, but for some reason, someone powerful wants you alive." She let go of my arm and lifted herself off of me.
I stayed there, sprawled out on the ground for a moment staring at the woman. She was tall and muscular with black hair and a fierce expression. She wasn't somebody to mess with. Sitting up, I narrowed my eyes as I studied her. So far, most of the people I'd trusted in my life had let me down or died. Why would I trust her? "Who sent you?"
"I'm not allowed to tell you that, but I can tell you they hold no love for Terra." She reached her hand down to help me up.
I took it and stood. "Brenon?"
She smirked. "I heard about you and him. Five hundred years and he's still chasing women." She shook her head. "No, I wouldn't work for him. Dude gives me the creeps."
I rubbed the back of my head, feeling a lump already rising from where my head had hit the pavement. Who else would be interested in me? Who even knew I was around?
"Look, I was paid to get you to safety. If you don't let me help you, I won't get paid. Just let me get you there, okay?" She opened the passenger door to the car.
I looked inside to see Joe passed out in the back seat. Anger rose inside me and I lunged at the woman. "What did you do to him?" I pushed her with both hands and she barely even moved.
"Seriously, you need to calm down. He's asleep. Humans are so easy to control." She nodded to the man standing near the driver side door. I had forgotten he was there.
"What the hell are you people?" I said.
"Name's Maggie." She inclined her head to the man. "This here's Adam. We're Sayges, like you."
"What?" I stared at Adam.
He smiled and lifted his chin. "Sup, Ara."
"How do you..." I didn't get to finish the sentence before the sound of growling came from behind me.
"Damn it. We talked too long." Maggie grabbed me and shoved me into the front seat of the car. "Adam, get her out of here, now."
She slammed the door. Adam climbed into the driver's seat. "Seatbelt."
The car tore out of the parking lot. I turned to see Maggie facing down a pack of wolves. "What about Maggie?"
"Just another Tuesday for her," Adam said. The car slammed to a stop and I flew forward, bracing myself against the dash. In front of us was a huge wolf. It was standing on top of the hood of the car, yellow eyes staring down at me. It snarled, revealing its fangs.
"Seatbelt," Adam said.
I slid back into the seat and strapped the belt across me. A baseball bat swung at the wolf's head and it flew from the car. Maggie was standing next to us, breathing heavy, bat in hand.
"Here we go." Adam hit the gas again and we took off, leaving Maggie to fight the wolves on her own.
Chapter 4
As the car sped away, I turned to peer at Joe. His chest was rising and falling. Whatever they'd done, they hadn't killed him. My jaw tensed, and I looked over at Adam. "What did you do to my friend?"
"Don't worry. I just made him take a nap." Adam stared straight ahead. It seemed all of this was just another Tuesday for him, too.
I crossed my arms over my chest. "Tell me what's going on."