Mine to Fear (Mine #3)(25)

I almost give an eager “yes” response, but then I realize he's trying to do what's best for our group, even when it means making things hard for him. What I need to do is the same. I may know where we're going and be familiar with things close by, but he clearly knows these woods better than I do.

“Why don't you continue leading us until we get close and then I can take over?”

His brows lift before he leads us out of the clearing, but there's something different about how he leads that wasn't there yesterday. Something in the way he holds branches out of the way, how he's even more careful helping Annabelle and Tawny, and I let him help me when I need it. Somehow, he's actually very good at being a gentleman. He just needs some final polish on how to treat women.

Is it because yesterday we were running for our lives? We still are today, but without the same urgency driving us. Maybe he can take the time to become even more of a gentleman than he already is?

It takes us several hours to get to the safe house. Hours filled with worry and stress over if we're going to have more problems, but wherever the warlocks searching for us are, it's not here. By the time we arrive at the house, we're all exhausted, too much so to pay any real attention to anything. Not just from the journey but the stress of looking over our shoulders the entire time.

We're safe. For now.

“I'm going to send some messages to friends that can help or may need help,” I say.

“Sounds like a good plan,” Annabelle says.

I eye Jack, knowing that her statement isn't entirely true, though I suppose I could have done it again without saying anything, but at least he's prepared for it this time. Something in me wants to give him that notice. Probably the something that doesn't want him to take his anger out on me.

I send a note spell to Katherine and then to the last Sanos house I knew Chadwick was going to, hoping he's still there. The note flies off in yellow and dark blue, taking with it my hopes and fears.

It doesn't take long for a different note spell to return. I keep myself from slouching with relief only because the others need to see me be strong. Sometimes, it feels like my strength is the only thing holding things together, but it's not real. I have to fake so much that it can be too weighty.

The note is from Chadwick. Part of me is relieved it's from him, that he's well, but the other part of me can't help but stress about Serena. Why didn't she respond? Why didn't he tell me about where things are with her?

The only thing it does say is that he'll be here as soon as he can.

Does such a short message mean good things or bad? I can't imagine much good taking place now.





Chapter Sixteen





There's a restlessness that comes with waiting. Too much time to think on what is happening in the outside world knowing we’re not able to do much about it from our small hideout. Cooking, cleaning, and sitting around is all that happens for two days straight. There's a lot of cleaning that needs to be done, which helps. This place has been abandoned for some time. I'm grateful it is here to shelter us, even if it is covered in dirt.

The house is small, two stories with several bedrooms and an attic. The kitchen is large enough to get done what needs to be, but not big enough for more than two people to work in it at a time. The dining room is part of the kitchen, all one big room. When not cleaning, we spend a lot of time there or in the sitting room.

Outside there's nothing but trees, trees, and more trees. This nice little house is far from most civilization. Only a small dirt path shows the way to the main road and it's overgrown. It's one thing I won't fix up.

The cleaning doesn't take nearly as long as I'd like. At the end of day two, everything is in fairly good condition, which means more of just sitting around. I've never been so bored in all my life.

“How can you sit so calmly through this?” I ask Jack, who has been almost meditative through this whole process.

“Easy. Stressing about it won't change anything.” He gives a pointed look to my leg that's been jostling up and down whenever I have to sit still.

“It's not like you can just turn stress off.”

“You need more breathing exercises,” Tawny tells me.

I laugh. “As if I could sit through them.”

The laugh doesn't last long though. There's too much pain and worry eating me up inside when there's not a thing we can do about it. We're stuck here with nowhere safe to go and no way to help our loved ones in danger come to safety with us.

“I can't stand this any longer,” Annabelle bursts out. “I have to do something. They took my husband. I can't just let them get away with it.”

“I feel the same,” I say. “Only, what can we do?”

She flops onto the nearest seat, defeat etching her posture. I can't help but think of Zade. Of him being locked up wherever he is. Of what he must be going through. My chest tightens and tears threaten, but I blink them away. Now isn't the time for tears. Crying won't save them, not that I know what will.

“If only there was something we could do. Something that we could make happen. Something to let the Grand Chancellor know we don't approve.” I say.

“There is something,” Tawny says.

“What crazy scheme are you cooking up?” Jack asks, tone begrudging.