Blue glances at me, worry creasing his brow. He looks away before I can question his expression.
“Maybe they thought if she got injured, I’d return to Alabama, and they’d snag her soul then. ’Course, that doesn’t make sense, because they could come after me here in Colorado.”
I say all this while staring at Blue. He turns even farther toward the window until it seems like he’s trying to hump the passenger door.
Every muscle in my body clenches as I say, “The only other explanation would be if I didn’t actually have Charlie’s soul.”
Blue turns and meets my glare.
“And that Salem and his brother,” I continue, “were trying to get Charlie to kill herself. Because if they already have her soul, that’d be a great way to bring in her body next. No blood on their hands, nothing Big Guy can complain about, and hell gets what it wants—an end to Trelvator and a big screw-you to the god who ordained her birth.” I finish my speech but keep my gaze locked on Blue’s face. Despite a lump building in my throat, I manage to squeeze out, “How am I doing here?”
Blue holds my stare for a moment longer. Then his eyes drop to the floor.
I press back against the seat. Dark spots swim before my eyes, and the only thing that keeps me from losing it is Charlie’s hand wrapped around mine.
Concentrating on breathing, I say, “I don’t have her soul.”
“I wasn’t supposed to tell you,” Blue says.
“When did you find out?” My free hand curls into a fist. Though I’m shocked to hear the truth, I always wondered about the sensation of Charlie’s soul inside me. I knew something felt off. Souls are difficult to detect inside a collector’s body once collected, but I always thought I’d perfected the skill of knowing. Flashing back to the airport before I left Alabama, I remember Valery making up lame excuses for why I couldn’t check her soul into heaven yet. I suppose being misled and wishful thinking went a long way in this situation.
I also suddenly remember the night I faced off with Rector and the other collectors, how Rector briefly pressed his chest to mine before fleeing.
How could I have been so stupid?
My anger needs an outlet, so I turn to Blue.
He licks his lips and hesitates like he’s afraid to say the wrong thing. “Valery told me right before I came here. She said my assignment had changed. That I was supposed to keep Charlie safe and…”
“And what?” I growl.
Blue eyes the back of Aspen’s head. “And ensure you finish your assignment.”
I grab him by his collar, thinking I’d very much like to tear his cuff off with my teeth.
“Valery said it’s imperative that you liberate Aspen’s soul,” Blue fires out, his eyes wide. “She used that word, imperative. She also said that Big Guy needs you for something important. Something huge. And once you complete this assignment, he’ll know he can trust you. ”
“And how am I supposed to do that when these guys”—I jab my thumb toward the car speeding after us—“are trying to kill off Charlie?” The moment I say this last line aloud, I let go of Blue. Because now all I’m thinking is that Charlie is in the car. And that Charlie is probably just now learning all of this.
I turn toward her and notice her eyes are focused on nothing at all. She’s gripping my hand so hard, I can feel my pulse in my palm.
“Charlie?” I whisper. “Did you know?”
She shakes her head no but doesn’t look at me.
“Don’t worry, I won’t let anything happen to you.” I try to tilt her chin so that she faces me, but she holds still. “Do you hear me? I’m not going to let them lay a single finger on you. So help me, even if I have to—”
“Let me out,” Charlie whispers.
“What?” I say.
“Don’t be stupid,” Annabelle adds through clenched teeth. Guess she’s also pissed at Blue for keeping secrets from us.
“Let me out,” Charlie says again, louder.
I grab her other hand and press both between my own hands. “You don’t understand. They were trying to get you to kill yourself. And now they might just do it themselves. So, no, you can’t get out of the car. I won’t let you.”
Charlie looks directly at me, and in her eyes I see a blue fire raging. “I won’t sit here while the rest of you risk your lives for me,” she says in a voice I’ve never heard before. She sounds daring, reckless even. “Let me out of this car.”
And in that moment, I’m afraid Charlie will get her way. That she’ll throw herself onto the rushing pavement if it means her friends are safe.
It’s Aspen who speaks next. “Can it, chick. If you’re really able to bring a hundred years of peace to this hellhole, then this isn’t just about you. Got it?”
Charlie’s head whips in Aspen’s direction. She stares at her for a long time. And finally, after I feel like I’ll burst if she doesn’t react, she turns slowly toward her window.
From the corner of my eye, I see Aspen slump in the driver’s seat, like she’d been holding her breath and just now released it. “Imperative,” she whispers.
“Is it just my imagination,” Blue asks, “or are they catching up to us?”
I look out the rear window and decide that, yeah, it does appear they’re closer. “Aspen, are we—”
“We’ll be there in five minutes.” Aspen grabs her phone and texts something. It’s a miracle she can do this while driving nearly a hundred miles an hour. It’s a miracle this POS rental car can even go a hundred miles an hour. She puts her phone away, and, true to her word, I notice soon after that we’re nearing her house.
But there’s a problem. Before, we had empty roads to sail along. Now we’re entering the city, and even at one o’clock on a Friday morning, there are other cars Aspen must weave between.
“Here’s how it’s going to work,” Aspen announces. “At the entrance of my family’s house, I’m going to haul ass out of this car, and Blue, you’re going to jump in my seat and drive.”
“You’re ditching us?” Annabelle says.
Aspen glances at her. “Would you blame me?”
Annabelle shakes her head, her face white.
Aspen smiles. “We’re almost there. Blue, you ready?”
Blue looks over his shoulder. “They’re really close.”
“Don’t worry about that,” Aspen says. “I’ve got it covered.”
I look at Blue. “I’ll drive,” I tell him. “You just sit tight.” I don’t know what Aspen plans to do, but I know I need to get Charlie out of here, and if Aspen wants to jump ship she’ll do it eventually. I can’t stop her. I didn’t really expect her to bail on us, but she got us this far after knowing we lied about who we were. And that’s more than most people would do.
As we get closer to Aspen’s street, a truck parked right outside the entrance comes into view. Aspen slows just enough to make the turn, and when she does, Lincoln sticks his head out the truck window. Guess that answers the question of who Aspen was texting earlier.
Lincoln releases some sort of war cry, and I only have time to notice the lunatic grin on his face before we race past. Then he kicks his truck forward and blocks off the street.
I laugh watching this, though I’m kind of worried what Salem and Easton might do to him. Then again, maybe he can take care of himself. In fact, I’d put money on Lincoln winning almost any fight. When you got enough psycho in you, it isn’t hard.
“Get ready,” Aspen yells. “We’re almost there.”
And then we’re stopping.
Aspen lunges out of the car and races toward her house.