Diary of An Unnatural (BOOK #2)

A Brain, a Heart, and Some Courage

 William's POV

          The road to Newberry seemed longer than before. Victor sat in the passenger seat changing the radio stations one after another, and Angelina was in the back with her legs laying across the seat. She hummed continuously to every song on the radio.

            "So," Angelina sat up in her seat, "do you really think Jane listened to you and stayed back?"

            I gripped the steering wheel. "If she knew best, she did."

            "But this is Jane we're talking about. Do you really think she cares about what's best?"

            I pressed my foot on the gas, the car speeding down the road now. I realized after I hung up with Jane that she would just take my "no" as a "yes". Jane had her own plans in mind. Just like Ava.

            Victor sighed heavily from beside me. "What I don't understand is why Jane would go off like that? Or why she would go in and rescue Ava. I thought Jane hated her."

            "Yeah." Angelina put her chin on Victor's seat. "But Jane doesn't 'hate' Luke. And Luke loves Ava. Maybe Jane has a heart after all. This whole ordeal is becoming a hell of a Wizard of Oz nightmare. Girl runs away from home--Ava. Meets new 'people'--that's us. Jane's the Tin Man, of course. Then of course there's the witches. The Hunters--the Wicked Witch of the West. And I might as well be Glinda."

            "Luke is Todo," Victor added.

            Angelina snickered, but her voice came out low and weak. "And off to Oz we go."

           

            We arrived at Ava and Val's house, empty and dark. I would stupid to ever think Jane would stick to a plan, especially one that wasn't hers. But part of me appreciated her determination, whether it was for Ava's sake or not.

            "I guess now we find the Hunters' headquarters," Victor said. "Which is top secret, especially from a vampire."

            Angelina held up a hand. "Wait a second." She sniffed the air and peered out the window. "Someone's here. Human. He's trying to get into the house from the side door."

            "Do you think it could by Luke?"  Victor asked her, eyebrows raised.

            She shook her head. "Doesn't smell like him."

            I opened the door of the car and stepped out into the cold. I could smell it, too. The fresh scent of human blood. It'd been a while since I had any. I'd been too busy worrying about Ava to even think about my hunger.

            I crept around the side of the house and spotted a figure picking the lock. He wore all black and a baseball cap. But he was loud and clumsy.

            I stood behind him, my breaths silent. His hand slipped and he bent down to pick up his tool. Then he spotted my foot and jolted. He spun around facing me, hissing obscenities. And I could perfectly see his face now. He had a square jaw that hadn't been shaved in at least two days.

            "Who are you?" His voice was hoarse, barely even a whisper. "Why are you here?"

            "I think I should be asking you the same questions." I grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back to the car where Angelina and Victor waited.