Where Angels Go to Die (Book One of The Silver Society) OLD EDITION!

Chapter Three

CHAPTER THREE

It was nearly seven when Jade awoke. The kitten was licking her face. She gently pushed the kitten away. "I'm not a morning person, Kitty," Jade said. She sat up, rubbed her eyes, stretched, and yawned. "I guess I ought to get us something to eat for breakfast, right?" She stood and opened her oversized shoulder bag. "Hop in, Kitty. You've been running after me for days now. You deserve to be carried today."

The kitten seemed quite content to curl up on Jade's sweater, which sat at the top of her bag. Jade left the building and looked around. Now that it was light out, she could tell that she was in Salem. Everywhere she looked, there were new age stores, stereotypical witches on broomsticks, and pirates. She had to admit there was something charming about the area.

Jade was stunned when cars waited for her to cross the street, and when strangers said "good morning" to her. Having lived in New York City for her entire life, she'd never encountered people quite this friendly, unless they were tourists.

"Hello, Miss. Are you lost?" A girl asked. Jade jumped at the sound of her voice because she'd come up behind her. "Sorry," she added with a giggle after Jade jumped. Jade disliked girls who giggled. She found that they were rarely trustworthy, and if they were, they were usually too perky for her liking. This giggling girl had long, straight blonde hair and blue eyes, and was wearing a pink dress. She looked like the type of girl who would never speak to a girl like Jade, because they feared her dark image. Jade wore black jeans, a black t-shirt with a weeping faerie on it, and had short black hair. She also wore a large silver pentagram necklace, which she had had since before she could remember, and which she never took off. Girls who giggled never spoke to her, but they talked about her behind her back in a sea of whispers with their other giggling friends instead.

"Are you?" The girl asked.

"Am I what?" Jade snapped at her.

"Are you lost?" The girl did not seem to notice Jade's irritation.

"No."

"You just look really overwhelmed."

"I'm not overwhelmed. I'm just... I'm not from around here."

"Oh, are you a tourist?"

"Sort of."

"Where are you from?"

"New York."

"Gosh, that's exciting!"

Jade shrugged. "I guess so." She seriously just used "gosh" in a sentence. Who the hell says "gosh?" Jade wondered. She's like a cartoon character or someone who fell out of a 1950s sitcom or something.

"I've lived here my whole life. My family goes on vacation every year, but I've never been anywhere as exciting as New York. Are you looking for anything in particular?"

"Not really."

"I know where all the museums and shops are around here. I'm a Christian, but this place is covered in witchy stores. You are a witch, right? I mean, I see you're wearing a pentagram and all..."

"Yeah, I am." Jade was surprised that a Christian knew she was a witch and was still talking to her. She hoped that the next words out of her mouth would not have something to do with saving her soul.

"We have a lot of witches in Salem. Pagans, you know? They like it here. This is sort of their capital. Christians are in the minority here at times."

"Look, no offense, but I don't generally talk to strangers."

"But everyone in Salem is a stranger to you, right?"

"Well, yeah, but-"

"I'm Bethany Ashford. Most people call me Beth."

"Jade."

"That's an awesome name!"

Jade shrugged. "Listen, Beth, I'm sure you're a really nice girl, but..."

"What hotel are you staying at?"

"I'm not."

"Oh, so you're just here for the day?" Beth looked slightly disappointed.

"I don't know yet," Jade said cautiously.

Beth looked at Jade for a moment before asking, "Are you a runaway?"

Jade could not understand why Beth would not take the hint and go away. "I don't know what I am anymore," Jade said. "A criminal, I guess."

"A criminal?" Beth seemed nervous, but she was apparently not going to let that prevent her from talking to Jade. "What did you do?"

"I murdered my parents," Jade said bluntly. Maybe honesty would make the girl go away?

"You're not serious, right?"

"I'm always serious, Beth."

"But... I mean... Why?"

"They had it coming."

"Were they abusive? Because if you were being abused, it was self-defense, and there are people who can help you."

"Look, Beth, I don't really do the whole after school special thing, okay? No one can help me now."

"Well, maybe I can."

"Doubtful."

Beth took out her wallet. "Have you eaten yet?" She asked.

"No," Jade admitted, her stomach growling.

"Let me buy you breakfast."

"Why the hell are you being so nice to me? I just told you I'm a killer."

"I don't think you're a bad person. I'm really good at reading people, and I think you had a good reason, or you wouldn't have done it. So, how about breakfast?"

"Fine." Jade figured there was no harm in accepting breakfast, since she needed to eat anyway, and she suspected that Beth would not go away even if she declined the offer.

"Great! Follow me." Beth led the way to a quaint café on the waterfront.

They sat down at a table near a window. Jade stared at the water and felt calm for the first time in days. Water always soothed her.

As if reading her thoughts, Beth said, "Salem is a nice place to settle down, Jade. Maybe you should stop running for a while."

The thing that surprised Jade was that she found herself seriously considering it.