Inborn (The Birthright Book 1)

Chapter 22

After I finished investigating, I picked out my clothes for the bug party. Needless to say, I didn't have a lot of clothes I'd consider suitable for this occasion. Except for a pair of black leather boots that came up above my knees that I hid in the back of my closet. I bought them on a rare shopping trip without my mom. I'm pretty sure my dad would've killed me if he saw me wearing them, but I was going to that night. I had no idea what I was walking into, but I'd try and look like I belonged anyway.

Right around eight o'clock, Lachlan appeared through the tunnel entrance. I'd discovered the door had been shorted out somehow, the security features circumvented. Probably Bryce's handiwork. Lachlan looked more recovered and together, wearing his usual leather jacket and boots, and the T-shirt underneath looked like it might have a bunny on it, though I figured I was just missing a piece of the image.

"You actually showed," I said.

His eyes skimmed over me. "Nice boots."

Since I'd gone to the trouble of digging them out earlier that day, I was happy he noticed. "So how do we get there?"

"Magic carpet."

I nodded. "Stylish, somewhat impressive."

"Somewhat?"

"It depends on whom you're trying to impress."

Lachlan checked his watch. I'd never noticed he wore one. "We need to go so they don't leave without us."

"They?"

"Our escorts to the party." He took my hand and we walked out to the shed. I wondered if he planned to walk the whole way, in which case the boots were a bad idea. "This is by invite only, and we're not allowed to see the actual location."

We got out onto the road and, to my relief, I saw Lachlan's bike.

We rode out onto a deserted side street–back into the woods. This was getting to be a bad habit and I started to worry that I'd just signed my death certificate by coming with him. He pulled over and we dismounted, Lachlan knocking out the kickstand with the heel of his boot. He took my hand again and we marched into the dark woods with only a small flashlight he pulled out of his jacket. After we got down the progressive slope, we found two guys and a girl at the bottom. They looked human enough, and like they came out of a music video.

"'Bout time," one of the guys said, with a flat bald head and a super thin nose.

"Get over it," Lachlan retorted.

I assumed we'd be walking since we were smack in the woods, but the girl whipped out some black cloth and came over to me. "Uh...Lachlan...what is she doing?" The girl, with a platinum blonde pixie cut and enough eyeliner and mascara to do her own Cover Girl commercial, went to wrap the black material around my eyes, but I shrugged her off. "I don't think so."

"You can't go unless we blindfold you," she said casually. "It's a rule."

I glared at her. "Why do you need to blindfold us?"

"Why do you need to keep what you are a secret?" the bald guy said. "It's the same difference."

"Look, they want to keep the location a secret for security reasons," Lachlan said. "You can understand that."

I could, but I still wasn't a fan. "Fine. But this better be worth it."

Lachlan grinned. "It will be."

I sighed as the girl wrapped the cloth tight around my head and blocked out all my vision. Instead, I paid close attention to any sound they made. Finally, someone, I thought the girl from the size of the arms, hugged my waist. I drew away, but she wouldn't let me go.