Read Online Souls of the Damned (Kat Redding) by E.S. Moore - Free Book Online
Authors: E.S. Moore
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wouldn’t have survived for long. Even if it had meant my death, at least she wouldn’t be around to harm others.
But I hadn’t done it. My fear of what she or her minions might have done if I’d tried had stopped me. Was I getting weak? Or was I just learning to care?
There was nothing I could do about it now. She was gone and sitting there wasn’t going to accomplish anything. The street was slowly starting to return to normal. An older man was now standing just inside the gas station across the street, watching me.
I started up the engine and pulled away from the abandoned building. Baset was going to be a problem soon enough, but there were a few other issues I had to deal with first. It was what she wanted anyway.
I’d gone about a mile when I realized what I really wanted to do. If my life was going to fall apart around me, then I had to put things right. I couldn’t do that unless I talked to Jonathan.
I did a U-turn and headed back the way I’d come. More and more people were coming out, tentatively checking to make sure the danger was gone. No one was going near the building where Baset had stood. They could probably still smell her.
I pulled into the gas station and headed inside. The older man watched me without showing much interest. His face and hands were gnarled, as if he’d been a boxer when he was younger. I couldn’t see any scars, telling me he was either really good, or he hadn’t fought a supe. The name on his shirt said “Orson.”
“Do you have a phone?” I asked.
He nodded, but didn’t move.
“Can I use it?”
Orson chewed slowly on his tongue, eyeing me. His eyes were sharp, despite the blunted look of his face.
“I won’t cause you any trouble,” I added, knowing what he was thinking.
“Two minutes,” he said, reaching beneath the counter. I tensed, but all he came up with was an old-style rotary phone.
“Thanks.” I picked up the receiver and held it to my ear. I had to concentrate hard to remember Jeremy’s cell. He’d forced me to memorize it after one too many times of me going out and not calling him when I wasn’t coming home. I’d yet to call it however, so the number didn’t come to mind easily.
“One minute,” Orson said, completely deadpan, as if he actually would yank the phone away from me the moment time ran out.
I dialed, hoping I had the right number, and waited. It rang three times before Jeremy answered with a curious “Hello?”
“Where is Jonathan?” I asked quickly, as Orson nodded toward the clock behind him.
“Kat, I—”
“Please,” I said, cutting him off. “I need to know. It’s important.”
Jeremy hesitated before breathing heavily into the phone. “He’s at Doctor Lei’s,” he said with a sigh.
“Thanks.” I hung up before he could say anything else. Orson returned the phone beneath the counter and leaned back. “Thank you,” I told him.
He grunted and continued to chew on his tongue.
I left the gas station, feeling sick to my stomach. It could easily have been because I still smelled Baset despite the fact she was gone. Her scent had clung to me and I had a feeling it would take more than a nice long shower to get it off.
But it wasn’t Baset that had my stomach turned in knots. It was the thought of seeing Jonathan again. I had no idea what he thought of me, if he wanted to ever see me again. He hadn’t so much as called since that day at the graveyard. I hadn’t even heard from Keira or Nathan. If it wasn’t for Jeremy, I’d have had no contact with him at all.
Lei’s house came into view, surprising me. I’d driven practically blind, so tied up in my thoughts, I was barely cognizant of moving at all.
I stopped down the block, unwilling to stop outside the house. From where I sat, I couldn’t see much of anything, but at least I knew no one inside would be able to see me. I idled at the side of the road, not sure if I wanted to see Jonathan or if I wanted to run.
Running would be easy. I
But I hadn’t done it. My fear of what she or her minions might have done if I’d tried had stopped me. Was I getting weak? Or was I just learning to care?
There was nothing I could do about it now. She was gone and sitting there wasn’t going to accomplish anything. The street was slowly starting to return to normal. An older man was now standing just inside the gas station across the street, watching me.
I started up the engine and pulled away from the abandoned building. Baset was going to be a problem soon enough, but there were a few other issues I had to deal with first. It was what she wanted anyway.
I’d gone about a mile when I realized what I really wanted to do. If my life was going to fall apart around me, then I had to put things right. I couldn’t do that unless I talked to Jonathan.
I did a U-turn and headed back the way I’d come. More and more people were coming out, tentatively checking to make sure the danger was gone. No one was going near the building where Baset had stood. They could probably still smell her.
I pulled into the gas station and headed inside. The older man watched me without showing much interest. His face and hands were gnarled, as if he’d been a boxer when he was younger. I couldn’t see any scars, telling me he was either really good, or he hadn’t fought a supe. The name on his shirt said “Orson.”
“Do you have a phone?” I asked.
He nodded, but didn’t move.
“Can I use it?”
Orson chewed slowly on his tongue, eyeing me. His eyes were sharp, despite the blunted look of his face.
“I won’t cause you any trouble,” I added, knowing what he was thinking.
“Two minutes,” he said, reaching beneath the counter. I tensed, but all he came up with was an old-style rotary phone.
“Thanks.” I picked up the receiver and held it to my ear. I had to concentrate hard to remember Jeremy’s cell. He’d forced me to memorize it after one too many times of me going out and not calling him when I wasn’t coming home. I’d yet to call it however, so the number didn’t come to mind easily.
“One minute,” Orson said, completely deadpan, as if he actually would yank the phone away from me the moment time ran out.
I dialed, hoping I had the right number, and waited. It rang three times before Jeremy answered with a curious “Hello?”
“Where is Jonathan?” I asked quickly, as Orson nodded toward the clock behind him.
“Kat, I—”
“Please,” I said, cutting him off. “I need to know. It’s important.”
Jeremy hesitated before breathing heavily into the phone. “He’s at Doctor Lei’s,” he said with a sigh.
“Thanks.” I hung up before he could say anything else. Orson returned the phone beneath the counter and leaned back. “Thank you,” I told him.
He grunted and continued to chew on his tongue.
I left the gas station, feeling sick to my stomach. It could easily have been because I still smelled Baset despite the fact she was gone. Her scent had clung to me and I had a feeling it would take more than a nice long shower to get it off.
But it wasn’t Baset that had my stomach turned in knots. It was the thought of seeing Jonathan again. I had no idea what he thought of me, if he wanted to ever see me again. He hadn’t so much as called since that day at the graveyard. I hadn’t even heard from Keira or Nathan. If it wasn’t for Jeremy, I’d have had no contact with him at all.
Lei’s house came into view, surprising me. I’d driven practically blind, so tied up in my thoughts, I was barely cognizant of moving at all.
I stopped down the block, unwilling to stop outside the house. From where I sat, I couldn’t see much of anything, but at least I knew no one inside would be able to see me. I idled at the side of the road, not sure if I wanted to see Jonathan or if I wanted to run.
Running would be easy. I
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