Read Online Zeno: #8 (Luna Lodge) by Madison Stevens - Free Book Online Page A

she spotted a large leather jacket.
    It had to be his.
    She looked around the room for him and was surprised to find Val half laying on the bed, her back propped up against the headboard, flipping through the channels silently.
    Ava grabbed the coat and wrapped herself in it. The spicy scent of Zeno’s soap enveloped her. Not even thinking, she breathed in deeply, the scent almost intoxicating.
    “Two-hundred and fifty channels and still nothing to watch,” Val said absently. She flicked off the TV and tossed the remote onto the bed.
    A pair of yellow flip flops sat next to her. She picked them up and offered them to Ava.
    “Not the best, but better than nothing,” Val said.
    Ava smiled and took the shoes.
    For some reason, knowing she could leave if she needed to made her feel safer with them. Still, she needed some questions answered.
    “Are they hybrids?” she blurted out. “From Luna Lodge?”
    She hadn’t really meant for it to come out like that, but it was on the top of her thoughts.
    Val patted the bed next to her.
    Cautiously, Ava sat down. Was this the moment where they killed her for knowing too much? Even though in the US, the hybrids kept to themselves, they were a long way from Luna Lodge.
    “Your sister asked us to look in on you,” Val said, staring directly at Ava, like she was searching for something. “Specifically, Zeno was asked to look in on you.” She turned her body and her face softened. “A lot has changed since you came here. Your sister met one of the hybrids at Luna Lodge. She saved him.” She sighed. “In the end, some very bad men burned down your home. Cultists who hate hybrids.”
    Ava gasped. Cultists? Their home was gone? And Paige had been subjected to that? She shook thinking about the danger Paige had seen.
    Val took her hand and gave a little squeeze.
    “She’s fine,” Val said reassuringly. “She’s moved to Luna Lodge. She’s working as a nurse there. She lives with Justus.”
    “Justus?”
    “The hybrid she saved.”
    Ava frowned. It seemed so unlike her sister.
    “Lives with him?”
    “Well, she’s his Vestal.”
    “Vestal? What’s a Vestal?”
    The small woman tilted her head, as if thinking about her answer. “Let’s just say a Vestal is kind of the woman for a hybrid.”
    “What, like their wife?”
    “Something like that…” She shrugged. “It’ll make sense later.”
    Ava watched Val for a moment. She was still a bit confused, but she didn’t know if she could fully wrap her mind around Paige being with this Justus.
    “I guess as long as she’s all right.”
    Val chuckled. “Don’t worry. She’s whipping everyone into shape and loving her new job.”
    Ava shook her head. So many things had happened, and if she had been there like a good sister, Paige wouldn't have had to go through all of them alone, all the while worrying over Ava enough to send a super-soldier to come and check in on her.
    “Your sister loves you very much,” Val said. “And the one good thing about family is their ability to forgive.”
    Ava nodded. The question was never if Paige would forgive her. The real question was if she could forgive herself.
    “It’s been a long night,” Val said and pulled her hand back. “You should get to sleep. Tomorrow we’ll go over what you know about Antonio and put some things in a better context for you.”
    She nodded. Whatever they needed. Maybe they would take him down for her even without her asking. He deserved it for all his evil acts. He deserved it for Piero.
    Val stood and smiled down at her on the bed. Ava’s heart kicked up a bit.
    “Aren’t you staying in here?” she asked.
    She might trust Zeno, but that didn’t mean she wanted to share a bed with him.
    Val shook her head. “We still could be attacked by Antonio. You and I wouldn’t be as much use in a fight.” She smiled. “Don’t worry, he won’t bite.” A wide grin spread across her face. “Well, he might, but you’d like it.” She winked.
    Ava