Afterlife (Purgatory Series Part Three)

Chapter Five: An Altercation with Altair

Chapter Five: An Altercation with Altair

"My mother is missing," I heard Adrienne say to Roran through the door.

'Good riddance' was my first thought. In only five minutes Delilah had come across as even more annoying than her daughter. Now if we could only get rid of her too.

"Your mother is a grown woman, Adrienne," I heard Roran say, his voice impatient and sharp. "I'm sure she just wants some alone time and went out for a walk or something."

Giving her a not so subtle hint, he added, "We all need alone time now and then."

"You don't understand," she shrilled. I covered my ears and hid my head under Roran's pillow to try and block out her tinny voice.

"She thinks there is going to be a war and she's scared and angry. She has worked for all creatures, cambion and nephilim, and she fears this will hurt her business. She's going to have to pick sides."

I heard Roran let out an exasperated breath. "There is only one side to pick, Adrienne. You and your mother are human and that means you should side with those whose purpose is to protect you: the nephilim. And furthermore, if your mother thinks her 'business' is going to be harmed by her association with the side of good, then it probably isn't a very decent business to have in the first place."

"I know that," she argued, sounding whiny. "And I've told mother that, but she refuses to listen. I'm afraid she's gone to do something she will regret."

My ears perked up pat that and I pushed the pillow away to listen more closely.

Roran sounded as suspicious as I felt when he asked, "Like what?"

There was silence and I imagined she was fidgeting under his intense stare.

"Like what, Adrienne?' he repeated. "Answer me."

"I'm afraid she's gone to side with the cambion and tell them what Thea and the council are planning," she eventually replied.

They both jumped when I slammed the door opened to confront Adrienne.

"This is what you interrupted us for?" I snarled at her. "So what if your mother runs and tattles on us to her cambion buddies? They would have found out the plan eventually anyway when bodies started dropping."

"Aaannd," I drew out when it looked like she was about to interrupt, "don't think I don't know what you were trying to do."

She scoffed and rolled her eyes at me. "I don't know what you're talking about."

I crossed my arms and looked down at her in disapproval. "Oh, please," I snapped. "Do you think I can't see how you set this entire plan up so that you could try and get Roran, my boyfriend, alone and away from me?"

Pitching my voice high in an attempt to imitate her, I crooned, "Oh Roran, you have to help me, my mother is missing! You have to help me bring her back, even though she isn't in any danger and doesn't want to be here. And on the way I can remind you of all the reasons you shouldn't be in a relationship with Alethea!"

The little redhead turned her nose up as if she smelled something foul. "Well, you're not wrong about that last part."

An aggravated huff came from behind me and Roran grunted, "Enough, Adrienne. This is getting ridiculous. I'm with Thea. I love Thea. That isn't going to change. I've tried being friends with you, but I'm not going to tolerate you trying to sabotage my relationship or constantly putting Thea down. If you disrespect her, you disrespect me and those aren't the actions of a friend."