The Hollows In Our Freedom | 'Hollows' Book Ⅲ

Chapter Fourteen

_________________________________

T h e H o l l o w s I n 
O U R F R E E D O M
_________________________________

"Where did you get this?" I asked the pair as we stood circled around it.

"Harry," Jonah told me, "he and Angeline have been pouring themselves over the computer screen since you left." I stared at the piece of paper.

"Don't forget Avery; she's pretty good with coordinates, you know. She calculated all the distances and likelihoods and whatnot." Sapphire added. I closed my eyes and rubbed my fingers against my temple.

"We had it all figured." I said aloud.

"Well, you didn't really, you had the escape plan figured out, anything after that was just a mystery." Sapphire put in.

"You're right." I told her, biting the inside of my cheek.

"I am?" She responded as I opened my eyes.

I nodded. "We had parts figured out. Places to stay. Hotspots to stay away from. Places the Academy would never think of—and those happen to be in the lairs of the monsters we've been trying to avoid our whole lives."

"Oh, and yeah, we're staying with you tonight." Sapphire said suddenly, pulling out a bag from absolutely nowhere. It was a carki green shoulder bag, and looked like something Jonah would own.

Jonah frowned at her. "We are?" He asked.

"Of course," she said, without hesitating, "have you seen your eye bags?" And then she was off.

We both stared after her. "She's...headstrong..?" I commented, hearing Jonah laugh to himself.

"She's something." He said, shutting the driver's door.

I bumped my shoulder into his. "Hey, don't say that like you're not totally in love with her." I said, smiling at him. He dropped his head, sticking his hands into his pockets, something he only did when he was feeling chuffed, or bashful.

We started walking. "Well I'm not the only one; it seems by your lack of brooding, if you don't mind me saying, that you've moved on too."

It was now my turn to duck my head. "Maybe." Was my only response. He chuckled, opening the door for me and letting me walk through first.

When we walked in, we walked into a heated debate.

"Alexi, please tell your stubborn friends that staying with their partners is the most weirdest and unpractical idea ever to be thought of." Elle snapped as soon as she saw me.

I stared at her, before looking around at everyone else. The door shut behind me and the wind ran through at the last moment, catching my hair and making it float for a few moments. I imagined it like a luscious hair television advert; I couldn't see it so I could only assume.

When my eyes caught Jace's, though, I did see him looking at my hair. But that was it. He just looked. Other than that, he still had his heart on a silver platter out for Sky.

I tried to ignore those thoughts in my head as I cast my eyes on Elle once more. "Why are you asking me? You're the oldest." With that, I pushed past her and strolled up to the hotel receptionist.

"Are you ready to book your rooms now?" He asked, running his hand through his hair.

I smiled, grazing my bottom lip with my teeth. He watched the slow movement, swallowing. His eyes flashed up to my eyes as he was joined by another receptionist for a moment. But then she was gone, and he didn't take his eyes off mine.