The Hollows In Our Freedom | 'Hollows' Book Ⅲ

Chapter Eighty

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

"I hate this." I declared before we were even out of earshot of Harry. I tried to slam the kitchen door behind me but Jace caught it breezily, closing it gently behind him as we both stepped out into the crisp April air. Yes it was April, and April fools no less.

"You hate expanding our team?" Jace asked.

"Yes! And especially to airheads that are going to get us killed." I sighed, shaking my head and fishing around in my pocket.

"Then why didn't you object when Sky asked?" He asked, his eyes watching my hand as it pulled a pack of cigarettes out from my pocket. He frowned, "You're smoking still?" He asked next.

I rolled my eyes, "I'm not twelve, Jace, I can smoke."

He shook his head, "I just didn't think you had in a while."

I shrugged, blowing out my first puff of smoke and letting it dress the ghost in front of me. Some days I wished it would just cover her up, but it cloaked her and made her more visible. I shook my head, trying to not make it obvious that I was still seeing her—Sapphire.

Jace's held his palm out to me face up suddenly. I frowned over to him, removing the cigarette from my mouth, the smoke rushing out.

"Let me try." He said, eyes on the cigarette.

I pulled a face at him, pulling the cigarette away as if he was going to snatch it out of my hands. "No," I said defiantly, "I'm not letting you smoke."

"Why?" He asked, giving me that calculating therapist look. I huffed before throwing the cigarette to the floor and stomping on it.

"Why do always stomp your foot when you're angry?" Jace asked, a hint of humour in his eyes.

I furrowed my eyebrows, "I don't." I countered in confusion. A frown appeared between Jace's eyebrows, and he just shrugged.

I sighed, leaning into the wall.

"What's wrong?" Jace asked, inching closer to me. I let my eyes go vacant for a few seconds as I stared out at Sapphire, and then quickly refocused.

"I just feel like we're going in circles." I admitted, watching Sapphire watch me.

"How?" Jace asked.

I shrugged. "We're not moving, and our problems keep coming back to us."

"I think you know what that means." He said.

I stared at Sapphire. "The problems are never going to go?"

"Rethink." Jace said.

I turned to look at him, frowning. Then I realised. I glanced back at Sapphire before thinking back to the death list.

"We have a genuine enemy, it's not about Special Ones anymore." My head felt clearer as I figured out the ever-binding riddles, but ropes began knotting inside of my stomach. "Why wasn't Harry on the death list if he was an accomplice?" The speed of my voice picked up as ran through my questions as though they were big revelations. "Why wasn't Angeline on it either? Why wasn't Jack?"