Chapter 319 – The Archive
Cora
That evening, our car rumbles down the road towards the archive, Roger steady at the wheel. Another car with two guards follows behind us, keeping a steady eye out for anything strange. I sigh, already exhausted, even though I got more sleep than Ella or Roger or Sinclair last night. Still it wasn’t exactly a peaceful sleep – and then today, with the sketch artist…
I stare down at a copy of the sketch in my lap, at the face of the man I didn’t realize had been haunting my dreams. To be able to see him put on paper like this – it’s…it’s like staring at the ghost you didn’t know was haunting you. A little shiver passes through me and I neatly fold the page, placing it in the cup holder next to me, not wanting it in my hands anymore.
“You all right?” Roger asks, glancing over at me.
“Yeah,” I say, sighing again, my eyes on the road. “How long until we get there?”
“About two more hours,” he replies evenly, nodding towards the GPS system running on his phone. “We’re lucky that they’re staying open late for us.”
“We’re not lucky,” I murmur, leaning down to tug at the bottom of the jeans that Ella loaned to me which are, predictably, too short. “Sinclair is rich. Anyone will stay open that late in exchange for an insane donation.”
Roger smirks, glancing at me, but doesn’t reply. Because he knows I’m right.
I feel my phone buzz then, tucked under my thigh, and I pull it out, unlocking it and looking at the
new message on my screen.
Hank: It’s okay, I totally understand. I’m glad the baby is okay. Don’t worry about the clinic – I can hold it down for as long as you need. Have fun? Is that the right sentiment for a trip to an obscure shifter archive?
I smile, laughing a little inwardly at his joke. No, fun was not precisely the word I’d choose either, not for this trip. My smile falls, though, when another message pops onto the screen.
Hank: I miss you.
from it, licking my lips awkwardly and tucking the phone back under my leg. I look back to the
I know, instantly, that he
I murmur, turning
it Ella?” he quips,
little glare
know that he knows. I sigh, closing my eyes and letting my head rest back against my seat, my face turned away from Roger, wanting
my mind wanders to Hank, and I think of him seeing patients alone in
I’d pulled him half dressed into my bedroom, gasping for him, and let him
Well. Before stuff happened.
stuff. Great stuff,
him back and
car, to the very, very faint sound of Roger breathing
just….incredibly cruel. I sigh, kind of hating myself right
the soft touch of a hand on my shoulder. I gasp, spinning, to see
says, giving me a warm little smirk. “That’s how
parked but still running,
says. “Are you ready to go in? Do
my eyes closed, and take a mental
left uninvestigated, for
I say, turning a sunny smile Roger’s way. He blinks a little bit, perhaps
he says, “but nothing of note. All is well at home. If we’re lucky, we can do our research here tonight and
and I frown at him over the roof. “But then you
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
The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!