by Dean Murray
Chapter 18
We were in for a big surprise when we made it out to the massive RV that we were taking out to Cold Springs Lake. Jace wasn't just getting the vehicles ready and then seeing us off, he was coming along.
"But we just got finished telling my dad that there weren't going to be any boys there." I tried to keep the panic out of my voice, but I wasn't sure that I'd succeeded.
Kat rolled her eyes at me. "I told your dad what he needed to hear, just like I told you what you needed to hear in order to sell it. Like it or not, Jace is coming. There are too many crazies out there—I'm not taking the two of you camping by myself."
Crazies was code for other pantheons. It was hard to argue with that, especially now that I knew Kat was the low woman on the power scale. I would feel a lot safer with Jace around, and it probably wouldn't even be possible for Kat to train me if it was just the three of us girls, but I didn't like lying to my dad any more than I liked being tricked.
Jace walked over and picked up my suitcase. "I'm sorry, Selene. If it makes you feel better, I'll be in a tent a couple of campsites away."
Ari sidled up next to him, handing him her suitcase as she rubbed up against him like a giant cat.
"You can sleep in the RV with us for all I care, Jace. The more the merrier—besides, this is all your stuff too. It's only fair that you be able to come along."
I had to bite my tongue, but it helped a little that Jace stepped away from her once he'd accepted her suitcase from her. He moved both suitcases to the same hand in a casual display of strength that made my heart skip a couple of beats, and then wrapped an arm around me.
"Please don't be mad at us, Selene."
I sighed. "It looks like I've been outvoted. Just make sure that we don't get caught, please. If my dad finds out that we spent the night camping with you after lying about it, he'll never let us see each other again."
Ari rolled her eyes. I couldn't tell if it was in response to my worries, or because Jace had his arm around me, but in the end it didn't matter. Neither of us was going to be able to do anything about the things that we didn't like right now.
We all climbed into the RV, and Jace slowly pulled it out of the cavernous garage. Ten minutes later we were on the road and headed towards the lake.
