“I hate you,” I whispered, my throat aching.
I left the park and walked the streets until I saw a bus heading into the city centre. I didn’t have any money, so I followed the route until I recognised my surroundings. I had only one option left—Zoe.
I was still in my riding gear and cloak, covered with a Darksider’s blood. That’s how he had thrown me away. I kept in the shadows as much as possible, but I got some strange looks from people. I heard nervous laughter from a few, but nobody worked up the courage to say anything to me.
By the time I made it back to my friend’s home, it was past midnight. I knocked on Zoe’s door. She would probably be irritated at not being caught up on my drama, but she would get over it. When she opened the door, she stared at me for long seconds, not saying a word.
“Are you not going to invite me in?” I asked with a nervous laugh.
“Invite you in?” She stepped forward and shoved me. “I thought you were dead, you selfish bitch! A year! A whole fucking year, Cara!”
I stepped back, stunned. “A year? It’s only been a few weeks!”
She took in my appearance, and her anger turned to concern. “Get inside. Before you disappear again. I swear… just get inside.”
Her house was quiet and dark. She took me into the kitchen. Suddenly, I felt every ache and pain. I limped from my wounded calf, and my shoulder screamed in agony. I sat at the table while she filled the kettle and put it on the stove.
“I thought you were dead,” she said. “We all thought she killed you.”
“Who?”
“The lecturer from college. Veronica bloody Greene. The psychopath. She went missing at the same time as you. They didn’t connect it until they checked out her house. She had pictures of you all over her room. And notes. It was like she was investigating some made-up mystery in her head, all of this shit about faeries and the like.”
I swallowed hard. “Pictures of me?”
“She was obsessed with you, they said. They assumed she had kidnapped you or something, taken you off somewhere to kill you. I don’t know. It’s all crazy. About as crazy as what you’re wearing right now. And is that blood? What the hell, Cara?”
“It’s blood. Ronnie lost her mind, but she didn’t hurt me.” I hesitated. “Not me.”
Zoe’s eyes widened as she realised what I meant. “Where have you been?”
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you. I didn’t know I was gone so long.”
She surprised me with a fierce hug. “Holy shit, I’ve missed you so much. My life has gone to crap since you’ve been gone. All I’ve done is worry about you.”
“I’m so sorry.” A year! I could hardly wrap my mind around it. A whole year of my life wasted on the fae, who threw me away without even warning me first. “But at least you had Darren and Erika and Fiona and all of them.”
“Are you fucking serious? They aren’t you. Besides, I dumped that idiot almost a year ago. I’m… I’m not the same anymore. I don’t really see anybody from the old gang. But now you’re back, so we can start over, right? Everyone thought it was Ronnie, but I blamed Drake and his family. Was I right? Were you gone because of them?”
“Yes,” I said, deciding she didn’t need to know the whole truth, but I could tell her some of it. “I had to do something for them, but it’s over now.”
“It’s really over?” she asked, holding my gaze.
I nodded, swallowing past the lump in my throat. “I’ll never see any of them again.”
Thanks for reading Fade! If you want to know what happens next, check out the next book in the series coming Summer 2014.
Queen (Chaos #3)
Three kings.
Two queens.
One heir.
Chaos will rule.
For more information, check out Claire Farrell’s blog or email the author. Sign up to be notified of new releases or like the Facebook page for more regular updates.
Books by Claire Farrell:
Chaos Series:
One Night with the Fae (Free Companion Prequel)
Soul (Chaos #1)
Fade (Chaos #2)
Ava Delaney Series:
Thirst (Ava Delaney #1) – Free
Taunt (Ava Delaney #2)
Tempt (Ava Delaney #3)
Taken (Ava Delaney #4)
Taste (Ava Delaney #5)
Traitor (Ava Delaney #6)
Awakening (Ava Delaney Volume I – Books 1-3)
Uprising (Ava Delaney Volume II – Books 4-6)
Cursed Series:
Verity (Cursed #1) – Free
Clarity (Cursed #2)
Adversity (Cursed #2.5 – Free
Purity (Cursed #3)
Cursed Omnibus (Entire Cursed Series)
Short Story Collections:
Sixty Seconds
A Little Girl in my Room
Other:
Death is a Gift
Stake You – Free
Zombie Moon Rising (A Peter Brannigan Novella)
Coming Soon:
Queen (Chaos #3)
Make You (Stake You #2)
Fade (Chaos) Page 28
