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.Her heart was racing and she hoped the car was unlocked so they wouldn’t have to break a window.Lance slowed behind a tree and Ava watched the house.She saw shadows of people moving around inside beside the windows.Luckily, there were curtains covering them.When they moved away, Lance and Ava continued.They finally reached the SUV, and Ava suppressed a sigh of relief once the door opened.Lance lay Peter down in the backseat and motioned for Ava to get in the driver’s seat.She got in and carefully closed the door.The car still had a new car smell to it.How in the world could one of them afford a Cadillac?Her body shook as she waited for Lance to come out from underneath the car.How did Thomas even know all this? Had they stolen cars before?Ava shook her head.None of that mattered now.They had to hurry in order to save Peter and the others.A light came on in the back, flooding a vast majority of the woods.She froze.And then she saw shadows of a couple of people walking toward the storm cellar where they had been kept.Lance popped up and she jumped, and then pointed toward the woods.Once he saw, he moved to the front of the car and pushed.It slowly rolled backwards on the grass.She turned the wheel and then Lance moved to the back and she turned it once more.He pushed until they were a ways down the long drive.She braked and then opened the door for him.Ava climbed to the passenger seat and Lance got in, put a key in the ignition, and started it.“Where did you get the key?”He jerked the car in motion.“Someone apparently locks themselves out of their car often,” he said.“Found it under the car.”She couldn’t believe their luck.With this being a new car, she was sure the alarm would have gone off.“They’re going to know we escaped.”“I know.”“They’re going to come after us,” she shouted.“We should have attacked them.”“Ava, calm down.We’ll go to Savina’s and be safe.Then, we’ll go after them.”“What if they aren’t there when we come back?”“I don’t know, okay? Right now, we need to get to the Manor.”He slowed the car once he saw Melissa and Jeremy.Ava moved to the back with Peter and Melissa and Jeremy put the two unconscious people in the very back and then climbed in.Then, they left.Ava cradled Peter’s head in her lap.She couldn’t believe she’d endangered Peter’s life.It had gone too far.Warm tears rolled down her face.“This is all my fault.”“Don’t blame yourself,” Jeremy said.She looked up at him.His face was covered in black soot and had several cuts and gashes.The blood had dried.“If I had stayed away from him, Xavier wouldn’t have used him for bait,” she said.“What if they made him into an Enchanter?”“I don’t think he is,” Jeremy said.“Didn’t you say Xavier and Kristen were talking about him before the bombs went off? Maybe he blocked them somehow.”Melissa twisted around to face them.“That makes sense.You don’t feel pain around him.Maybe somehow he can protect himself or something.”“I don’t know,” Ava said.“He could’ve been talking about any of the ones we found tonight.”Peter groaned, and opened his eye.“Ava?”“Peter,” she cried, and leaned down and kissed his forehead.“How are you feeling?”He looked around and wrinkled his face.He wheezed and held his stomach.“It hurts to breathe.”Lance turned on the interior light.“What happened?” She carefully lifted his shirt and gasped.His skin was dark purple from bruising all around his ribs.“Oh no.What do we do?”“We’re almost there,” Lance said.“What’s going on?” Peter asked, struggling with each word.“What happened to you?”She realized she must have looked bad, after surviving an explosion, and who knows what in that underground room.“Xavier.We’re getting you help, Peter.”“It hurts.”Ava hated seeing him in so much pain.“I know.I’m sorry.”Lance drove through the entrance to the Manor, but it wasn’t fast enough for Ava.The car came to a stop and he put it in park.“I’m sorry, Peter, but we’re going to have to move you now.”He nodded, but she knew he was bracing himself.Jeremy got out first and slowly pulled him out.He cried out but they kept on.Jeremy lifted him and then the door to the manor opened.“Good gracious,” Savina said.“What has happened?”Ava was relieved that she was there because Peter would be healed, yet afraid that she’d gone against the rules.She hesitantly walked closer.“We found some injured Ephemerals.Xavier kidnapped them and us.They need help.I’m so sorry.I didn’t know where else to go.”Savina held up her hand.“Bring them inside.”Ava followed Jeremy inside to the parlor.He eased Peter down on the red couch.Then, Melissa, Lance, and Savina came in with the still unconscious bodies.Savina knelt beside Peter.“What is your name, dear?”“Peter.”“I am Savina,” she said calmly.“You are safe here.I will heal you, but it may hurt.”He furrowed his eyebrows, and held a look of fear in his brown eyes.Then, he looked to Ava as if asking what was going on.Savina brought her hands over Peter’s chest, then to his ribcage, hovering in the air.Then, a loud crack sounded, and Peter cried out.Ava took a step forward, but Jeremy held her back [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]