Howl - Brieanna Boyce (free novel 24 TXT) 📗

and black dress pants, which in comparison did make Meg look even worse. “Will you at least put on an actual shirt?”

Meg threw her hands up exasperated, “Fine! If it’ll make you shut up and get out of my face!” She stormed into their room and slammed the door.

I looked at Gerard and sighed, “You shouldn’t be so hard on her Gerard.”

Gerard looked back at me icily, “I’m not going to spoil her like everyone else does, and she shouldn’t allow boys to see her like that.”

I shrugged, “I suppose but what do you care?”


Gerard looked at me a long time than looked away, “I don’t.”

Meg walked out in a ratty t-shirt that only showed a bit of mid drift and even though it didn’t cling to her body like the halter top did you could tell she had curves.

“Happy?” Meg glared at Gerard.

Gerard shrugged and walked down the hallway, and Meg huffed muttering under her breath and following after him. I also followed but called Derek leaving him a message as we walked out of the hotel and called after a taxi.

Finally we got one and just on cue Jason and Derek walked out of the hotel, Gerard, Meg, and I got into a taxi as another taxi pulled up for Derek and Jason. I rolled down the window and told them both that we would meet back at the hotel. Derek and Jason agreed and got in the other taxi while both taxis pulled out.

“Where to?” the taxi cab driver asked.

“A diner or something,” I said, “we’re new here.”

The cab driver nodded and drove us to a diner, Meg and I got out of the cab and Gerard followed reluctantly. We walked into the rundown 50’s style diner and everyone stared as we walked over to a table and sat.

The waitress who walked over seemed to be in her mid 40’s with faded blonde hair and a hefty, short build. Her face had some wrinkles near her mouth and eyes and badly put on makeup. “Hey there, what would you 3 like to eat?”

Gerard looked around self- consciously, “Why is everyone staring at us?”

“You all look like a bunch of movie stars.” The woman smiled, “Especially you,” the woman said smiling at Meg; “the boys will go crazy for you.”

Meg grinned as always easily won over through flattery, “thank you, they always do.”

Gerard rolled his eyes and coughed a cough that sounded strangely like the word “whore.”

Meg threw a glance in his direction, “Why are you so mean to me?! What did I do to you?”

Gerard looked around than out the window, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Meg huffed and crossed her arms angrily.

I looked at Gerard, “Stop it,” I than looked at the waitress and smiled, “I apologize,” than I ordered for all 3 of us, Meg had a weakness for chicken fingers and fries, Gerard liked chicken preferably grilled and I got a cheeseburger.

They came shortly and we all ate in silence, I could tell Meg and Gerard wanted to fight more but they wouldn’t while I’m around. I wouldn’t permit it, we were in the middle of a restaurant after all and we already called so much attention to ourselves. I wanted to lay low for awhile.

We placed the money on the table and left taking a walk around the town, I had to know the territory, had to know if vampires are around or any other werewolf groups. There was nothing though there were just humans and small unintimidating buildings, the more we walked and the more we saw the more relaxed we became. There were no vampires, no werewolves, their murder and number of missing persons was at a low rate. We were going to be ok, this new life would be a normal one and there wouldn’t be any more life or death situations. I tilted my head back and looked at the dark blue sky dotted with stars, uninterrupted by any silhouettes or any shadows. No worries, no drama… no Skylar.


Skylar

I woke up in a dismal cold room plunged in darkness, only a lone lamp swung above me in a melancholy dance of shadow and light. The walls were full of cracks and indents, whatever room I was in had no windows, and no sign accounting for personal taste or even the basic furniture a room usually requires, so I’m guessing wherever I was I was not a welcome guest or visitor. My head pounded with pain that shot through my left eye, I moved my fingertips over the large swollen- closed eyelid there and felt a stronger wave of pain. For some reason though, it was hard for me to think, to even process where I was or what was happening my head felt oddly light, too light; it couldn’t focus on one thing. I desperately tried to push past the fog clouding my thoughts but nothing came to me. When I moved my hand back onto the cold, uneven stone floor I heard an array of jingling sounds. I looked down and discovered that I was once again in shackles both encompassing my wrists and ankles. Blood ran fresh over my skin and to my fingertips the sweet, metallic; scent of my own blood was as alluring a Siren’s call is to a lonesome sailor. I pressed my blood soaked fingertips to my parched, dry lips and savored in the sweet temptation. I dragged my tongue lazily over the blood, letting it sink into my starved taste buds. Hunger slammed into me and I nearly lost myself to its maddening allure. Slowly but surely, I calmed myself and lowered my hand again. I was still half starved but I was more focused now, if only slightly. I managed to try thinking again of where I was and what had happened up to this point but the pain of my eye and a new pain; from the raw, ripped, flesh underneath the shackles made it hard to even breathe. I closed my eyes and lied down on the cold; hard stone floor which somewhat relieved the ache of my left eye. Than all of a sudden it all came back to me.

I was captured by two of the queen’s top assassins, a girl named Melody and a boy named Virgil. I was at the subway hiding and about to visit my brother and I was suddenly sighted by the two assassins what’s worse is that they captured Adoni too. Adoni…. I looked around scanning every part of the room; he wasn’t in the cell with me. Where was he? I called out his name desperately but my voice was nothing more than an inaudible hiss. I got up though all my body screamed in protest as if my joints had been rusted over. How long was I here?

“A…Ad…Adoni,” I croaked, it was nothing more than a whisper and my legs were shaking threatening to buckle at any moment, but I refused to give in.

My eyes watered, “Please… Oh please god, don’t hurt him,” those were the last thoughts I had before I’d blacked out and I couldn’t stop the thoughts from coming again. “Adoni?” I said my voice growing stronger but still was still only at a normal tone. “Adoni!” I shouted than banged on the wall nearby the vibrating of the shackles causing me to wince as it scraped my raw wrist.

“Where is he?!” I screamed, “Where’d you put him?! Where’s my brother come out you cowards!”

At that, I heard the door to my oppressive cell scrape against the cold, hard, stone floor. A more bright light leaked into the room and I squinted my eyes as I turned to face my captor. A large shadow loomed over the room taking away the previously blinding light; the large man took up most of the door his dark skin made him almost invisible among the shadow he grabbed me dragging me by the shoulder.

My stiff legs tripped clumsily over each other as I desperately tried to catch up to his long stride, I looked around wildly, trying to remember everything, but we were rushing past, one thing was certain, wherever I was, it was defiantly more high class than the shabby room I was in. The rooms were extremely spacious I tried tripping the larger man and dug my heels into the ground.

“Where are you taking me you damned large oaf?! Tell me! Where is my brother?! Tell me now or I’ll skin you alive!” I growled and yelled loudly the sound echoing back at me tenfold. I realized I was acting like a child throwing a fit but I did not care.

The man struggled with me, obviously surprised by my strength. Then I saw Virgil, my previous male captor approach, he looked very different now, before he had tried (though failed) to blend in with the humans, he wore jeans and a T-shirt. However, now he was dressed aristocratically and in an old fashioned get up, that most guys couldn’t manage to get away with. He growled and stormed over, grabbing my arm roughly and slapping me hard across the face with the back of his hand.

The room spun and I felt blood burst from my mouth the whole side of my face pounded mercilessly, and I heard an involuntary whimper escape my own lips.

“I was told to bring her unharmed,” The large man said.

“I will bring this pest to the queen, she will understand,” Virgil said harshly than tugged on my arm and squeezed it.

I coughed, more blood came up and my teeth were still rattling painfully. “I want my brother,” I whimpered, “Where is he?”

When we had walked far away from the large dark man Virgil muttered, “I am bringing you to the queen. She will explain everything, so hush.” I looked at him than nodded and examined the area around us trying to remember every hallway and room I passed so that I could find Adoni, and if I’m lucky, escape. I had to admit, despite it being a place I might die in it is rather lovely.

The ceilings are high; sometimes they consist of stained glass, like what you see in churches only none of these held religious events, people, or symbols, at least the few that I knew. The walls were uneven stone that was old and timeless, the hallways were rimmed with large windows and painting upon beautiful painting. The floors were made of the finest glittering marble and sparkled where the sun hit it.

We walked down another long corridor quietly, and to a room the size of a football field, A chandelier of gargantuan proportions was dangling from the ceiling, bringing a sparkling golden light in the room. The stairs consisted of a chocolate brown and red swirl patterned marble. A large red carpet lay over the steps, the railings were made of a kind of wood I had never before seen, and it was extremely dark, almost black. Carved in it were obscene creatures, that seemed to be demons that had such depth that I was afraid to touch it, the railing was the only vampire-like thing I had seen in the whole building. There was a twin set of stairs on the other side of the chandelier with the same red carpet that met in the middle and continued underneath the stairs. We followed the red carpet into an elongated room with candle lit lamps every yard or so. The red carpet leads to