"Can we talk about this later? I need to take a shower," I said, indicating my arms that still had patches of the light powdered sand clinging to them.
Krista and Haniel tried to answer at the same time.
"Not until you tell us where you were!" Haniel puffed out, sounding like a disgruntled parent.
"Of course you can," Krista answered, glaring at Haniel.
I turned, relieved to walk away when something that had been nagging at the back of my mind resurfaced. I turned back around to address Haniel. "If you were so concerned about me, why didn't you come get me?" I asked, genuinely curious.
"The Soul Trader shielded your location," Haniel answered calmly.
I nodded, trying to control my laughter. Emrys was no dummy. Whatever tricks a Soul Trader had, obviously even Haniel couldn't police them the way he would like. No wonder he was so pissed.
Reaching the bathroom, I was startled when I saw my reflection in the mirror. Krista's assessment was dead on. I looked like something that even the cat wouldn't want to drag in. My hair was matted and grimy from lying in the sand. A small patch of sand was stuck to my left cheek, and my clothes looked like I had dragged them behind a dune buggy. That fricking Emrys. I guarantee he laughed his ass off, knowing the reaction I would get to how I looked. I pulled off my shirt in frustration and tossed it on the floor.
"Jordyn, I brought you my bottle of deep moisturizing conditioner," Krista said, stepping into my bathroom only to come to an abrupt halt when she spotted my tattoo. "What is that?" she asked in a strangled voice.
Her question was a bit dense since it was quite obvious what it was. "Um, a butterfly," I answered, playing dumb.
"I know it's a butterfly. What the hell is it doing on your back?"
"Whoa, are angels allowed to cuss?" I joked, trying to lighten the mood.
"Don't you need an adult's permission or something to get a tattoo?" she asked, placing her hands on her hips.
"Not when you're with Emrys," I answered truthfully, meeting her glare without qualms.
"Right, I forgot. Yourfriendcan make anything possible," she said sarcastically, stepping closer to inspect my tattoo. "Getting a tattoo at some hole-in-the-wall isn't the smartest idea. You could get a life-threatening illness from instruments that haven't been sterilized properly. Not to mention diseases," she added, studying it intently.
"Oh, crap. I knew I should have been suspicious when I saw him pull the needle out of an old Mason jar and wipe it on his jeans. Come to think of it, I bet him using a rusty needle wasn't the best idea either," I said sarcastically. "Give me a little credit, Krista. The place I got it from could give lessons on cleanliness."
"It still doesn't change the fact that you got a tattoo without permission," she said tightly before turning and leaving the bathroom with steam trailing her.
"Ugh," my shoulders drooped at her departure as I kicked off my jeans and stepped into the shower. I knew I was being a pain in the ass, yet I couldn't seem to stop lashing out. I guess it was just in my nature. Whatever the reason, being a teenager sucked ass as far as I was concerned.
Lynn was waiting on my bed when I exited the steam-filled bathroom twenty minutes later.
"What's up?" I asked, throwing my dirty clothes in the wicker hamper in the corner of my room.
"I thought we could have a slumber party," she said, not meeting my eyes while she pulled at a loose thread on my comforter.
"Really?" I asked skeptically. She didn't normally look so unsure. Sitting there all docile and shy was a complete contradiction to the image she projected with her short spiky haircut, multiple piercings, torn jeans, and black grunge rock shirt. Her newly adopted personality was seriously screwing with my mind. At the moment, she didn't remotely resemble my confidant of the past year. My sounding board. The one I could vent to that totally got where I was coming from. It was as if aliens had taken over her body and turned her into an adult without notifying me.
Uncomfortable silence settled over the room like a heavy wet cloak as we stared each other down. I could feel a fissure slowly making its way between us. One of us suspicious, the other secretive.
"Okay, yes! Krista and Haniel feel you need to be under lockdown," she finally admitted defensively.
"So, now I'm a prisoner," I snipped, feeling my blood start to rise.
"Only if you consider hanging out with your best friend a prison," she said, chucking a pillow at me in aggravation.
"Nice try," I said, tossing the pillow back at her. "You can't guilt me into thinking this is right."
"Don't be such a drama queen. Any parental figures would have a problem with their daughter traipsing around the world with some boy they don't know. The only difference is at least you get to hang out with your friend."
"Yeah, but we all know I'm not like most teenagers. If Emrys tried something, it's not like I couldn't kick his ass with my eyes closed."
"Not if he's in your head, manipulating your thoughts," she pointed out.