Cade shifted back into gear, but the car sputtered and died. No matter what he tried, the engine wouldn’t turn over.
Guess Manea’s plan was coming together beautifully.
“How far is it?” I was scanning the area outside the windows, waiting for the inevitable second wave to arrive. There was no way she’d send only one body after us. And as soon as the others realized where we were, we’d have to deal with Prescott. Or Manea herself.
I wasn’t the type of person to regret things. I generally believed that all things good or bad were for a reason, as the Fates decreed. But boy howdy was I ever regretting my wager with Prescott that had won me the stupid death idol.
More than that I was starting to hate Prescott. He’d always been insufferable, but at some point in my life I’d actually found him charming enough to let him see me naked. I’d love to blame that on the folly of youth.
Now that it appeared exceedingly likely he would play a part in my actual death, I wished I could take back our past dalliances. It was super unfair that someone I’d had sex with would be the person to kill me.
Cade checked the app on his phone to see how much farther we needed to go to get to the outlet temple. “Half a mile. You think you can run it?”
Run it.
I’d be lucky if I could limp at a senior citizen’s pace. And luck was quite literally not on my side at the moment.
“I can manage,” I lied.
I wasn’t what mattered here. We had to get Leo to the temple where he’d be safe from Manea. And if I had to die in order for that to happen, then so be it. It was an eventuality in my line of work that one day I would meet my end serving my god. Today was as good a day as any to meet Hades.
A new adventure, right?
I swallowed hard, knowing perfectly well I had no interest in dying. But the past couple days had certainly done a lot to make me accept the possibility.
“Looks clear,” Cade observed. “I say we make a break for it before they have time to regroup.”
“Sure.”
“What?” Leo gave Cade an uncertain look, then glanced back at me. “What?”
“We’re going to run.”
“I think I liked the whole stay in the car idea. What happened to that idea?”
“That plan sort of lost its luster when
the car stopped moving,” I reminded him with as much patience as I could manage. “You know, after we ran over the dead guy.”
Leo didn’t seem to appreciate the sarcasm lacing my words. “It was your bright idea to leave the hospital.”
“Yes it was.”
“Last time I listen to one of your plans.” He rested his fingers on the doorhandle and sucked in a deep breath.
I didn’t have the heart to tell either of them this was most likely the last time anyone would listen to one of my plans.
Droplets of rain started to fall against the windshield. If I could muster up enough energy to call the lightning, we might have a fighting chance. Of course, I could barely maintain the energy to stand on my own two feet, so channeling electricity into my body would be finishing Manea’s job for her.
If it helped get Leo and Cade to safety, though, I’d do it.
I was filing that idea under last-ditch effort.
“Count of three,” I said. “You guys get out, and I’ll be right behind you.” The unfortunate problem of driving a two-seater was I needed them to be gone before I could climb through the door. And no matter how I managed it, it would be a hot mess to watch.
The guys clambered out on my count, and I squeezed through the seats, worming my way through the passenger door like a graceless human snake. As soon as I was on solid ground, the rain started falling harder, pelting my face and wetting my eyelashes. It was nearly impossible to see anything, let alone whether we were about to be attacked.
I rounded to the front of the car, and Cade grabbed my wrist, pulling me down the center of the street. All the pedestrians we’d previously seen were gone, leaving the streets empty of any life except for us.