Chapter 09

We pulled into a gas station off a lonely stretch of highway in Kansas just as the sky turned a deep purple. The wind whistled through the tall prairie grass, carrying the scent of rain. The station was old, the kind of place that seemed abandoned until you noticed the faint glow of a light inside.

“Fuel’s low again,” Thomas said, parking by the single pump.

The station looked deserted except for a beat-up sedan parked near the side. Its windows were tinted too dark to see inside. The place gave me the creeps.

“Keep an eye out,” Nova said, stepping out of the SUV. Her wings twitched under her cloak as if sensing something off.

“I’ll fill the tank,” Thomas said, grabbing his wallet. “Charlie, come with me.”

I nodded and followed him, my boots crunching on the gravel as we approached the pump. The others hung back near the car, their silhouettes tense against the dim light of the station.

The pump was ancient, its paint peeling and the handle sticky with grime. Thomas started fueling up while I scanned the area. The sedan still hadn’t moved.

“Something doesn’t feel right,” I muttered.

Thomas glanced at me, his hand tightening on the pump handle. “Yeah, I feel it too.”

The sound of the convenience store door creaking open broke the silence. A man stepped out, tall and wiry, with a baseball cap pulled low over his face. He lit a cigarette, the flame briefly illuminating a scar running down his cheek.

“Y’all need help?” he called, his voice carrying across the empty lot.

“No, we’re good,” Thomas replied, not looking up.

The man didn’t move. He just stood there, puffing on his cigarette, his gaze fixed on us.

Nova’s voice came low and sharp from behind me. “Charlie, he’s not alone.”

I turned to see two more men emerging from the tall grass behind the station. They were armed, one with a shotgun slung over his shoulder, the other holding a crowbar.

Raven stepped forward, hand on her knife handle. “We don’t want trouble,” she called out, her tone calm but firm.

The man by the store chuckled, flicking his cigarette onto the ground. “Trouble’s already here, sweetheart.”

Ivy and Adam tensed, their eyes darting between the men and the SUV.

Thomas finished pumping the gas and stepped back, his hand subtly resting on the pistol at his hip. “Let us go, and no one gets hurt.”

The man with the shotgun laughed. “Oh, we ain’t gonna hurt you—unless you make us. Just leave the car and whatever supplies you’ve got, and you can walk outta here alive.”

Nova stepped forward, her skeletal face partially hidden by her hood. It wouldn't be seen by mortals anyway, Hekate’s mist obscured anything they wouldn’t understand “You don’t want to do this,” she said, her voice cold and steady.

The man with the crowbar sneered. “And what are you supposed to be, some kinda freak?”

Nova’s eyes fixed on the man, and the temperature seemed to drop. “Last chance,” she said, her voice dripping with menace.

The man with the shotgun raised his weapon. “Oh, I’ll show you—”

Before he could finish, a shadow moved faster than I could follow. Nova was on him, her hand gripping his throat as her eyes flared with a bright green light. The shotgun clattered to the ground.

Chaos erupted. Raven swung her knife expertly, knocking the crowbar out of the other man’s hand, while Thomas drew his pistol and aimed at the man by the store.

“Enough!” Thomas barked.

The man with the crowbar hesitated, clutching his wrist where Raven had struck him. The leader froze, his hands raised as Thomas aimed at him.

“Get in the car,” Nova ordered, her voice colder than the night air.

We moved quickly, shoving the supplies back into the SUV. Nova released the man, and he crumpled to the ground, gasping for air.

“If I see you following us,” Nova said, her glowing eyes boring into the leader, “you’ll wish I hadn’t let you live.”

We sped off into the Kansas night, leaving the men and their threats behind. The tension in the car was thick, but no one said a word.

Finally, Adam broke the silence. “Well… that was intense.”

Nova didn’t respond. She just stared out the window, her wings tucked tightly against her back, the green glow of her eye fading as we drove off.

That evening me and Charlie split off from the group as they wrangled us a hotel stay for the night.

We walked alone through the park, the silence between us thick and heavy. Thomas kept his hand on the strap of his bag, his eyes darting around like he was expecting something to jump out of the shadows. I kicked at a stray pebble, the sound unnaturally loud in the stillness.

“You don’t have to act like I’m gonna trip over my own feet, you know,” I said, breaking the quiet.

Thomas didn’t look at me. “I’m not acting like anything.”

“Sure you’re not,” I muttered.

He finally glanced my way, one eyebrow raised. “You always have to run your mouth?”

I shrugged. “Someone’s gotta fill the silence. You’re not exactly Chatty Cathy over there.”

He let out a huff, almost a laugh, but not quite. “Maybe I just don’t have much to say.”

“Or maybe you’re brooding,” I said, grinning.

“I’m not brooding,” he shot back, his tone flat.

“You totally are.”

Thomas rolled his eyes, but there was the faintest hint of a smirk. “What about you, huh? You always talk this much, or is this just a special occasion?”

“Only when I’m trying to get under your skin.”

He shook his head, his smirk fading into something more thoughtful. “You’re good at that.”

“Thanks. I try.”

For a moment, we walked in silence again, but this time it felt easier.

Thomas broke it this time. “You alright? After earlier, I mean.”

I glanced at him, surprised by the question. “Yeah. Why wouldn’t I be?”

He gave me a look, the kind that said he wasn’t buying my answer. “Because getting jumped by three guys in the middle of nowhere isn’t exactly a normal Tuesday.”

I shrugged, trying to keep my tone light. “Not like it’s the first time we’ve dealt with something like that.”

“Doesn’t mean it gets easier,” he said quietly.

I didn’t have a quick comeback for that.

Thomas stopped walking and turned to face me. “Look, I know you like to joke around and act like nothing bothers you, but... you don’t have to do that with me, alright? If you’re not okay, just say it.”

His words caught me off guard, and for a second, I didn’t know what to say.

“I’m fine,” I said eventually, my voice softer than I intended.

Thomas studied me for a moment, then nodded. “Alright. Just... don’t keep it bottled up, okay?”

I gave him a small smile. “You sound like Raven.”

“She’s smarter than you think,” he said, starting to walk again.

“Smarter than you, for sure,” I quipped, jogging to catch up.

He laughed, shaking his head. “You really can’t help yourself, can you?”

“Nope.”

The tension from earlier seemed to fade as we walked, our footsteps blending into the quiet hum of the park. For the first time in what felt like hours, I didn’t feel so on edge.