“Silver bullets?” I question.
“Silver bullets are effective in killing a lot of demons.”
“Good to know. I thought it was just for werewolves.”
Ethan chuckles. “They do work on werewolves, in case you ever find yourself up against one.”
The fact that werewolves exist shocks me enough not to realize the weight of what Ethan just said right away. “Wait…you’ve seen werewolves?”
“I have.”
“And you shot them?”
“Yes.” He slows at a stop sign, body relaxed and tone normal. There’s no bragging or excitement. It’s just part of the job.
“I don’t know anything about werewolves, but aren’t they people half the time?”
He flicks his eyes to me and his jaw tenses ever so slightly. “Their humanity slips away.”
“Oh.” I suck in air, regretting asking. I don’t know enough to make a judgement call. I mean, the fact that werewolves actually exist shocks me, though when vampires came out a lot of people speculated other supernatural beings existed too. But more so, I can’t shake the feeling I should just keep my mouth shut—again.
Because the more I learn about the Order, the more I don’t like it.
“Are you sore yet?” I ask Ethan, struggling just a bit to keep up with him. We rode Mystery together after I got done giving my lesson. It was Ethan’s first time on a horse, and all we did was walk and trot, but I know how sore you can be after riding.
“Not yet, and I don’t think I will be.” Ethan turns and slows, realizing I’m a good two yards behind him. I’m active and enjoy running, but my running is on the street, not on uneven terrain like this.
“Wait until you wake up tomorrow.”
“When I do, I’ll let you know.” He flashes that smirk again, and I know he’s thinking the same thing I am. We’re going to wake up together again after having wake-the-neighbors crazy sex.
Hurrying to catch up, the dagger, which is attached to my belt, slaps against my leg. I reach down, steadying it, and the cool metal against my fingers gives me a jolt of confidence. We trek along in silence for a while, not slowing until the pond comes into view.
My hand goes to the dagger on my hip on its own accord, and a rush goes through me. If anything is here, I’m ready for it.
What?
I shake my head and a memory comes rushing back.
I’m sitting on Aunt Estelle’s front porch again, seated at the white table. Harrison is in the front yard, throwing a tennis ball for a German Shepherd named Daisy.
“Not bad,” Aunt Estelle tells me, moving a bowl of water from the table to the ground behind her. “You’re getting a handle on it, but telekinesis doesn’t come naturally for you. Not like—”
Ethan’s hand lands on my shoulder. “Anora? Are you okay?”
I open my eyes, realizing just then than I’d closed them. “I…um…I’m fine.” I bring my hand to my forehead. “Another memory just came to me.”
Ethan stops and puts both hands on my shoulders. “What was it about?”
“My aunt again. She was teaching me how to move things with my mind. And I could.”
Ethan’s head bobs up and down. “You’re telekinetic?”
“No,” I tell him. “She said it didn’t come naturally to me, but something else did. I can’t remember what it was, though.” I let out a breath and shake my head. “It doesn’t matter now. We should be getting close to the barn.”
“Anora,” Ethan says gently. “There isn’t a barn. I came through the woods the day I pulled you from the water and didn’t see a barn. There’s a storage shed not far from the pond, but that’s it.”
I shake my head, feeling the pull come from deep inside me. “There is a barn,” I insist. “I can feel it.”
“Maybe I missed it.” Ethan takes my hand, holding it tight as we go down the ravine and pass by the pond. My heart is in my throat the whole time, and it takes everything inside me not to run away when the dock comes into view.
“There’s nothing here,” Ethan tells me when we hike up the ravine on the other side of the pond.
“It’s here,” I tell him. “I can feel it.”
“Anora,” he presses. “There is nothing here. I checked on Google Earth too.”
I blink and see a vision from my dream. This is where I was running. I know it—and I can feel it. “It’s here.” I pull my hand from Ethan’s and walk forward. “I know it.”
“Anora,” Ethan starts as I walk a few more feet forward, unable to ignore the call I’m feeling deep inside my soul. “I don’t think this is a good idea.”
His words are a second too late, and the ground beneath my feet gives out.
Chapter Twenty-Two
“Anora!”
I hear Ethan call my name right as I crash to the ground below me. Dust, dirt, and pieces of rotten plywood rain down on me, getting in my mouth and eyes.