She’s trying to steal him from you.
I clenched my fists as she walked by.
You should teach her a lesson.
My eyes narrowed as I watched her walk. It would take only one hit to send her slamming into the lockers. Paint would spill everywhere. But I could probably get out of there before anyone knew it had been me.
“Grace!”
I whirled at the sound of my name. April came bounding down the hall. I glanced back at Katie. It was too late now to do anything.
“Grace,” April said. “Holy crap, you will never believe who just texted me.”
I looked back at her.
She shook in that cocker-spaniel way of hers, but the look on her face told me it wasn’t out of excitement. It was enough to push all thoughts of Katie out of my mind.
“Who?”
She grabbed my arm and leaned in close. “Jude,” she whispered. “Or at least I think it was. The number’s blocked, but it has to be him.”
She held out her bright pink cell phone. She’d glued little white gems in the shape of the letter A on the back. My hand shook as I took it from her and read the text: Tell her to stay away. Time’s running out. She’s right where they want her.
“Is this it?” I asked. “Nothing else?” If he was going to bother to send messages, why the hell was he being so cryptic? It was almost like he wasn’t fully conscious or something.
“That’s all,” April said. “But it’s him, right?”
“Yes. I think so.” Who else would send this text?
“But what does it mean?”
“It means we’re on the right track.” I tossed April her phone, and we headed straight for the bus. If Jude was telling me to stay away, then it meant I was getting close. Had he seen me at the club last night? Did he know Talbot had tracked a couple of the Shadow Kings—assuming he had? I needed to get to Talbot, now.
The only problem was that just before the bus pulled away from the school, Gabriel climbed on board and announced that he was going to be our chaperone for the day. This was the first time since the project began that he’d actually come along with us. I’d wondered if he had an aversion to the city, but Daniel said it was because Gabriel wanted to work with the first group for the first week, and then with the second group for the last week. But why did he have to choose today of all days to come along? I needed to find a way to leave with Talbot without Gabriel sniffing him out.
Gabriel stood at the front of the bus and we drove toward the rec center in Apple Valley. He launched into some speech about today’s assignment that sounded more like a sermon. I pulled out my cell phone, switched it to silent, and texted Talbot.
Me: 911! Jude texted April!
Talbot responded immediately: ?! What did he say?
I repeated Jude’s text to him, then added: I think we’re on the right track. What did you find last night?
Talbot: I’ll show you when you get here. I have a surprise for you.
Me: Problem. Gabriel’s on the bus.
Talbot: Sh**
Me: Meet me on the other side of the building. I’ll slip away.
Talbot: Sounds good.
Me: So what’s my surprise?
Talbot: You’ll see …
And then, ten seconds later: Bring your stake.
I was still riffling through my backpack when the bus pulled into the Apple Valley rec center parking lot.
“Crap,” I said under my breath.
“What’re you looking for?” April asked.
“My stake,” I whispered, and glanced at Gabriel as he got off the bus. “I swear I left it in my bag on Friday. But I can’t find it anywhere.”
“Um …” April unzipped her bag and stuck her hand inside. “Okay, don’t get mad.” She pulled out my stake—or at least something that looked like my stake, only the hilt of it was now covered in bright blue crystals and diamond-like gems.
“You Bedazzled my stake?”
“Um … Surprise,” April said. “Just because you’re hunting nasty stuff doesn’t mean you can’t do it in style.”
LATER
We filed off the bus and down into the parking lot, where the idling vans waited for us—all of them except for Talbot’s. The class congregated around Gabriel, who was still going on about something, so it was relatively easy to whisper to Claire and April that I was going to go use the bathroom in the rec center, and then slip away from the crowd. I went inside the building, ducked past the receptionist, and headed out the exit on the other side. Talbot’s van waited for me under a large oak tree in the east parking lot. I looked back to make sure no one was watching, and then climbed inside.
Talbot met me with an approving smile. “Looks like my influence is finally rubbing off on you. You’re getting good at this sneaking-away thing.”
“All part of the job,” I said. “So what did you find? And where’s this big surprise?”
“I told you, you’ll see.” Talbot’s smile grew twice its usual size, and he pulled the van out onto the road. He headed in the opposite direction from the dojo, where we usually trained, and drove toward the city. I tried asking him questions about what had happened at the club after I left last night, but he just kept that goofy grin on his face and said, “You’ll see,” in a singsong voice. Which pretty much made me want to punch him in the arm—and made my heart pound with anticipation.
Talbot pulled the van up to an old apartment building near Tidwell Library. I could see the entrance to the alley where we’d saved that woman from the gun-toting Gelals.
“Soooo?” I asked, tapping my fingers on the dashboard.
“Those SKs showed up just after you left last night. I followed them around at the club, and I distinctly heard one of them say the name Jude.”
“They did?” My heart was banging ten times faster now. Why didn’t I stick around last night? “What did you do after that?”
“I followed them here.” He thumbed in the direction of the apartment building. “I think we’ve found the lead we need to get us to the gang—and your brother.”
“So what did you do? Did you question them?”
“Nope. You’re going to do it.”
“Me?” My heart felt like it had stopped cold in my chest. “I don’t think—”
“You’re ready. I know we’ve only been training for a week, but this it, kid. I know you can do it.”