Free Ethereal by Addison Moore Page B

egg.
    Gage hops in the back and we take off.
    “First sunny day in a week and I blow it.”
    “Blaming yourself for an injury is a defeatist attitude.” Logan says, looking at the road. “It’s time to relax and let your body heal.”
    “Wise and true.” I wave to Gage out the back window.
    We turn left instead of right at the light, towards the bowling alley. I live in the direct opposite location so I’m clueless as to where he might be taking me.
    “Falls of Virtue?” Actually that’s to the left as well. It’s just my round about way of grilling him for details.
    “Nope. I know somewhere with much stronger healing properties. The foods pretty good too.”
    “If there’s an ER visit involved, count me out. I hate hospitals almost as much as I hate blood.” A quick spike of panic shoots through me at the possibility.
    “No ER, I promise.”
    “Is there rutting involved?”
    “Only if you want there to be.”
    “No thanks.” I wince as I shift my weight.
    “There’s a cute yellow lab named Charlie, some hot chocolate, a grilled cheese sandwich, an ice pack and maybe some reality TV.”
    “Sounds like heaven.”
    “Almost is.”
    A black sports car with deep tinted windows swings over into our lane, and just keeps coming. It races towards us without wavering.  
    “Do something!” I scream in a panic.
    The left lane is full of traffic and there’s a steep embankment to our right.
    I can’t look. I go to cover my eyes, but as I do I notice the trees outside are at a standstill, the cars alongside us are no longer racing in the other direction, the people in them frozen in horror as they observe what’s about to happen.
    The truck however is still moving, flying in slow motion over the oncoming car as we pass it—obnoxiously slow. Logan takes out his phone and snaps a picture of the men in the vehicle.
    Then the world speeds up again, and we’re traveling at a normal velocity on the open stretch of road ahead as if nothing had happened at all.
    I look over at the truck bed. Gage hops back inside and settles in.
    It was him—Gage. He carried us over. Super human strength must be their shared gift.
    I wonder what else they can do.
                                                              ***
     
    Logan and Gage run theories past each other of who those men could have been.
    “There’s a meeting at Nicholas Haver’s in two days.” Gage informs him.
    “We’re there.” They share a fist bump in the kitchen of their palatial home. Their parents aren’t home and I’m sort of disappointed. I’ve met the uncle, but I’m dying to meet Logan’s aunt, my supposed future mother-in-law. I guess she’d be my mother-in-law either way. I don’t know why, but I’m fascinated with other people’s mothers.
    “I want to go.” I interject.
    “Go where?” Logan’s busy pulling out the ingredients for our lunch.
    “The meeting. It’s a Celestra thing, right?”
    “Faction council. You’re a Celestra.” Gage corrects.  
    “There’s no way you can go.” Logan plucks a pan from underneath the cabinet. “You could endanger yourself. The less people know you have Celestra blood, the better.”
    “Once you’re on their radar…” Gage and Logan share a look of discontent.
    “Once I’m on their radar they’ll want me dead.”
    “Not necessarily right away. They might give you a fighting chance.” Gage folds his arms across his chest.
    “Like you?” I direct it over at Logan.
    “Apparently I have more than a fighting chance. I’m going to live to a ripe old age, remember?” He darts a look over at Gage.
    “We both are.” I confirm.
    “Yeah, well. Remember what I said about vegetables.” Gage slaps his hand against the doorframe on the way out of the kitchen.
    I’m going to that meeting, neither Logan or Gage can stop me.
    I watch as Logan fires up the stove, sprays the pan with oil.
    It will all work out in the end, because