Free Shadow Bloodlines (Shadow Bloodlines #1) by A. R. Cooper

just needed to gather myself first. My mom was all the family I had. The buffer between me and the world, and she was gone.
    After my tears dried up, numbness crawled inside my chest. It still hurt like hell, but I felt as though I was moving in slow motion.
    “We need to get back on the road.” Amar’s leather seat squeaked from his movement.
    “I can drive if you want.” Jacqueline reached for the door.
    “No. I’ll drive for a bit longer.”
    Two hours later, I pulled into a burger joint and ordered food. I didn’t feel like eating. There was an empty gnawing pit inside my stomach. Instead, while the others ate, I went to the restroom, changed into the new clothes. When I saw my reflection in the mirror, I laughed until I cried reading the words, ‘Drink More Beer’ across my chest.
    After I splashed my face with water, I slumped back to the car. Again, none of us said a word as Jacqui drove, while I stared outside the passenger window, watching the world blur past.
    “Want a French fry?”
    I shook my head, but she shoved it into my hand.
    “Eat. If you don’t eat, you’ll be weak when they come back.”
    Amar said around a mouthful of food, “She’s right. Focus on one hour at a time. You need to remain strong to fight them.”
    “And make them pay?” I lifted my head and pushed my hair out of my face. “I want revenge for what they did.”
    “Revenge never…” Amar said.
    I glared at him and he stopped midsentence. The logical part of me knew he was right, but I didn’t care. I wanted them to hurt for killing my mom. I wasn’t afraid anymore. I dug through the burger bag and brought out mine. I ate the fries even though they tasted like paste. I would find a way to wipe out these things chasing us.
    Maybe if my dad had hung around, he could have warned us. Joined the shifter secret society or something, rather than sending an obscure text too late. I stared out the window as we headed into the next small town. My dad was just as guilty as the blood creatures. Maybe I could get him to teach me all he knew so I could battle these smoke beings—after I chewed him out.
    But how would I find him? I’d already sent a reply message to his text and received an undeliverable answer. And when I dialed the number, it was a voicemail message saying the number had been disconnected.
    The only clues we had of my dad’s whereabouts were a few snapshots of him over eighteen years ago, and an unlisted number. One photo was at a carnival, but that could be anywhere. He had blue eyes with a gold ring around his pupils, like mine, but his didn’t have three colors like mine did.

Chapter Ten
     
    We finally stopped in Jennis, population six hundred and fifty-nine. This time, we just stretched our legs. I shook my head when Jacqueline asked if I needed a snack or something to drink. No use leaving a credit trail for Ms. Moor to follow, besides we could buy food later with the cash we still had.
    Dusk colored the sky in pinks and oranges, the latter being my mom’s favorite color, and my mouth dried as I got out of the car. Putting as much distance as possible between us and the Spirits of Blood was a good thing. Once I found my father, I’d learn how to fight these nasty beings. Then I’d pile on the guilt of mom’s death and leaving us. He was just as guilty as the Blood Spirits. If he had told us what was going on, we might be better equipped to protect ourselves.
    When Amar unlatched his door, I spun around blocking him from exiting the car, “Wait. You can’t come out like you are on the side of the road. People will freak out about your wings.”
    “I have been cramped back here for hours. I don’t think I could spread my wings and fly even if our lives depended on it. And they just might.”
    “Well, just stay put a few more minutes… until we find a deserted patch of woods or rest stop.” Which here, in hick town should be easy.
    “Next are clothes.” Jacqui thrust a box of chocolate raisins at