Torment - Lauren Kate [39]
“What are you doing here?”
Cam looked more than alarmed, Luce decided—he looked almost afraid. His shoulders were bunched up around his neck and his eyes wouldn’t settle on anything for longer than a second. He hadn’t said a thing about her hair; it almost seemed as if he hadn’t noticed it. Luce was certain Cam was not supposed to know that she was out here in California. Keeping her away from guys like him was the whole point of her relocation. Now she’d blown that.
“I’m just—” She eyed the white gravel path behind Cam, cutting through the grass bordering the cliff’s edge. “I’m just going for a walk.”
“You are not.”
“Leave me alone.” She tried to push past him. “I have nothing to say to you.”
“Which would be fine, since we’re not supposed to be talking to one another. But you’re not supposed to leave that school.”
Suddenly she felt nervous, like he knew something she didn’t. “How did you know I’m even going to school here?”
Cam sighed. “I know everything, okay?”
“Then you’re here to fight Daniel?”
Cam’s green eyes narrowed. “Why would I—Wait, are you saying you’re here to see him?”
“Don’t sound so shocked. We are together.” It was like Cam still hadn’t gotten over that she’d picked Daniel instead of him.
Cam scratched his forehead, looking concerned. When he finally spoke, his words were rushed. “Did he send for you? Luce?”
She winced, buckling under the pressure of his gaze. “I got a letter.”
“Let me see it.”
Now Luce stiffened, examining Cam’s peculiar expression to try to understand what he knew. He looked about as uneasy as she felt. She didn’t budge.
“You were tricked. Grigori wouldn’t send for you right now.”
“You don’t know what he would do for me.” Luce turned away, wishing Cam had never seen her, wishing herself far away. She felt a childish need to brag to Cam that Daniel had visited her last night. But the bragging would end there. There wasn’t much glory in relaying the details of their argument.
“I know he would die if you died, Luce. If you want to live another day, you’d better show me the letter.”
“You would kill me over a piece of paper?”
“I wouldn’t, but whoever sent you that note probably intends to.”
“What?” Feeling it almost burning in her pocket, Luce resisted the urge to thrust the letter into his hands. Cam didn’t know what he was talking about. He couldn’t. But the longer he stared at her, the more she began to wonder about the strange letter she was holding. That bus ticket, the directions. It had been weirdly technical and formulaic. Not like Daniel at all. She fished it out of her pocket, fingers trembling.
Cam snatched it from her, grimacing as he read. He muttered something under his breath as his eyes darted around the forest on the other side of the road. Luce looked around too, but she could see nothing suspicious about the few remaining fishermen loading their gear into rusty truck beds.
“Come on,” he said finally, grabbing her by the elbow. “It’s past time to get you back to school.”
She jerked away. “I’m not going anywhere with you. I hate you. What are you even doing here?”
He stepped around her in a circle. “I’m hunting.”
She sized him up, trying not to let on that he still made her nervous. Slim, punk-rock-dressed, gunless Cam. “Really?” She cocked her head. “Hunting what?”
Cam stared past her, toward the dusk-swept forest. He nodded once. “Her.”
Luce craned her neck to see who or what Cam was talking about, but before she could see anything, he pushed her sharply. There was a weird huff of air, and something silver zipped past her face.
“Get down!” Cam yelled, pressing hard on Luce’s shoulders. She sank to the porch floor, feeling his weight on top of her, smelling the dust on the wood planks.
“Get off me!” she shouted. As she writhed in disgust, cold fear pressed into her. Whoever was out there must be really