The rusted pickup's engine ticked as it cooled, the sound unnaturally loud in the pre-dawn silence. Angela kept both hands on the steering wheel, her knuckles white, her injured arm throbbing. The corn farm stretched endlessly to their left, stalks rustling in the cold wind.
"You're sure about this?" Angela asked, her voice cracking as she turned to face the five teenagers crammed in the truck. Her eyes found Bella's, searching for certainty she knew her niece couldn't possibly feel.
Bella sat in the passenger seat staring back at her. She reached across and gripped her aunt's hand, squeezing once. "I'm sure, Aunt Angie. You have all the evidence, the USB drive, the journal, everything. If something happens to us, you're the only one who can get it to Marcus and the Moonblood Council."
"If something happens to you—" Angela's voice broke completely.
