Part 4
Susanna drove aimlessly, not sure where she could go now. If any Night Worlder heard her name, they would surely recognise her. And would kill her.
She couldn't trust the other hunters either. If they knew what had happened, what she'd become... She blinked back a lens of tears. ~Dan you Obsidian Mandrill~ she thought angrily. ~Why did you do this to me?~
She pulled up outside a small building with a spray painted black iris in the window. A witch place she knew quiet well, they'd helped her out a few times, maybe they would help her now.
The place was a shop that sold witch supplies to both witches and humans, candles, herbs, crystals and special things only to those real witches who knew the correct password.
The girl behind the counter smiled when she recognised Susanna. "Hi. Been a while. What are you doing here?"
Susanna managed a weak smile. "Hi, Selene. I sort of have a problem..."
Selene was looking at her strangely, as if trying to figure out what was different. Then it hit home. "Oh my God! You're a - "
"Right." Susanna cut her off before she could finish the sentence. "Not my personal choice but I didn't get a choice. I need somewhere to hide. I left. I ran. I can't face the others." She shuddered.
"Does that mean that the gorgeous Ethan is now available?" There was a twinkle in Selene's green eyes.
Susanna glared. "Knock it off. Can you help me out or not?" She didn't even want to *think* about Ethan right now. He'd be so disappointed in her...
Selene frowned. "You're really serious about this, aren't you?"
Susanna looked away and nodded, ashamed. "I can't stay here. It was different for Jez and the others. It's something else for me. I need somewhere to go."
Selene drummed her fingers on the counter top, thinking. "I know a place you could go. It's an enclave just outside L.A. It's a place for the - well - rejects is a pretty harsh word, but I guess...Anyway, it's a place where those and the runaways gather. You know, people hiding from vampire hunters and Night World law."
Susanna frowned. "They'll recognise my name." She was good enough to keep her appearance hidden, but word of who she was had been out for some time now.
It might almost be too dangerous. But what other option did she have? Would Obsidian and her Night People know about it?
Selene shrugged. "So? Change your name. If you want to continue with high school, then they'll help you out with that as well." Selene grabbed a piece of paper and scribbled down an address and phone number. "I'll call ahead and let them know you're coming."
Susanna nodded. "*Not* my real name."
Selene nodded back. "Merry part." She didn't add ~merry meet again~ the rest of the traditional witch greeting. Probably because she knew Susanna would never be back.
Susanna left the store. She sat in her car for several minutes. She would never see any of them again. Never live in San Francisco again. Never see Ethan and Tiegra again.
Her eyes brimmed with tears. Her two lovers. The most important people in her live. Completely lost to her. They wouldn't understand. They'd be so disappointed, so disgusted...
She gunned the engine, wiping her eyes roughly. ~No use crying over it~ she told herself. ~The sooner you get somewhere new you can get back to normal~
As she put the car in gear and drove off, eve she knew, no matter how hard she tried to fool herself, nothing would ever be normal again.
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