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T h e H o l l o w s I n 
O U R F R E E D O M
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"Where did you get this?" I asked the pair as we stood circled around it.

"Harry," Jonah told me, "he and Angeline have been pouring themselves over the computer screen since you left." I stared at the piece of paper.

"Don't forget Avery; she's pretty good with coordinates, you know. She calculated all the distances and likelihoods and whatnot." Sapphire added. I closed my eyes and rubbed my fingers against my temple.

"We had it all figured." I said aloud.

"Well, you didn't really, you had the escape plan figured out, anything after that was just a mystery." Sapphire put in.

"You're right." I told her, biting the inside of my cheek.

"I am?" She responded as I opened my eyes.

I nodded. "We had parts figured out. Places to stay. Hotspots to stay away from. Places the Academy would never think of—and those happen to be in the lairs of the monsters we've been trying to avoid our whole lives."

"Oh, and yeah, we're staying with you tonight." Sapphire said suddenly, pulling out a bag from absolutely nowhere. It was a carki green shoulder bag, and looked like something Jonah would own.

Jonah frowned at her. "We are?" He asked.

"Of course," she said, without hesitating, "have you seen your eye bags?" And then she was off.

We both stared after her. "She's...headstrong..?" I commented, hearing Jonah laugh to himself.

"She's something." He said, shutting the driver's door.

I bumped my shoulder into his. "Hey, don't say that like you're not totally in love with her." I said, smiling at him. He dropped his head, sticking his hands into his pockets, something he only did when he was feeling chuffed, or bashful.

We started walking. "Well I'm not the only one; it seems by your lack of brooding, if you don't mind me saying, that you've moved on too."

It was now my turn to duck my head. "Maybe." Was my only response. He chuckled, opening the door for me and letting me walk through first.

When we walked in, we walked into a heated debate.

"Alexi, please tell your stubborn friends that staying with their partners is the most weirdest and unpractical idea ever to be thought of." Elle snapped as soon as she saw me.

I stared at her, before looking around at everyone else. The door shut behind me and the wind ran through at the last moment, catching my hair and making it float for a few moments. I imagined it like a luscious hair television advert; I couldn't see it so I could only assume.

When my eyes caught Jace's, though, I did see him looking at my hair. But that was it. He just looked. Other than that, he still had his heart on a silver platter out for Sky.

I tried to ignore those thoughts in my head as I cast my eyes on Elle once more. "Why are you asking me? You're the oldest." With that, I pushed past her and strolled up to the hotel receptionist.

"Are you ready to book your rooms now?" He asked, running his hand through his hair.

I smiled, grazing my bottom lip with my teeth. He watched the slow movement, swallowing. His eyes flashed up to my eyes as he was joined by another receptionist for a moment. But then she was gone, and he didn't take his eyes off mine.

"That depends," I asked, leisurely leaning forward. His eyes flitted downwards, but he somehow managed to pull them away. "Are you?" I asked. He stared, his eyebrow twitching slightly.

"I didn't need you to act like a child for you to prove your point, Alexi, I just wanted your opinion." Elle spoke, sounding unimpressed. I closed my eyes, refraining from swearing, or responding idiotically again.

I'm not a child.
I'm not in school anymore.
This isn't a social hierarchy with cliques and jocks.

This is the real world.
And, in the real world, Alexi Abbot apparently has to decide on the room arrangements.

I sighed, opening my eyes, "the partners are fine together." I swivelled around, seeing Elle start to object.

"It works," I told her with a shrug. "They're both with Guardians, so the Special Ones will be protected." I told her.

"What about shifts?" She asked.

I frowned. "We don't need them," I told them. "Each Guardian is responsible for their charge, or," I cast my eyes over to Jonah and Sapphire, "Sapphire." The pair shared a laugh at that, melting into each other's sides.

I looked back over to Elle, whose face was hard for a second. Finally, she relaxed. I took that as a sign of agreement.

"So all that's left to do now is decide where the rest of us are." I told her. The rest of us being Jace, Elle and I.

"I'm fine on my own." Jace said. Something inside of me kind of...fell.

I stared at him, trying to keep my face sober. "You'll be unprotected." I told him.

He frowned at me, growing annoyed. "But you've taught me things, and anyway, I'm not a Special One." He shot back in response. In that moment, it was just me and him, but, as I opened my mouth to hurl a response, Elle jumped into the equation.

"I think what Alexi is trying to say is you don't know enough, quite frankly. So if anyone should be left alone it should be either me or Alexi—we're trained Guardians after all." I watched her say what I couldn't with ease. I wasn't a leader. But Elle Beaufort was.

I watched Jace cast his eyes away, digesting this.

I felt Elle's eyes on me as I watched Jace. "And, if I'm being honest," she spoke up, "I want to be alone." My eyes flashed over to her, my mouth hanging open.

She didn't look at me, though, but she had this glint in her eyes, like she knew what she had done.

I glanced over at Jace, watching him watch me, mulling over the implications of Elle's decision.

She brushed past me, approaching the desk. "So that's...four double bed rooms please."

I did a double-take, faltering. "Wait, double–" The hotel receptionist handed over the keys to Elle, who distributed them between everyone.

"68A." She told me, picking up my hand and stuffing the key in my hand before pivoting on the ball of her foot and strutting off.

"I got 72B." Sky said, startling me. Her voice was always like cold water when I was in a trance—in a good way; it was refreshing.

I smiled at her. "Let's go."

When we were walking, my hands grew clammy, and my heart started to do flips.

A room with Jace.
A bed with Jace.
Fuck.

Suddenly, I was nervous. I like him. And we're sharing a room. And a bed. Fuck.

"Lexi," I jumped out of my head and focused in on Sky so fast that I don't think she was even aware that I was lost in my thoughts in the first place.

"This is you." She said, gesturing to the room. I gulped. She watched Jace join me with curious eyes.

I cleared my throat. "Call me if you need me, my phone still has some charge, but I guess we can get some chargers soon–" What the hell am I saying?

Sky laughed, taking it all lightheartedly, which made me relax slightly. She pulled me in for a hug. "I'll be fine," she told me, "and besides, I have Jameson." She whispered. She pulled back and had a look about her that glowed.

I patted her shoulder, "I just hope you've bought those condoms, otherwise you should start thinking about baby names."

"Alexi." Jace interrupted as I saw Jameson roll his eyes and Sky flush. I turned around, frowning at him.

"Can you unlock the door now?" He asked, sounding annoyed.

I stared at him, opening and closing my mouth for a few seconds. I gave him the key.

Turning around to say goodbye to the pair once more, my eyes caught Jameson's. And I think he must've told me telepathically. Because it wasn't long before I figured out why Jace was irritated.

He still loves Sky.

Jameson and Sky soon left, their hands interlocking. Sky looked up at Jameson and grinned at whatever he said. And I was left standing in the corridor. Alone.

I watched Elle unlock her door from across the hall. She must've felt me watching, because she turned around. She gave me a sympathetic smile of sorts, as if she had seen the previous moments unfold.

But then she disappeared into her room and shut the door.

I was, yet again, alone. A light wind picked up, swallowing my hair and reminding me that I was still in the corridor.

He still loves Sky.

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You think???

This girl is pretty dense for a really smart Guardian lmao c'mon Lexi

I wish you could do polls on here bc I would totally be like

Do you ship #Jaxi or #Lace or something

Or no

I would totally

I'm not sure if I should give my view as the author away just because idkk like I try to remain neutral so I don't sway y'all and also you might think like "oh she doesn't ship so she'll kill them off" or "oh she ships so they'll go far" likkeeeee

We'll just wait

I'll reveal at like chapter seventy lmao ;)

I have no plot questions for y'all today, go enjoy your Friday night/weekend  :)

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Next chapter: MONDAY (I'M SO EXCITED—FINGERS CROSSED I DON'T FORGET)
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CHAPTER FIFTEEN SPOILER:

A cold room never heats up, you just fool yourself into thinking it does.

And then you realise, you're shivering.