𝔸𝕧𝕒

Nine hours and fifteen minutes.

On a plane. To London.

To me, that's nine hours and fifteen minutes of torture.

I have to squeeze my stiff joints into a tiny, uncomfortable seat that only reclines about five degrees back. Then that little fan above me will blow cold air into my face, as if the cabin wasn't cold enough.

Do they do this to torture sick people specifically, or do airlines just hate everyone?

"Boarding group A, Premier Plus members, and First Class are now boarding," a voice says over the speakers.

"That's us," Zane says, standing up and grabbing our carry on bags.

"Aww mannn..." Kieran whines. "Why am I not sitting with you guys?"

"Because you didn't pay for your own ticket," Zane says.

"Hey! You know it'll be helpful to have me there—an undercover demon on your side?"

"I bought your way, didn't I? Don't get greedy now."

Zane and I head for the line.

Oh good. Standing. I love standing.

The line moves forward and when we reach the gate, Zane hands the attendant our tickets and passports. The woman looks them over for a moment before nodding and welcoming us aboard.

"C2?" I ask, looking at the ticket in Zane's hand. "We must be pretty close to the front. I guess that's why we get to board so early."

Zane nods slightly and smiles as we step onto the plane. It's earlier in the morning than I'm capable of functioning, so I let Zane handle the logistics while I follow behind him like a zombie. He stops and I walk directly into his back with a small thump.

"Oof," I grunt. "Why did you stop?"

"These are our seats," Zane says, gesturing to a little two-person pod of sorts in the First Class section.

"You're kidding me." My jaw drops open and I stare at the seats—a set of two massive reclining chairs in their own cubicle with footrests, side tables, and full-size tv screens.

"Nope," he says, throwing the luggage into a cubby beneath the footrests as he steps inside.

"I..." I mutter, my feet unable to move. "How much did this cost? Those tickets must've been outrageously expensive!"

"They're fine. Don't worry about it."

I walk in and sit down in the chair. It's surprisingly comfortable.

Is it even possible to fly without that one weird guy next to you who aims his air conditioning vent right into your face?

"Where is Kieran sitting?" I ask.

"Economy," he says. "I'm not made of money."

"I thought you said they weren't that expensive!"

"They're not... for you. After everything you've told me about your experience of flying, I'm not letting you be in pain for nine hours."

I raise the armrests between our seats and lean in to give him a big hug. He chuckles and I can feel the vibrations in his chest.

"So it's a good surprise then?" he asks.

"It's a great surprise," I say, giving him a light smack on the shoulder. "But you're not allowed to spend that much money on me ever again!"

"Alright, never again."

"Why do I think you've found a loophole?"

"More like twenty," he says with a laugh.

I roll my eyes and stick my tongue out at him.

"I can't believe we're going to London—in first class no less," I say, leaning into Zane as he wraps his arms around me.

"Honestly, I can't either. It's been so long since I've been," he says with a relaxed sigh as he leans back into his seat. "I've taken a quick trip here and there, but not since we met."

"Are you excited?" I ask.

"I am," he says.

I can feel the excitement through our bond, but it's more than that: happiness, anxiety, and—underneath it all—a deep gnawing fear.

𝔸𝕧𝕒

"How was your flight?" Kami asks as she drives.

It's surprisingly terrifying to suddenly be on the opposite side of the street. I'm doing my best to not gasp every time she makes a tight left turn, but I still find myself digging my nails into the armrest.

"Um... good," I say. "Actually, surprisingly good. I was able to sleep for a while and our seats had their own massagers and a little mini-fridge full of drinks. It was wild!"

"First time flying first class?" she asks.

"Yeah..."

"I only fly first class these days," she says. "Flying in the regular seats after you've seen what first class is like... it's just offensive."

"Ehh hemmm..." Kieran coughs in the front seat.

"Kieran's cheesed off because his ticket was economy," Zane says.

"I'm actually alright with it. The guy I sat next to was hot and had a British accent. I was so close to getting him to join the mile-high club with me, but no luck."

"I'm pretty sure you can get arrested for that," I say.

"It would be worth it," he says with a mischievous smile. "Do you Brits call it the mile high club? Or is it, like, the one-and-a-half-kilometer club?"

"Why did I bring you again?" Zane asks.

"Same reason you invited, Finn, I bet. You need more bodyguards for Ava."

Excuse me?

"What?" I ask. Zane freezes, refusing to turn to look at me. "Zane?"

"I invited Finn just in case we needed backup," he says. "And I told you I won't be able to be with you the entire time. He can be with you when Kami and I can't be."

Oh good. I have a human sitter.

"I don't need to be babysat," I say, shooting him a glare. Unfortunately, he's still avoiding looking at me, but I'm pretty sure he can feel the hole I'm boring into him with my eyes.

"I know. It's just in case."

"I thought everyone thinks I'm dead anyway. Do you think someone's gonna try to kill a dead girl?"

"Even if the chances are 0.001%, I would never risk your life. Just humor me on this one, love?"

"Okay," I say with a sigh. "But if you keep acting like I'm a porcelain doll, you and I are gonna have words."

Sitting around by myself would probably get boring anyway.

"We're here," Kami says, pulling into a driveway.

I peer out the window at the red brick house, lined in green hedges with a garden out front. It's two stories with a couple of chimneys on the roof and white window frames.

"This is your house?" I ask.

"Not what you expected?" Zane says.

"It's so pretty and quaint," I say. "I feel like your style is so modern and black-and-grey, but this is so... cute!"

"Thanks, love," he says with a laugh. "I've owned it for about a hundred years. It was actually relatively modern when I bought it."

"Huh..." I say, inspecting the mansion.

"I got it all ready for you guys," Kami says. "Should be all set."

"Kami lives just down the road," Zane explains, gesturing in one direction.

We step out of the car as the boys grab the luggage out of Kami's trunk. Kami pulls out a key and opens the front door to reveal a beautiful home with freshly-painted white walls and modern decor.

"Wow!" I say as Zane and Kieran enter behind me.

"Damn, Z," Kieran says. "The more I hang out with you, the more I realize I need to get me a sugar daddy... or mommy... or both..."

Zane rolls his eyes and sets the luggage down in the entryway.

"How'd you already get a photo of Ava here?" Kieran asks. I turn to see him inspecting a framed photo of Zane and I sitting on the mantle. "So much for your 'no family photos' policy."

"Policy?" I ask.

Zane and I both walk over to Kieran.

"Yeah, he always said framed photos were something only old married couples had in their house. Something you wanna tell us?"

I blush at the insinuation.

"It's nothing," Zane says, a slight defensiveness in his voice. "I didn't do it. Kami set up the house for us, she's just being cheeky. It means nothing."

I didn't think it meant anything before, but based on his reaction, I'm not so sure.