Only the Lost

by Amanda M. Lee

  This time the look she shot in my direction was cool. “Oddly enough, you’re not the first person to make that joke. You kind of remind me of her, in fact ... but you’re nowhere near as snarky.”

  That sounded like a challenge. “I can be snarky. Now that you mention it, I always thought I was the snarkiest person in the world. Then I met another woman — my boyfriend’s sister — and I’m pretty sure she’s the snarkiest person alive. I couldn’t even compete with a handicap against her.”

  “I’m pretty sure my friend has them both beat.” Paris followed me to the cart and hopped in on the passenger side as I slid behind the wheel. “Did you grow up in Detroit?”

  That was a conversation better left for another time. Still, I had to tell her something. “I was in Detroit for a few years as a kid. Then I moved to New Orleans. I’m back here now, and enjoying it a great deal.”

  “New Orleans! I’ve always wanted to visit. I’ve been in Michigan most of my life. Granted, I’ve hopped all over the state. We used to live on the west side before moving here. I like being here better. The buildings are great and there’s a sense of history on this side of the state.”

  That was an odd thing to say. She seemed serious, though. “I read your file. You attended Covenant College?”

  For a brief moment, something akin to worry flashed through the depths of her eyes. She recovered quickly. “I did. Are you familiar with the school?”

  “Not really. When I was deciding where I wanted to go my junior year of high school, Covenant College was on the list. It had an interesting reputation.”

  “There’s no doubt about that.” Paris pursed her lips and kept her gaze forward as I pulled out onto the road. “Are you a reaper? You don’t have an aura like a normal reaper.”

  I shouldn’t have been surprised. Manning the gate was a paranormal endeavor. If Paris knew about the gate, it was likely she knew about other things as well. I sensed something in her now that I was able to focus ... and that something was magic.

  “Are you a witch?” I asked, going for broke.

  She nodded without hesitation. “I am. And you?”

  “Bruja.”

  “It’s basically the same thing except your influences probably lean heavily toward New Orleans voodoo and hoodoo, if I had to guess.”

  “It is largely the same ... and you’re right. My grandfather sold his services as a brujo, and I learned from him. I can work root magic and earth magic. I’m even adept at some elemental magic. I’m really a hodgepodge of abilities.”

  “That sounds fun.” This time the smile Paris flashed was genuine. “I’ve known a lot of magical people in my life. Some have been more powerful than others. I was intrigued when I realized Oliver was a vampire. I’m guessing he’s the warm and cuddly type.”

  Yup. She was definitely interesting. “Most people, even those who understand about magic and the gate, don’t really grasp the vampire thing. I’m impressed.”

  “I’ve known a vampire or two.”

  “Oh, yeah?” Now we were finally getting somewhere. “Did you deal with vampires at Covenant College?”

  The second I circled back to the college, she stiffened. “I might have.”

  I wasn’t sure what to make of her reaction. Covenant College had been in the news for a long time. Somehow — and no one could exactly say how — it had been completely razed within a few hours almost two years ago. One minute it had been there, students laughing and flirting on the lawns, and the next minute it was gone.

  It hadn’t burned. That, at least, would’ve made sense. Instead, the buildings simply disappeared and the entire parcel of land flattened into a grassy plain. No one could explain it. Even those magically inclined were at a loss. For some reason, I couldn’t help but wonder if Paris knew more than what she was letting on about the school’s downfall.

  “You don’t have to tell me what happened,” I started, going for broke. “You don’t know me yet. I could be untrustworthy and evil for all you know.”

  “Your aura isn’t dark,” she countered. “You’re not an evil being. You’re powerful, but you’re not evil.”

  “Maybe I’m just good at hiding who I am.”

  “Maybe, but given what happened yesterday I don’t think so. You were in a vulnerable position when I arrived. You were out cold on the ground. The guy with you was having an absolute meltdown and screaming at his father. At least I’m assuming that’s his father. They look enough alike to almost be clones.”

  I smiled. Everyone noticed those strong Grimlock traits. “Yeah. That’s his father.”

  “His aura is orange. That means he’s a good person, if conflicted. You care about him as much as he cares about you. Feelings like that can’t be manufactured and evil beings don’t react that way when someone they care about is undergoing an emotional assault.”

  She had a point. “I see auras, too.”

  “Oh, yeah? We’ll have to compare notes sometime.”

  “We will.” We fell into silence as I steered toward the conservatory. If she was a witch, I figured she would be as interested in the plants and herbs. “I don’t want you to feel you have to tell me about Covenant College. When you’re ready, I’ll be eager to listen. I’ve been curious about what happened there since I heard the news.”

  “I don’t know that I have the answers you’re looking for,” she hedged, clearly uncomfortable. “I don’t know exactly what happened.”

  “You know more than most, though, don’t you?”

  “I know a few things,” she conceded. “What happened that night was dark, and it could’ve gone a way that would’ve scarred that land forever. Instead, it was reborn and the evil was eradicated. That should be enough to make most people comfortable.”

  Ah, but I wasn’t most people. “You do realize that not everyone recognizes there was a faction of evil planted at that school?”

  Her forehead wrinkled as she slid her gaze to me. “How do you know about the evil at the school?”

  “Because I dug hard when I was making decisions about what I wanted to do after graduation. I knew magic would be involved. That’s why Covenant College was on my list. But once I delved deeper, I realized that the school wasn’t a good place where the occasional person dabbled in evil. It was the opposite. It was a bad place where the occasional person dabbled in good.”

  She barked out a hoarse laugh. “That’s a very succinct — and very accurate — way to put it. Not everyone at the school was evil. I would never pretend otherwise. Not everyone was good either. And ... well ... I made a few mistakes there. I thought some people were good but they turned out to be evil. Those decisions still haunt me.”

  “Everyone makes mistakes. You don’t have to be fearful of mistakes. In fact, you don’t have to be fearful of me either. I’ve read your aura. The core is pink. That means you’re a loving and sensual person. You love the arts and are psychically gifted. The outer ring is lemon yellow. That indicates a fear of loss, which doesn’t always mean a fear of death or change of lifestyle. A lot of people don’t realize that. Your yellow indicates you could be afraid of losing yourself.

  “The thing is, most people don’t realize that if you’re afraid of losing yourself you never will,” I continued. “Those who are afraid are too careful. That means they want to be good ... so they’ll be good.”

  “That’s kind of simplistic,” Paris countered, “but I like the way you think.”

  I smiled and gestured toward the front door of the conservatory. “I think you’ll like this building best. That’s why I picked it as our first stop. I know I was surprised when I first got a glimpse inside.”

  “Then I’m looking forward to it. I ... .” She frowned when her phone dinged in her pocket. “I’m so sorry. I told Heath not to bother me today. He’s got Alvis. He’s heading to the west side of the state to finish up our business there later in the day. He wouldn’t call unless it was an emergency.”

  “Then you should definitely take it.” I sh
uffled to the side as she answered the video call.

  “Hello?”

  Instead of a man, the face of a young girl filled the screen. She had long black hair, olive skin, and she looked to be in the middle of a freakout. “Aunt Paris? I want to come live with you. I know what you said last time I told you that, but I really mean it this time.”

  Paris’s expression was hard to read, but she looked frustrated. “Sami ... I can’t believe you called me today. I’m at my new job. I can’t deal with your drama when I’m supposed to be professional.”

  The girl — she looked like a Sami — jutted out her lower lip. “Dad says I’m grounded for life because I met a boy at the library last night and didn’t tell him it was a study date instead of a study group.”

  Paris heaved out a sigh and shot me an apologetic look. “Were you supposed to meet a boy?”

  “No. I told him I was meeting Janet. She’s the new girl at school. I didn’t want him to beat his chest and howl at the moon like Mom says he will when I finally start dating. It was innocent.”

  I stirred. Howl at the moon? That was an interesting turn of a phrase. I couldn’t read the girl’s aura through the small phone screen, but there was something interesting about her. I couldn’t quite put my finger on what.

  “Sami, we’ve had this discussion before.” Paris feigned patience. “I’m not your parent.”

  “You should be. You’re so much more fun than Mom and Dad.”

  “I am,” Paris agreed. “I want you to make sure to tell your mother that as many times as you can. It’s always fun when she yells at me over video conference. Alvis claps because he thinks she’s a marvelous performer.”

  Sami rolled her eyes. “I’m being serious. My life is over.”

  “Sami, you’re almost fourteen. You always think your life is over. The thing is, it never is. There’s no reason to get worked up over this because you’re not even going to remember it in a few years. This boy, whoever he is, will barely be a blip in your memory.”

  “No, I think he’s the one.”

  I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing at the girl’s tone. I remembered what it was like to be that age. Everything seemed important. She couldn’t help being dramatic. It was her age.

  “Well, I can’t wait to hear more about him.” Paris adopted a pragmatic tone. “You’ll be down here in a few weeks. Your parents are bringing you to the city for your birthday. They told me they’re making a full week of it. You can tell me about this boy then. I really do have to get back to work.”

  “But ... I need you to tell Dad he’s being unreasonable. He grounded me. He said I can walk Trouble and that’s it.”

  “Well, he’s your father. Believe it or not, he loves you. You have to listen to what he says.”

  To my surprise, another voice took over the call.

  “Ha!” A handsome man appeared on the screen and grabbed the phone from Sami’s hand. “I knew you would lead me to your phone. You’re grounded from that, too.”

  Sami’s screech reminded me of a conversation or two I’d had with my grandfather when I was the same age. I was fairly certain every girl in her early teens has the same conversation.

  “Hello, Aric,” Paris drawled, clearly amused. “How is life?”

  “Paris.” Aric seemed more intent on his daughter than on the woman on the other end of the call. “I knew she would call you the second I grounded her. She was trying to hide her phone, but I outsmarted her. Ha!”

  “You can’t take that phone away from me,” Sami bellowed. “I’ll die without it.”

  Aric wrinkled his nose. “Stop saying that. Hold up a second.” He lifted a finger for Sami’s benefit and then focused on Paris. “I’m sorry she bothered you on your first day of work. You know how she gets. Zoe is meeting with her editor this weekend and Sami is out of control. We’re still set to visit next month. Even if she’s grounded, we won’t cancel our trip. Zoe won’t allow it.”

  Paris’s smile was soft. “I’m looking forward to seeing you guys. I really do have to go, though. This is unprofessional.”

  “Go ahead and namedrop my father if you think that will get you out of trouble. Tell your boss you were talking to a state senator. That always goes over well.”

  Paris slid me a horrified look. “I don’t think that will work. I really have to go. I’ll see you in a few weeks.” She disconnected the call before Aric could comment further. “I’m so sorry. I promise that won’t happen again. She’s a teenager and she acts before she thinks.”

  I waved off the apology. “I know a few adults who do that.” The fact that I was one of them was only a mild irritant. “You don’t have to apologize. I didn’t know you had a niece. I thought your file said you were an only child.”

  “I am. That’s my goddaughter. Her mother is my best friend.”

  “Ah. That’s why you’re the bohemian aunt in her eyes. You’re exotic.”

  “She’s just at that age.” Paris shook her head and shoved the phone in her pocket. “Now, show me the conservatory. I’ve read a few things, but I’ve always wanted to see it.”

  “Right this way.” I had a few questions about Sami — mainly I wanted to know exactly what sort of paranormal she was because the energy crackling off her had been impressive for a video chat — but all frivolous thoughts disappeared when we moved toward the massive plant emporium.

  Something was off.

  “I ... huh.” I moved my eyes from right to left, looking for ... something. Then I saw it. There, in the bushes to the east side of the building, a body jutted from beneath the green foliage. It was a man. I could see that from a distance, but the way the body was angled told me he wasn’t doing anything constructive … or sleeping off a bender. He was dead.

  “Ugh.” I slapped my hand to my forehead. “Not again!”

  If Paris was bothered by the body, she didn’t show it. “Who do you call in situations like this?”

  That was a very good question.

  Seven

  It was indeed a dead body. Even the slim hope I had it was someone who’d lost his way, perhaps had too much to drink and passed out before managing to stumble, fell by the wayside when I touched the body. He was cold and stiff ... and long gone.

  I contacted Cormack. I probably should’ve called the police, but I was nervous enough to go with my gut. He arrived thirty minutes later, Lily strapped into a carrier on his chest, and he looked grave.

  “It’s not the same as before, is it?” Obviously he was as worried as I was at first glance.

  I shook my head. “It’s not even remotely the same.”

  “Well, that’s something at least.” Cormack knelt by the body, using one hand to shield Lily’s face. I found the effort sweet, especially because there was no way Lily would even understand what she was seeing. Still, he was a marvelous grandfather. “He’s been here at least twenty-four hours.”

  “He has.”

  “We need to call Griffin.”

  I wasn’t surprised by the declaration. “I figured.”

  “And I appreciate it. Someone could be missing this guy. I haven’t heard any missing persons reports, but you never know. Griffin will have the most recent information.”

  “He didn’t show up on your list, did he?”

  Cormack arched an eyebrow and I could tell he hadn’t even considered that. “No.”

  “That’s strange, right?” Paris was surprisingly calm given the circumstances. She’d obviously dealt with much worse. She was on her knees and staring at the body. “All deaths are supposed to be recorded into the system. That’s what I read.”

  “In theory, that’s true,” he confirmed. “It’s not always true in practice. Sometimes things happen. We can’t control everything.”

  “No. I would guess not.” Paris dusted off her hands and locked gazes with me. “I think his neck is broken.”

  “What makes you say that?” I was genuinely curious.

  “His head has turned comp
letely around.”

  “Like in The Exorcist?”

  She smirked. “You really do remind me of someone else I know.”

  I had no idea if that was a good or bad thing, but right now, it didn’t matter. “Call Griffin,” I prodded Cormack. “We need to figure this out. If something bad is about to happen ... .” I left the sentence hanging. He recognized the possibilities as easily as me.

  “I’m calling him right now.” He glanced ruefully at Lily. “I don’t think Daddy is going to be happy to find you at a crime scene.”

  “WHAT DO YOU HAVE?”

  Griffin saw me before Cormack when he parked in the conservatory lot. He was all business.

  “We have a dead body,” Cormack replied, drawing his son-in-law’s attention.

  Griffin frowned the second he saw Lily. “What is my baby doing at a crime scene?”

  “Having a good time,” I volunteered. “She’s fine. Cormack made sure she didn’t see the body.”

  “I don’t care about that.” Griffin tilted his head to stare at his daughter. She was wide awake. “Crime scenes were supposed to be our thing. I can’t compete with the Grimlocks when it comes to magic, but I’ll be the cool dad who shows her dead bodies. That was supposed to be my gift to her.”

  Cormack snorted. “I’m sorry. If it’s any consolation, I don’t plan to ever repeat this outing.”

  “That’s a relief.” Griffin ran his hand over Lily’s dark head and pressed a kiss to it before focusing on the body. “He doesn’t look homeless.”

  “You’re the third person to mention that,” Paris noted. “Do you have a regular problem with homeless individuals showing up out here and dying?”

  Griffin didn’t immediately respond. Instead he merely eyed her for a beat. That’s when I realized she was a new face to him.

  “This is my new assistant,” I offered hurriedly. “Paris Princeton. She’s well aware of the paranormal situation here. You can trust her.”

  Griffin nodded, apparently comfortable with the explanation. “It doesn’t happen a lot, but it does happen. The island is largely isolated in the winter because of the weather. There aren’t many people who visit. In the summer, things are different.