The Cost of Living (ARC)

by Emilie Lucadamo

  As if reading his mind, Adam meets his eyes. His lips twitch—a quick, almost imperceptible movement, but it floods Beck with a sense of calm he didn’t realize he needed. “Thankfully,” he says, sounding perfectly pleased with himself, “I’ve got a plan for fixing this mess.”

  “Okay,” Dana says, “and what’s that?”

  Adam smiles before turning to Beck and Alyssa. “How would you two feel about a job?”

  Epilogue

  THE DOOR OF the bookstore slams shut, rattling the walls. Heavy footsteps echo throughout the shop like a stampede of buffalo. The intruder stops in the middle of the shop, looks around, and bares his teeth in frustration.

  “Beck!” James booms. “The hell is taking so long, huh?”

  Beck jolts, nearly falling backwards. He regains his balance just in time to keep from hitting the floor. Leaning back, his messy head emerges from around the doorframe of a closet as he peers across the room at James. “Sorry!” he calls. “Just gimme a minute, I’m coming!”

  James rolls his eyes and slumps against the counter, shaking his head. From her position manning the register, Alyssa doesn’t hide a small, amused grin. She’s been smiling more and more these days, and every unashamed show of emotion from her thrills Beck and Adam. She is, slowly but surely, settling back into herself.

  “Why am I not surprised?” James huffs. “You’ve been stuck here for a week, and now when it’s finally time to leave you don’t want to—”

  “Will you shut up? I’m coming!” Beck hollers, disappearing back behind the bookshelf once more. There’s a grin on his lips as he turns back to Adam, who finally deems it safe to loosen his arms from around his shoulders now that Beck is no longer in danger of falling.

  “He’s an idiot,” Beck mutters. Adam nods before leaning up and pressing another kiss to his lips.

  There are a million reasons why they shouldn’t be taking a moment for themselves right here, right now—but, well, that hasn’t stopped them all week. Beck melts into Adam’s embrace, moving his lips against Adam’s like a drowning man desperate for a last breath of air. Adam’s mouth tastes rich and pleasant. Beck has become familiar with the feel of him over the last week, every limb and every scar, every tiny little perfection.

  When they finally pull back, Beck knows his face is red. Adam grins at him. “Better not get too flustered, Beck. Jimmy’s gonna think you’re excited to see him.”

  Beck snorts, quickly pecking Adam’s lips once more. He can’t help himself; pressed up against him like this, Adam is just too much to resist.

  Even so, Adam is the one who finally breaks the spell, placing a hand on Beck’s cheek to keep him from leaning forward again. His dark eyes are warm as they stare up at Beck, with a lingering edge of pensiveness that Beck cannot ignore. Once again, Beck feels a whisper of that creeping insecurity that has been plaguing him ever since last night, when Adam announced it would be safe for him to go home.

  Adam took both Beck and Alyssa in over a week ago, determined to train them to control the darkness which threatened to overpower them. “Every open door can be closed,” he explained. His goal was to teach them to do just that.

  The next few days had been an endless rush of lessons and mental exercises, meditation and energy work. Beck’s never been so Zen in his life. As someone who experiences everything externally, a sudden turn inward was a shock to all his systems. It was bizarre, but over time Beck learned how to acclimate—with Adam’s help.

  Now, he’s almost become an expert at blocking out the whispers. Adam’s endless patience saw him staying up with Beck well past midnight every night this week. Together, they practiced blocking out negative energy. Adam taught Beck to anchor himself; he showed him that his mind is stronger than any outside influences.

  “Find something you care about to hold on to, and cling to it. Let it remind you of who you are,” he told him. “As long as you do that, nothing can overpower you.”

  (Beck wishes he could say he chose Adam, because that would be romantic as anything. He didn’t. Instead, his anchor is the memory of his mom’s out-of-this-world beefsteak. Nothing drags him back to himself faster.)

  Now, Beck’s head is completely free of pain, and any time he feels a subtle spike he is able to push it away. He feels unburdened—especially with Adam pressed up against him.

  That doesn’t mean the idea of leaving isn’t intimidating. Adam was the perfect person to teach him control, because he’s so good at remaining levelheaded. Beck has only seen Adam really lose his cool one time, and that’s when Sophie died. He’s a master at not allowing his emotions to run away with him, so around him it’s been easy not to get overwhelmed.

  Thrust back into the world of his friends again—with volatile James, emotional Dana, and temperamental Dylan—Beck isn’t sure how he’ll hold up. He can’t help but feel anxious; the memories of those awful nights plagued by possessions flood back to him, and all of Adam’s tricks at blocking out negativity can’t allow him to forget them.

  As usual, Adam can tell what he’s thinking before Beck realizes it himself. He runs his thumb across Beck’s cheek, brushing the freckles there, and a tiny smile tugs at the corners of his lips.

  “You’re ready,” he tells him—and it’s not much, but somehow those two simple words contain every emotion that Adam isn’t willing to voice. It’s reassurance, confidence, everything Beck needs to hear.

  Beck grins back at Adam, and they finally pull away.

  Together they emerge from the closet. James’s eyes bug out when he sees them, and a groan tears from his throat. “Jesus, that’s where you’ve been? In the shop?”

  “I’ve found them in worse places,” Alyssa remarks, and James slaps a hand to his forehead.

  “All right, you animal. Ready to come home?”

  Beck exchanges a glance with Adam and reminds himself that this is far from the end. He still has a job at Adam’s place, working alongside Alyssa. (Adam has made the decision to expand his business; in the past week, more than one magical visitor has walked into the shop and left with an abundance of supplies from Adam’s back room. If Adam is going to keep up with supply and demand, he says, he’ll be needing extra help.) Alyssa still isn’t quite ready to return to the world, and Beck…

  Well, Beck is just happy to spend time with Adam every day. He’ll seize every chance he can get.

  As for college, James promises to get that squared away. If anyone can reenroll a dead man in his classes, Beck has no doubt his indomitable best friend will be able to pull it off.

  Then, of course, there’s Beck’s family.

  Beck isn’t ready quite yet to return to his parents. He’s hurt them. He knows how much damage his death has done, and the last thing he wants is to cause any of them more pain. He’s going to return to them when he knows he’s ready—and when he does, he’ll have his friends (and maybe even Adam) by his side.

  Until then, he has his other family. He has James, Dana, Dylan, Adam, and even Alyssa. Looking outside the window now, he can see the rest of the group waiting inside James’s rundown Jeep. Dana is idling behind the driver’s wheel, and Dylan hangs halfway out the window. When he sees Beck, he waves like an idiot and shouts something Beck is unable to hear.

  He’s part of something bigger than himself now. The Rogue Always Vigilant Exorcist Squad (RAVES, as Dylan was eager to christen it) has been pursuing their goal even in the time Beck has been away. Since their formation, they’ve tracked down two other ex-deceased people, performed four exorcisms, and prevented countless others from being attacked by delivering the not-dead person to Adam. In his capable hands, Beck and Alyssa aren’t the only ones taking back control of their new life…and Lehexe’s bookshop has gained plenty of new staff. With Beck joining the group at last, Dana bragged that she is sure they’ll be even more efficient.

  Putting his life back together won’t be as easy as coming back from the dead. There’s still a lot Beck has to figure out, a lot he has to deal with, and
a lot of baggage to shoulder. Not to mention the whole demon thing, which he’s not sure will ever completely go away.

  Still, he is determined to make it happen. He’s alive; his friends know his secret and are staying by his side; and he’s discovered a whole new world. He’s found Adam.

  All of this is more than Beck can ask for, and it came as a shock to realize he’s happier now than he was before he died. His life has gotten ten times more exciting, and he has just about everything he could ask for.

  He’s alive, and he’s happy.

  Turning to Adam, he meets his boyfriend’s shining gaze and finds himself smiling. Adam’s hand slips in his own and gives it a quick squeeze before pulling away once more, and Beck feels energized.

  There’s no looking back. There’s no point in being afraid anymore. Beck is facing the future head-on. As long as he’s alive, the only way to go is forward.

  “Yeah,” he says, turning back to his friend. “Let’s go home.”

  HIS FEET CRUNCH against gravel as he makes his way down the street. Long shadows trail behind him, cast by the bright light of the street. As he passes beneath each street lamp, it flickers and dies.

  Taking human form on earth is strange. Appearing human in this world is completely different from settling in the demonic realm. Everything feels heavier here. It feels more real, more intense, as if they are truly a step away from victory. The burden of responsibility weighs upon his shoulders. He draws himself up beneath it, standing tall. He is here on a mission; he has his orders, a job to do, and men to lead.

  He knows why he’s here.

  “Sergeant Valac,” he says over his shoulder to the handful of privates clustered behind him. “Is this where we’re supposed to be?”

  Valac doesn’t hesitate. “Yes, sir,” he answers. “This is where it all started.”

  He smiles.

  Unit X is exactly where they’re supposed to be, and now that they’re here, Naberos, Knight of the Ninth Quadrant, knows the real task has only just begun. The Demoniac Alliance has finally arrived in the human world, here to eliminate the threat posed to humans by the invading Righteous Legion, once and for all.

  Naberos straightens his collar and steps out into the light of the street. His human legs are steady beneath him.

  It’s time to get to work.

  About the Author

  Emilie Lucadamo has too many stories, and not enough words to tell them. At eighteen years old, she has been writing for most of her life, and telling stories even longer. Her dream is to one day become a critically acclaimed author. When not writing, she’s probably reading, or spending quality time with her dog.

  Twitter: @EmilieLucadamo

  Website: www.emiliesbooks.tumblr.com

  Other books by this author

  How We Sell Our Souls

  Coming Soon from Emilie Lucadamo

  Where the Night Reigns

  In the Darkness, Book Three

  The officer behind the desk still looks impassive, if not a little irritated. “We don’t have sufficient evidence to consider her missing.”

  “It’s been a lot more than twenty-four hours,” Tresser says, narrowing his eyes. “No contact with family or friends, no cell phone activity, no previous indication that she was leaving—” He pauses, raising an eyebrow at the missing woman’s frustrated boyfriend, who nods with fervor. Tresser continues, “You’ve got every reason to consider her missing. Why are you sleeping on this? You people are supposed to be the police.”

  The officer narrows her dark eyes. “We’re doing our jobs, sir.”

  “No,” Tresser shoots back, “you’re not.”

  This is not Nathan’s battle, but he is impressed by Tresser’s strong reaction. He takes a step back, watching as Tresser continues to rant. “The police should be doing what they’re paid to do, and instead you’re letting a woman’s disappearance go uninvestigated for a month while her fiancé is losing his mind worrying about her? What kind of sham are you running?”

  “Thank you,” the aggrieved boyfriend jumps in, clapping Tresser on the chest before rounding back on the desk. “Now, I’m telling you, okay? My name’s Henry Lee. My fiancée’s name is Lucy—she’s been missing for almost a month now—why aren’t you writing any of this down?”

  “Sir.” Now that the aggrieved fiancé has won more people to his side, he’s starting to attract attention from the rest of the station. The policewoman’s demeanor switches from bored to serious in an instant. “You’re going to have to leave now.”

  Energized by the support, however, Henry isn’t about to be cowed. He slams his hands down on the countertop, creating a bang that echoes throughout the entire station. “I’m not going anywhere until you help me find my wife!”

  As his shout dies down, Nathan realizes that every eye in the station is on them. Only once this dawns on him does he realize that they are all pitch black.

  Oh, he thinks, we’re doing this now.

  His attention spins back to the policewoman at the counter once more, who is now staring Henry down; her eyes have gone pitch black, ink swirling in depthless wells to exude pure malevolence. Tendrils of shadow writhe in the room’s dark corners. The air has grown musky and thick. Tresser stumbles, overwhelmed by the sudden oppressive atmosphere. One hand claps across his chest, the other reaching for the hilt of his gun.

  “What the hell,” breathes Henry, suddenly very, very quiet.

  Tresser is already pulling his gun out of his pocket when he turns to Nathan and freezes.

  There is no fear in Nathan’s expression; there is no surprise.

  “All right,” he says, and sounds almost pleased. “That’s what I was waiting for.”

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