by K. G. Reuss
“No. Damien’s on a mission,” I replied, stepping forward. “And he’ll be getting back at daybreak, around the same time as us. So, let’s cut the crap and get going.”
They all followed me up the rickety old stairs to the first room on the left. We could sense them in there. I felt them just a little bit more, their outlines shifting in and out of my vision through the closed door. My dead-vision had been getting better since Everly had drawn me to her. I tried to push away the nagging idea that she was the mancer, and our gifts were just getting stronger with one another.
I kicked the door open and darted into the room. In the center stood a wraith twice my height, and that was saying something since I was a tall dude.
“Ahh, I can ssssmell you, Conexusss,” the wraith hissed. Its hollow black sockets dripped a black fluid while its gnarled body twisted and jerked with each movement. A jagged row of sharp teeth laden with a putrid smelling fluid flashed as it spoke.
“Piss off,” I growled, whipping my sword at it. The creature knocked my sword aside as it soared through the air. A moment later, we were surrounded by two more wraiths and at least six of the lost ones.
“Great,” Brandon shivered, pulling out his voidbox. Sloane mimicked him, a frown on her pretty face. No one liked haunts. I let my group do their thing, keeping my focus on the wraith in front of me.
“I know what you areee,” the wraith hissed out in an almost sing-song voice.
“You don’t know shit,” I spat at it as we circled one another.
“Reveeeeerrrrr.” It laughed hoarsely, making my blood freeze in my veins. “We’re coming for her, fool boy. She’ll die soon.”
“What are you talking about?” I snarled at it as we continued to move around one another.
“It’s what he wantsss. He has seennn it, you seeee. He sendsss usss to collect her when she fallsss. And ssshe will fall. And he will catch her when she doesss.”
“Who? Who will catch her? The Overlord?” I demanded, thinking of the vampire overlord, Aviram, the head of the Cipher.
“Ssstupid boy!” The creature cackled. “You are blinded by your titlesss. He comesss for her. Soon!”
I’d had enough. I lunged forward and jammed my knife through its empty eye-socket. It let out a terrible squeal, and I pressed my palm to its forehead. Understanding dawned on me in that instant. I wasn’t like the other members. I didn’t need a voidbox. I knew in that moment the creature would go to the same place the rest of them were going. It withered and popped before it disappeared, leaving its stench behind.
“Damn.” Eric patted me on the shoulder. “You get a new ability every single mission, man. You’re going to be all-powerful before long.”
I didn’t say anything at his words. We had to get these nests taken care of. I needed a report from Damien. The creature’s words were on repeat in my head. Everly was in danger. He’d confirmed it. And wraiths couldn’t lie. Not really. They typically spoke in riddles or in circles, never giving an answer, always creating more questions. But never lies.
We ended up powering through a slew of nests that night, collecting over a hundred lost ones and a wraith here and there.
“You do realize we collected more wraiths tonight than we have in the last year?” Amanda, one of our shifters, pointed out as we stood outside the grounds to Dementon. “Don’t you find that odd?” She cast a quick look at me with her dark eyes. She was right.
“Yeah,” I grunted, looking down at my watch. Damien should be back any time now. His long seventy-two hours were almost up. I was needed to tear nests and haunts apart, and Eric was needed for his stitch ability. The only hitch with his ability was that he needed to be right in the center of whatever he was stopping, and it seriously drained him. Damien had no choice but to take a long shift. “There’s been a surge in them. The Order thinks it’s Cipher related.”
“Wouldn’t surprise me.” Brandon yawned and wiped at his sweaty brow. “They’ve been wanting to take over the Order for years. Guess they’ll go to any measure to do it.”
“They’ll never win.” Eric shrugged. “But they’re welcome to try.”
“Yeah, because we have the best general ever.” Adam grinned at me. I returned his smile with my own quick one.
“I just wished we didn’t have to do this every single night. There are times when I’d like to kick back and just watch a movie,” Chloe sighed.
“Where’s the fun in that, Chloe?” Brandon chuckled. She grinned back at him.
“You guys ready to go back?” I asked.
“Do we have to?” Sloane whined. “Can’t we just go get a Nattie breakfast in a diner or something? I get so annoyed being so uppity on the grounds. I miss my friends.”
“We’re your friends,” Eric pointed out.
“I’m talking about Harper and Abby.” She pouted, referring to her old caster friends. I rolled my eyes and pushed off the wall I was leaning against.
“We’re going back. Get ready,” I said, pressing my hand against the Dementon seal of a lion on the gateway. It glowed red before the heavy metal doors swung open. Sloane stepped through with only a few minor complaints. Once the gates shut behind us, we squinted our eyes as the Dementon grounds came into view.
“Where are you going in such a hurry?” Brandon called out to me as I broke into a jog.
“Damien,” I shouted over my shoulder, running to our dorms now full tilt, which was insanely fast.
I had to get his report. I was so sick I thought I was going to lose it.
Chapter 13
“Damn, dude. Relax,” Damien rubbed his eyes as I burst into our commons and grabbed him by the shirt, tugging him to my office. Amara stood up to come to me, but I gave her a quick shake of my head. I was so not in the mood to deal with her. Jared looked interestedly at us but didn’t make to move. He went back to watching the television.
“What’s going on? I felt her all day and night. She’s upset or sick or something,” I demanded, the moment I slammed my door closed.
“Well…” Damien sank down into a chair across from my desk and yawned. “She has boyfriend troubles.”
I bristled at the news, my heart sinking. A boyfriend. Of course, she had to have one.
“I mean, ex-boyfriend. She broke up with him. From my understanding, he cheated on her with some chick named Britney. He tried getting back with her, and she turned him down. But she’s hurting. She’s sad. She masks her feelings. But she’s actually really funny. Beautiful smile. Great rack—”
“Damien,” I warned, growling.
“Sorry. She doesn’t have many friends. She doesn’t talk to a lot of people. The guys all want her, though. You should hear the shit they say about her. I doubt any of it’s true.”
“What do they say?” I asked, pacing the room.
“Well, I’m guessing she doesn’t put out and that’s what led to her breakup with this Dylan character. He came to her asking her to get back with him and she rejected him. She cried a little that night. Then they all started saying crap about how she begged him to take her back, how she tried to put out, but he turned her down. You know, typical lame-ass high school rumors.”
“Is she OK?” I asked, stopping to stare at him, surprising myself with the passion of the question.
“I think so.” He narrowed his eyes at me, taking me in like I had three heads or something. I knew what he was thinking just by the look on his face. “She’s quiet, man. She reads a lot. She isn’t big on talking. She has a friend named Nina who tries to get her to open up. She’s a tough nut to crack. Just for the record, her friend is also hot.”
“So no wraiths or lost ones?” I asked, ignoring his talk about her friend.
“Nothing. All was quiet. She slept like an angel. Said your name a few times in her sleep. I slept on the floor by her closet, which was creepy. I could’ve sworn I heard them scraping around inside there.”
“Probably.” I nodded. “They used to come through her closet.”
�
��Wish I’d have known that before.” Damien grimaced and gave a shudder. “Maintaining shadow is tiring, and my body feels weird. I need a shower and my bed.” He rose from his seat and came to my side and patted me on the shoulder. “We good?”
“Was she really OK? She didn’t cry much, right?” I asked, not meeting his eyes.
“She’s strong. A few tears fell, but she wiped them away like a champ and kept moving on. That guy wants her, though. Bad. I peeked in on him. He’s taking their breakup hard, considering he’s the one who screwed up. She’s a good girl, man. You know what I said about Amara and you keeping her around?”
I nodded.
“Forget I said that. Make yourself known to Everly. I think you two would be good for one another. And believe it or not, I’m pretty sure she already loves you, and if she doesn’t, she’s damn close. So, you know, don’t kill her.”
I didn’t say anything as he left the room. I had to see her. It was my watch anyway. I hastily showered and melded from my bedroom to avoid talking to Amara.
When I got to Everly’s room, she was just getting ready for school. I hadn’t really dropped in on her like that before. I stuck to the shadows, creating them as I needed to, subtle darknesses here and there. From behind her, I watched in the mirror as she applied her pink lip gloss. Her brilliant green eyes were sad. Her dark hair was up in a high ponytail. It still reached the middle of her back. She was beautiful in her low-slung jeans, band t-shirt, and black chucks.
Grabbing her bag, she slung it over her shoulder and went downstairs and out the front door. I followed along, watching as she walked quickly, making sure nothing was out to harm her. She seemed to have a decent day at school. I stuck as close to her as I could. Damien was right—the girls in her group didn’t seem to like her. It was probably because she was so much prettier than them. She was intimidating without trying. Only her friend Nina seemed to be genuine.
Annoyance simmered in my gut as Dylan stared at her from across the halls and crowded lunchroom. Deciding I had to see what he was up to, I made my way to his group.
“You need to let it go. She told you to piss off,” a blond guy said, nudging Dylan as he gazed at Everly picking at her salad.
“I can’t let it go. I screwed up. I have to make it right, Jax. I need her to know how sorry I am.”
“Why?” Jax snorted, following his eyes to where Everly sat. “If you were really sorry, you wouldn’t still be banging Britney. I say you deserve everything she’s giving you.”
“What am I going to do? She won’t even look at me.”
“Dude, she hates you. And for good reason—”
“I’m going to get her back. She’s my girl. At your party. I’m sure Nina will make her go. I’ll talk to her then. I’ll tell her I love her—”
“You already did that,” Jax pointed out.
“She was mad then. It’s been a few days. She’s had time to cool off,” Dylan reasoned.
“Dude, there’s a rumor going around that she begged you to take her back, and you told her no. And that’s the nice rumor circulating. She’s hurting. Just leave her be for now. Give her some time.”
“No.” Dylan shook his head firmly. “Do you know how many other dudes want to get in her pants? Ever is a hot commodity in this place. A virgin. Gorgeous. She’s mine. All that shit is mine. I’ll be the first. I’m going to make it happen.”
“You’re nuts,” Jax snorted. I had to back away before I popped into existence and floored the douche. I went back to Everly and folded my arms over my chest as I watched her. She gave a half-hearted grin to Nina before her eyes traveled to where Dylan was. My heart clenched.
“Don’t even think about it, Everly,” I growled as this insane jealous rage took over me. I nearly became visible, my form shaking as I began to lose control. I had to go. I cast her one last look before melding back to Dementon.
I kicked open the front door to our commons, angrier than I’d ever been in my entire life, and more determined than ever before to keep my Everly safe, even from herself.
Chapter 14
I couldn’t go back to her, so I slept on it. For days. I sent Eric instead. He and Damien swapped back and forth as I continued to deal with Order garbage and my own sanity. I was sitting in my office, worrying about her, when Eric suddenly appeared.
“What?” I demanded, getting to my feet.
“She’s going to a party. The one you said the friend was having. This guy wants her. I think you need to go.”
I didn’t need to be told twice. Without thought, I melded straight to her room, wondering why the hell I was doing this to myself. My breath froze in my lungs as she walked out of her bathroom looking unbelievably gorgeous in her jean skirt and black top. She went to her vanity and leaned forward, putting her lip gloss on. And that was when I lost it. I shimmered into view as a shadow, desperately wanting to speak to her.
She froze, her pretty eyes locked on my red ones through the mirror.
“W-who are you?” she asked, her voice shaking. I couldn’t answer her. I was tongue-tied. Besides, I knew I shouldn’t. Instead, I willed myself to disappear, traveling straight out of her house to the sidewalk. In the fresh air, I drew in a few deep breaths and watched as she rushed outside, her eyes traveling back to her house fearfully.
Great. I’d scared her.
Nina waited in her car for Everly to climb inside. Once the door shut, Nina sped off. If I couldn’t hold it together just looking at her, I sure as hell wouldn’t be able to if that douche came around her.
So, I made my way back to Dementon and found Eric and Damien relaxing in the commons.
“I need you guys to go to her,” I said quietly as I entered the room.
“What’s wrong?” Eric asked as they both followed me to my office.
“I-I lost control and showed my shadow-self to her. I scared her. I can’t be there. I need you guys to do this. If I even hear that guy breathe, I’ll lose my shit.”
“We’ll go.” Eric nodded. “But you need to talk to Amara. She’s been asking us questions all night.”
“OK” I sighed, knowing I needed to talk to her. I still feared our parents would arrange a marriage that I knew I damn well didn’t want. I’d been putting off the dreaded breakup conversations for reasons I didn’t grasp.
“Alright. Come on, man.” Damien melded, and Eric followed suit. A sigh of relief escaped my lips. I needed a shower and a nap, in that order. Then, I’d talk to Amara.
Chapter 15
Gasping, I was jolted from my sleep by panic. Anger. Confusion. I sat up, the feeling gnawing at my guts. Then blinding pain overwhelmed me. I fell to the floor, gasping, crawling on my hands and knees.
“Shadow!” Damien burst into my bedroom and rushed to me. “It’s her. It’s Everly! We tried to get there, but we weren’t fast enough!”
“W-what happened?” I gasped, my body spasming painfully.
“A car. It-it struck her. I-I think she’s dying. Eric stayed behind. We need to get you there! She needs you!” I reached out to him, and he tugged me to my feet. Instantly, we melded to a dark road. I let out a shuddering gasp, lurching forward on the edge of the scene, trying to draw in calming breaths and get my head together so I could help her. I didn’t even need to think twice about it. I’d gone from wanting her dead to needing her to live. She had to prove me wrong. I needed her to. I needed her to show me she was more than the girl I blamed for my mother’s death. I wanted her to be great. To be worth the sacrifice.
I breathed in deeply, painfully, and narrowed my eyes as I surveyed what was happening.
When I saw all the blood pooling around her broken body, a cry erupted from deep inside of me. Her body was spasming, twitching, on the pavement. Dylan clutched her hand and cried over her. Suddenly, I wished I’d had killed her that first night I came back just so she wouldn’t be suffering in that moment.
“I’m so sorry!” he called out. “Don’t die, Ever!”
“I tried stitching.
It’s not working,” Eric said desperately, his blue glow fading away.
I shoved him and Damien away from me and went to her with steady steps, pushing the pain away. Looming over her, I cocked my head as I took in the scene.
Dear God. There was so much blood. She was going to die.
I fell to my knees and reached my hand out to her, my mother’s words slamming into me.
“The night is dark. She hurts. She’ll die without you. Go to her. Your heart and hers. They will be one. It is meant to be.”
Her pretty green eyes wavered, glassy, before she reached out for me, the creature no one else could see. Dylan was too busy begging her to breathe to pay any attention to anything she was doing.
I wrapped my hand firmly around hers, feeling her energy fall away from her. She wasn’t going to last long. Maybe ten minutes at the most. Blood dribbled from her mouth, and her body shook as she tried to breathe. She was dying. And she was in so much pain. I could feel it.
I focused everything I had on her.
“Breathe,” I commanded her, my voice distorted through shadow. “I’ll do the rest.” I didn’t even know if it would work, but I was damn well willing to try.
Her small body wracked with another tremor as she tried to obey me, her eyes wild and scared.
“Everly!” I shouted at her frantically, losing myself for a moment and shimmering. “Don’t stop! Focus on me. Stay with me. No matter what, don’t stop.”
“My heart,” she sputtered out in my mind, startling me. How was she in my head? She wasn’t Conexus. Her heart thumped unevenly, slowly, fading away, the beats few and far between.
“It’s not beating like it should,” I answered, my heart breaking as I stared at her scared face, her eyes fixed on me, silently begging me to help her. In the past, I’d always helped her. I couldn’t let her down now. All my terrible thoughts from earlier vanished. It was her. And me. Like always.