by Apryl Baker
The ghost I saw at the house was not Elaina. Sheriff McReynolds showed me a photo, and I could definitively clear my ghost as being her. It does make me wonder what happened to the poor girl I saw, but I’m grateful my dad had nothing to do with it.
Or maybe he did.
I hate that those thoughts pop up, but I’m beginning to accept there’s nothing I can do about the way I’m feeling either. If they’d let me stay with Gramps and Eli indefinitely, I think it would be better for me, but that’s not happening. And it would only draw more suspicion toward me and to Eli and Gramps as well. I won’t be responsible for causing that. Eli’s lost too much already.
“Any news?” Eli asks his grandfather when the old man gets back from town.
“No. From what I can gather, they’re focusing all their attention on the Army and nothing else.”
“But what if something else did happen to her?” I don’t like the thought of them ignoring other possibilities and getting tunnel vision on my dad any more today than I did days ago. Something happened to her, and maybe my dad’s team did take her, but maybe not.
“Then I doubt she’s going to be found.” Gramps puts his keys into the dish they keep on the little table by the door. “If someone’s not found within the first seventy-two hours, chances are they’re not going to be found alive.”
I hope that’s not the case, but he’s right. I watch a lot of true crime TV, and they give up hope after the forty-eight-hour mark. The part of me that is the hopeless glass half full kind of person doesn’t want to give up yet. There has to be something we can do to help her, or at least find her body for her family.
“You good?” Eli bumps his shoulder into mine when Gramps heads for his den.
“Not really. There has to be something we can do to help.”
“The cops aren’t going to tell you more than they already have.”
“Couldn’t we go to her place and see if her ghost shows up or something?”
He frowns and looks away.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“Elijah McGreggor, you suck at lying.”
He snorts.
“Tell me.”
“Ethan already asked if you’d do that.”
“He never asked me.”
“No, he was here talking to Gramps about it the day of the demon attack. It never came back up considering how sick you were right after.”
“I can do it now.”
“If you go to the house of the missing woman with a police officer, then whoever they have watching you is gonna know something’s up. My job is to protect you, not put you in danger, Shortcake.”
“This isn’t putting me in danger, though. It’s me trying to help.”
His nostrils flare, and I know he’s in super overprotective mode, but I have to do something to help. Just sitting around doesn’t sit well with me.
“Fine, but we do this my way.”
Why do I get the feeling I’m not going to like this?
“Okay, we’ll do it your way, but I need to try to help, Eli, especially if my dad took her.”
“You do realize ghosts tend to haunt the place they died, not where they were taken, yeah?”
“No, I didn’t know that, but she might come back to her house if she senses me there.”
He shrugs and gets up, going to get his keys out of the dish. “Let’s go, Shortcake.”
When I start to go out the door, he stops me. “Forgetting something?”
“No?”
He points to the cane.
I sigh. I hated that thing when I needed it, and I hate it even more now that I don’t.
Eli squats. “Get on, Shortcake. They’re used to me giving you piggyback rides and won’t think a thing about it.”
I get on and reach for my cane so that when we go out the door, it looks like everything’s normal.
“Do you even know where she lives?” I ask once we’re on our way.
“Please. As soon as this became my permanent home, I made sure to know every nook and cranny just in case of diabolical disaster. I know where almost everyone lives, or I can find out. Besides, it’s the only place the police have been crawling over.”
“Are they still there?”
“Nah. They’ve moved on. You can only collect so much evidence from one place.”
“Think they missed anything?”
“Probably.” He shrugs and turns off the main road into town, up a smaller dirt road. “Cops can do a lot, but they aren’t superheroes with x-ray vision. Things tend to get missed, especially if you aren’t trained in how to look for things out of the ordinary. Seeing as how most of the police force here is Supernaturals, they’ll find most if not all of the evidence, but you still just never know. Something that seems unimportant can be the most important thing in the world.”
“You seem to know a lot about it.”
“My dad’s in the FBI.” He closes his eyes for a second. “Was in the FBI.”
Finally, I start to see a glimmer of him starting to admit his family is gone, but I know better than to comment on it. If he’s getting to a point in his head where he can say “was,” then that’s amazing.
“Did he bring a lot of his work home with him?”
“Much to Mom’s disapproval, yeah. We were never given specifics like names or places, but he taught us a lot about police procedure and how it differs from the Bureau’s procedures. I learned a lot growing up, watching him become a better agent.”
“The only thing I learned growing up is that Dad was gone a lot and we moved several times a year. I might have gotten to see him a whole thirty days spread out over the course of a year. Since we’ve been here, he’s been home every single day. It’s nice, but having him underfoot is driving us all crazy.”
“I’ll bet.” He turns up another road, except this one is graveled instead of dirt or paved.
The small, quaint cottage we come upon sits quietly among the trees, the picket fence around it a picture out of a storybook. It’s beautiful with its red roof and green shutters offsetting the creamy white color of the one-story structure. There are beautiful flowers growing everywhere. Gramps would be envious.
“This is gorgeous.”
“Yeah, I love it, too. Reminds me of something out of a storybook or one of the stories Mom made up for my sister when she was little. It fits the area, too, with all the natural stone and woodwork trim.”
“Are you sure it’s safe to be here?”
He nods. “I kept careful watch to see if we were followed.”
“What about drones?”
“Drones?”
“You know the little helicopter things that can be flown above us.”
“I know what drones are, Shortcake.”
“Did you see any of those?”
“Since I was driving inside the vehicle, no. Guess we’ll look when we get out to see if there are stalkers from the clouds.”
I roll my eyes. Sometimes his analogies can be ridiculous.
“When you get out, don’t forget the cane or to limp with it,” he warns when he shuts the engine off. “They could still be watching or have cameras or things here set up so they don’t need to be in the area.”
“We’re just going to walk around and see if I see her ghost. We’re not doing anything too bad.”
“That’s where you’re wrong, Shortcake.” He grins like a maniac. “I’m going to show you how to pick a lock.”
“What? No! We can’t break into someone’s house, especially when they’re missing! We could go to jail, Eli.”
“Eh…we won’t actually go to jail. I used to get arrested at least three times a week before you moved to town. Ethan won’t actually arrest us.”
“How the heck are you still playing football if you’ve been arrested?”
“It’s because we won the championship game last year that they don’t actually arrest me.”
“Why are you always so cocky when you say stuff like that?”
He winks. “It’s not cockiness, sweetheart. It’s hashtag truth.”
I roll my eyes again. This boy.
“Come on, Ella Grace. We need to get a move on just in case the cops show up. I don’t want to face your mother when she comes to pick you up at the station.”
Yeah, Mom would flip if she had to bail me out of jail.
I open the door, careful of how I get down and lean on the cane as I limp toward the back yard. I meant it when I said I wanted to walk around the property.
Taking my bracelet off, I hand it to Eli. “Keep this safe for me.”
“No, you need to keep that on.”
“If it’s on, chances are Elaina won’t find me, and you know it.”
“This isn’t smart, Shortcake.”
“What’s not smart?”
Both our heads snap towards the sound of Matt’s voice. How did he get here? Why is he here?
“Dude, don’t sneak up on a bro like that.” Eli takes the bracelet I’m still holding. “Don’t worry about him. I texted him to meet us here before I got in the Jeep.”
“Why?” I’m nervous enough about my abilities with Eli, but with Matt here? I don’t know if I want to go into freak mode or not, especially if Eli’s right and he likes me.
“Remember I told you he’s a panther shifter? His nose is better than ours. He might find something they missed.”
I turn away from them both and start walking again, nervousness eating away at me. Why would he involve Matt in this? Even if he has a super sniffer. Not sure how good of a nose he has, though. I would think wolves are better at catching scents than cats, but what do I know about the world of shifters?
“How’s it going, Ella?” Jordan is lounging in a chair on the back porch.
How many people did Eli invite?
He comes around the corner with Matt and stops short at the glare I’m wearing.
“Don’t be mad. I needed help protecting you while you go all ghostly.”
“We’re your security for the day.” Matt flashes those dimples he’s famous for. I may have only been in Jacob’s Fork for a few months, but there are things that you pick up easily. Like his dimples. Eli’s right. Matt is more than cute, he’s a pretty boy. Not as beautiful as Eli, but he’s close.
“Matt, walk with her while she does her thing. Jordan and I are going to secure the perimeter. Once she’s done out here, we’ll go inside.”
“Sure thing, boss.”
Matt falls into step beside me as I walk.
“So, what’s your thing, Ella?”
“I’m, uh…” I don’t know if I want him to know. No one outside those who need to know understand what I can do.
“None of us are going to judge you, Ella,” he says softly. “You’re one of us. I know your introduction to our town wasn’t the best…”
I snort at that. Having a car run me over was definitely not the best introduction.
He winces and glances down at my jean-clad legs. “Yeah, probably a bit of an understatement.”
“Ya think?”
Those dimples flash again. “Despite that, most people here are good people. We protect each other. There are bad apples in every bushel, though, so I know why you’re hesitant to trust us.”
The only people I trust are my mother, my sister, Gramps, and Eli. The rest of them…not so much.
When I don’t say anything, Matt gets quiet, too. Instead of letting myself get so nervous I shut down, I block Matt out and turn inward, looking for my reaping abilities.
For me, it lies in the snowy heart of a deep forest. I was lost when I was a little girl and we went camping in Germany. The blizzard blew in, and I got separated from everyone. It took them a long time to find me, and I was terrified, surrounded by nothing but the snow, the cold, and forest.
And it’s in that memory that I have to dive into to get to the light that beats like a living thing. I see it, but my fear holds me back. Closing my eyes, I center myself, reaching out for the light that belongs to me, and my feet start to move toward it, through the icy snow and the tree branches trying to hold me back.
Once I touch it, everything else falls into place. The light wraps me in its embrace, protecting me from the cold and the snow.
When I open my eyes, the whole area around me seems to have shifted, my senses more aware of everything. I feel my power pulsing beneath my skin, eager to be used.
“What is that?” Matt sniffs the air.
“Me.” My nervousness has fled, and in its place is a person I seldom let anyone see—the confident girl who feels powerful. That’s what my reaping ability does; it gives me the confidence in myself I normally don’t have.
Selena appears beside me, her expression curious. Matt can’t see her. She’s a full-fledged reaper and my teacher. Eli doesn’t trust her, although she’s given me no reason not to trust her. Her dark honey gold skin is a contrast to the coal black hair she has pulled back in a ponytail. Eyes the color of rich, dark chocolate sweep the area.
“Ella, what are you doing?”
Matt stiffens at my side, his cat senses triggered. He may not be able to see Selena, but he knows something is here.
“Looking to see if the woman who lived here died. I want to help her if she’s still here.”
“How do you know she died?”
“She’s been missing for days.”
“That doesn’t mean she’s dead.” Selene’s voice remains patient. “You have to remember your job here is not to use your gifts out of character. Our job is the dead, not the living. Ghosts will come to you, and you’ll call me. That’s how this works.”
“I would only call you if I found a ghost to help move on.”
Selene sighs. “Ella…”
“No,” I cut her off. “Despite what you think, the living is very much my problem as well as the dead. I’m the one who has to look at family members and know I might have done something to alleviate their worry or their pain. You’re not human, Selene, and from what Eli says, you never were, so you can’t possibly understand. I don’t expect you to, but I do expect you to respect me and the things I need to come to terms with being a reaper. So, that said, I’m here now, and I’m looking. Stay or go, but I’m still looking for Elaina.”
Selene doesn’t look pleased and wants to argue more, so I start walking instead. Matt falls back beside me as I walk the property, my reaping ability leaching out from me and searching. I keep my focus on Elaina, picturing her in my head and calling out for her. After three full laps around the yard, I give up outside. She’s either not here or Selene’s right and she’s not dead.
Either way, this was an epic waste of time, and it only managed to make Selene pissed with me.
Not sure I care, though. I don’t like being talked to like I’m a child, and she’s the end-all, be-all to everything reaper.
“Ella, you done yet?” Eli calls, sensing my anger. His attention is focused on Matt, thinking he’s the cause, and if looks could kill, Matt would be dead at my feet.
“Yeah. She’s not here.”
“I could have told you that.” Selene glowers at me, probably not liking the way I stood up to her. Again, don’t care.
“Then why didn’t you?” I ask her.
“You didn’t ask me.”
It’s my turn to shoot her an angry look. Seriously?
“Who you talking to, Shortcake?”
“Selene.” There’s no mistaking the ire in my voice, and his expression clears of hostility. At least he knows Matt didn’t upset me.
“Who’s Selene?” Matt looks around, but he can’t see her.
“A reaper. You don’t have to worry about her. I’m the only person who can see her.”
“I’m not sure it’s a good idea to tell people about me.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re being watched, Ella. If they know I’m here with you, they can attempt to capture me.”
As irritated as I am with her, I wouldn’t wish that on my wo
rst enemy.
My tone softens. “Eli trusts Matt and Jordan. He’d never put me in harm’s way, so you can trust that they won’t do anything to you either.”
“Still,” she says, “I don’t want anyone else to know about me.”
“Okay.”
“I have deaths to attend to. Put your reaper skills away, Ella. Those who are watching can sense something is out of place, and there is no more out of place power than a living reaper. You’re not supposed to exist.”
Well, that just makes me feel even better about waking up with skills I didn’t ask for.
Before I can say anything else, she’s gone.
“Come on. Let’s go learn how to pick a lock.” Not on my top ten things to learn to do, but you never know when it might come in handy.
Even if my parents wouldn’t think so.
Matt grins, and I know this is a bad idea, but I walk up to the back porch anyway.
Lord help me.
Chapter Fourteen
Ella
Eli decided that I shouldn’t be picking locks. It would require me to be on my knees to reach the actual lock, and since I’m supposed to be pretending my leg is still messed up, that wouldn’t fly if someone was watching us. All things considered, I’m glad he’s not “teaching” me how to lockpick. It’s not a skill I want to have. Even if Jordan keeps assuring me it’s a useful one to have. I’m not someone who wants to break the law or get into trouble. That’s just not me. It might be Eli, and I’ll do what I can to make sure he doesn’t get into trouble, but I don’t want a criminal record.
Not that he listens to anything I want in that regard. He keeps telling me I need to have some fun, but this is not fun for me. It’s stress. And it’s starting to irritate me. First we broke into the ski resort—I did have fun there—and now this. Before long we’ll be hitting up gas stations for all their cash. Well, seeing as he values his football career, I don’t really believe that, but a small part of me thinks he might if he’s not kept on the straight and narrow. Eli could end up in jail for real one day, and I do my best to keep a check on him. Little good it’s doing since I’m standing here while he grins like a loon at having picked the lock in less than five minutes.