Secrets From the Grave

by B. L. Brunnemer

“Yeah.”

  “Great,” I sighed.

  “Miles got them both to promise to knock it off. At least for the rest of the movie,” he said.

  “Good. I’ve been wanting to smack them both upside the head,” I muttered.

  His lips twitched. “Miles did that. At least verbally.”

  I snorted.

  We went back to the others. This time, when I sat between the twins, Isaac didn’t touch me. He was too busy stewing in whatever anger he had at Ethan. And Ethan was doing the same. I thought about moving to sit next to Miles, but that would mean sitting near Asher and frankly, I wouldn’t be able to without opening my mouth. I stayed put until the end of the movie.

  Afterwards, everyone headed back toward the parking lot. The twins held out as long as they could.

  “You’re still an asshole,” Isaac muttered to Ethan as they started toward their car.

  “I’m going to knock you….” Ethan’s voice turned into a series of expletives as they walked out of earshot.

  “Night, guys,” I called over my shoulder as I walked with Hades to the Blazer. Hades jumped up onto my seat and moved to the other.

  “Ally.”

  My heart jumped as I took a breath. I turned around and looked up to meet Asher’s gaze. “Yeah?”

  He handed me the blanket I had brought.

  “Oh. Thanks,” I said, trying not to let my disappointment show as he walked away. I began to mutter under my breath. “Hey, Ally. How are you? Not bad, how about you?”

  “What?” Asher called.

  Oh, shit. I turned back to Asher who was about ten feet from me in the almost empty parking lot, frowning. Fuck it. “You can’t even say a word to me?”

  “It’s not that easy.” He began rubbing the back of his neck.

  “No, it isn’t,” I bit out, my temper sparking. “But I fucking try. And you just ignore me.”

  He looked away from me, again. “I’ve been thinking…” He sighed, turned back to me and dropped his hand to his side. “I think I should step back for a while.”

  “Step back?” What did that even mean?

  He nodded. “Maybe I shouldn’t be hanging out with everyone so much.”

  It was as if someone had punched me in the chest. I shook my head, not even needing to think about it. “No. Maybe I should.” It had been in the back of my mind for the last couple of weeks. They had been friends since they were little kids. If anyone should back off...

  “Ally, no,” he said, taking a step closer. “You shouldn’t have to-”

  “And you should?”

  “It’s my fault.” He shrugged. “I shouldn’t have said anything.”

  “No. If anyone should phase out, it should be me.” I took a step back, climbed into the Blazer and started it. I wasn’t going to start separating the guys.

  Asher was striding toward my door when I threw it into reverse and peeled out of the parking spot. I managed to hold off my tears until I was down the street. Ten points to me.

  Chapter 2

  July 11th, Wednesday Before dawn

  Something woke me up. I grumbled and rolled over into Hades. The big lug didn’t budge a millimeter. There was a small plink of something hitting glass. There it was again. I opened my eyes and listened. It was coming from my window.

  Still half asleep, I crawled out of my bed and went to it. I jerked the blinds open and glared down at the lawn. Claire stood there waving her arms at me. It took me almost a full minute to realize what I was seeing. Then I bolted down the stairs and hurried out the front door on to the grass.

  Claire was beaming, with her hair in copper braids, and wearing her usual Care Bears shirt and jeans. “Lexie!”

  “Where the fuck have you been? You scared the shit outta me,” I snapped at her.

  She rolled her eyes and ignored my question. “I’ve got news.”

  “You do understand there are psycho ghosts out there, right?” I demanded. Claire had been gone for months without telling me where she went! Yeah. I was still pissed about that.

  “I did it.”

  Her words stopped me cold. “Did what?” Don’t tell me something went wrong…

  She smiled that glowing smile again. “I found another Necromancer.”

  My jaw dropped.

  “And he wants to meet you.”

  It took some time for me to grasp what she was saying. “Where?” My voice was barely above a whisper.

  She smirked. “New Orleans.”

  I stood motionless for several heartbeats. “New Orleans? There’s a Necro in New Orleans?” I asked, making sure to be very clear.

  She nodded. “And he wants to meet you.”

  Holy…shit. If I could have, I would have hugged Claire tight. “You are the best!” I turned and ran for the door.

  “Um, Lexie?”

  I skidded to a stop in the foyer and turned back to her.

  “Why can’t I get in the house? And what’s with the paint? And the lights?” she asked, stopping at the doorway.

  “Long story, I’ll explain on the drive,” I promised as the sunlight began to crawl across the yard. I didn’t waste any more time. I ran upstairs and dove into my closet, tearing clothes off hangers and stuffing them into my book bag. I’d only need a couple of pairs of jeans, shirts, some bras and underwear. Fuck clothes, I needed to get to Louisiana now! Someone finally had answers! I tore off my pajamas and pulled on jeans and a shirt.

  “Screw it. That's enough.” I jerked open my middle drawer and rummaged through my stash of books to find the book I kept my savings in. Jamming the money in my back pocket, I practically stumbled all the way to the bottom of the stairs.

  “Lexie? What the hell are you doing?” Rory demanded from between the living room and the dining area. His copper hair was everywhere, his brown eyes still half asleep.

  I turned with my hand on the door. Leaving without telling Rory or the guys, would not go well for me. I’d live but I’d be barbecue.

  “I got a lead,” I admitted, trying to calm down and think. “A ghost I’ve known for years told me that there’s a Necromancer in New Orleans.”

  He blinked at me then seemed to grasp what I was saying. “Get your ass over here and explain.” His voice told me not to argue.

  I took a deep breath as I headed toward the dining table, dropping my backpack onto the couch as I passed. He went into the kitchen and turned on the coffee pot. I started bouncing my knee as I waited for him to come back and sit down.

  “Now, what is going on?” Rory asked in a patient voice.

  “A ghost I trust told me they found a Necromancer in New Orleans,” I said carefully, trying not to give Claire away. “I have to go down there; I might finally be able to get some answers.”

  Rory took a deep breath and let it out slowly as the aroma of blessed coffee drifted from the kitchen. “Okay. I understand that.” He met my eyes. “Now, why were you leaving without asking me?”

  I chewed on the corner of my bottom lip. “Um, I didn’t think about it?”

  He closed his eyes, took a breath then let it out slowly. “You need to start thinking about it.”

  I nodded, he had a point…

  “How the hell were you going to pay for a hotel down there? Or even the gas to get there?” he asked. “Did you even think about meals?”

  I cringed. “I grabbed my savings but it’s not much…” I only had a couple of hundred saved. That wouldn’t be nearly enough. “But I have to go.”

  He sighed. “And you will.”

  My heart leaped in my chest. He said yes!

  “But not alone and not without money.” He got to his feet and went to the coffee maker. He grabbed a mug and pulled out the carafe as I waited impatiently.

  He took a drink as he turned back to me and leaned against the counter. “I’ll give you a credit card, and we’ll see if one of the guys can go with you.”

  I went to pull out my phone and couldn’t find it. Did I leave it in my room? I was about to leave wit
hout my phone. That more than anything calmed me down. But Rory wasn’t done.

  “If no one can go, then you’ll have to wait a couple of days so I can find someone to cover my shifts and we’ll go.”

  I shifted in my seat, maybe Tara could… Wait, Tara in New Orleans. With me. Oh, hell no. We may be on speaking terms, but we still were nowhere near good enough to be around one another that long.

  “I’ll call the guys.” I got to my feet and made a point to calmly walk upstairs past a glaring Hades and Claire, who was still waiting outside watching through the open door. Shit. I was about to leave Hades too. Wow. I really had been freaking out.

  I found my room a disaster area. Clothes thrown everywhere. The closet and the containers under my bed were open and empty. Holy shit. It was like a tornado had ran through here. I started searching among the debris for my phone. Finally finding it in the container under my bed that stored my underwear. Sitting on the pulled-out futon, I called Miles. He’d probably-

  “Lexie? Are you alright?” Miles asked as soon as he answered his phone.

  “Yeah, I’m okay,” I said, trying to keep myself calm. “Were you in the middle of your laps?”

  “No, I just finished,” he said, his quiet timbre becoming silky smooth. I relaxed instantly at the sound of that voice. I just couldn’t help it. “You never call this early, are you sure you’re alright?”

  I took a breath, stay calm. “Any chance you’re free for a few days?”

  “I don’t have anything planned that can’t be rescheduled,” he said in a careful voice.

  “I need to go to New Orleans.” I explained that Claire was back and found a Necro down there and it was the chance of a lifetime. He listened patiently, asking questions as I told him everything.

  “Of course, I’ll go,” he stated. I relaxed.

  “Thank you, Miles.” I sighed in relief.

  “But we’re not going alone,” he told me as something slid open then shut again through the phone.

  My heart filled with dread. “What? You mean… everyone?” Zeke in a big unfamiliar city, with all of us. That was not going to be fun. Then again, Asher. I chewed on the corner of my lower lip. He probably won’t even agree to go, not after last night.

  “Yes, everyone,” Miles said, his voice becoming muffled. “They’ll all want to go. Plus, we can fly down in the jet. It’ll be faster and it’ll be easier to bring Hades.”

  “What are you doing?” I asked.

  “I’m just… uh….” He swallowed hard enough that the phone picked it up. “I was changing.” My jaw dropped as I remembered Miles in a speedo. Damn…

  “Oh.” Was all I managed as I tried to control my breathing.

  “I’ll, um, I’ll call the guys and tell them to pack for a week or so. It might take them a couple of hours.” He hesitated to hang up. “I’m sorry about that.”

  His apology jarred me back to reality. “Oh, no, it’s fine. I just didn’t expect that answer,” I rushed to explain. “I thought you were still out by the pool.” My face burned. And dressed, and not… not dressed…

  “Um, I’ll, uh, see you in a little while.” He hung up while I was still staring at the wall, that image back in my mind.

  When I came back downstairs, Rory was pulling out stuff to make breakfast. I quickly took over.

  I was scrambling the eggs in a mixing bowl when I broke the silence. “Miles wants to go, and he’s calling the others. He said they’ll be here in a couple of hours.”

  “Good. Then you should probably get packed,” he pointed out. I looked over my shoulder to the backpack that was on the couch. It was half open, a bra spilling out the top. Yeah… I’d need more clothes than that.

  I was just dishing up my own food when my phone chimed. I set my plate down on the table and checked my phone.

  Cookie Monster: Didn’t we just go to sleep?

  I grinned. Isaac had needed to talk last night. Though, not about his fight with his brother. Since he’d been possessed by a demon, his nightmares had been pretty bad. We had hung up around three this morning. I sat down and sipped my coffee before answering.

  Alexis: Yeah, I’m planning a plane nap.

  Cookie Monster: I’ll join ya.

  Alexis: You’re staying in your own seat.

  Cookie Monster: But… cuddles…

  I bit back a smile, put my phone down and started eating.

  Rory came out of his bedroom, dressed and rolling a large suitcase. “You can use my suitcase, it’s a bit dusty though.”

  “Thanks.” I got to my feet and took my dishes into the sink. “That’s a lot easier than book bags.”

  “I’m going to head out and get a prepaid credit card for you. Don’t forget to call your boss and make sure you can get time off,” he told me as he headed to the door.

  “It should be fine, I’ll call from the plane.”

  “I’ll be back in a bit." The door closed behind him as I picked up the suitcase and headed for the stairs, picking my backpack up on my way to my room. My bedroom was still a mess, clothes were everywhere. I was a mess. I started cleaning up my clothes and began packing.

  I was halfway done picking up when someone knocked on the front door. I grinned. Miles was still the only one who knocked. Careful not to fall, I hurried downstairs and opened the door for Miles. His chestnut hair was still wet and curling from the pool. He was subtly watching Claire out of the corner of his eye. Claire was eyeing him back.

  “Didn’t he have thicker glasses last time?” Claire asked, eyeing him right back.

  “They were broken,” Miles supplied. “These are my back up pair.”

  Claire gaped at him.

  “Oh, yeah,” I said. “The guys have the Sight now.”

  Claire smiled and all but jumped up and down. “More people to talk to! You have no idea how boring dead people can be!”

  We both chuckled as I got out of the way so Miles could come in.

  “Want some coffee?” I asked as I closed the door.

  Miles ears were pink as he turned to me. “Oh, yes. Thank you.” He looked around the great room. “Where’s Rory?”

  “He ran to pick up a prepaid card for me to take.” I headed for the kitchen.

  He nodded. “The plane should be ready by the time the guys get here.”

  “We don’t need to take your plane,” I said over my shoulder.

  “It’s faster,” he said. “We can make our own schedule and taking Hades will be a lot easier.”

  I pulled down a mug and started pouring coffee. “Okay, but still...”

  “Lexie, I was going to get that,” he said as he hurried into the kitchen as soon as he realized what I was doing.

  I turned and handed him his coffee already made the way he liked. “Too late.”

  His ears tinged red as he took the mug from me. “Thank you.” He leaned against the counter as I headed for the stairs.

  “I’ll be down in a bit. I’ve got to finish packing.” I started up the stairs.

  I searched through my almost fixed room and made a point to pack the research Miles had managed to find for me. I was on my way back from the bathroom with my toiletry bag when Tara’s bedroom door opened. My cousin has a sweet face, long blonde hair and nice blue eyes. She always looked sweet, too bad she usually wasn’t.

  Still half asleep, she scowled at me. “Why are you up?”

  I hesitated. “I’m going away for a few days.” I hurried back into my room hoping she’d leave. No such luck. The front door opened and closed. Rory's voice drifted up the stairs.

  Tara stepped into my doorway and watched as I packed. “Where are you going?”

  “Um, I’m leaving town for a bit,” I hedged.

  “Where?” she asked again.

  I sighed. “New Orleans.”

  “What?” she screeched.

  “I’m going to New Orleans with the guys,” I said. “There’s someone down there that can do what I do. And they’re willing to talk to me.”

&n
bsp; She growled then turned and stomped down the stairs. I went back to packing.

  When she started shouting I cringed at the shrill sound. Poor Miles, he was stuck in the middle down there. I stopped packing and went to the top of the stairs. “Miles? Can you give me a hand?”

  “He’s outside,” Rory answered before going back to talking to Tara. I went back to packing.

  I had just packed another pair of shorts when heavy steps sounded on the stairs. I looked up just as Zeke leaned against the doorjamb. His ice blue eyes watched me pack.

  “You almost packed?” he asked in his deep gravelly voice.

  “Yeah.” I finished closing the main zipper on the suitcase. “Are you having to use your vacation time for this?”

  He shrugged. “I doubt we’ll use all of it.”

  I grinned.

  “You okay?” he asked quietly.

  I nodded. “I just want to get down there and meet this Necro.”

  “Nothing is going to happen to you,” he said.

  I turned back to look up at him. “I wasn’t worried about that. I was just…” I took a breath. “I’m excited. For the first time in my life, we can get some real answers.”

  His eyes ran over me then met mine. “Good.”

  “So, since we might be in New Orleans for your birthday, what do you want to do?” I asked. Zeke’s eighteenth birthday was in a few days. His present was already in my suitcase.

  He shrugged. “Doesn’t really matter.”

  I shot him a look and went back to packing. “We’re still celebrating.”

  He grumbled wordlessly. I smiled.

  “Is Tara still having a fit?” I asked as I finished with the suitcase's last zipper.

  Zeke stepped into the room and picked it up off my futon as if it weighed nothing. “No, she’s been quiet since I walked in.” He walked out into the hallway.

  “I was going to get that,” I told him.

  “I don’t want you falling on the stairs,” he countered. It was sweet but… he’d been super over protective of everyone the last few weeks and it was starting to get on my nerves. Miles said he was working on it with his shrink and to be patient but... I missed the Zeke who would let me carry my own suitcase, and wouldn’t break into a safety lecture whenever one of us went outside.