Secrets From the Grave

by B. L. Brunnemer

  "Did you go looking for the demon?" I asked, acting confused.

  "No." He sighed. "But I let it in, I let it-"

  "Isaac." My voice was sharp, getting his attention. "You didn't let anything in. You had a hole in your defenses. You keep blaming yourself for everything that goes wrong and its utter crap."

  "I created that hole-"

  "Yeah, you did," I told him. “The way you were thinking did it. And you're still thinking that way. Own that."

  His eyes snapped to mine.

  "But you still blame yourself for Sophie, you still blame yourself for what the demon did while you were being possessed." I stepped closer so I wouldn’t be over heard. "None of that was your fault. Stop picking up crap that belongs to other people."

  "I don't remember being any other way," he muttered.

  "I do. I remember the summer before the car accident. We were at football practice and Jason plowed into me." I shook my head. "He grabbed my face mask and broke his fingers during the tackle."

  "I remember that," Isaac admitted, watching the fish swam by. "You thought it was your fault."

  "Yeah, and it wasn't. Jason was the one to grab my mask. Jason was the one who tackled me." I took a breath. "You reminded me that Jason made a choice to do something illegal and he just had to deal with the consequences."

  Isaac was looking at the floor.

  "You didn't always blame yourself for everything, Isaac," I reminded him. "Before the wreck you knew what was true and what wasn't. You were a cocky shit who loved pulling pranks on us."

  Isaac snorted.

  "You were also a great friend." I laid it all out on the table. "You have been a good friend since but... you've been half dead since the wreck. And all we could do was watch from the sidelines as you slowly tried to destroy yourself."

  Isaac looked away and wiped his face.

  "No one blames you for what happened in Boulder or leading up to it." I told him. "So, stop blaming yourself."

  "I'm trying," he mumbled.

  "Good," I said. "Because we've missed your stinky ass."

  We both chuckled. It was only a couple of minutes more before we headed back to Ethan, Zeke and the other exhibits. We were just in time to watch Claire ride a dolphin like a horse. Now, only if things with Ally were that easy.

  Lexie

  “Fight through the exhaustion,” Zahur snapped.

  I used every bit of focus I had left to blast him back. Brad Pitt, the body Zahur was wearing today, went flying. I dropped to my knees, dragging air into my lungs.

  We had been at it for at least an hour. I was tired, aching and about to start yelling at Zahur who was getting to his feet in the waist high grass.

  "Good!" He flipped the long hair the actor had in Interview with the Vampire. "You focused enough to last as long as you could.”

  "Yeah, great," I gasped then dropped to the grass. I looked up at the Way and tried to give my body time to get a second wind. Zahur stood over me, grinning that Hollywood smile. I was really getting tired of his endless supply of bodies. At least today he wasn’t Ghandi. It wasn’t easy trying to beat the crap out of someone who was known as a pacifist.

  "At least if the other one comes back you'll be able to fight them off," he pointed out.

  I sighed. Since the whole almost dying in Boulder thing, Zahur had been on my ass three times a week. Teaching me how to fight in the Veil, building my endurance. I was improving but I was still getting my ass kicked. I sat up and glared at him.

  Zahur let his blade dissipate and put his hands on his hips. "Now, what were you saying about the Witches Council?"

  I began to explain why I was in New Orleans. I only got a few sentences out before Zahur's head snapped up, his eyes unfocused.

  "Sorry. I have to go," he said a heartbeat before he disappeared. I cursed. That shit. With nothing else to do, I pulled out of the Veil.

  I opened my eyes in the physical world and got up, grumbling about Zahur.

  Raised voices came from the living room.

  I opened my bedroom door to find Isaac and Ethan were in the living room. Ethan was stretched out on the couch. Claire sat perched on the arm of the couch, her eyes wide.

  “Estoy harta de tu mierda!” Isaac shouted.

  Ethan glared up at him then closed his eyes and gritted his teeth.

  "Isaac." I stepped further into the room. "Miles and I spotted a skate park yesterday. Want to go?"

  Isaac came around the sofa and picked up his board by the foyer. He took my hand and we were out the door in a heartbeat. Not waiting for the elevator, we hurried down the stairs and out onto the street. He didn't slow down until we were a block away.

  "Are you okay?" I asked, squeezing his hand.

  He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I’m so sick of him. I'm the one who almost died, I was the fucking one who had to watch Sophie die. Yeah, he fucked up his back. Yeah, it sucks. But fuck!" He ran his hand through his hair, his fingers digging into his scalp. "He's not the only one who has shit to deal with and I'm fucking sick of his shit!”

  I wrapped my arm around his and gave him a squeeze. "You need to talk to him."

  "I don't want to hear his woe is me bullshit," he bit out. "Ever since the fucking wreck, anytime he's hurting I feel guilty. Why the fuck do I feel guilty when I watched her die?"

  "Just because you weren't seriously hurt doesn't mean you should feel guilty-"

  "I know, Red. I've spent enough time talking to Miles in the last few weeks." He sighed, pulled his arm back so my hand slid down his forearm to his. He squeezed tight. "I'm just... I get what I must have said to him hurt him, but fuck."

  There wasn't anything I could say except the truth. "You need to talk to each other.”

  "Good fucking luck," he bit out. I sighed, if they didn’t start talking soon I was going to have to look for more tourist spots to take the twins. I had a feeling I was going to be taking a lot of walks.

  I shook his hand and made him look down at me. "Hey, we're away from him so you can calm down and relax."

  He took a deep breath and let it out slowly as we reached the bus stop just in time to catch the bus. We moved onto the almost full bus and ended up standing.

  He looked down at me. "So, what kind of hijinks can I get up to at the park?"

  I bit back a smile. Isaac's stunts had been getting more and more dangerous over the last few months. He finally admitted that he couldn't tell what was dangerous and what was a challenge. So now he asked.

  "Do what you normally do at the skate park, Cookie Monster." I smiled up at him. The corner of his lips lifted into a half grin.

  The bus took a hard turn, throwing me into his chest. I chuckled as he wrapped his arm around my waist and held me tight against him. His grin turned into a smile.

  "What?" I breathed.

  "I'm just happy I can kiss you without worrying that the guys might see," he whispered. My fingers tingled. I began to counter but his lips found the corner of mine with a quick chaste kiss. Sparks shot through me, the scent of limes surrounded me. He was smirking as he lifted his head.

  I stepped back from him and turned around to face the front of the bus. It was the only safe thing to do. Asher. Zeke. Isaac. Ethan. Miles. Why all five?

  The skate park was pretty awesome. It was under a bridge which was going to make watching Isaac a little difficult. Isaac was practically bouncing by the time we stepped off the bus.

  "Go, I'll find a spot," I told him with a smile.

  He hesitated. "You sure? I can give you another lesson."

  "Oh no. I like my feet on the ground," I teased. "Go, I'll stay within shouting distance."

  He broke out into a big smile before he wrapped his arm around my shoulders and kept walking with me.

  "I thought you were running off?" I asked as he stayed beside me.

  "Actually, I figured we could talk before I went out," he explained as we reached the park. Isaac took me to a spot where people could watch. It was raise
d and had a railing to keep people from getting too close to the skaters. And he could probably see me from anywhere in the park. It was sweet how worried he was about my safety. Isaac settled against the rail next to me, his shoulder and leg pressing against mine.

  "What did you want to talk about?" I asked, watching the other skaters do their thing.

  "Lexie." He used my name. I turned to meet those amber eyes. "I want to tell the guys."

  Time stopped. No... no, no, no. This wasn't happening. Not him too… "About what?"

  He grinned. "About you and me."

  I started tapping my fingers against the railing. "It's not that easy..."

  "Yeah, I know someone else has feelings for you too. But, the longer this goes on the worse it'll be for everyone." He had no idea how right he was.

  "I.. I..." I couldn't seem to get a sentence out.

  He cringed. "I'm not trying to pressure you. Don't think I'm saying we have to tell them now. I'm just saying..." He sighed and looked out at the park. "Lexie, I have to tell the guys anyway. We..." He turned back to me. "We have a no dating you rule in effect."

  It took me almost half a minute before what he said sunk in. Then I started laughing. Everyone but Miles had broken that rule, at least cracked it by kissing me. It took me awhile to calm down. Isaac was shaking his head as I wiped tears from my face.

  "I thought it was ridiculous too but... Miles thought it was a good idea," he said.

  The burning in my chest sobered me fast. What did I expect? I wasn't the kind of girl he went for.... Lexie, what the hell? You have Isaac wanting to tell the guys, Zeke... I had no clue where I was with Zeke. Ethan still didn’t remember anything. And you have Asher knowing about Zeke. That's enough!

  "I, uh, I need some time to figure things out." I turned back to him. "So, can you just not say anything until I do?" As if that was going to happen, I'm more tangled up than a string of Christmas lights.

  "Yeah, yeah. I just wanted to start us talking about it." He swallowed hard before he took my hand. "You know I'm not going anywhere, right?"

  I squeezed his hand and gave him a small warm smile. "I know. I just don't want anyone to get hurt."

  He squeezed back. "Neither do I."

  "Aren't you supposed to be skateboarding?" I asked, teasing him.

  He grinned as he leaned closer. "Kissing you is better than skateboarding." He moved in, his lips taking mine. My breathing hitched as I kissed him back. His hand cupped my face as he slowly pulled back. His eyes were bright as he grabbed his skateboard and jumped over the rail to hurry toward the skate section.

  I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He wanted to tell the others. Panic gripped me. I focused on breathing. In. Out. In. Out. What the fuck was I going to do? Okay, he said he'd wait until I was ready but... how the hell was I going to fix this?

  Isaac started skateboarding, doing tricks and grinding down rails. He was good, really good. As he let off some steam, my mind continued to worry. If I picked one of the guys to date, who would it be? And what would the consequences be?

  I still didn't have an answer when, an hour later, my phone chimed.

  Nemo: So, I take it the twins had another fight?

  Alexis: Yeah, I dragged Isaac out to the skate park we saw yesterday.

  Nemo: Did you get anything from Isaac?

  Alexis: He's angry at Ethan and not just about the way he's acting lately. He's also mad about the way Ethan has been since the crash.

  Nemo: In a way, that's good. He's been pushing that down for a long time. But he is talking about how he feels?

  Alexis: Yeah, a little.

  Nemo: Good. Maybe he will finally deal with everything he's been avoiding since the accident.

  I chewed on the corner of my bottom lip.

  Alexis: You should still talk to him about it. I have no idea how to help with this one.

  Nemo: Just listen to him. He's finally talking and not keeping things to himself.

  Alexis: You got it.

  Nemo: Do you know how long you two will be? We're making dinner plans.

  I lifted my head and searched the park. I found him at a half pipe, grinding along the edge before riding back down the side.

  Alexis: I’ll see if he wants to head back.

  I eyed the skating section, it was getting really busy. Deciding not to risk looking for him, I sent him a text instead.

  Alexis: If you’re ready, Asher found a restaurant he wants everyone to have dinner at.

  I was waiting for him to check his phone when a man shuffled up the walkway. He was disheveled, an unkempt beard covered his face. His suit was rumbled and stained as if he’d slept in it for days. I made a point to ignore him as he shuffled up the ramp.

  “Light, the light,” he muttered.

  My phone vibrated.

  Cookie Monster: On my way back.

  The man shuffled onto the main section. “Moving, moving, moving things in my head. Too much, too much.”

  I shifted, keeping the odd man in my sight while pretending to mess with my phone. He moved closer. I stepped away and tucked my phone into my pocket as I eyed him. His eyes were unfocused as if he was seeing something I wasn’t. Something about him bothered me, something just wasn’t right. I looked for Isaac and spotted him on his way toward me.

  “Light, so pretty,” the man mumbled. I turned back, he was only a step away. Not even thinking, I moved back again several feet. The man reached for me. “Light…” He grabbed my wrist.

  “Hey! Let her go!” Isaac shouted. Other shouts followed. I moved my hand over his knuckles, holding his hand to mine. I swung my arm in a circle, rotating my wrist so I could grip his. Off balance, he bent over. I pushed on his arm forcing him to his knees. My training told me to let go and run, but Isaac was coming. I held him in place, pulse racing.

  “It hurts, it hurts,” the man cried.

  “That’s what happens when you fucking grab girls,” I snapped.

  Isaac vaulted over the railing and grabbed the man by the back of his suit jacket and jerked him away from me. He planted himself between me and the crazy man.

  The man’s eyes were still unfocused. “So bright, so shiny…”

  The other skaters at the park reached us and got between us and the man. It was clear he wasn’t all there, so they simply forced him to walk down the ramp.

  Isaac turned to me, his hand moved along my lower back. “Are you okay?”

  I nodded. “He was muttering some crazy shit when he grabbed me.”

  One of the other guys chuckled. “Yeah, your girl already had him on his knees.”

  Isaac’s pulled me closer as he turned to the others. “What the hell was with that guy?”

  Another guy shook his head. “I don’t know, there are a lot more crazies around lately.”

  “What do you mean?” I asked.

  “The last couple of weeks, more and more crazies are showing up.” He shrugged. “Just be careful. The cops aren’t doing shit about it.”

  The other skaters headed back to the park.

  One of them handed Isaac the board that he’d dropped. “Thanks, man.”

  Isaac and I made our way to the stairs then made a point to walk in the opposite direction the man had taken.

  “What did that guy say?” Isaac asked, not letting me go.

  “He was muttering about a light.” I shook my head. The way the man’s eyes were unfocused… a chill ran down my back.

  “Who’s telling Zeke?” Isaac asked.

  I touched my nose. “Not it!”

  Isaac was too slow, he cursed.

  * * *

  Asher found a Cajun restaurant that he wanted us to try. The place was nice, and airy. The tall windows open to let in the evening breeze.

  I had just opened my menu when Miles said. “Reading glasses, Lexie.”

  I cursed and pulled them out of my pocket. I slipped them on and tried to ignore the stares of the guys. After several heartbeats I had enough. “Stop staring.”
/>
  The guys chuckled as they stopped watching me.

  “They’re cute, Red,” Isaac offered.

  “Yeah, yeah,” I muttered as I concentrated more than I ever needed to on reading the menu.

  Dinner went on. The food was fantastic, even if the conversation was a little sparse. Asher hadn't really said anything since he ordered, the same with Isaac. That left the conversation to Miles, Zeke, Ethan and me. I had given up on getting the others to join in before our entrees even came.

  Everyone had finished when I looked out the window and spotted them. A woman with her child holding her hand, he couldn't have been older than three, was walking down the sidewalk. The spirit of a woman followed her closely with an odd gleam in her eye. Instinct had me on my feet before I knew it. So when the ghost jumped the mother, I was already moving. The guys asked me what was going on as I jumped out of the open French window and onto the sidewalk.

  "Lexie!" Someone barked, I ignored them. The ghost spotted me, dropped the child's hand and ran through the crowd. I hauled ass after her. The little boy started crying. The cursing behind me told me that one of the guys was there.

  "Take care of the kid!" I ordered as I continued to weave through the crowd. The woman had to have been a runner because she had stamina. Ignoring the strange looks and nasty glares, I kept on her heels until she made a wrong turn into a dead end. I skidded to a stop on the cobblestones, my heart pounding, taking deep breaths trying to get my breath back.

  The woman's eyes glowed with a strange silver ring around her irises. That was new. I patted my front pocket where I had stashed a vial of holy water.

  The woman grinned a sick, twisted smile. "Get outta my way, meat bag."

  I tilted my head to the side and smiled. It wasn't my nice one. "Get out of that woman and you can walk away."

  She giggled a manic, not-all-there giggle. "Or what?"

  "Do you know what I am?" I asked in my dead voice.

  "Some psychic who wants to help us poor souls cross over," she jeered.

  "Oh, no, sweetie." I let myself feel. Anger poured through me. This bitch just made a mother abandon her kid on a packed street. My chest was solid and strong. "I'm a Necromancer."