by May Dawson
“It’s not such a great proposition for us either,” Ryker said. “Not when you’re dressed like that.”
“Think Dr. Parrish will take me to the mall?”
“They’re not the most considerate people,” Ryker said. “But you might’ve gotten that impression from the way they kidnapped you.”
I wanted to believe Dr. Parrish wasn’t evil—that she would help me return to normal—but I knew I couldn’t trust her, so I shrugged.
Down the hall, there was a shrill scream.
Levi was on his feet so fast that I didn’t see him move; one minute he was sitting cross-legged, his broad shoulders against the wall, and the next he was at the doorway. His tall, lean body was tense, his fists up already, emphasizing the powerful width of his biceps and shoulders.
Ryker rested his hand on my shoulder, and I felt a flood of warmth that replaced some of the fear that had seized my stomach and made my knees weak. “You’ve got us,” he said, his voice low. “Don’t be afraid.”
“I don’t even know you,” I said. My voice broke slightly, giving me away, even though I’d meant to be quippy and quick.
“Yes, you do,” he said. “The five of us, the four brothers, the girl who walks in the light—we belong together. Deep down, you feel it. Don’t you? Hundreds of Liliths through the generations. For each Lilith, her protectors. Four warriors who would do anything for her. Five hearts through the generations.”
I quirked an eyebrow at him, or tried to, hoping I could keep it together. “Weren’t you just making fun of me?”
He squeezed my shoulder with his hand gently. “Just trying to tell you. Buck up, Buttercup. Trust us. Trust yourself.”
“That would be easier to do if I hadn’t maybe murdered my sister.” I admitted the terrifying thing out loud, the thing that was worse than unknown spirits and poltergeists. That some sin of mine had somehow led to that crash.
“Well,” he said. “When you walk in the light, you can ask her what happened. For now, want to go slay a poltergeist?”
“When Ryker’s feeling emotional,” Levi offered, “he finds it’s really helpful to kill things.”
I laughed shakily. “I don’t know the first thing about poltergeists. Let alone how to kill one.”
“But we do,” Levi said. “We won’t let you get hurt.”
Ryker squeezed my shoulder again, his touch comforting, and then gently pushed me ahead of him, towards Levi. Which was less comforting. “School’s in session, sweetheart.”
Chapter 6
I walked between Ryker and Levi, feeling sheltered—as well as terrified—as we walked down the dark hallway. Ahead of us, the heavy door that had closed us in on the ward stood ajar.
As we walked past the nurse’s station at the end of the ward, Levi leaned over the counter and picked up three swords in sheaths left between the telephone and the computer monitor.
“Swords,” I said flatly.
“The weapons of the angels,” Levi said.
“Ours don’t flame, though,” Ryker added, taking one from Levi. “Not until you figure out how to make it, anyway.”
“The mythology is a little unclear on that point,” Levi said.
“I get a sword too?” I asked, reaching out to Levi. My fingers brushed over the leather-wrapped grip.
Levi hesitated, then handed it over to me. “This is only for if you need to protect yourself. Otherwise, just stay with us.”
“What he means,” Ryker said, “Is that you’re already a hazard to yourself, Firestarter. You don’t need to swing any swords around. You’ll put your eye out.”
“What I mean is that she should watch and learn, because she’ll take her rightful place with us soon enough,” Levi said. “I don’t need you to interpret for me, brother.”
“Do you two always get along so well?” I asked.
“You should see what it’s like with the other one,” Ryker said. He nodded towards the door.
“Something to look forward to. I mean, besides the poltergeist. I’m just so excited about the ghosts.”
Levi pushed open the door left ajar at the end of the hallway. I glanced back over my shoulder, just for a second, at the dimly-lit hall we were leaving behind us; I already felt almost nostalgic for my room with the straight-jacket still on the tile and the haunted bathroom. At least that felt like somewhat familiar ground now.
“How come you don’t escape?” I asked. It was a trivial question compared to facing angry dead, but my brain spun around it as if it needed to focus on trivialities now. “When you have swords?”
“We put the swords back into the lockbox at dawn,” Ryker said shortly. “Or they gas us until we pass out and come in and do it themselves. Really ruins my day.”
“That’s awful!”
“Look around, Firestarter. Nothing about this situation’s on the up-and-up.”
We stepped out into a long hallway lit—barely—by emergency lights. On one side was an elevator bank. I twisted my head to see the other end of the hall, but the hall stretched away and its end was lost in the darkness.
“Abandoned mental hospital,” Ryker said. “That’s where they decided to set up camp. Somewhere that was shut down because of the abuse of patients. It’s the perfect place to torment a couple of Hunters and the Chosen One, see how we do what we do. At least they fixed up our hall for us.”
“That’s fixed up?” I asked.
“You should see the rest of the place.” Levi nodded at us over his shoulder, beckoning us forward, as he started off down the never-ending hall. “Just wait.”
There was a creak in the floor beneath my feet. I jumped to one side, sure something wasn’t about to attack me, and as my hands rose in a defensive posture I accidentally dropped my sword. It clattered to the tile floor. For a few long seconds, that was the only sound, the ringing of the metal sheath on the tile like a bell.
Ryker opened his mouth to say something. Levi said, “Nope.”
Levi knelt and picked up my sword, handing it to me without a word. I took it and tucked it under my arm, nodding my thanks to him. He nodded back.
My hands were shaking faintly. I hoped no one noticed. We continued on, down the hall; at every door, Ryker or Levi would peel off to check inside.
“Why do you even come out here?” I asked, my voice soft. “If there are wards you can use, why don’t you ward the hall?”
“We do put up wards every night so we can get some sleep,” Levi said. “They cover them up in the morning. So we have to start over. But we’re planning our path out of here. Doing that brings us into the path of unfriendly ghosts.”
“Are there friendly ones?” I quipped.
“Absolutely,” Levi said, which I hadn’t expected. “Some people change in death, depending on how they died. Some people were always bad. They’re the ones who tend to hang around. But good people get lost too.”
I thought of Ash’s satin skirt slipping through my fingers, the way those dreams felt so real that I woke up still feeling those shiny threads for a second.
“I didn’t know swords worked on ghosts.”
“They do if they’re forged a certain way,” Ryker said, “and then cooled in holy water.”
“Holy water is for real?”
“Most people don’t know the recipe,” Ryker said.
I didn’t know why I kept being shocked all over again. This was a mad new world, and I might have to just go mad along with it.
There was a scream ahead of us. I clutched the grip and sheath of the sword tightly, determined not to embarrass myself again.
The scream was ahead of us, but the trap came from behind us. It felt like a damp and filthy blanket thrown over Ryker and me from behind. I felt him push me hard, trying to get me out of the way, and I stumbled into Levi’s arms. He caught me in strong and muscular arms and then gently shoved me to one side, putting his body between me and the threat. Ryker threw the blanket away from his body. The look on his handsome face was disgusted.
“Is it gone?” My voice came out in a whisper.
“For now,” Levi said. He looked at Ryker over my shoulder, his face troubled. “Do you think they want her?”
“Why not,” Ryker said, “Everyone seems to.”
“Great,” I said out loud. “This is not the way anyone cares to be wanted.”
“I don’t know.” Even in the dim light, I could catch the mischievous shine in Ryker’s eyes before he winked at me. “You might come to like the way we want you.”
“Ryker,” Levi said, his voice warning. “You need to stop.”
I nodded along with Levi, but part of my liked Ryker’s teasing, the way he seemed attracted to me no matter what he’d said about my current flannel-shirt-and-man-jeans outfit. He was sexy as hell. And seeing the way he’d wielded that sword, cool and competent and protective, his leanly muscled body all athletic grace, had made me feel a spark of something besides fear.
Lust. I was pretty sure I was lusting after the astral-projecting boy I’d met just that morning.
Levi rested his hand on my shoulder, and I turned to look into his face. His deep blue eyes were warm with concern. The weight and warmth of his hand soothed some of my fear.
“Why don’t we go back and ward the hall? Let you sleep. There’ll be time for solving Parrish’s puzzles another night.” Levi said.
“I thought you guys had a way out of here,” I said. “Ryker told me to just let them take me.”
“I said that so Beefy and Burly wouldn’t kill you,” Ryker said. “You put up a fight anyway. Not like you listened to me. You were never going to escape.”
I might have escaped if I’d believe him and started running before those two goons attacked me. But of course, I couldn’t have taken any of this seriously then. I wasn’t going to be shamed for putting up a fight, though, and I bristled at his bossy tone.
“Sometimes you’ve got to fight,” I said. “Even if you get your ass kicked. You really think I was going to just climb into their creepy van?”
“We’re going to get out of here,” Levi promised. “Our brother is on his way to help. It’s just… complex.”
I would like details on how exactly things were complex, but I was also hung up on the fact that they had mentioned four angels and yet there was only one other brother they’d mentioned yet. “Aren’t there two other brothers? Aren’t there supposed to be four of you?”
Levi hesitated. “Yes.”
“I’m not prying into your family drama, but that’s fine, we’ll tell you,” Ryker said. “Our mom was kind of a trollop when it came to the supernatural.”
Levi smacked his chest. Not playfully. Hard. “Watch your mouth.”
“So, Levi and I grew up together,” Ryker said, rubbing one hand across his broad, flannel-covered pecs without comment on Levi’s sudden aggression. “With our mom. And occasional visits with Dad—the two of them split when were kids. And then eventually we found out about Jake. Big brother Jakey.”
“You didn’t know you had a brother?”
“Half-brother,” Ryker said. “Half… well, you’ll see.”
“What does that—” I began.
The lights lining the hallway flickered and died, leaving a phantom yellow glow before the last of the light died. The hall went black.
And then it was deeper than black, deep and empty. I couldn’t see Ryker or Levi or even, when I look down, my own body. Suddenly it felt like the ceiling had lowered too, like it was so low above my head that my hair might brush against it. It felt oppressive, claustrophobic, and I ducked my head involuntarily.
“Ryker?” I said, my voice a whisper. I felt so alone.
“Yeah.” The voice was low, husky, close to my ear. “I’m reaching out—is this you?”
His hand rested solidly on my shoulder.
“I think so,” I said. “I sure as hell hope that’s you.”
He squeezed gently. “Promise.”
I drew a breath, and it felt like there was enough air in this suddenly dank hall now that I at least knew I wasn’t alone. I raised my fingers, seeking for Levi in the darkness, even though I was terrified of what else I might brush up against. “Levi?”
“Present,” he said, and I felt my palm brush over flannel. I felt the hard muscles of his abs even through his shirt, and I accidentally ran my hand all the way down to the rough denim of his jeans. I felt him start slightly. Then his hand brushed against my arm; his thumb skated down the inside of my wrist, and for just a second, I felt the slightest thrill at his touch. He folded his fingers around mine, his palm warm and dry, his fingers long and lithe.
“We’ve got you,” Levi said, his voice low and protective. “We’re going to make our way back to the hall. Get to familiar territory and get the wards up. I have a flashlight, but I’d rather go without it.”
“The thing you’ll find out soon is that the darkest things are drawn to the light.” Ryker explained.
My stomach twisted into a knot, but I nodded. Not that anyone could see the quick jerk of my head. I squeezed Levi’s hand in mine—his left hand, I realized that his sword hand was still free—and then said, “Yeah, let’s go.”
Ryker’s hand on my shoulder tightened just slightly. His voice was warm when he said, “That’s my girl. Let’s go.”
I’d met him twenty-four hours ago. I shouldn’t feel this faint thrill of excitement when he said my girl.
Levi tugged me gently along, and I felt Ryker steer behind me, his hand always firm on my shoulder. Levi picked up the pace, and to my surprise, I found myself breaking from a walk into a run. I was terrified I was going to trip over my own feet or that we would run into a wall or a trap, but I felt sandwiched between the boys, unable to avoid running. And then we were almost sprinting.
The air turned cold. Frosty cold. My lungs ached, my breathing raspy in the freezing air, but we were still running. How Levi knew where to go, I couldn’t fathom, but I ran with him anyway. It felt like we were a battering ram, unstoppable as long as the three of us were on our feet and together. For a second, I felt a surge of elation that overcame the fear. Like something had clicked in my life.
And then Levi said, “Turning.” He slowed to a quick walk, the three of us turned and I heard the creak of the door left ajar. Suddenly Levi clicked on the flashlight, illuminating the nurse’s station in front of us. It was equally creepy where it was manned by Nurse Tom or whether we were being chased by ghosts. Levi ran behind the desk and grabbed a duffel bag, slinging it over his shoulder.
“In here,” Levi said, and we sprinted down the hall to the boys’ room. As soon as we were in, Ryker turned and slammed the door closed.
The two of them moved quickly. Levi dug in the duffel bag and threw Ryker a can of spray paint. Ryker caught it and turned to the door, hastily spraying a mysterious rune in red paint across the white door. Their room, too, smelled like fresh paint, and then I was overwhelmed by the powerful chemical scent of spray paint overlaying that scent. Levi grabbed a box of salt from the bag and began to shake it out across the windowsill. When he had finished, he turned and Ryker tossed him the can; Levi quickly marked the window.
While Levi jumped onto one of the two narrow beds and sprayed the strange symbol on the last wall, Ryker crossed to me, resting his big hands on my shoulders. In the dim light, his eyes looked dark, but they were full of concern as they looked me over. His voice was gruff, though, when he asked, “You all right?”
“Yeah,” I said. “I mean. Apparently I knew nothing about the world and life and death. And I need to learn in a hurry
because the stuff I didn’t know is terrifying. And my mom hates me. And I’m trapped in a haunted mental hospital. I don’t even watch horror movies because they get in my head too bad. But I think I’m going to be okay.”
Ryker bit down on his lower lip. His lip was the only soft, feminine part of that hard-angled, big-jawed face, and when he did that, it kind of made me want to kiss him. His lips just looked so kissable. He looked at me as if he couldn’t tell if I was joking.
And if he couldn’t tell I was joking, it probably seemed like I was coming completely undone.
“Let’s get some sleep,” Ryker said. “The ghosts won’t make it in. Levi and I will take turns keeping watch all night, just in case, so you can rest easy.”
I smiled faintly. It wasn’t like I should sleep easy, not with these guys I barely knew. Even if Ryker claimed that deep down, my reincarnated Lilith-self knew them.
That was a weird thing to think about. It made my insides feel squirmy.
The almost-eighteen years I’d been alive felt like a lot already. Forget having spent millennia screwing up.
“All right,” I said.
“You can sleep in my bed,” Ryker said. He gestured across the room to one of the two beds in here.
It was made up with a military-grade green wool blanket and white sheets, and as I sat at the edge of the bed, I didn’t expect it to be very comfortable. I leaned back, resting my head on the pillow, and breathed in the scent of clean laundry and a faint boy-scent, but a good one: like yellow soap and aftershave and maybe a bit of pure Ryker, a scent I couldn’t place, of musk and fresh-cut grass and wood smoke and even a faint sweetness, like peaches. I wanted to turn my face into the pillow and breath it in, to try and tease out all the strands of his scent, to make sense of it.