Nikki exchanged a glance with Henry before shaking her head. “Yeah, not exactly.”
“Making progress at least?” Simon said.
They started walking toward the house.
“I’m not so sure about that either,” Henry said. “So far, the other side may even be winning.”
As they continued to walk, Nikki and Henry told them about what they’d experienced while trying to free Rose. Although, Nikki didn’t mention what had happened to her the other morning in the garden. Not surprisingly, Henry remained silent on whatever he’d gone through alone as well. Still, they didn’t even have to include those moments for the others to widen their eyes and shake their heads as they listened.
They climbed the steps to the back deck and Simon stopped walking. He looked back and forth between Henry and Nikki. “Blimey, it sounds like something out of a horror movie.”
“It’s all so creepy,” Naomi said. She took a seat at the outdoor table and the others moved to join her.
Once they were all seated, Jamie cracked a smile. “Damn, there I was all insulted that Lysrus chose only you guys. Now, I’m freaking glad he recognized me for a slacker.”
A few moments passed with no one speaking. From the distance came the sound of Becky’s hooves as she galloped in her pen.
“Please tell me you’re not going back there,” Naomi said. “I don’t think you should.” Her eyes glistened, as if she fought back tears.
The last thing Nikki wanted was to scare her and she felt glad they hadn’t told her the worst parts. Not long ago, they wouldn’t have told her as much as they had.
Another moment passed in silence but this time Nikki caught Jamie making eye contact with Simon, then Naomi. Naomi returned her gaze to the field where Becky had now dropped her head to munch on grass. Simon stared down at the table while Jamie glanced up at a passing flock of birds.
“What the hell is it?” Nikki said, startling Henry, who turned to scan the other faces at the table.
“Guys, are you not telling us something?” Henry said.
Jamie was the first to speak. “We had planned on telling you but we figured it for good news at the time. Now, well, things have kind of changed.”
Simon cleared his throat. “Yeah, it might only serve to complicate things.”
It didn’t surprise Nikki to learn that they’d been up to something. In fact, she would have been surprised if they hadn’t tried getting involved somehow. Still, she’d never imagined they’d discover anything significant.
“Spill it.” Nikki narrowed her eyes and stared at the two of them.
Simon pointed at Naomi. “Hey, she was there too.”
Nikki rolled her eyes. “Really?”
“Come on, you guys,” Henry said. “We still have a decision to make and it sounds like you know something we don’t.”
Jamie leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. “Well, first we got curious. You know, just some research.”
“We just went on the internet,” Simon said.
“Not literally, I hope,” Nikki said, remembering Simon recently managing to get himself not only on YouTube but onto news stations as well.
“Nothing like that,” Simon assured them.
“Yeah, we were just seeing what we could dig up,” Jamie said. “I’m guessing we didn’t learn much you didn’t already know. Just that Rose came from a rich family, that both of her parents died when their car got hit by a truck one night.”
“She was only seven when it happened,” Naomi said, her voice soft. “It’s just so sad.”
“It was really sad,” Nikki said. “Sorry to say, it’s way more sad now.”
“That’s kind of what we figured,” Jamie said. “We wanted to try and help you guys but we didn’t know how.”
“Then we got an idea,” Simon said. “Remember Julie?”
“The psychic?” Henry said.
Jamie nodded. “Yeah, her.”
Suddenly, it seemed so long ago that they’d learned that their old friend, Curtis—who was now living on Earth again as Ian—was supposed to die unexpectedly. They’d decided to do everything possible to prevent that from happening. One of the things they’d tried was contacting Julie, a psychic Ian had met and who’d experienced a vision of the moment he was going to die. Part of Nikki still felt mad at Julie for not trying to help them at first. Still, Julie had fought back her own fears in the end and tried to get involved. She’d even warned Ian and Nikki knew she couldn’t be blamed for him dismissing that warning.
“What does Julie have to do with any of this?” Nikki said.
“We went to see her,” Jamie said. “You know, just to see if she could maybe tap into things.”
“And she definitely did,” Naomi added, somewhat reluctantly it seemed.
Nikki perched forward in her chair. “Wait, how could you... I’m sorry, this might sound kind of crappy. But how could you possibly talk to her without Henry?”
It appeared that Jamie couldn’t help himself, since a grin spread across his face. “I emerged. Holding a sign. Can’t believe I never thought of it before. It’s so freaking obvious!”
Henry’s eyes widened. “That’s brilliant. Like, you wrote something on a piece of cardboard?”
Jamie shrugged. “Pad of paper, but yeah! Still can’t believe it took me that long to think of it. I mean, if someone on the other side can see me, then they’re also probably going to see what I’m holding. A psychic, for sure.”
“I told you to try that like twenty years ago,” Nikki said, willing herself to keep a straight face.
As expected, Jamie took the bait. “Oh, my God! You totally never, not even once, mentioned that being—”
Nikki burst out laughing. She couldn’t help it, seeing his eyes bugging out at her that way.
Henry lost it too, then reached over to bump her fist. “Nice,” he said, before turning back to Jamie. “So, what did your sign say?”
Jamie shot a dirty look at Nikki before continuing. “Well, it was just an idea so I thought I should keep it simple. I mean, just because I wrote something on a piece of paper didn’t guarantee anyone would be able to see it.”
“Plus, he has truly terrible handwriting,” Naomi added.
“And there’s that,” Jamie said. “I kept it to this: ‘Rose Boland. We need your help.’”
“Okay, cool,” Nikki said. “So, what happened?”
“Julie got that we were there and she talked to us. She definitely knew you guys weren’t with us and she even gave a pretty good description of Naomi and Simon. And she could hear us too. I think the sign thing just opened the door a little faster.”
“She didn’t get that I was from the UK, though,” Simon said. “For some reason, she thought I was an American.”
“Sorry, Simon,” Naomi said.
“Thanks, Naomi. Nothing against you guys but I hope I’m not getting an accent.”
Jamie stared at Simon. “You’re the one who has an accent.”
“You don’t like our accent?” Naomi said.
“You have a very nice accent, Naomi,” Simon said. “I didn’t mean anything bad by that.”
“Anyway,” Jamie said, “Julie sort of talked to us for a while, then she totally did her thing. She went all trancy-wancy.”
Naomi giggled. “Trancy-wancy. I like that. It’s cute.”
Nikki frowned. “Um, guys?”
“Well, here’s the thing,” Jamie said. “Julie did a reading and at one point she got pretty freaked out. She started pacing around the room and shaking her head and I thought she was going to bail entirely.”
“She might have tapped into Rose’s situation,” Henry said.
Nikki nodded. “That’s what I’m thinking too.”
Jamie looked at Henry, then Nikki. “Remember that thing she does where somehow she can contact people like us? People between lives, I mean.”
Nikki thought back to when they’d watched Julie give a reading, thinking at first Julie hadn�
��t even known they were there. They’d been wrong about that. Julie had become totally aware of their presence. But even more impressive was how Julie had quickly determined that her client—the middle-aged woman who’d come to see her—had unfinished business with her mother who’d recently passed away. The woman sitting across from Julie hadn’t even mentioned being concerned about her mother. Somehow, Julie knew anyways and it wasn’t long before she’d established contact with this other woman no longer living in the physical realm. It was one of the more amazing things Nikki had seen, and that was saying a lot, all things considered.
“I remember,” Nikki said.
Jamie hesitated for just a moment, then said, “She made contact with Rose’s parents.”
Nikki felt like she’d been hit with a bucket of cold water. Her pulse suddenly kicked into overdrive. “What?”
Henry stared at Jamie too, his eyes wide. “Are you sure?”
“Well, it wasn’t like I saw them,” Jamie said, “but from what Julie said I didn’t doubt they were in the room with us. You remember, right?”
“Like last time,” Nikki said. At the time, she’d felt no doubt that the woman’s mother had been in the room and she’d wondered how it could be that, even though that woman had also Transitioned, she’d remained invisible to herself, Henry and Jamie. But when Nikki had thought about it more she’d come to realize they experienced the same thing right in their neighborhood, where they heard other kids but never saw them. Apparently, that was just part of the reality of the realm they presently shared.
“Exactly. They were totally there,” Jamie said. “They knew about everything Rose has been through and everything she’d been hoping for—that she keeps hoping for. But there’s a reason we almost didn’t tell you. They said they’ve been helplessly watching the entire time. They’ve kept trying to get through to Rose but nothing seems to work.”
“Did they say why?” Henry said.
“Because of guilt. No matter how hard they try, she can’t allow herself to face them.” Jamie shrugged. “There was some other stuff too but I’m thinking it probably doesn’t matter right now. I mean, they’ll sort it out eventually.”
“Yeah, agreed,” Simon said. “You guys have already been through a lot.”
Nikki checked Henry’s eyes. He didn’t have to say anything for her to know he was thinking the same thing. Yes, his eyes said, we need to know. And that was the thing about Henry—the one thing Nikki knew she could always count on. He never backed down when it came to helping someone else, despite how much it might cost him to try.
“What other stuff?” Nikki said.
Jamie glanced off into the distance, hesitant to speak.
“We really need to know,” Henry said.
Jamie nodded. “Rose’s parents were told that if Rose ever breaks free, she’ll get to join them again. They’ve been waiting all this time for that to happen. And they’ll keep waiting. Forever, if they have to.”
11
No Greater Mystery
Early the next morning, Henry knocked softly on Nikki’s door, suspecting he wouldn’t have to wait very long. He was right. Only a few seconds passed before she stood facing him, dressed in jeans and a hoodie like she was ready for whatever came next.
Henry kept his voice low. “Did you get any sleep?”
Nikki shrugged and whispered back, “A little.”
Henry gestured with his chin in the direction of Martha’s door. He knew he didn’t have to say anything, that Nikki would know. It was better to do this now before the others woke up. There wasn’t any point in discussing it further with them. As soon as Jamie had told them what they’d found out, Henry had understood why the three of them had been hesitant to share that information. Undoubtedly, they’d known that as soon as Henry and Nikki learned of it they’d be unable to leave things as they were. They were right, of course. Rose had gone her entire life having suffered the loss of her parents as a child. Now, her parents remained waiting, refusing to move on for an eternity, if need be, until Rose joined them again. Henry and Nikki had discussed it again yesterday evening and both had agreed they had no choice but to try everything in their power to free Rose’s spirit, no matter what might be involved. They’d tried to tell themselves that Joseph and his kind might have already delivered their worst, although neither had been entirely convinced.
Nikki stepped into the hall and they crept passed the other doors, behind which their friends remained sleeping. Henry thought about asking Nikki how they could know that Martha would even be there when they knocked. To remind her, as he had before. A ritual. This time he didn’t but he smiled, remembering one of their first conversations, not long after he’d found himself in this strange new world.
How do we know she’s even here?
She’s always here, if you need her.
What if you don’t?
Then she’s not here, idiot.
He’d known then, even as she’d made fun of him, that she cared. He’d known it from the moment he’d found himself suddenly alone—after helplessly witnessing his sister’s abduction and being somehow yanked away to a place from his memory he’d almost forgotten. He’d heard a voice, her voice, and opened his eyes to see Nikki. She’d tried to act like it barely mattered—like he barely mattered—but Henry knew she wouldn’t have been there suddenly standing next to him if they hadn’t shared some sort of connection. He’d known it from that moment.
Henry looked at Nikki one more time. He wanted to ask again if she was sure but he knew what she’d say. So, he lifted his eyebrows as if to say, “Well, here we go,” then he knocked. A moment later, the door swung open and Henry found himself looking into Lysrus’s eyes.
At first, Henry expected the inside of Martha’s apartment to have again transformed into that space without boundaries. But everything behind Lysrus appeared normal. He and Nikki stepped forward, the door closing behind them again.
Henry wasn’t sure he wanted to know, but still he asked. “Did you know we’d made up our minds?”
Lysrus gazed back at Henry, his head slightly cocked. For just a moment, Henry again sensed that alien quality in Lysrus’s countenance. Something distant that made him feel as if Lysrus could look right through him. Then Lysrus offered a warm smile.
“When you knocked on this door, I felt it safe to assume you’d decided to return,” Lysrus said.
It was the only time someone other than Martha had opened this door and Henry wondered how it was possible that Lysrus had known they’d knocked upon it. For him, it was another reminder that, not unlike Rose’s dream, all of this too was an illusion. Just a much nicer one. Henry considered asking Lysrus why he hadn’t made the same choice from the start, meeting them here in this familiar setting rather than the bright void where they’d originally met. It occurred to him that possibly it was because of the Veil through which Lysrus had passed and that he’d also used to reveal those scenes from Rose’s life. At the same time, part of him also suspected that in order for he and Nikki to attempt what they’d decided to do, they’d needed to know from the outset that they were dealing with something entirely unfamiliar on all levels. Now, they were past that point.
“Where’s Martha?” Nikki asked.
“I asked Martha if she’d mind if I spoke to the two of you alone,” Lysrus said. “The fact is, she’s both worried about you and doesn’t want to influence you in any way. I agreed with that last point, that it’s better overall if she doesn’t carry that particular weight. As you can imagine, being in Service can take its toll from time to time.”
“You’re not worried about us?” Nikki said.
Henry wasn’t entirely sure whether Nikki was being sarcastic or asking a genuine question. This time, her expression didn’t give her away.
Either way, Lysrus took the question at face value. Or, at least, he appeared to. “I don’t worry. I haven’t been able to use my mind that way in a very long time. However, I am aware of possible outcomes. I’d prefer
some over others.”
“Comforting,” Nikki said, beneath her breath.
Lysrus arched an eyebrow. “Would you prefer I pretended? My impression so far has been that you’d rather I didn’t.”
Nikki rolled her eyes but then nodded. “You’re right. Sorry.”
“There’s no need to apologize.” Lysrus turned his attention to Henry. “Would you—”
“No, I’m good.” Henry shrugged and looked back and forth between them. “I guess, on some level, it amounts to the same thing.”
A smile played at the corner of Lysrus’s mouth. “Yes, it amounts to exactly the same thing. Just experienced differently. Very good.”
For a moment, Henry felt proud of demonstrating that he’d gained a minuscule understanding of Lysrus’s point of view. The feeling faded immediately since it also occurred to him that, from Lysrus’s perspective, their fate might only matter so much in the grand scheme of things.
“I wondered if you might have questions,” Lysrus said.
Henry’s thoughts spun since he wasn’t really sure where to start. But one question jumped out of the crowd. “Why didn’t you tell us about Rose’s parents? I’m assuming you probably know.”
Lysrus didn’t hesitate. “I didn’t see it as being relevant.”
Nikki placed her hands on her hips. “How could it not be relevant?”
Lysrus shook his head. “I didn’t mean that their situation doesn’t matter. I didn’t feel it was relevant to the choice you were asked to make.”
Suddenly, Henry understood. “Because you thought we’d try to help her anyway.”
Lysrus nodded. “I felt nearly certain.”
Another thought occurred to Henry, as he recalled what Lysrus had said before. “And the outcome you’d prefer…”
This time Lysrus truly smiled, his eyes lighting up as he looked back at Henry. “Exactly. The outcome I’d prefer would result from your success, whether you knew about Rose’s parents or not.”
“Wait,” Nikki said. “Did you think we’d be less likely to try helping Rose if we did know?”
Lysrus shrugged. “I wondered if it might have been overwhelming to know at the outset. You felt pressured enough. Any more didn’t seem fair. How did you find out, by the way?”
Stepping into the Sky: Jump When Ready, Book 3 Page 11