by J. L. Weil
Crap.
I was in trouble. Big, big trouble.
My heart was in jeopardy to a guy who I wasn’t positive I liked. Okay, I found him irresistibly sexy. Yes, I was drawn to him. But, as a person, Zane was dark, moody, reckless, and dangerous. He killed. They might already be dead, but it still counted. He took souls. Zane was on another plane than me. I was still in high school, for God’s sake. I wasn’t prepared for him or the feelings he enticed.
He was complicated. He would complicate my life.
Speaking of, I was struggling to believe I had actually fainted. There hadn’t even been blood or guts. I collapsed for the first time because Zane touched me. It was laughable.
Night was in full bloom.
Fog brewed on the horizon, spilling into the ocean, gliding closer and closer to the house. I pressed my nose to the glass, the round, big moon set ablaze to my face. Zane was somewhere out there, possibly extinguishing and absorbing another soul. It was what he did.
And I was alone.
Doing nothing.
Just twiddling my thumbs, cursing his name, and trying to forget his face. I had no purpose. No meaning in life. I hated that I was stuck here, caged on an island, while my mom’s killer ran free. I should be out there, looking for answers instead of pacing my room, cursing the four walls that kept me captive. Raven Hallow had the answers I needed.
Zane and Zoe, they could help. They had secrets. They had answers.
Making a rash decision, I crossed the room in purposeful strides, snatching my phone off the bed, and dialed Zoe. If I couldn’t get what I wanted from Zane, then maybe I could get something out of Zoe. Like I said, patience wasn’t a quality I possessed. It was going to be my downfall.
As I hovered over the send button, I rationalized my impulsive behavior by convincing myself that I needed “girl time.” Utter bullshit, yet it didn’t stop the muscle in my finger. Other than Zoe, I didn’t have a single girl friend. All the girls I knew were petty, snobby, backstabbing bitches. None of those were qualities I looked for in a friend. Parker was so much simpler. He never tried to steal a guy from me. There was never competition for who was prettier. He loved to gossip, but never behind my back.
Zoe was the exception.
She didn’t make me feel self-conscious about who I was or how I looked. I didn’t feel judged when we were together. Although, I had only known her a short time, I felt a connection, a kinship. Zoe and I, we could be besties. She was the kind of girl I understood. I wondered if that was because she was sort of not human.
While I pondered the inner workings of female friendships, Zoe’s voice came through the other end. “You better have a helluva good excuse for ditching me. And your tongue down my brother’s throat does not qualify.”
I giggled nervously. “I saw a hallow,” I replied tentatively, the word sticking oddly on my tongue. “A reaper hallow to be precise.”
“No shit,” she said genuinely surprised. “You’re alive, so that’s a plus. And I would definitely know if you had died.”
Dead air.
“Don’t worry. Zane mentioned he told you,” she informed me.
How could she be so casual about this?
“He’s got such a big mouth, but at least that explains his shiteous mood,” she chattered on. It was one of the things I liked about her, the constant stream of babble. “What I really want to know is what you guys were doing before the dead showed up.”
“Uh.” This was not the direction I had wanted this conversation to steer. “What makes you think we were doing anything?” I buried my head in the pillow, letting out a silent scream. My lameness had no bounds.
“When I asked Zane, he got all weird. More weird than normal, so it must be something big. And I’m putting my money on you, girl.” There was no question. She was not going to give up.
This was not happening. I could always lie, but that was not the kind of friendship I wanted with Zoe, so I just blurted out, “He kissed me.”
“Two scoops of shit.” I heard her wrestling with the phone, taking it off speaker. “Sexy I-can’t-live-without-you kiss or friendly your-like-my-sister kiss?”
I groaned. “Are those my only two choices?”
“Stop stalling and spill your guts,” she ordered.
She asked for it. “It was definitely friendly. Very friendly.”
“Tongue down your throat?”
I made a face into the phone. “I can’t do this.”
She whistled. “Score one for Zane. So how was it?”
“Why do you have to be his sister?” I grumbled.
“Bitch, don’t make me hurt you.”
I sighed, finally giving up on the idea of privacy. “He is an exceptional kisser. There, are you happy?”
“Not quite. Man, getting dirt from you is worse than a takedown with a scorned soul.” Zoe’s voice crackled over the phone.
“He’s your brother. You don’t find this awkward?” I asked, propping myself up on my elbow.
“If it was Zach, totally gross. I’d question your taste in men.” Her voice sounded closer to the phone. “But Zane, not so much. He’s a damn dark mystery that attracts everyone with tits.”
Doing a little wiggle dance in the bed, I sat up, pulling my knees to my chest, all while keeping the phone clutched between my ear and shoulder. Skill. “Are you guys allowed to date humans?”
“I take it you want to know if you can do the nasty with my brother?”
I wrinkled my nose, resisting the urge to hit my head on the nearest wall, over and over again. “When you put it like that it sounds dirty.”
“Whatever. You like it,” she said with a dry laugh. “You want to know if it is physically possible to do it? You bet my fine ass. Is it wise? Probably not. Zane is known to leave scars on the heart. In short, don’t fall in love with him.”
My throat got clogged. What if it was too late? But I didn’t have the courage to ask what I couldn’t admit to myself.
“Are you still there?” she asked. There was such a gap of silence she’d probably thought I hung up on her.
“Yeah, sorry.” I cleared my throat.
“He’s leaving, you know,” she added.
“What?” I shrieked, bolting upright, throw pillows tumbling to the floor.
“I take it he hasn’t mentioned it.”
The idea of Zane leaving made my stomach fall sharply. “No. He failed to leave out that little bit of information when we were playing tonsil hockey.”
Zoe giggled.
“Why is he such an ass?” I mumbled more to myself, the ball in my chest unraveling a little.
“Do you expect me to answer that?”
I smiled. “I’m pretty sure I can figure it out on my own. He’s a guy. They’re all assholes.”
“Amen, sista,” she agreed, a smile in her tone.
“Where is he going?” I had to know. How else would I stalk him?
There was another pause, as if she was deciding whether to tell me or not. “Away. For as long as I can remember, Zane has talked about getting off this island. He was supposed to leave weeks ago.”
Oh. Well. Shit. “Why didn’t he?”
“You showed up,” she stated like it should have been obvious to me.
It wasn’t.
Why would I think I could influence such a huge decision on a guy who couldn’t stand me half the time?
“The night I took you to the bonfire,” she said, painting a clear picture in my head. “That was Zane’s farewell bash.”
I couldn’t believe what she was implying—that I had something to do with Zane sticking around this island when he clearly didn’t want to be here anymore than I did. “Come again?” That had been within the first week, and he despised me then.
“When you arrived he decided to stay and make sure you didn’t stir up trouble. In my opinion, the baboon doesn’t want to admit he has feelings for you.”
I wasn’t sure what Zane felt for me, but I did agree he was a baboon
.
After we hung up, I realized I’d completely forgotten why I had originally called. The answers to those nagging questions would just have to wait until tomorrow after all.
Tomorrow, I thought wistfully.
Tomorrow, I would drill Zane so hard.
With questions obviously, although my mind was thinking of something else entirely.
Chapter 18
Tomorrow felt like it would never come and by the time I’d finally fallen asleep, the sun was just coming up. My eyes were so droopy I gave up the fight. Beauty rest was going to have to wait another day. Unfortunately, my body had other ideas. It refused to move, and if I was going to get those answers, I needed my legs and arms to function.
And my brain.
Maybe Rose had found her heart today, because I hadn’t been disturbed, and after the ordeal yesterday, I figured she owed me. I was going to totally work it to my advantage, like in the form of sneaking out.
But first, I needed to get rid of my dragon breath. No one should be subjected to morning breath. I wanted to interrogate Zane, not kill him. Then coffee. Lots and lots of strong coffee. Not necessarily in that order.
It was a miracle what my body wouldn’t do for a caffeine buzz. Though I moved more like a zombie, I was able to down my first cup a coffee, giving me the jolt needed to feel halfway human. Making a quick pit stop to the bathroom, I brushed my teeth, washed my face, and applied a coat of mascara and lip-gloss. Then padding back into the room, I dropped my clothes as I went and slipped into a pair of dark denim shorts and a forest green tank. The color did wonders for my eyes.
Zane might make my blood run from hot to boiling, he might confuse me in ways I didn’t yet understand, but through all the ups and downs, I wanted to look smoking hot. It was a foreign feeling to me, wanting to look desirable for someone other than just myself.
Before I fussed another foolish minute, I grabbed the keys to Josie and left with a determination to unearth the secrets he was hiding from me, what the whole island was hiding from me. It was more than just reapers and restless souls.
My jeep rattled its way into the club parking lot, causing more ruckus than I would have liked. Poor thing needed a tune up or a trip to the junkyard. The parking lot of the Black Crow was nearly empty, only a few other cars kept my jeep company. With keys jingling in hand, I strolled around the side of the building, my flip-flops smacking the soles of my feet. Clap, clap, clap. I loved the sound. It was the sound of summer.
A boat honked out in the bay as I walked onto the docks. Seagulls squawked overhead, but Zane was nowhere in sight. I sighed, kicking off my flip-flops, and sat at the edge of the wooden pier to wait. I would wait all damn day if I had to.
The vast waters imprisoned my gaze, slapping up against the wooden beams of the docks. Rising up, the water sloshed, spraying on my bare feet and legs. He better not make me wait long—
I didn’t have to turn around to know he was behind me. Every nerve ending in my body was tingling, my skin flushing with anticipation, a feeling I didn’t want. My mind and my body were at odds with each other. I forced myself to take my time, turning slowly, and used the extra moments to pull myself together. I looked him over intently, lingering at the angry cut on his cheek. Had that been there yesterday? Had he gotten it during the fight? I couldn’t remember. “Let me guess. You had a hot date after you left last night and she got a little out of control?”
He grinned at me, sinful and lethal. “You could say that.”
My belly went topsy-turvy as I stood up. Not thinking about what I was doing, my hand reached out, fingers skimming over the wound.
He winced, pushing my hand away. “It’s nothing and will heal.”
I wanted to tend to the cut, but I knew he wouldn’t be receptive to my help, not in his current mood, so I shoved my hands into my pockets, before I gave into the urge to touch him again. “All right, tough guy. Have it your way.”
“How are you feeling?” His dark hair caught a glint of the summer sun.
“Me? I’m golden.” Or I might be if I could stop thinking about how nice touching him felt or wondering why he’d kissed me.
He saw right through me. “Liar.”
“Why didn’t you tell me you were leaving?” I demanded, more out of curiosity than him owning me an explanation, because he didn’t.
He glared through lashes so black and long it looked like he wore guyliner. “Would it matter?”
I had come here to grill him about my family, yet the first thing out of my mouth was concern for him, and then I started acting light a slighted girlfriend. “I-I don’t know. But that is not the point.”
“What exactly is the point?”
You know those moments when your mouth and your mind didn’t communicate? This was one of those God-awful moments. I was speaking before I knew what I was saying. “Is it because of me?” My voice cracked halfway through.
Wow. That didn’t sound self-absorbed.
I know what Zoe had told me, but I hadn’t actually believed it. So obviously, I had to just blurt it out. Force him to tell me I had absolutely not impacted his decision to hang around Raven Hallow for the summer.
He blinked and then grinned charmingly. “You?”
Now I was feeling like an idiot. My cheeks were burning. “Forget I asked. Zoe must have assumed.”
“Zoe needs to have her lips sewn shut.” He ran a hand over his jaw. “It’s the only way she’ll mind her own business.”
I angled my head. I felt so ridiculous asking, but I wanted to know. Desperately. “Why didn’t you go?”
“Don’t worry. I had my reasons, and you didn’t make the list.”
Asshole. Why did he have to go back to being a douche? His bi-polar attitude was giving me migraines. Only twenty-four hours ago he had kissed me, protected me, carried me home, fought Rose to stay with me, and today he was shutting me out, cutting me with his indifference. I wanted to call him a liar.
“Cat got your tongue?” he asked, after the awkward moment of silence where I just glared at him.
I crossed my arms. “I’m sorry. Did you say something? I was too busy thinking of ways to stab you. Although, it might just be easier to push you over the dock.”
He wielded his cockiness like a sword. “You might get your chance, just not today.”
I stepped back, shaking my head. “This whole mysterious guy act is getting old, like yesterday’s stale bread.”
Suddenly, he spun, engulfing me in his arms, his hand covering my mouth. “Shhh,” he whispered into my ear.
My back was pressed against his chest. Ignoring his warning, I bit his hand. What could I say? It was a gut-reaction.
“Dammit, Piper,” he growled. “Why must you do everything the hard way.” He tossed me over his shoulder, and I squeaked as he hauled me under the docks. For a split-second, I was fearful for my life.
Then I heard her voice.
Rose.
And she wasn’t alone.
It took me a moment to place who was with her. Zane’s dad.
What was Rose doing secretly meeting with Death?
Before I could think too hard on it, a cool, misty feeling came over me, chilling my blood. At first I didn’t understand, not until I looked at Zane. Eyes narrowed, spidering with inky tendrils, he cloaked us both in the shadows, hiding us in darkness just as Rose appeared with Zane’s father at her side. They were coming our way.
As soon as Zane noticed the docks were going to be the rendezvous point, his voice sounded in my head. Whatever you do, don’t scream. Then he swept us over the side.
I didn’t have time to question what he was going to do, or how he’d gotten inside my head, not when I was freefalling a ten-foot drop. Squeezing my eyes shut, I concentrated on the security of Zane’s strong arms. I should have been wondering why he’d tossed us over the side of the pier, not how fan-freaking-tastic it felt being surrounded by him.
A cool vapor entered my blood, flowing through the veins as I hel
d onto him. I knew he would never let go. There was undeniable trust in him that came from…I didn’t know where, but no matter what crapola came out his mouth, he had only ever been there for me. When I got my wits back, we were wading in shallow water under the dock, and if anyone asked, I had no idea how we’d gotten from point A to point B.
Zane’s back was pressed to one of the pier’s wooden legs, and I was plastered to his chest. We were still covered by the shadows, darkness surrounding every particle of our bodies. It was a strange sensation, an indescribable feeling.
Or maybe that was his arms holding me.
Being this close to him scrambled my brain, but that was the least of my problems. The old wooden planks above our heads groaned as the last two people I expected to share a secret met.
Oh, please God. Don’t let them be having an affair. I mean Rose was old, but Death was like ancient.
No way could I handle that, especially since I had a love-hate thing going on with his son.
They were directly overhead, and I was afraid to breathe. Zane had gone to great lengths to keep our presence unknown, which led me to believe he was as surprised by this meeting as I was. What I might overhear scared me more.
Are you okay? His voice sounded again in my head.
I nodded.
Talk to me only through your thoughts. Got it?
I started to nod again, but then remembered what he said. Okay.
I was living in an episode of Supernatural. In what planet was it normal to be talking telepathically? Man, wait until I told Parker about this. We would both be questioning my sanity. Then I remembered…I couldn’t tell Parker about any of it.
It’s so dark. I can’t see a darn thing, I grumbled, forgetting that he could hear everything. Everything. Darn. Thought. And that only made my mind drift to all the embarrassing things I didn’t want Zane to know. Like how incredible his butt was.
That’s the point, Piper. We’re blended amongst the shadows, and with any luck, they won’t spot us.
I couldn’t help but wonder… Just how powerful are you?