Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things (Dead Things Series Book 1)

by Martina McAtee

  He frowned, looking at her like she was crazy, “Yes, I heard you the first time.”

  “No, you don’t understand. It was a library. People checked out books, photocopied them. Took home pages to study.”

  “Yes, and the Grove ordered all copies destroyed.”

  “They ordered all non-witches to destroy their copies. Not every witch could have gone digital. Somebody has to have a copy of whatever text we need.”

  “Dagger, that is like looking for needles in a bank vault full of needles, poisoned needles that could turn us into toads. Where would we even start? I can promise you nobody in this town would be stupid enough to leave valuable information lying around.”

  “But if I could find somebody and we could get access to the information…could you memorize it?”

  He ran his hands through his hair, “If-and that is a big fat freaking if-I was to see the book I would be able to memorize whatever I could read but it’s way too dangerous. They’d have us killed, or worse.”

  “What do you think they are going to do to my brother when they find out what he’s done? Or me, for helping him?”

  His silence was chilling. Nobody disobeyed the Grove.

  “Even if we find somebody who has this information. Do you think they are just going to let us see it? I’m a human and you’re a banshee, we are hardly capable of going up against witches or anything crazy enough to keep forbidden documents in their house.”

  “Leave that part up to me.”

  “Tristin, you’re being crazy. You are going to waste a lot of time chasing your tail.”

  He used her real name, that was never a good sign, “I’d rather put my energy towards saving my brother than watching everybody else fall all over themselves trying to save the reason he’s in danger in the first place.”

  He didn’t say anything for a while, “So you need to find another reaper?”

  “I need to find somebody who can help us protect my brother, ideally somebody who understands his power. We can’t trust the witches to help.”

  “We literally have no idea what we are looking for. This is a terrible plan.”

  “It’s the only one we’ve got.”

  “Okay,” he told her with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, “But if I die, you better write me the best eulogy ever.”

  She punched his arm, “Shut up. Let’s get back before anybody notices we’re gone.”

  “I’ll just tell them we were making out.”

  “You might want to come up with something they’ll believe.”

  “Someday, Tristin Lonergan, you will regret not locking this down when you had the chance.”

  She snickered as his strut off was ruined by a poorly placed tree root. She stepped over him as he sprawled in the grass. “I’m sure my devastation will be endless.”

  22

  KAI

  Kai couldn’t believe he was back in the car again. This time he wasn’t making the four-hour drive to Louisiana. Nope, this time Rhys was dragging him out to the swamps of the Florida Everglades. He hated the Everglades. It took forever to get there.

  He couldn’t think of anything worse than Isa trapping him in the car with Rhys for almost eight hours just to visit the land of mosquitos, gators and pythons.

  “I hate the Everglades,” he told the wolf, his voice gunshot loud in the silence.

  Rhys snorted, “Not exactly my dream destination, either,” Kai cut his eyes at him and Rhys shrugged, “What? This wasn’t my idea.”

  As the silence stretched on, Kai assumed the wolf had nothing more to say on the matter. Good, it sucked trying to carry on a conversation with somebody who was monosyllabic at best. He leaned the passenger seat back. It wasn’t as if his highness was going to let him drive anyway. Nope, Captain Control Issues never let anybody drive his baby.

  He closed his eyes and tried not to think about the fact that Rhys was close enough to feel the heat of his body. Stupid werewolves and their stupid body temperatures. He turned his face towards the window, not thinking about how good the other boy smelled, or the way his shirt stretched too tight across his shoulders. He scrunched his eyes closed and pulled his cap over them to block the strobe of the passing streetlights.

  It would be light soon. He was just drifting off when a large finger poked his ribs. “Hey. No sleeping. We need to talk about what we are going to do when we get there.”

  Kai blew his breath out through his nose, “Fine,” he said through clenched teeth. He fixed his hat and let his chair rocket back into the upright position hard enough it shook behind him.

  “Hey, careful,” Rhys admonished, “This car is a classic.” He stroked the steering wheel like he was soothing a child.

  “Yes, my liege.” He told him drolly, flicking his hand in a sort of flamboyant salute.

  “You’re such a dick,” the wolf grumbled.

  After five minutes of total silence, Kai prompted, “So…are you going to tell me what this mysterious super-secret assignment is? Because for now, all I know is we are heading to the Everglades. The only reason people go there is for a body dump.”

  Rhys paused enough for Kai’s heart to start pounding. Oh, God. He could not handle a body dump today.

  The wolf must have heard the uptick of his heart. He rolled his eyes at Kai, “Calm down, there’s no body in the trunk. Like I’d put a dead body in this car. That’s what the truck is for. Isa wants us to reach out to the wolves in the Glades. There’s an elder out there who she thinks may have some information about Ember.”

  “Why would an elder wolf have knowledge of a kinda-sorta-maybe-if-you-squint-hard-witch?”

  Rhys stared at him balefully, “I didn’t say she was an elder wolf.”

  “So she’s a…?”

  “Witch, really old and really powerful.”

  Kai looked at him in disbelief, “There’s a super powerful witch living in wolf territory? Surrounded by her enemies? That’s ballsy.”

  Rhys set his jaw, cutting his eyes at him for a moment. His constant sour disposition must be hard on his teeth.

  “Like…I…said,” he told him slowly, drawing Kai’s attention back to the conversation at hand, “She’s very old. She has been the pack’s witch for a very long time. She chose to stay with the pack rather than deal with all the…politics that erupted when everything fell apart.”

  “So she’s living with the pack?” That was unheard of. He was surprised the higher ups let her get away with it. She must have some kind of mojo if the tree worshipers weren’t getting involved.

  “Isa says these wolves have cut themselves off from the world. They revere Ms. Josephine. They aren’t going to want to let us talk to her. If you think the witches are secretive, you haven’t seen the Glades shifters. They are highly suspicious of others, especially non-shifters.” He eyed Kai pointedly.

  “Yeah, I get it. Non-shifter here.” He moved in his seat, pressing his hand against the glass of the window, following the drops the condensation made on the outside of the pane. “So, how dangerous is this little mission?”

  Rhys contemplated the question before saying, “Not as bad as the succubus this summer but more dangerous than the baby vamps in April.”

  “Great.” That succubus had infected a visiting wolf from another pack and mind melted him into almost killing Isa and Rhys. Rhys had ended up with a broken clavicle, a shattered pelvis and a really large dagger shoved through his spleen. Luckily, it was wood and not silver. To date, it was the worst night of Kai’s life. He was pretty sure, it wasn’t Rhys’ best memory either. The baby vamps had put up a fight but they were too new, all bitten, no born. They had eventually left quietly with the pack sustaining only minor injuries.

  “If this pack won’t trust me, why did she send me and not Wren or Donovan? Or why not just come herself?”

  Rhys looked his way, expression
guarded, “You know alphas don’t go into another alpha’s territory without permission. It’s not like we could shoot them a text or an email to let them know she’d like a meeting. Besides, Isa wouldn’t leave the others, not until we know what Ember is. As for why she sent you? That’s easy. To annoy me, obviously.”

  Kai’s insides twisted. You’d think he’d be used to the insults by now. “Wow, such a charmer. Sometimes I’m shocked you’re single.”

  Rhys nostrils flared, his look going from smug to constipated to expressionless.

  Rhys fell silent again so Kai chose to pass the time the usual way, irritating him. “So, Isa sent me out into the middle of the swamp with a guy who finds me annoying. I’m having a hard time thinking you’d have my back.” He did his best to look leery, “I mean, if I’m so annoying maybe you’ll just let one of these wolves solve your little problem once and for all. You’d never have to worry again.”

  Rhys gave a longsuffering sigh, like he was onto Kai’s plan but couldn’t help but take the bait, “I just said you annoy me, I didn’t say I wanted you dead.”

  “Oh, well, in that case…” he gestured.

  “I’ve never not had your back.”

  “Maybe you’ve just never had the opportunity to get rid of me.” He had started the conversation to be funny but now he was getting irritated, though he couldn’t pinpoint exactly why. The silence stretched for so long he figured Rhys considered the conversation done.

  “I wouldn’t let anything happen to you,” He said it so softly Kai almost missed it.

  He knew Rhys heard his heart flip-flop in his chest but he couldn’t help it. It was the nicest thing he’d ever said to him. How pathetic was that? I hate you but I wouldn’t let you be slaughtered by backwoods werewolves. Swoon. How did humans deal with crushes?

  “So,” he asked, changing the subject, “What’s the plan? We go in and ask nicely or you go in all ‘grrr, arghh’?” He asked, making his hands into claws and baring his teeth.

  Rhys bit his bottom lip and Kai was almost positive he was trying not to laugh.

  “Um, I’d say we at least try to ask nicely. Besides, these shifters aren’t-that is, they are slightly…”

  “Oh my God, just spit it out? They’re what?” Kai said, exasperated. Rhys flushed.

  “Feral, Okay? I’m not sure I could take on more than one at a time.”

  “Feral,” Kai’s stomach rolled, “like they don’t wear shoes or have running water or feral like they tend to rip your throat out first and ask questions later?”

  Rhys risked a glance his way, “Possibly both.”

  Kai stared at him incredulously. “So your sister sent us into the woods alone together to ask invasive questions to a pack of feral wolves on the off chance that an old witch might remember something about Ember? She really hates me now, huh? I mean, she’s always disliked you but now she wants me dead too?”

  “I don’t question my sister.”

  Kai snorted. “Uh, yeah, you do. All the time.”

  “Look, I don’t know why she’s sending us out here. I have no information other than what I told you. She wouldn’t send us out here if she didn’t think we couldn’t handle it. Besides, I do have a gun if it comes to that.”

  Kai huffed out a laugh, “Dude, that doesn’t make me feel better. I’ve seen you shoot. You have the aim of a storm trooper.”

  The wolf stared at him, “I have no idea what that means but I’m assuming it’s an insult.”

  Kai smirked, staring at him for a full minute before the wolf caved and barked, “What?”

  “Don’t even pretend you don’t worship Star Wars. I’ve seen that stash of action figures you keep in your closet. If Star Wars was a person, you’d marry it.”

  Rhys kept eyes forward but Kai had the pleasure of watching the color flush up his neck to his face. He couldn’t tell if it was embarrassment or fury in the dim haze provided by the passing streetlights. “Stay out of my closet.”

  “No problem,” he said, “It’s not like there’s enough room for both of us anyway.”

  Rhys’ mouth fell open before he snapped it shut hard enough for his teeth to clack together, “Just go to sleep.” Rhys sniped, reaching for the radio, “I’ll wake you when we get there.”

  “Fine,” he sniped back.

  23

  EMBER

  Ember supposed things had been going far too well. Even after the horrible nightmare that woke her, she’d let her easy morning lure her into a false sense of security. Breakfast was nice; she’d never really sat around a table family style and listened to people bicker cheerfully. She managed to avoid another uncomfortable conversation with her uncle, though he still stared at her creepily, like he was trying to send her messages telepathically. Maybe he was. She really had no idea how any of this witchy stuff worked.

  Lunch was quiet but still painfully awkward. Kai and Quinn usually ran the conversation. With Kai and Rhys who knows where, Quinn’s conversation attempts were thwarted by Tristin’s pointed stares and glowering. Her cousin really was awful. Neoma was always pleasant but she didn’t talk much.

  Things eased up a bit when Donovan slid into the seat next to her and started talking about something ‘the triplets’ did in physical science that may have gotten them suspended.

  “The triplets?” Ember asked. Why was everybody in this town related to everybody else? “Who are they?”

  Donovan pointed to the witches table where seven kids, including Stella and Astrid were sitting. The three in question, two boys and a girl, stood out for their unnecessary closeness. They were all very…handsy. “Um, if they are related, that’s gross.”

  “Naw,” Donovan said around a burger, “We just call them that because they look alike.”

  She narrowed her eyes. They did look alike. Platinum hair, pale skin, cheekbones you could etch glass with. “They aren’t related?”

  Donovan laughed, “No. You have to wonder if dating somebody, much less two somebodies, who look that much like you isn’t sort of like the height of narcissism.”

  Tristin shrugged, bored, “I read an article that said lots of people get involved with people who look like themselves, it’s called the mirror effect or something like that.”

  Quinn pushed his glasses up, “Actually, the mirror effect-”

  “Don’t care,” Tristin told him, eyes still on the three.

  Ember had no idea what was going on with those two but it seemed strangely hostile. As she watched, the female triplet looked up at her and winked before feeding a fry to the guy on the right.

  “Okay,” Ember said aloud, though more to herself. The girl laughed as if she heard her. “Is she a witch?” Ember asked.

  Tristin rolled her eyes, “They’re all witches,” and that was the last anybody said about the strange triad.

  Tristin and Ember both had French for fourth period but Tristin somehow found a way to not walk to class with her. In fact, she took so long the bell was already ringing when Tristin slid into the seat next to her. The teacher, Madame Krug, who was oddly enough a German werewolf not French, glanced sharply at the clock and then pointedly at Tristin. Tristin dropped her eyes, slumping further into her seat. Ember was about to ask her where she’d been when there was a palpable energy shift in the room.

  All eyes swung to the door.

  Her breath caught, skin tingling. He stood, leaning casually along the doorframe as if waiting for her to notice, his silver eyes cold as he smirked at her. There was a low murmur as students tried to figure out if he was there to cause harm. He didn’t look like he was there to fight. In fact, he looked serene; casual in jeans and a black t-shirt, grey hair messy in a way that made her want to run her fingers through it.

  “Mace,” she whispered.

  His gaze fell on her. “Hello again, Luv,” he grinned, “It’s nice to know I made an impression.�
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  “Can I help you,” Madame Krug asked, face pinched in displeasure.

  “Absolutely,” he walked towards the teacher, seeming to enjoy the way the students leaned away from him. He produced a square of paper from his pocket. “The rather unpleasant woman at the office said I should give this to you.”

  She perused the note, eyebrow cocked, “Well, class, it appears our quiet little town is becoming quite the hotspot, meet our latest new student, Mace.” She looked at him suspiciously, “Do you have a last name?”

  He smiled wanly, “Smith.”

  The teacher sighed like she was contemplating early retirement. “Have a seat.”

  He slipped his hands into the pockets of his jeans, sauntering through the aisle. He stopped between her and Tristin. She thought he was going to say something to her but instead, he looked at Tristin. “I can’t be certain, but I am almost positive you are the one who knocked me out in that cemetery.”

  “Guilty as charged,” she told him with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

  He arched a brow, “I’ll have to return the favor sometime.”

  “You can try,” she said, voice saccharine sweet.

  He smiled, clearly enjoying how feisty her cousin was. He slung his bag down next to the chair directly behind Tristin, making sure he kicked one booted foot against the bottom of her seat, jostling her.

  “Real mature,” she muttered.

  Madame Krug started the lesson but Ember wasn’t listening. She could feel his eyes burning into the back of her head. It felt like somebody had switched off the air conditioning. Beads of perspiration formed on her upper lip and slid down her spine. Her skin crawled with energy, slithering through her veins like tiny insects.

  “Knock it off,” Tristin whispered, “You can’t use magic on school grounds.”

  Ember couldn’t use magic anywhere; she had no idea what she was doing. She clenched her fists, letting her nails dig into the tender flesh of her palm. She was positive this was Mace’s fault. She had been okay the last couple of days.