Sisters of Salt and Iron

by Kady Cross

  Up and out I drifted, until the dense black gave way to moonlight and candles, something soft and scratchy on what Noah called “the phonograph.” He was wrapped up in me, and I was wrapped up in him, so perfectly that we were one.

  I’d fought him at first, but I soon learned I didn’t have a choice.

  “I thought I’d lost you for a moment,” he said. “But I’ll never lose you, will I, Wren? You’re mine for as long as I want you.”

  “As long as I want you,” I repeated, and he laughed, the sound reverberating through me like a wave moving through the ocean. I wanted to ask him what was so funny, but it didn’t matter.

  I laughed, too.

  LARK

  Halloween.

  “You know, I used to love Halloween,” I told Roxi as we got ready for the concert in my room.

  “You loved it right up until Kevin’s party,” she reminded me. “Right before things got weird.”

  “My whole life is weird,” I muttered, arranging my hair on top of my head. I’d gathered it up into a high ponytail and then wrapped it into a thick coil. I took two slender iron bars the size and shape of chopsticks and slid them through the bun, anchoring it to my head. To anyone else, they’d just look like hair decorations, but they were ghost-stickers. They were a little heavy, but wearing my hair high on my crown took the brunt of the weight, so I didn’t feel like every strand was being pulled out at the root.

  “Good thing you have friends who like weird.”

  I turned to her. “You know, normal people would have cut and run by now. I don’t know why you guys stick around.”

  She shot me a dirty look. “Because we’re stupid.”

  I nudged her with my boot. “That’s not what I meant.”

  “I know what you meant.” She didn’t look at me. She was busy getting ready herself. “You’re fishing—wondering if I really like you or if I think you’re my best shot at surviving the concert. Well, news flash—it’s both. I love you, despite the fact that you believe we hang around you because you saved our butts once and we might need you again. That’s kinda rude, you know.” She lifted her head and gave me a pointed look.

  Well, if I didn’t know my place before, I knew it now. “You’re right. I’m sorry. Just because I don’t think I’m great friend material doesn’t mean you guys agree. Then again, you might actually be stupid.”

  She didn’t just nudge me with her boot, she kicked me, and it hurt, the bitch. I laughed, though.

  My costume was pretty lame if I had to say so myself. Black Doc Martens, black leggings, long black sweater. It was supposed to be a fairly warm night for the end of October, but this was still New England. It wasn’t jeans-and-T-shirt weather. I’d clipped some fun-fur cat ears I’d made into my hair, and painted my face to look vaguely catlike. I felt like something out of one of those anime shows that always made me slightly uncomfortable.

  It helped that Roxi, who was dressed as a werewolf, looked very similar. I knew someone would accuse us of trying to be sexy, but really we had gone for simple costumes that allowed for fighting, because that’s what we needed.

  We both had on our iron rings, and had all kinds of Sharpie tattoos underneath our clothes. I stuck to things that protected from evil spirits only, because I didn’t want to hurt Wren, and after all this time with Noah, she might need me.

  My sweater had a little zippered compartment in the left arm, and that’s where I put some cash, my ticket and my ID. My phone was in a special pocket in my sports bra. Yeah, I’d heard all about the risks of breast cancer, but I figured one night wouldn’t hurt. Anything else I might need was already on-site, tucked behind a shrub beside the building where Roxi’s mother worked. Thankfully, it was inside the section of grounds roped off for the concert.

  Although, once it got dark, I didn’t know how security was going to make sure no one snuck in; but I’d heard that they had the place well barricaded, and of course there was a tall fence around most of it. The only way in that I knew of, other than the road, was the tree in the cemetery.

  The concert didn’t start until nine, but the grounds opened at eight so people could buy merchandise and snag a place near the front of the stage. It was almost eight now. Ben had to drop his sister off at a friend’s house, and then he was going to pick up Gage and come get us. We’d meet everyone else at the grounds around eight-thirty. Then, I’d spend the entire opening act, intermission and most of the Dead Babies’ set waiting for hell to break loose.

  Because at midnight, the veil practically disappeared, and midnight was when Gretchen planned to summon Joe. And I assumed that was also when Noah planned to cross over.

  Finally ready, Roxi and I went downstairs to wait for the guys.

  Nan was handing out candy to trick-or-treaters. She’d just closed the door on two kids dressed like vampires when the guys arrived.

  “Be careful,” she said and gave me a hug.

  “I will,” I promised.

  She squeezed me tighter. “Call me if you need me.”

  “I will.” Only we both knew I wouldn’t. I wasn’t dragging her into this. I couldn’t let myself think about how worried she had to be, or how much she wished that our family had been normal. If I thought about her worrying about me I wouldn’t be able to do everything I needed to do that night.

  We went outside. It was definitely sweater weather. I had a T-shirt on under mine for a little extra warmth, but at least it wasn’t freezing. Some years we had snow on Halloween, but not tonight. The weather was the one thing we had in our favor. It would be really hard to fight ghosts in a freaking parka.

  Gage jumped into the backseat when he saw us. It was kind of cute how he always gave me the front, like it was the gentlemanly thing to do. He was dressed like a lumberjack, which was hilarious because he was skinny and Latino and wouldn’t know what to do with an ax if you gave him one. I knew this, because I’d once seen him attempt to cut firewood.

  Ben was dressed entirely in black, had his hair all messed up and was wearing black eyeliner.

  “What the hell are you?” I asked with a chuckle.

  “I’m too tragic for this world,” he informed me—entirely straight-faced.

  “I’m a lumberjack!” Gage called from the backseat.

  “I guessed that,” I told him with a glance over my shoulder. “Nice beard, by the way.” It was crooked.

  He grinned.

  I turned away with a smile. What would we do without him? Seriously, he found fun in everything. He rarely complained. He was just so cute and sweet—a genuinely good person.

  I hoped I wouldn’t get him killed.

  Parking was a nightmare when we got to the Haven Crest grounds. We were directed into a lot across the street where the hospital used to store a lot of their grounds-keeping equipment. I was glad I hadn’t worn heels by the time we finally got to the security check. None of us had bags so we were able to skip through. I didn’t see any drug dogs, but they were checking people for weapons.

  Then we had to get in line to have our tickets checked and get our bracelets—over-twenty-ones got a different color, so they could buy beer if they wanted. They also stamped our hands in case the bracelet came off—and so people couldn’t hand bracelets over to people trying to sneak in without having bought a ticket. A perfect Seal of Solomon in black ink over the scar on my right wrist. By the time we got into the actual concert area, it was almost twenty to nine.

  We met Mace and Kevin just inside. Neither Kevin nor Mace were sporting any bruises, so I assumed they’d made peace.

  Roxi showed us where she’d hidden our supplies so we’d be able to get to them when we needed. We found a place to stand with a good view of the stage not far from there. The lights around the perimeter dimmed a bit as the stage lights came on, and the opening act—a local band—was announced. The crowd c
heered, and more and more people herded in through the gate.

  I turned my head, my gaze traveling from old building to old building, both reclaimed and derelict. There were people standing in front of them, people of all shapes and sizes, from all walks of life and spanning a couple of centuries. The ghosts of Haven Crest were lining up.

  And then, drifting in from all directions, were more ghosts. Town ghosts. Some wore suits or dresses. Others wore jeans or uniforms. There were children and adults and senior citizens. Some were whole, and some were in pretty rough shape. I recognized a girl with no face as a ghost from the hospital. They gathered near the barricade and stopped. They were waiting, I realized. But for what, I didn’t know.

  And then the sound of an electric guitar ripped through the night, and I turned my attention to the stage. Might as well have some fun before Hell broke loose.

  WREN

  I heard music. Cheering.

  The concert had started.

  Something blossomed inside me—a feeling of awareness and warmth.

  Lark. She was near. I smiled. Noah said he’d let me kill her. Silly boy. As though anyone else could.

  I went to the window and looked outside. I could see the stage, all lit up. The band playing wasn’t bad, but they weren’t the main attraction. That’s what we were waiting for. Energy hummed all around us, but it wasn’t enough.

  Noah stood beside me. “Soon,” he said and lifted my hand to his mouth. I watched as he kissed my knuckles. The black veins running through me were everywhere, so stark against the pallor of my skin. They were almost pretty—like tree branches. Noah liked them.

  I wondered if he noticed the red veins that crept out from beneath his collar and along his hairline, and I smiled. “Yes,” I said. “Soon.”

  LARK

  It was almost midnight.

  Gretchen had just screamed the final note of “Bleak Wednesday,” which was one of my favorites, though I was too wound up to enjoy it, and the crowd erupted into wild applause and screaming.

  Gretchen held up his hands. “It’s time,” he shouted into the microphone.

  More cheers. This time the ghosts joined in. I shivered. They pushed closer from all directions. All these humans were going to get caught in between. I could feel the ground itself trembling beneath my feet. This whole place was about to implode with spectral energy.

  And there was Joe, standing beside me. He looked anxious. “I’ve never been raised before,” he said. “Does it hurt?”

  “I don’t think so,” I said.

  “Olgilvie is on the move.” He looked around at the crowd. “How are you going to get through this to catch him?”

  “I’m not.” When he looked at me as though I’d just cut out his heart, I explained. “Mace is. His father’s police chief. He knows the officers working here tonight. He’s going to set them after Olgilvie.” I took my phone out of my bra and typed a text to Mace. “See?”

  Joe peered at the lit screen of my phone. “‘Time to move.’” He glanced at me. “That’s it?”

  I nodded. “Mace will see that, wait a few minutes and then tell the other cops he saw Olgilvie in the field, and that he looks like he needs help. He’ll lead them right to him.” I didn’t explain that earlier I’d shown Mace the spot where Laura was buried.

  Joe looked away. “Thank you.”

  “Thank me when it’s over.”

  A roadie came out and draped a black robe around Gretchen’s shoulders. A black robe? Really? Whatever. He also gave the singer a book. It looked old and leather-bound, but it could have been an early edition of Little Women for all I knew.

  He began to read.

  Ben turned to me. “Is that Latin?”

  I shrugged. It could be Little Women, backward.

  “It’s Latin,” Gage said. “He’s invoking the spirit of Joe Hard to rise and join us.”

  I stared at him. “You awesome little freak. You constantly amaze me, you know that?”

  He grinned. His moustache was crooked now, too.

  The lights flickered. The crowd gasped. Beside us a guy yelled, “Fake!” He grinned at his friends, but he was afraid. I could see it. I could feel it. I was surrounded by fear and excitement. And hunger. Oh, such hunger. It wasn’t human, it was dead.

  And it made me angry.

  “Repeat after me!” Gretchen yelled, and began reciting from the book again. The crowd chanted back. It was kind of creepy, all those voices in sync with each other. On the stage, a figure began to take shape, flickering in and out of sight like a bad connection. Joe. He wasn’t beside me anymore.

  The chanting grew louder and more frantic. I glanced behind us. Out of the darkness, a lone figure approached. It was Noah—I knew it without having to see his face. Of course he was going to want to be right in the middle of everything when the energy peaked.

  And of course he was going to come for me.

  “Guys,” I said, making sure I had my friends’ attention. “Go get our stuff.” And they did. They didn’t even notice I wasn’t with them. But I didn’t want Noah anywhere near them when things went down.

  He stepped up beside me, straight and tall. When the light hit his face I noticed red veins creeping out along his cheekbones. That was new.

  “Hey there, Masterpiece Theatre,” I said.

  The insult was lost on him. “Miss Noble. Don’t you look plebian tonight.”

  Or maybe it hadn’t been lost at all. “Enjoying the show? Sorry that Joe’s going to steal some of your thunder.”

  Noah smiled. “There will still be plenty for me. Can you feel it?” He closed his eyes and tilted his head back, a blissful smile on his face. “Haven Crest is about to awaken.”

  I felt it—the second it became midnight. It was like a click inside my chest. On the stage, Joe Hard appeared, and Gretchen fell to his knees, mouth hanging open. I guess he hadn’t expected it to work.

  Beside me, Noah shuddered. His eyes, now wide, began to glow. Heat emanated from him as he began to absorb the energy around him. How was he doing that?

  I didn’t think, I just acted. I pulled one of the iron sticks from my hair and rammed it hard into his chest. The light in his eyes blinked and dimmed as he doubled over. Warmth spread over my fingers. It wasn’t blood—it was energy.

  I leaned close to his ear. “Being tangible sucks, doesn’t it?” I gave the spike a final shove, pivoted on my heel and took off running toward the building he loved. The building where his bones were kept.

  I didn’t know if my friends had seen any of that. I didn’t look. Right now they were safer away from me, and none of them would be foolish enough to go after Noah, but Noah would come for me. After all, he couldn’t have his revenge without destroying both me and Wren.

  Where was my sister?

  And then I felt her, calling out to me. I looked around and saw a light in the distance. It was her. I knew it.

  Security was too busy with the crazed crowd to pay much attention to a freaky white-haired cat-girl running in the opposite direction. In fact, no one paid me any attention at all until someone stepped right in my path. I barely managed to stop, the soles of my boots gripping at the grass.

  Woodstock.

  “Hey, Sweet Meat,” he crooned. “Thought we might pick up where we left off.”

  “You are seriously beginning to piss me off.”

  I slid the other stick from my hair, the bun unraveling as he approached. I waited until he was almost on me, and I could smell the sweat and patchouli and grave rot that clung to him. I whipped my fist up hard. The iron stick plunged deep into his good eye. I felt it pop and give under the force of my strike. He screamed, his eye sizzling from the iron stuck in it.

  For a moment, I just stood there, watching as ichor oozed between the fingers of the hand he’d slapped o
ver his eye. He tried to pull the stick free with the other, but the damage was done.

  He unraveled as he was sucked into the Shadow Lands. He wasn’t destroyed, but he was out of my way for now, and that’s what I needed.

  I ran, continuing on toward the beacon of light ahead of me. Toward my sister. Toward Wren. I thought my lungs might explode, but I kept running. And then I saw her, standing in front of that building, dressed entirely in white, shining like a freaking angel.

  If angels had veins of tar running through them.

  She looked terrible and beautiful at the same time—those black smudges around her eyes and mouth looking goth-chic against the sheer white of her skin. She held out her hand and I reached for it.

  Something struck me hard from behind, driving me to the earth. I barely got my hands out in time to keep my face from being ground into the old, crumbled pavement of the Haven Crest lane. I felt a snap inside, and pain shot through my torso so sharp I cried out.

  I was flipped over so fast I lost my breath—not that I could breathe that well with at least one broken rib. Noah loomed over me like some kind of demon. His eyes had lost some of their glow, and I realized he’d put off sucking in energy to come after me.

  How flattering.

  “You bitch!” he cried, shaking me so hard my teeth rattled. “You meddling, sanctimonious worm! I’m going to rip you to shreds.”

  Was that blood I tasted? “Go for it.” I reached up and wiggled the spike sticking out of his chest just for spite.

  He backhanded me across the face. Now I definitely tasted blood. I punched him in the throat, hard. His head snapped back, but he hit me again and again and again. He was stronger than any ghost I’d ever faced before. I could literally feel my skull starting to come apart. I tried to manifest, but I couldn’t do it. I wasn’t angry enough, or scared enough.

  Why the hell not?

  Suddenly, he stopped. I looked up through tears and blood to see Wren standing there, her hand on his shoulder. “You said I could do it.”

  “No,” I whispered. It wasn’t just that her offer tore at my heart, it was the fact that she couldn’t kill me. We both knew that—we were too perfectly matched. Too entwined. I didn’t know if she was trying to trick him, or if she just wanted to hurt me for a while.