Grave Dealings (The Grave Report, Book 3)

by R. R. Virdi

  Anna and Ashton bickered all the while.

  The lovebirds and their arguing went to the back of my mind as I trudged towards the mirror I had entered from. A silent prayer went through my mind in the hopes that Ortiz hadn’t blasted the other end of the Way to smithereens.

  I wasn’t fond of the idea of being trapped in the Neravene with the blathering bats for all eternity.

  The mirror drew closer, and Ashton grew loud enough to drown out Anna. “How did you know I was the other Faust?”

  I exhaled as fatigue threatened to overtake me, but I didn’t stop moving. “Anna slipped up.”

  The piece of glass housing her shook in silent rage.

  “She let me know she wasn’t alone. After that, it was simple. I put together what I’d learned about Fausts. You do the mortal thing really well, but your eyes are a shade off normal. Too much orange in that brown. You both smell the same, and I caught that same scent in all the places you two had been. Then in your apartment you had the candle. Good way to drown out your own stink.”

  Ashton’s mirror shook harder than Anna’s.

  I imagined him glaring at her. “Not to mention she was in the hospital when Renee died, but I saw her in the Neravene. That means she held her contract and that you ganked her. I saw the mirror on your cell phone. You two also both vanished near instantly when I first met you. Anna used her makeup mirror, and you used your phone, didn’t you?”

  Both went quiet.

  I took it as a yes.

  “You know, I am pretty good at this investigator stuff. For all the rumors you’ve heard, you should have put more stock in that one. I—” My voice died out when I saw the figure lingering near my way out.

  A young boy, one I’d seen not too long ago in a hospital bed.

  Timothy.

  Except he should have been alive.

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Fatigue fled my body, washed away in a sea of bone-deep anger and adrenaline. Glass cut into the soft tissue of my palms as I squeezed harder than necessary. “Which one of you?”

  Ashton and Anna stayed quiet.

  Timothy looked around as if he were lost.

  I guess he was.

  He didn’t seem to notice us, even when he looked right through me.

  I felt like the shattered bits of glass lying around. “Which one of you killed the boy?”

  Silence.

  It was a stupid question. Ashton had claimed his soul, meaning he had dealt with the kid. A kid!

  I dropped both pieces of glass to the ground.

  The Fausts yelped in surprise.

  “What are you doing?” they asked in unison.

  “What did you promise him?” I kept my eyes on Timothy, using him to fuel my rage.

  Ashton sputtered before coming clean. “How do you think he got that joy ride? It was an easy mark.”

  Easy…

  A kid.

  “I set it up for him. He sold his soul for a drive. What does it—”

  Glass crunched under my heel as my foot ground Ashton into nothingness.

  Anna screamed.

  It didn’t last. I buried my heel into her piece as well.

  I walked by Timothy and reached out to put a hand on his shoulder.

  He looked right into my eyes.

  I froze and couldn’t meet his gaze. I looked away. “I’m sorry, kid. I am so...so sorry.” I concentrated on the mirror, staring deep into it in the hopes that it’d open before I would have to look at Timothy again.

  It didn’t.

  The Neravene had a cruel sense of humor.

  I held my gaze, desiring to be away from where I was. To be with Ortiz and Kelly. To make sure they were safe. Hell, a part of me wanted to see old Goldilocks after this and have him utter some pseudo-philosophical bullshit to me.

  The mirror shimmered and flared into life. A Way opened.

  Son of a bitch.

  I gave Timothy one last look. “I wish I could take you back.”

  My words fell on deaf ears. The kid looked at his surroundings, unsure of everything.

  I licked my lips, unable to bring myself to utter another apology. Looking away was easier. So I stepped through the mirror.

  * * *

  The art gallery welcomed me. I wish I could have said it was a warm one.

  Ortiz sat cross-legged on the ground beside Kelly. Their gazes were fixed to the mirror almost like they hadn’t registered my appearance from it. The shotgun lay across Kelly’s lap. One of her hands rested on it.

  I flashed them a lopsided grin and waved.

  It took them a moment and a quick exchange of looks before they pushed themselves up.

  My forearm tingled, prompting me to give it attention. Two hours had passed, but it was over. I held my stare for a five-count. The tattoo faded.

  That warranted a sigh of relief.

  Ortiz approached first, throwing her arms around me and squeezing hard enough to make me worry about my battered body.

  “Okay, okay.” I winced and eased out of her grip. “Good to see you too.”

  She grinned and jabbed me with a fist.

  I winced harder.

  “Baby.” Her grin widened.

  “Pfft. I just kicked Ashton’s ass. That’s Monster-Slaying Baby to you.” I matched her smile.

  “So, it’s over?”

  I nodded.

  Ortiz’s shoulders sank. She looked as relieved as I felt.

  Kelly slipped by her, eyeing the mirror behind, then me. “Really?”

  “Really. It’s done.” I licked my lips, wondering how much to pry into the young girl’s thoughts. She’d been through hell.

  But sometimes, that’s when you need someone to stick their hand in and pull you out.

  “How are you holding up?”

  She shuddered and glanced at Ariel. Her gaze shifted to Caroline before I could say anything to reassure her. “I’m…” She trailed off.

  “Hey.” I gripped her shoulders like I had done earlier. “Congrats.”

  She blinked. Her mouth moved without sound as she tried to dig up words she didn’t have.

  “You did it. You made it through your first monster shit-fest. You did good, kid. Now this is where things get complicated.”

  Her mouth twitched. “Now they get complicated? What about the ninja assassin cats, and the ball, and”—she flailed her arms at our surroundings—“and this?”

  “The easy stuff.” I gave her a knowing look.

  Her eyes and mouth went flat.

  “It’s the truth. The hard part is remembering.” I touched a finger to my temple. “This stuff will stay with you. But here’s the thing. You can walk away now. It’s over. And for you, that can be permanent. The choice now is, is that what you want?”

  She looked to Ortiz as if asking for help.

  Ortiz met her stare but said nothing. She understood the importance of the matter, especially with everything we’d just been through. It came down to one thing: choice.

  This was Kelly’s call. And whatever that was, it’d carry consequences. Good or bad. Likely both.

  “I…I don’t know.” Kelly looked between the both of us for an answer.

  I gave her a gentle shake. “Right answer.”

  “What?” She looked taken aback.

  “Yeah. That’s about the smartest thing you could have said. You were curious and jumped in feet first. Rookie move. But you did your best. You made it through, and you helped when you could. Heck, you saved Ortiz and me by putting a hole in Ashton when you did.”

  She beamed. “I did, didn’t I? Total badass.”

  I squinted and eyed her sideways. “Don’t let it go to your head.”

  She rolled her eyes.

  Kids.

  “In all seriousness, you showed that you’re a lot stronger than you give yourself credit for. Heck, most people are and never know it. Now you do. There’s a power in that, Kelly. Just keep that in mind and use it right, okay?”

  She nodded and
turned to Ortiz, giving her a self-satisfied smirk.

  What the hell; she’d earned it.

  I turned to my side, pushing the women from my mind for a moment. There was one other person who deserved my attention. Well, Daniel’s at least.

  Ortiz saw what I was up to and stepped towards me.

  I held up a hand. “It’s okay, I just...I have to.”

  She paused, then took a step back. Ortiz understood.

  I knelt by Caroline’s side and placed a hand over one of hers. I’d seen all manner of new things in the Neravene, and some of them had got me thinking. Maybe there was a way Caroline, or a piece of her, was out there somewhere—watching. It wasn’t out of the realm of possibility as far as I was concerned. She needed to hear what I had to say.

  “I don’t know if you can hear me, but I sure as hell hope you can.” I kept my voice to a whisper only Caroline could have heard had she still been alive. “I’m sorry. You didn’t do right by the people in your life, but you didn’t deserve this.” I squeezed her hand. “Wherever you are, just remember this. Don’t make deals with the devil. They’re better at them than you, and they never play fair.” I lifted my hand, brushing my fingers across her eyelids to shut them.

  Getting to my feet was harder than it should have been, like I was carrying a backpack full of bricks.

  Ortiz slipped a hand under one of my arms, helping me up.

  “Thanks.” My voice came out like grated stone.

  “Sure.” She nodded towards the hall we’d entered the gallery from. “We should go.”

  I looked back to Ariel and Caroline. “Yeah. How are you going to explain them?”

  Ortiz swallowed, then bit her lip. “I’m not. I can’t.”

  I stared at her.

  “This world, this whole mess”—she released her hold on me and ran a hand through her hair—“it’s not something I know how to fit into my world yet.”

  I stayed quiet.

  “How do I explain this? How do I make sure justice is done?” She stressed that word. “Everyone who made a deal is dead or won’t talk.” Ortiz meant Eddie, the sole survivor. “The Fausts are trapped—”

  “Dead. They’re dead.”

  Ortiz stopped, giving me a hard look. “You killed them?”

  I told her about Timothy.

  Her gaze fell to the ground. “Oh. I can’t blame you for what you did. I wanted to do the same to Ashton when he said those things about Dan and Caroline. Hearing what she did to him and what she wanted from him.” Ortiz shook.

  “Yeah, look how that turned out for her.” I cast the dead woman a final look. “I suppose the only thing more tragic than selling your soul is the moment you realized you gave it away for nothing.”

  Ortiz turned on a heel and walked towards the exit. She’d heard all she needed and wasn’t keen on hearing any more.

  Kelly glanced at me as she set after Ortiz. She walked away with the shotgun hanging from her shoulder. Kelly’s posture was straighter, her back tighter, and her shoulders pulled back.

  She’d come out of this more confident than she’d come in.

  It wasn’t much, but I took the small blessing.

  I followed both women out of the gallery and to the sidewalk.

  Ortiz popped her trunk, ushering Kelly over. She took the shotgun from the young woman and put in the trunk.

  Kelly stood in place, shifting her weight awkwardly like she was waiting for something.

  I eyed her, then Ortiz. “Something up?”

  “Will I see you two again?” She looked to both of us.

  I gave her a goofy smile. “Do you really want to? You know what that would mean? Monsters, magic, mayhem.”

  She snorted. “Yeah, it’s like a roleplaying game with a lot more danger. But I think I’d like to.”

  This case had taught me something. Don’t push your friends away. I’d done that, kept them in the dark, and it’d come back to bite me. Kelly didn’t need to get involved in this world, but keeping in touch wouldn’t hurt. Because if you ever need them, your friends can’t do much to help if you don’t let them near.

  “Yeah, Kelly, I think I’d like that too.”

  She gave me a wide smile and bobbed in place like she was torn between giving me a handshake and a hug. The awkwardness won out and she turned without giving us either, hustling to her car parked further down the street.

  I placed a palm against my face, shaking my head. “She’s not much of a people person, is she?”

  Ortiz laughed. “She’s a stay-at-home hacker. I think she takes online classes. People aren’t her thing.”

  I guffawed and made my way to Ortiz’s passenger side, getting in.

  She hopped into the driver’s seat and gave me a long look. “What next?” Ortiz started the car and put it into drive before I could answer. She pulled away from the curb, fighting the wheel before leveling it out.

  “Take me to church.”

  Ortiz stared at me. “I’m not a fan of that song.”

  I snorted. “No, an actual one.” I gave her the address of the church I’d officially started my case at.

  Her mouth twitched, but she didn’t question my request. “You know, I remember the first time I met you. You brought me to a church then too. There was someone there.” Ortiz pressed her lips together and frowned. Her eyes narrowed like she was fighting to recall something. “That’s weird. I know there was someone else there. I can’t picture him though.”

  I kept my mouth shut.

  Ortiz muttered to herself, trying to make sense of what she’d seen that first time. Something about it was comforting.

  I let her voice and musings pull me to the sleep I needed.

  Fighting monsters is tiring work.

  Chapter Forty-Four

  An ungodly horn sounded, ripping me out of the blissful black.

  I jerked awake, the seatbelt snapping back and holding me in place as I thrashed. “Who the what now?”

  Ortiz broke into uncontrollable laughter, doubling over and shaking against the steering wheel.

  I glowered at her and thumbed the release of my seatbelt. The high road would’ve been ignoring her childish prank.

  Sometimes the high road’s the one that’s less traveled. Taking it easy for once was appealing.

  I leaned over while she remained hunched over the wheel. My hand went out, slipping carefully through her open arms, and I pressed my fingers to the horn.

  It sounded again, causing her to snap back like she’d been punched square on the nose.

  She scowled at me but didn’t say a word. Ortiz unbuckled her belt and moved to exit the car.

  I reached out and grabbed hold of her shoulder. “Don’t. Please.”

  She froze. “Why not?”

  I arched a brow. “Truth?”

  “It wouldn’t hurt.” Ortiz tilted her head, eyeing me.

  “Because I’m going in there to die, Ortiz.”

  She looked away.

  “You knew that was going to happen eventually, right? Look, I know you want in on all of this. You want to keep helping, and hell, I want your help.”

  Ortiz glanced at me, a light smile touching her lip. “Good. About time you realized that. You need it.”

  I tried not to laugh. “Yeah, I do. But the thing is, this job’s done. That means I have to move on.” I pressed my lips together and swallowed. “That means Daniel’s not coming along. A part of you knew that when I came clean back in his apartment. You’d been looking into this for a while now. You know how the bodies I borrow end up.”

  Ortiz nodded, her gaze flitting away before returning to focus on me.

  “If you come with me, it’s going to rub salt in a wound that I’m not so sure has healed. Ortiz, you’ll be coming to watch your friend’s body die for the last time.”

  Her lower lip folded back and she chewed on it. “I know, and I know you’re still holding out on something.” Ortiz’s eyes narrowed a shade.

  Gulp. That was uncanny.
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br />   I waggled my hand in a gesture she’d recognize. “Maybe, but it’s a secret.”

  Her eyes narrowed further. “You’re lucky you’re hurting, and that you’re in Daniel’s body.”

  I raised my brow higher. “Or else?”

  “Or else I’d break that hand.” A wolfish smile spread over her face.

  I stopped waggling the hand. “Uh, right. In all seriousness, Ortiz, you’ve been through a lot recently.”

  “I can handle it.” A familiar fire returned to her eyes, and her jaw hardened.

  “I’m not saying you can’t. I’m saying that I don’t want you to have to. Got it? Look, let me spare you this. Maybe it’s not so much about you as it is me?”

  Ortiz caught onto what I was getting at. She blinked twice. “Oh, God. You still feel guilty, don’t you? You think it’s your fault for my being in the asylum, for everything I went through here. You blame yourself for me finding you in Daniel’s body?”

  I didn’t want to answer that.

  “Vincent, I forgive you.” She reached out and placed a hand on mine, giving it a gentle squeeze. “I forgive you.”

  A lot of the weight in the world, some of the worst of it, can be lifted by those three words. Believe that.

  Forgiveness is a power all its own. It isn’t easy to accept, and it’s endlessly hard to give. But it’s powerful. No question about it.

  Learn to take it when given and to give it when, and if, you can. Life’s easier that way.

  I cleared my throat of the imaginary blockage. “Thank you. I needed that. Doesn’t change my answer though. I don’t want you to see this. Sue me for not wanting to put you through watching your friend leave you again.”

  Her smile stretched wider, coming across like it was forced. “Like you could pay me if I did sue.” The fake smile was definitely for my sake, but a hint of light reached her eyes, adding a bit of warmth to it. “And I’ll be losing two friends if you think about it.”

  She was right.

  “But I have a feeling you’ll be back?” She gave me a hopeful look.