When the Dead Come Home (The Veil Diaries Book 8)

by B. L. Brunnemer

  The tension drained from my shoulders. They understood. We had a plan. We didn’t have a choice but to ask for help from the other supers. If we didn’t win, everything but witches might be wiped out or worse. And we’d probably be dead.

  Tara

  “Now, we’re going to determine everyone’s blood type.” Mr. Baxter held up a pin. “Every one of you have a blood typing kit in front of you. You’re going to poke your finger and put a drop on the slide under the three numbers.”

  Smiling, I looked down at my slide and picked up the result table. From the look of the slide... I blinked and read that again.

  No, that can’t be right. “Mr. Baxter, I don’t think I’m reading the results right.”

  He came over and examined my slide while everyone else talked about their results. “You, Tara, are O negative.” He smiled down at me. “A universal donor, congrats.”

  I shook my head slowly. “No… that can’t be right.”

  His smile dimmed. “That’s what the result says.”

  I looked up at him. “My mom is A negative. My dad is AB negative.”

  Lines appeared around his eyes as he squatted down to my level and lowered his voice. “How do you know that?”

  I tried to wrap my head around what this was telling me. “Dad was in a crash a few years ago, they said he was lucky they had a supply of AB negative on hand.” I turned to him. “A and AB don’t... make O.”

  The sympathy in his eyes was all the answer I needed. All the air seemed to leave the room as it hit me. He wasn’t my... My throat grew tight as everything seemed to fade into the background.

  Mr. Baxter put his hand on my shoulder. “Tara, go to the nurse's office and take some time.”

  I nodded. Mr. Baxter put my stuff back in my bag and handed it to me. In a daze, I got to my feet and left the class. If I was O… Mom cheated on Dad….

  Jessica

  “Jason, I’m going to class.” I pulled my math book out of my locker. “And I’m already really late.”

  “It’s the first week, you’re not going to miss anything.” He countered. “Come on, I miss you.” His arms slipped around my waist, his lips pressing small kisses down my neck.

  I stared at the back of my locker as he pressed against me. There was still a dull ache between my legs from yesterday and his demands. I closed my eyes and hung my head as the memory washed over me. Telling him that it hurt. His grunted response. Weariness washed over me. I was tired. So very tired of this.

  I took his arm off my waist and turned around to look up at him. “Jason, I still hurt from yesterday. I’m not going to sleep with you. I’m going to class.”

  He dropped his hands from me. “You should have said something, then.”

  My jaw dropped. “I did. You told me to ‘get used to it.’”

  He scowled down at me. “I probably didn’t hear you.”

  My temper flared. “You responded, Jason.”

  He shook his head. “No, no I didn’t. You must have just heard wrong.”

  Everything stopped. I knew what happened. I knew he heard me. I wasn’t crazy. “I’m… I’m going to class.” I stepped out from between him and the lockers.

  He snagged my arm. “No, we’re going to my house.” He started walking down the hall, pulling me behind him.

  “No.” I jerked my arm out of his hand and stepped back away from him. “I’m going to class.”

  Rage flashed over his face a heartbeat before his hand shot out. I fell back into the locker doors. The metallic bang echoed up and down the hall as he stepped closer, towering over me. “You don’t say no to me.”

  Shaking down to my core, I took a deep breath. “I just did.”

  His grip tightened on my wrist.

  “Let her go,” a firm voice ordered.

  We both turned to find Tara Delaney standing there, an angry scowl on her face.

  Oh no… My heart sank. She didn’t know what he’d do. “Tara, you need to go.”

  She shook her head as she strode toward us. “He shouldn’t be grabbing you like that.”

  “Tara, don’t,” I pleaded, stopping her a few feet away as I shook in Jason’s grip. “You’ll just make it worse.”

  “No.” She shook her head as she pulled out her cell phone. She turned to Jason. “Get your hands off her or I’ll call Asher and his friends.”

  He scowled at her before he dropped my wrist. “You need to mind your own fucking business.”

  My heart pounded in my chest. We needed to get away from him, go to the office. Something. But we had to do it without Jason following.

  Jason stalked toward her. He grabbed her shirt.

  “No!” My heart sank.

  Tara quickly dropped that shoulder back and punched him across the face. The sound of skin hitting skin echoed through the hall. She grabbed his far shoulder and drove her knee into his balls. Jason doubled over. She bent the arm that had been holding his shoulder and drove her elbow down across his face. He hit the hallway floor in a bleeding heap.

  Stunned, I met Tara’s pale face. It was almost as if she was just as surprised as I was.

  I stepped around the groaning heap, grabbed her hand, and started pulling her away down the hall. “Let’s go before he gets up.”

  Turning, we ran toward the parking lot.

  “Where the hell did you learn that?” I asked.

  “Your brother.”

  Lexie

  Isaac and I were in biology, just waiting for the bell to ring. With everything going on, I wanted to simply enjoy that I was with Isaac in this moment. My hand was in his hands, palm up, as he tried to read my palm with a site he found online. The rest of the classroom faded back to a murmur as he traced a line on my palm. Tingles ran up my arm from his careful touch.

  “This is your heart line,” he said, his voice low and soft.

  A warm smile spread across my face. “And what does it say?”

  His amber eyes met mine. “That you’re in love.”

  I raised skeptical eyebrow. “Oh, really?”

  His grin was all that was Isaac. Mischievous, sexy, and filled with warmth. “I’m just reading what’s there.”

  I moved a little closer. “And it has nothing to do with me telling you that?”

  He moved a little closer and lowered his voice even more. “Well, it might have something to do with that.”

  “Oh, it might?”

  His nose brushed mine. My pulse picked up even more as the scent of limes surrounded me.

  An out of place click reminded me of where we were. I quickly searched the room. A girl in the front row lowered her phone with a smug look on her face. Trisha’s chocolate hair swung over her shoulder in its braid as she started whispering to the girl next to her, who then glanced over her shoulder at us.

  “Looks like we’ve been outed.” Isaac sighed.

  The bell rang.

  “It was going to happen anyway.” I picked up my bag and started toward the door with him.

  Isaac’s hand brushed mine and hesitated.

  I slid my hand into his and tangled my fingers with his. His fingers squeezed mine. Out of the corner of my eye, Trisha glared at us. I simply ignored her and walked through the door and into the hall.

  We began to stroll toward the cafeteria through the crowded hall.

  I looked up at him. “Does it bother you?”

  He smirked down at me. “Not yet. I like people knowing you’re mine.” He leaned down and kissed the top of my head in full view of everyone. Whispers ran up and down the hall faster than wildfire. I simply enjoyed being happy.

  When we reached the table with the others, we let go of each other at the same time.

  “Hey, guys.” I sat down beside Asher. “How are your days going?”

  Ethan snorted while looking at his phone.

  Miles continued scribbling furiously into his notebook.

  “Nothing new.” Asher took a bite of his sandwich.

  “Good.” I opened my bag to gr
ab my lunch, only there wasn’t one. “Shit.”

  “What?” Isaac asked as he pulled out his brown bag of lunch.

  “I forgot my lunch,” I muttered as I put my bag back down and eyed the line in the cafeteria.

  Asher opened his bag and pulled out another lunch bag and set it in front of me. When he swallowed his bite, he said. “I thought you might forget.”

  I smiled gratefully. “Thanks, Ash.”

  He winked down at me as I opened the bag.

  “I’ve got news.” Ethan lifted his head, mischief covering his face. “Lexie is apparently dating Isaac.” He turned his phone to us. Sure enough, it was the picture Trisha had taken in biology. “It’s all over school already.”

  I rolled my eyes and bit into my sandwich.

  “That was faster than I thought.” Isaac opened his water bottle.

  I snorted as I turned to the others and went still. Asher had frowned. His gaze fused intently to the picture.

  Ethan seemed to realize his mistake and turned the phone back to himself.

  Asher’s grip on the table left his knuckles white.

  Before I knew it, my hand was on his, my thumb stroking the inside of his wrist.

  “Beautiful…” Ethan warned.

  I ignored him as Asher’s pulse raced under my fingertip. “Ash.”

  Asher turned to me. His eyes were that silver-blue again. More than I’d ever seen before. Instinctively, I leaned over and kissed him firmly on the lips.

  Whispers erupted around the quad.

  “Lexie.” Miles’ warning barely registered as I pulled back from Asher.

  I held his gaze. “You’re mine too. Both of you.”

  The tension from his shoulders melted. The silver slowly slid away, leaving only the ocean.

  His eyes narrowed on mine. “You have no idea what you just did.”

  Chapter 8

  Thursday Afternoon

  I blinked up at Asher. “What I did?”

  He nodded, an odd smile forming on his lips.

  Miles was scanning the crowded quad. “Everyone get your stuff, we’re going to talk.”

  No one argued. We simply packed up our things and followed Miles away from the cafeteria and prying eyes. He eventually led us back to the janitor’s closet and ducked inside.

  As soon as the door closed behind us, he turned to face us. “What do you three think you’re doing? It’s only the second day of school and there are already rumors.”

  “Well, like Red, we suck at being subtle.” Isaac grinned down at me.

  I grinned back.

  “It’s what we agreed to.” Miles sighed wearily.

  I turned back to him. “Maybe we realized we can’t hide it.”

  “Can’t isn’t in your vocabulary.” Miles pinched the bridge of his nose.

  I sighed. “Miles.”

  He dropped his hand and turned to me. “Please? Try a little harder?”

  “It’s been a month since any of us had time together alone. With everything going on, we’re not going to get a lot of time,” I explained. “I’m tired of trying to hide how I feel about you guys. I did it for a long time and I don’t want to do it anymore.” That’s when it hit me. “No. I just don’t want to hide how I feel anymore.”

  Everyone gave me their undivided attention.

  I smiled. “I am in love with each of you. And I’m not going to hide it.”

  The twins grinned. Asher relaxed a little more.

  However, Miles’ shoulders grew tense. “But you can’t make this decision for all of us. We have to agree.”

  I narrowed my eyes at him. “Are you ashamed of me, Miles? Are you ashamed of all of this?”

  The harsh lines of his face softened. “No. But that doesn’t mean my concern isn’t valid.”

  I nodded. “I get it. But I’m not acting like I have something to be ashamed of anymore.”

  Miles sighed, his eyes holding mine. “This is going to make everything more difficult.”

  I smiled. “I know. But I’m done pretending.”

  Miles’ shoulders grew tense. “Lexie, I’m not handling it that well.”

  My heart sunk. This wasn’t really about everyone else. That… well, that changed things. “Oh.”

  Miles’ ears tinted pink as Asher and the twins shared a look then quietly left the closet.

  “I thought you were just worried about other people harassing us.” I fidgeted with my fingers.

  Miles dragged his fingers through his hair. “It’s a valid reason. Though it’s not the only one.”

  “I’m sorry, Miles.” I stuck my hands in my pockets. “What are you struggling with?”

  “This isn’t the time or the place to talk about it.” He took a step back from me.

  The bell rang.

  I muttered a curse.

  Without a word, Miles went to the door and held it open for me. I guess we were done talking about this.

  We headed out into the hall. Miles left without a word.

  “Come on, Ally,” Asher said as he took my arm. “Time for class.”

  When we were alone, I looked up at Asher. “So, what did I do by kissing you?”

  His face was oddly relaxed as he met my eyes and slipped his hand around mine. “I’ll tell you later.”

  Tara

  Jessica slowly twirled her spoon in her melted ice-cream. The small parlor was empty and quiet. She had insisted on not going home until Asher or her dad were there. Tears continued to slip down her face and occasionally dropped into her cup. The bruises on her wrist had filled in over the last hour. They were dark against the rest of her skin.

  Jason was an abusive asshole. There was no doubt from what I saw in the hallway at school. I wanted to make it better, but I just didn’t know how. “Are you okay?”

  She gave a short, bitter laugh. “Yeah. That wasn’t even that bad.”

  “How long has he been like that?” I asked in a hushed voice.

  “For the last year or so.” She wiped her face.

  I shook my head. I didn’t know how to deal with this. “That doesn’t matter. He’s that way now and no one deserves to be dragged around.”

  She pressed her lips together as her phone vibrated on the small table. She picked it up as if she was going to answer it. “It’s him. He’s going to be so mad.”

  He’s going to be mad? I took the phone from her and flipped it over onto the table so she couldn’t see the screen. “Fuck him.” I turned back to her. “He’s an abusive asshole who doesn’t deserve even a second of your time.”

  Her mouth dropped open as she finally lifted her head and met my eyes. “But…”

  I leaned forward. “Do you like being treated like this?”

  She sank back in the chair as a wave of fresh tears ran down her face. Eventually, she shook her head.

  “Then walk away,” I said in a soft voice. “For yourself. For your life.”

  She wrapped her arms around herself. “I don’t think I can.”

  “Why not?”

  Her voice was small. “He scares me.”

  “Have you told anyone?” Please tell me Asher knows at least…

  She shook her head. “I can’t tell anyone. They won’t believe me.”

  Believe her? I wanted to say they would with those bruises, but she might be right. “That doesn’t mean you have to stay with him.”

  Her eyes met mine as they filled again. “I don’t want to be alone.”

  My heart broke. I reached over and took her hand in mine. “You won’t be.”

  Her hand squeezed mine. “Thank you.”

  “You’re a good person, Jessica. You deserve to find someone who loves to make you laugh and smile, not one that makes you want to cry and need painkillers.” I couldn’t believe she needed to be told this.

  She shook her head. “I know. At least, I think I know.”

  My eyes burned. I couldn’t believe that this crying, terrified girl was Jessica Westfell. She always seemed so confident, so in c
harge. She had everything I ever wanted: Popular, beautiful, and smart. I shoved those thoughts away again and focused on her. “You deserve more.”

  She met my gaze. “Thanks.”

  I squeezed her hand again and pulled back, ignoring the tingling running up my fingers.

  Her eyes focused. “Why were you leaving class?”

  It all came rushing back. I took a sharp shaky breath as the pressure in my chest returned. Tears began to pour as I buried my face in my hands.

  A chair scraped against the floor and she was there, her arm around me hugging me tight. “I’m sorry, whatever it is, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.”

  I buried my face in her neck and held on tight. I cried hard, almost hysterically. It wasn’t long until the manager brought us pints of ice-cream.

  “Are you girls okay?” he asked, worried as he set the cartons in front of us. Both were exactly the same as our orders.

  My throat was too tight to do more than breathe.

  “Yes, we’ve just both had a really shitty day,” Jessica answered for us.

  I sat up, wiped my face, and struggled to get myself under control again.

  “Alright. If you girls need help, this is a safe space,” he said in a gentle voice.

  Jessica smiled. “Thank you.”

  He went back around the counter and into the back of the store.

  Jessica turned back to me. “What happened?”

  I looked up at her and said it. “My mom cheated on my dad. He’s not my father.”

  Lexie

  “The shifters called, they took the longer trails today,” Asher announced as I put my bag in the back of my Blazer. “They can cover them twice as fast.”

  I nodded. Good, that would help.

  “We’re not going to be able to take a trail today.” Isaac cringed.

  I came back around the truck. “What? Why?”

  “Today’s that dinner with our grandparents.” Ethan began to spin his rings.