When the Dead Come Home

by B. L. Brunnemer

  “Prepare for rumors, men.” Ethan grinned as I sat in the row in front of the others.

  “What’d you do?” Isaac groaned.

  “We got caught coming out of the janitor’s closet.” I grinned up at him. “And ran right into Faith.”

  Isaac chuckled, and then didn’t stop. Asher sighed behind me then held out a five-dollar bill between me and Isaac.

  Isaac was still laughing when he took it. “We didn’t even make a whole day.”

  I shook my head and waited for him to calm down.

  Miles didn’t bother to address the bet. “Jadis is Lexie’s new guidance counselor.”

  Isaac stopped laughing immediately.

  “Seriously?” Asher shifted behind me, the backs of his fingers running down my spine in a slow caress.

  His warmth tempted me into leaning back a little more. “Yep. She even made an appearance in our class.”

  “What the hell is she doing here?” Isaac asked.

  I bumped his shoulder with mine. “She says she’s keeping an eye on her ‘experiment.’”

  Isaac turned to me. “Tell me you decked her?”

  I shook my head. “Sadly, no. I promised Rory I’d keep a low profile.”

  “Damn.” Isaac sighed.

  “Did she say anything else?” Miles asked, his head tilting to the side. “Anything that would give you an idea of what she’s up to?”

  I shrugged. “She tried to recruit me.”

  Mrs. Weaver came into the gym with Jadis and several other teachers.

  A deep growl rumbled from behind me. Without thinking, I scooted back and pressed my back against Asher’s inner thighs. He took a sharp breath in before his hands slipped up to my shoulders and squeezed gently. I relaxed under the comforting weight.

  “Lexie.” Miles’ voice was firm.

  Grrr. I moved forward as Mrs. Weaver held up a microphone.

  “Good morning, students,” Mrs. Weaver said. “This is an assembly about how to stay safe, so please pay attention.”

  The entire gym went silent.

  “You keep slipping,” Miles whispered.

  I rolled my eyes. “It’s a little hard when I would have done the exact same thing before New Orleans and not one of you would have had a problem with it.”

  Mrs. Weaver was still talking. “As you probably know, there have been several deaths over the last month. First, if any of you want to talk about your fears or feelings on these matters, please know our counselors are here for you.” She gestured toward Jadis and Ms. Higgins. “You all know Ms. Higgins, but I’d like to introduce Ms. Hill.”

  “That was before, this is now,” Miles reminded me.

  I clenched my jaw. “So, I can’t comfort one of my boyfriends?”

  A boy in front of us glanced back before leaning to talk to his friend next to him. Shit! Mrs. Weaver continued some spiel.

  “See what I mean,” Miles chided.

  Yeah, I got it. But damn. “I kinda suck at cloak and dagger, Miles.”

  “You’ll have to get better at it. We all will,” Miles countered absently as he turned to look at the door.

  “Ease up, man.” Isaac shook his head.

  “I might be better at this if I got more practice before school started.” I shot back in a hushed voice.

  “Oh, damn.” Ethan chuckled and shook his head.

  Miles turned back to me, his brows drawn together. “You agreed with us to postpone.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, but I didn’t think that meant—” That’s when I noticed Rory at the door to the gym. “What’s Rory doing here?”

  Everyone turned to find my uncle in his patrol uniform, patiently waiting just inside the gym.

  “Here is Officer Delaney with some safety tips,” Mrs. Weaver announced to the school.

  Rory confidently strode across the basketball court. He took the microphone and turned to the crowd. “Hi, everyone. I’m Officer Delaney, you may have seen me around town. Or have even gotten a ticket from me a time or two.”

  The crowd chuckled.

  “As you have all undoubtedly heard, several women have been found murdered in and around town.” His voice grew warmer. “Now, I’m going to be honest with you guys. You’re smart. You’re almost adults. This is a tense situation that has affected everyone in town, including officers such as myself. We’re all working hard trying to find whoever has done this.”

  Everyone shared looks.

  “First thing I want to make you aware of is, if you get pulled over, don’t immediately start digging through your glove box for your registration and insurance info. Wait until we ask for it. Instead, keep your hands on the wheel in plain view. This will stop any kind of misunderstanding that you may be reaching for a weapon or trying to hide something.” Rory turned as he spoke so he could see the entire crowd hanging on his every word. “There are certain actions that put officers on alert. The less you do, the less likely there will be a misunderstanding.”

  Jadis tilted her head to the side, her brows drawing closer as she considered Rory.

  “Second, when you’re out and about, be aware.” His voice grew firmer but kept its warmth. “Don’t be looking at your phone, don’t be looking at the ground as you walk. Pay attention to the people around you and your environment. People like this, they thrive on attacking individuals who are not paying attention. They want your guard down so they can take you by surprise. That’s makes sense, right?”

  There were yeahs, yeses and head nods throughout the gym.

  “Do not go with anyone who you do not know,” he stated, still turning on the spot. “Normally, I wouldn’t mention it. It’s common sense. But when I say know, I mean one on one. If a fellow student in an arm cast comes up to you and says, ‘Hey, let’s go somewhere,’ what do you do?”

  Rory grinned as if he didn’t expect an answer. “First thing you should do is think. Have you ever talked to this person one on one before? Did you ever introduce yourself? Or do you only know them through reputation and rumors?”

  Again silence.

  “There is a difference between knowing of someone and knowing someone.” Rory turned in place, making sure to see both sides of the gym. “You need to stop and think and look at the situation.”

  Rory turned back to our side of the gym. “It’s not being rude to say no. If a situation has you feeling uncomfortable, there’s a reason. Get out of it. Understand?”

  Almost everyone nodded. Rory had the crowd in the palm of his hand.

  “I’m sure a few of you at least have found yourselves in situations where you were being pressured to do something you may not have felt comfortable with?”

  “Homework!” someone shouted. The crowd chuckled.

  Rory smiled good naturedly. “Not quite what I’m talking about. If someone tries to make you go somewhere with them, make a scene. Scream. If you’re on an empty block, hit cars to set off the alarms. Make noise. Silence is what these people thrive on, what helps them get what they want. Because if they are trying to take you somewhere, it’s because they don’t have good intentions. Don’t worry about making a scene or being wrong. You can always apologize later. You might be embarrassed but you’ll be alive.”

  Rory turned to Mrs. Weaver. “Now, for the next two weeks at the local gym, we’re offering free self-defense lessons to help anyone who’s interested. All you have to do is show your student ID and have your parents sign the waivers. The information packets will be on a table by the door, so be sure to grab one on your way out.” Rory handed the microphone to Mrs. Weaver.

  Everyone in the gym applauded. It was the most I’d ever heard from an assembly.

  Mrs. Weaver waited for everyone to quiet down. “Thank you, Officer Delaney. Now…” I watched Jadis as the vice principal droned on. Something about that woman just made you not want to listen. Jadis was with the other teachers, a smile plastered on her face.

  Why was she here? It wasn’t just for me or Ethan. Probably both of us. What else c
ould she want? I racked my brain and started with what I knew about her.

  She liked power and control. She wanted it bad enough she was willing to kill people for it. Control over supernaturals? What would she need to get that?

  Force. She’d need practically an army to overthrow the Witch’s Council as a whole. She pulled it off in Florida but then went to—

  I sat up straighter. She went to New Orleans. That was weird. If I was going to try taking over the country, I’d start in one state and then move slowly out. Keep my base strong and well protected.

  But Jadis didn’t do that. She jumped three states to go to New Orleans.

  Louis and Juan.

  That had to be it, right? Louis had been a necromancer. The only other one I’d ever met, and his son. They also tried to take Juan.

  Could they be after whoever closed the Veil?

  I lifted my gaze and watched Jadis with her plastic smile. She turned her head and locked her gaze with mine. The smile grew brighter. I was right. Wasn’t I?

  I ran over it again in my head. I had no proof. Only theories, assumptions, and a gut feeling. I dragged my hand through my hair and sighed. I still had nothing to go on. Fuck.

  * * *

  We were filing out of the gym and away from the crowd when I went to tell them what I was thinking. Only, I didn’t get a chance.

  “Lexie, you have to learn to control yourself,” Miles said quietly.

  I looked up at him baffled before I realized what he was talking about. “Miles, I don’t care if people find out.”

  “I understand that,” he countered. “But not everyone is as comfortable with this as you are.”

  It was a comment I hadn’t seen coming. I stopped in the middle of the hallway and looked up at him.

  His emerald eyes met mine, his mouth a hard line as people walked around us.

  “Are you embarrassed about this?” I asked, stunned.

  Isaac squeezed my arm before he shared a look with Ethan then moved a bit further down the hallway to give us some illusion of privacy.

  His brows drew together. “About what?”

  This wasn’t the right place or the right time, but shit. I had to know. “Me?”

  His brow relaxed as his eyes widened a little. “No.”

  Relief left me almost dizzy. “About what we’re doing?”

  He let out a deep breath. “Lexie, this isn’t the place.”

  He was right. I knew he was. Shaking my head, I started down the hall again. “We’ve got biology class. We’ll see you at lunch.”

  Isaac walked with me toward what was left of our class.

  “He didn’t mean it that way,” Isaac said as we picked two seats in the back of the bustling classroom and sat down.

  “I know,” I muttered.

  Isaac settled his arm around my shoulders on the back of my chair. His fingers squeezed my shoulder. “Something’s up his ass. He’s been quiet lately.”

  I pulled my notepad out of my bag along with a pen. “Yeah.” I braced my elbows on the table and looked down at my paper.

  “It’s okay, Red.”

  I nodded as I started doodling mindlessly. What if Miles changed his mind? What if he realized he didn’t want this? He had been spending a lot of time with Lucy…

  Mr. Baxter began class. It was the usual first day stuff condensed down to five minutes, since ten was all that we had left in class. Mr. Baxter wasn’t one to give busy work, so we only had to pay attention for the layout of the class, then we were free to do whatever we wanted.

  Isaac pulled the pen out of my hand.

  Surprised, I jumped and turned to him.

  He held up the chewed pen. “You’re about to have ink all over your face.”

  I shrugged and immediately began chewing my thumbnail.

  He took my hand, pulled it from my mouth and kept it. “It’s me.”

  I met those amber eyes and gave up. “I don’t want to make you feel bad.”

  His brow drew down for several heartbeats before he smiled. “Do you love me?”

  A smile slowly moved across my face. “Absolutely.”

  He moved a little closer and whispered, “You know how I’ve been reading a lot of self-help books since we got back?”

  I nodded.

  “I asked Ma to send me into therapy.”

  My jaw dropped. “Really?”

  He nodded. “I need to figure shit out, and part of that is dealing with this whole dating thing.”

  My eyes stung. “Don’t go for our situation. Go because it’ll help you.”

  His smile grew even warmer. “I am, Lexie. This will just be a bonus.”

  I practically melted into a puddle. I loved it when he used my name like that. “Damn, you’re too cute.”

  He chuckled, that light growing brighter in his eyes. “I try.”

  I let out a slow breath and whispered, “I love you.”

  “I love you too.” His cheeks turned rosy. “And I want to be here for you.”

  I started to chew on the corner of my lower lip. “I don’t want you to feel like you aren’t enough for me.”

  His smile didn’t even fade as his fingers tangled with mine. “As long as you keep reminding me that you love me, I think I can deal.” That mischievous light was back. “And kisses. Lots and lots of kisses.”

  I chuckled softly. “I think I can do that.”

  “So, what has you chewing the hell out of your pen?”

  I dropped my voice to a whisper. “Are you going to be embarrassed about me dating everyone? If it gets out?”

  He scowled at me. It was the oddest face. His lips were twisted, his brow was drawn down. Everything about it screamed that he thought I was crazy. “Fuck no.”

  I looked in his eyes and tried to figure out if he was lying. “Are you sure?”

  “Look, we both know I’ve got my issues with this.” His face relaxed. “But I’ve wanted to be with you for months. To be able to touch you, to kiss you… for once, I’m not going to get in my own way.”

  A warm smile slowly crossed my face. Isaac had been working hard all month trying to understand why he does what he does. We’d been talking every night about what he read. About him. He was finally realizing how much he tore himself down. He never wanted to go back to that place, and frankly, I would give almost anything to stop that from happening. In the last month he’d changed. And it wasn’t for me. It was for himself. For his life.

  And it was beautiful to me.

  Whispering caught my ear. I turned in time to spot Faith at the end of the row in front of us, eyeing us with a pinched face. Not caring anymore, I winked at her.

  Her face grew pink as her lips pursed. I went back to my conversation with Isaac, knowing full well I just made it worse.

  Chapter 4

  Miles

  “Miles, there is no gum in my class,” Mr. Jones announced. I continued to tap my pen on my notepad.

  “Mr. Huntington.” Mr. Jones’ hard voice pulled me back to the present.

  He stood over me, scowling and holding the garbage can. Oh, damn.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you.” I took out my gum and put it in the trash.

  He simply shook his head and walked away.

  My phone dinged.

  Ethan: What’s crawled up your ass and died today?

  I reached for another piece of gum only to barely catch myself. Instead, I answered.

  Miles: Nothing. I just don’t believe we should give the gossipers any fodder.

  I was about to put my phone down when it dinged again.

  Ethan: And it has nothing to do with that paperwork last night?

  I began bouncing my knee.

  Miles: Of course not. We agreed to not have PDA until we are sure everyone can handle it.

  Ethan: Everyone was handling it, except you.

  I ran it back through my head. Damn, he was right.

  Miles: It has nothing to do with last night.

  Ethan: You’re being an a
ss to us lately.

  I scowled at my phone.

  Miles: I am not.

  Ethan: Man, if you can’t handle us touching her or her touching us then you need to say something.

  I didn’t answer. He was right, I just didn’t want to admit it. But he knew me too well.

  Ethan: You know I’m right. You need to talk to her about this.

  I tucked my phone into my pocket. That wasn’t the whole issue. Part of the problem was that I didn’t care that she was touching the others, or if they touched her. And that was what bothered me. Other people would take notice and they’d care. They’d judge and eventually insult her. And I didn’t know how I would respond to that.

  I shook my head and went back to my notepad full of schematics. There were other things to worry about. Things in town were getting strange, and with Jadis here, things were going to be only getting more dangerous. I examined my plans again. This could help.

  Lexie

  I took the last bite of my sandwich just as the bell rang and groaned around my full mouth. I needed to stop talking so much at lunch.

  Asher sent me a sympathetic smile. “Come on, Ally. We’ve got art class.”

  I shoved the trash back in my bag as I chewed and slung it over my shoulder. Asher fell in step with me as we waved bye to everyone else.

  When I finally could, I looked up at Asher. “So, you’re in art class.”

  He nodded, making a point to look anywhere but at me.

  I grinned. “You hate art class.”

  He shrugged as we turned the corner in the hallway. “Maybe”—he looked down at me—“but I like watching you work.”

  My face grew warm as he reached down and took my hand in his. It was such a small thing, but it seemed enormous. Something I’d seen other couples do in the halls a thousand times. Something that a part of me never thought we’d do. Happiness filled me; I knew what it had taken for us to get here, I was going to enjoy it while I could. I squeezed his fingers as we moved through the halls.