by E.J. Stevens
“Anything I can do to help?” I asked.
“Not after yesterday,” Cal said softly.
Cal was stil worried about me. His soothing voice was like a warm embrace. I closed my eyes and pictured his strong arms wrapped around me. Yesterday was horrible, but I couldn’t live my life in fear.
“I’m fine, real y,” I said. “If I just sit here, alone al day, I’l go crazy.
“Wel …” Cal began.
“Come on, spil ,” I said. “Anything I can do to help is better than hanging around an empty house.”
“Okay, but you’re not going to like it,” Cal said, final y giving in.
Cal was right. I didn’t like it. Not at all.
*****
It was a beautiful sunny Saturday and I was spending it sitting beside a sulking werewolf. I definitely drew the short straw. How did I end up babysitting The Brat?
When I asked Cal if there was anything I could do to help keep Simon and Gabriel from kil ing each other, I hadn’t expected to be put on Gabe duty. No, I was thinking more like distracting them with pizza or ice cream.
Unfortunately, things had escalated since yesterday and tempers had gone from fiery to nuclear.
According to Cal, Gabriel had confronted him regarding Simon’s status as pack Lieutenant. Apparently he wasn’t too happy about Simon’s new role as Cal’s second in command. Gabriel wanted to chal enge Simon to some kind of werewolf deathmatch—a duel fought with tooth and claw, rather than guns and bul ets.
Cal needed to spend the day going over pack law with Simon. They both wanted to come up with an alternative.
Simon may not like Gabriel, but he wasn’t thril ed with the idea of fighting his dead girlfriend’s kid brother. Cal also wanted to avoid unnecessary death and injury.
Cal cared about every member of his pack and wanted to change some of the old ways, but was wise enough to know that too much change too soon could cause more harm than good. Cal needed to find a solution that demonstrated respect for the old ways while working to change pack law. He may have been born with the Alpha wolf spirit, but it didn’t guarantee that others would fol ow his leadership. Cal couldn’t risk turning some of the more conservative pack members against him. If that happened, he could lose the pack…and his life.
So I ended up babysitting The Brat. Oh, joy.
“I don’t want to go to a library,” Gabriel said.
Gabriel sat in the driver’s seat of his SUV with his arms crossed over his chest. He was sulking again. No surprises there. His parents probably spoiled him after his sister Meredith died. Gabriel acted like a bratty little kid most of the time. He had sulked the entire way to the library and now that we were parked on the road out front, he was grumbling about smel y library books. The Brat never stopped complaining. Ever.
“Library books do not smel like old cheese and feet,” I said stubbornly.
Okay, actual y some of the older books did smel like ripe cheese, I had made the same observation to Emma more than once, but I needed to salvage what I could of the day. I had to find information on the history of Witchtrot Road before the J-team tried something again. Plus, a trip to the library seemed the most likely way to get Gabriel to quit bel yaching. If he didn’t stop whining, I was going to rat him out to the librarians myself. His sensitive werewolf nose would just have to deal. It wasn’t like I was complaining about smel ing ghosts.
“Can’t we go visit Emma instead?” Gabriel asked.
“No way, she’s at work,” I said. “Why would you want to go visit Emma? You hardly even know her.”
“Her golden hair is like gossamer strands of corn silk,” Gabriel said.
“Wow, that’s real y poetic,” I said.
“Thank you,” Gabriel said. “I’ve been practicing for when I propose to her.”
“What?” I asked. I was draining the last of my latte and nearly choked. “Propose?”
Maybe the word meant something different where Gabe was from?
“Of course,” Gabriel said. “When I ask Emma to be my mate.”
It was a good thing I had cast my coffee cup aside. I stil gagged a little. Gabriel and Emma? No way. It just wasn’t happening. Emma would never date a spoiled rich kid who drove a gas guzzling, planet kil ing Hummer.
“Have you bothered to see if she even likes you first?” I asked.
“I wil make her like me,” Gabriel said.
I couldn’t believe this guy. Was he for real? He was total y crushing on the wrong girl. No one ever made Emma do anything. Gabriel might be a werewolf, but Emma would eat him for breakfast. Wel , you know, if she wasn’t a vegan and everything.
“Um, yeah, good luck with that,” I muttered. “Let’s go inside.”
I real y needed to get out of Gabriel’s SUV and into the library where I hopeful y wouldn’t have to hear him speak.
His smug voice was making me queasy. Ugh. There was no way this spoiled brat was going to date my BFF.
I climbed out of the Hummer, trying not to fal to my death, and raced up the library steps. Gabriel continued to complain about going to a library. He made it sound like the lamest most boring place ever. I hoped he protested like that in front of Emma. She adored libraries and thought that research was exciting. I waited impatiently as Gabriel trudged up the stone steps, hands thrust sul enly in his jacket pockets.
When he final y reached the top, I shook my head and opened the door for him. Babies first. Gabriel didn’t even acknowledge me standing there holding the door. In fact, he acted like people always did this for him. Maybe they did. It total y wouldn’t surprise me to find out that Gabriel had servants at home waiting on him hand and foot. It would explain a lot.
Katie was working at the front information desk. Cool.
She had been the one to tel me about the curse of Witchrot Road and the events that gave the road its name. Maybe she could help me locate books about the road’s history.
“You wait here,” I said to Gabriel.
I didn’t stick around to see if he obeyed. How much trouble could he get into in a public library?
“Hi Katie,” I said. I made an attempt to smile, though my face always ached in sympathy when I looked at Katie’s permagrin. “Do you have a minute?”
“You remembered my name!” Katie said. “You have, like, no idea how happy that makes me, Yuki. So what can I do to help?”
Katie always ran her words together in a way that made me feel breathless and left my head spinning. How could someone have that much energy and enthusiasm? I couldn’t help examining her desk for evidence of caffeine, but, of course, the librarians didn’t al ow coffee or soda in the workplace.
Cal had once told me his theory of energy vampires—
people who sucked the energy from other people’s auras—
and I wondered if that was how Katie maintained her level of intensity. It just wasn’t natural.
“Um, yeah, I was hoping you could help me find some books about that curse you were tel ing me about,” I said.
“Maybe some history books that tel more about the local man who was accused of witchcraft?”
“Oh yes, I am sure I can find something,” Katie said.
“Are you and your friend going to be working upstairs in your usual spot?”
“Yeah, should we wait up there?” I asked.
“Yes, go on up and I’l bring your books up in a jiffy!” Katie said.
A jiffy? Who says that? Katie was already rushing off into the stacks so I walked over to where Gabriel was standing. He was staring intently at Katie’s receding form.
With a quick flip of her red hair, Katie disappeared behind a row of shelving.
“Come on, Loverboy,” I said. “Let’s go wait upstairs.”
“Loverboy?” Gabriel asked.
“Wel , you are staring at Katie like you’ve never seen a girl before,” I said, heading up the first flight of stairs.
“No, I only have eyes for Emma,” Gabriel said. “It’s just that that girl
never blinked once the entire time you were talking to her. Is that a human thing?” Nope, it’s just a Katie thing.
I just sighed and shrugged, leading the way to the study area. Explaining human girls to Gabriel was not how I was going to spend my day. Plus, I real y didn’t have an explanation. I was always pretty baffled by Katie.
*****
We waited nearly twenty minutes before I began to worry. What if Katie fel or fainted in the stacks? She could be lying under a col apsed bookcase, buried by a mountain of dusty books, as we sat doing nothing.
“I’l go see what’s taking her so long,” I said. “Maybe she needs some help carrying the books up.” Gabriel just gave me a pouty look and turned away. He was stil mad about being at the library and had asked repeatedly if we could just leave and visit Emma. After saying no a gazil ion times, we had final y reached the silent treatment phase. Fine by me.
I found Katie in the local history section…kissing a boy. Her frizzy red hair was unmistakable and for a moment I wondered snarkily if she smiled while kissing.
The boy looked familiar, but I couldn’t see his face…for obvious reasons. He had a slight build and was wearing dark, tight-fitted jeans with Converse sneakers and a “Pugs Not Drugs” t-shirt. I only knew one person with that shirt.
“Gordy?” I asked. “Is that you?”
It just slipped out. I swear. I raised my hand to my mouth as though I could push the words back in.
The couple broke apart to reveal a red faced Katie and a slightly embarrassed Gordy.
“Oh, Yuki, I forgot about your books,” Katie said. “I got distracted. Gordy can be really distracting.”
“That’s okay,” I said. “I just started to worry that maybe you fel off a ladder or something. It’s cool. I can go find the books myself.”
“No way, that’s my job,” Katie chirped. Her face was flushed and she was overflowing with enthusiasm. Maybe she real y was an energy vampire. “I’l bring your books right up. See you later, Gordy.”
Katie said the last with a wave and a smile that made her dimples show.
Gordy stared intently at the floor and smoothed his asymmetric side-swept bangs down over his eyes. I recognized it as a nervous gesture. It was kind of sil y, since Gordy’s bangs were only long enough to hide behind on one side. I cleared my throat and tried to think of what I could possibly say to ease the tension.
“So that was awkward,” I said. Might as wel be direct.
“Sorry to interrupt. I real y was worried about Katie. She’s nice by the way.”
“Yeah, she is,” Gordy said, pushing his bangs out of his eye. “I didn’t realize you two knew each other. Katie doesn’t have a lot of friends from school.”
“Wel , we’re not friends exactly, but we both spend a lot of time here at the library,” I said. “Is this where you two met?”
“We met in Group,” Gordy said, looking even more embarrassed. “I missed some school after the Emma break-up and the school counselor put me in group therapy. Katie was there because she used to struggle a lot with an eating disorder.”
“Wow, I had no idea,” I said.
“We’re al pretty secretive about Group,” Gordy said.
“It’s not real y something we want everyone to know.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t tel anyone,” I said. “Cross my heart.”
“I’m not worried about you knowing,” Gordy said. “I should have told you sooner.”
“So are you guys dating?” I asked.
“I guess so,” Gordy said. “We were just hanging out as friends at first, but when she found out I was into anime and manga she told me about the library’s manga and graphic novel section. I started coming by a lot more after that.
Today was the first time we kissed though.”
“I feel like the biggest jerk,” I groaned.
“No, you just have real y bad timing,” Gordy said, grinning.
“Speaking of timing, I real y have to motor,” I said. “I’m supposed to be babysitting this kid from out of town. Catch up with you and Katie later? Maybe you can show me the manga selection after school this week.”
“That would be awesome,” Gordy said. “And Yuki…”
“Yeah?” I asked.
“Be careful,” Gordy said. “I know you think you’re invincible like the chick in Ghost in the Shel , and most of the time you are, but the J-team real y have it out for you.”
“Thanks Gordy,” I said. “Oh, here.” I pul ed an envelope covered in colorful drawings from my backpack.
“Thank you for yesterday. See you Monday!” I left Gordy holding the construction paper thank you card and walked quickly to the second floor where I had left Gabriel. I just hoped that he was stil there.
I needn’t have worried. Gabriel was sitting exactly where I left him, fast asleep. With his cherubic face relaxed in sleep, a line of drool trickling down his chin, Gabriel looked innocent and peaceful. Too bad he wouldn’t stay that way.
A stack of books rested on the table beside Gabriel, with a sticky note smiley face on top. Definitely the work of Katie. Even her notes smiled painful y.
Now that I knew a little bit about her past I could understand Katie’s desire to appear happy al the time.
When you had a problem like an eating disorder, you might get better, but your friends and family would always be watching with an eagle eye wondering if you’re starting to slip. They did it out of love, I understood that, but that kind of pressure could explain Katie’s constant need to please everyone.
It used to bother me that Katie tried so hard. I was al about being yourself and not worrying about what others thought, but now I knew that in Katie’s case she wasn’t doing it to be popular. She was trying to avoid making the people who cared about her worry. That was something I could completely relate to. When your friends knew that ghosts haunted you, they had a tendency to worry.
I slid the books across the table, careful not to wake Gabriel. Most of the books were histories of the Salem Witch Trials. Katie had also located a sheaf of documents that, according to the attached note, were the property of the Berwick Historical Society, but were temporarily in residence at the Wakefield Public Library while the other organization’s building underwent repairs. The papers were yel owed and dusty, and yes they did in fact smel like cheese, but I stifled a sneeze and set to work.
Chapter 7
I left the library, holding a messy stack of photocopies to my chest like they were the most valuable documents in the world. To me they kind of were. I nearly floated down the library steps. Not even Gabriel’s cranky post-nap whining could ruin my happy mood.
I visited the library hoping to unlock the mystery of Witchtrot Road and help the ghost of Dylan Jacobs. I hadn’t expected to learn so much about my hometown in the process. The Historical Society documents provided dates and locations of every tragedy to occur in my town, and the surrounding county, for the past three hundred years. This made the information within the cheese-smel ing pages priceless to me.
I had learned a valuable lesson last Samhain. Spirits of the dead walked the land on Samhain night, and not al of these ghosts were the good, kind-hearted, warm and fuzzy types. No, on Samhain night the evil spirits outnumbered the good and gathered together in areas of past horrors. If I knew where past atrocities had taken place, then I might be able to avoid the largest groups of The Grays.
I nick-named the evil spirits The Grays, due to the dark gray apparitions that I could see while wearing Nera’s amulet. The Grays emanated an aura of fear, anger, despair…and hunger. My psychic awareness of spirits left me vulnerable to The Grays, and it had only been Nera’s amulet, and the help of my friends, that kept me sane during their last attack.
But I was stil uncomfortable with using stolen property to protect myself from evil spirits. I also wasn’t crazy about the idea of angering a group of powerful Salem witches.
Witchtrot Road had gained its name in connection with the Salem Witch Trials, and th
is seemed like a sign that I shouldn’t forget the witches I had stolen from. Perhaps the new historical information that I had uncovered could help us map the locations of past murders and battles so that I might avoid these places when Samhain next approached.
If I could find a safe place to hide during Samhain night, then I could return Nera’s amulet to its rightful owners. The thought gave me hope.
We climbed into Gabriel’s Hummer, and I nearly squeed in excitement as he readied the vehicle to drive back to the cabin. I couldn’t wait to tel Cal about what today’s research had uncovered.
Gabriel grumbled about fabric stains and car detailing as I happily swung my booted feet back and forth. For the first time in days, I felt elated. I hadn’t realized just how much of a burden Nera’s amulet had been. Now that there was real hope of returning the amulet to its rightful owner, I felt as though my limbs were strung with helium bal oons.
“Why are you so happy?” Gabriel asked. He was using a sulky tone that was real y getting on my nerves. “I thought goth kids weren’t supposed to smile. Isn’t it against the rules or something?”
“In case you haven’t noticed,” I said, rol ing my eyes,
“I’m not big on societal norms.”
Nope. I had never been one for doing what everyone else was doing. Being a teen vegetarian, dressing in black clothing, and having a crush on anthropomorphic anime characters didn’t fit with the common definition of normal, not to mention dating a werewolf and smel ing dead people.
“I never would have guessed,” Gabriel muttered.
“Whatever,” I said. “I have good news for Cal. Let’s just get to the cabin.”
“Wil Emma be there?” Gabriel asked, perking up.
“I don’t know,” I said. “Maybe.”
Hadn’t Emma said that she would cal me on her lunch break? Oh no. I had turned my ringer off while doing research in the library. After my sobbing episode last night, she was probably stil worried about me. I pul ed out my phone and winced. I had ten missed cal s. She’s going to kill me.
