The Wounded Heart

by K. D. Worth

  Feeling small under his all-knowing gaze, I studied my ring again, spinning it.

  When he finally turned away, the pressure of his gaze departed like a physical weight. I looked up and found Max the new recipient of that stare.

  “You did a great job training Kody to be a reaper these last three months, and you executed your first two crossovers beautifully. Better than I expected actually.”

  He smiled at us and I couldn’t stop the swell of pride. Maybe I was a better reaper than I thought.

  “That being said,” he went on. “You’re not ready for more than one crossover a day, Kody.”

  “Why not? The others take care of more,” I protested, not liking the idea of being odd man out, different once again from my fellow reapers.

  Slade gave me a wry smirk.

  Did he know how drained I still was after Jeremy’s crossover?

  Who was I kidding?

  Of course he did.

  Slade must think I’m the worst reaper ever.

  “I don’t. Trust me, you’ll get there soon enough,” Slade assured me. “But for now, just one a day. And I want the two of you to keep working as a team.”

  Max grinned, obviously liking the idea, but the news only upset me further. Fighting back my emotions, I forced a smile for Max. What if the rest of the crew thought I couldn’t hack it as a reaper? As much fun as it would be to spend all day with Max, I didn’t need a babysitter.

  “Did you encounter any shades or wraiths when you were in the human realm?” Slade asked, oblivious to my disappointment. Or ignoring it, who knew?

  “Nope,” Max answered.

  Slade arched his brows. “Now you wouldn’t be keeping anything from me, would you?”

  “Do you think we saw wraiths and just decided not to tell you?”

  “I know you’re telling the truth,” he said with a smug grin. “I was just seeing if you were gonna lie to my face or not.”

  “Not cool,” he muttered and Slade chuckled.

  “Well, you’re probably going to start seeing them soon enough,” he told us bluntly. “I can’t always send you on safe cases during the day.”

  My stomach twisted, but Max sat up straighter. He might be physically and visually younger than me, but he was a lot wiser. He always had a tendency to pick up on the things Slade left hanging between the lines. “Wraiths can only come out at night?”

  “No,” he said with a sigh. “Not necessarily. But they are more active at night. Being a black entity, it’s easier to hide in the shadows. Make sense?”

  We nodded, absorbing the information. Piercing gray eyes surveyed us. “On the other hand, shades are leaving limbo and wandering this realm constantly, day and night. And I can’t keep them away from you much longer.”

  “What do they want?” Max asked.

  Slade turned his gaze on me, chilling my undead body to the proverbial bone. “They’re looking for Kody.”

  KODY—Chapter 3

  “ME?”

  Slade nodded, face grim.

  “But I-I don’t understand… w-why?” I spluttered over my words, hands shaking. “What-what did I do? Is it because I wasn’t supposed to be here? Did I do something wrong? What…?”

  A gentle, familiar hand took mine and the rising panic slowed as a warm sense of strength and love funneled into me. Pulse slowing, I met Max’s soft, patient eyes.

  “Kods,” he said. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”

  “No, that would be you, Max,” Slade muttered.

  “Hey,” he snapped, his hand tightening on mine. “Saving Kody was the right thing to do in the long run. Are you gonna hold it over my head how I did it forever?”

  “Maybe.” Slade smiled. “Yeah. As long as it keeps amusing me, I probably will.”

  Max grumbled something, but I couldn’t find any humor in their usual banter. Though his hand felt reassuring in mine, my entire body remained tense.

  First the drama with my parents, and now shades were looking for me… how the heck was I supposed to deal with all of this?

  “Kody,” Slade began in a rumbling tone that had me wondering if he spoke out loud and in my head at the same time, “I need you to take a deep breath and listen.”

  The power of his angelic gaze, the soothing melody of his voice coupled with the supportive touch of my boyfriend managed to calm my heart rate. I placed a second hand over Max’s, gripping him like a lifeline.

  Nodding, I did as he asked.

  “I wish I didn’t have to burden you guys, but that’s the reason I called you here,” Slade went on. “The shades are looking for Kody, not the wraiths. But the danger comes because wherever a large group of shades are, the wraiths are sure to follow.”

  “Why?” Max demanded.

  “Looking for new recruits, I suppose.”

  He nodded, storing the info to add to his whiteboard, no doubt. “Why did the wraiths follow me before? What did they want?”

  “The wraiths were never following you, those were shades you sensed.”

  “But you said—”

  “No, Max, you said wraiths, and I just didn’t bother to correct you because I was done talking about it at the time. I was more interested in reuniting the two of you than splitting hairs on details that you weren’t ready to know about.”

  Max opened and closed his mouth as if he didn’t know if he should be pleased or annoyed by Slade’s reply. I could already see his mind whirling as he reevaluated some of his theories. “Okay, so they weren’t wraiths, which I suppose explains why they were easily scared off. And why they didn’t try to take the bodies of my charges.”

  Slade chuckled, seeming to enjoy bursting some of Max’s hypothesis bubbles. “You think so? You’re quite the detective.”

  Max frowned. “Whatever. So why were shades following me?”

  “They knew you were Kody’s reaper.”

  “That makes no sense. You killed Kody,” Max argued. “Why would they look for him through me?”

  Slade frowned at his choice of words, but Max didn’t back down. Depending on which of them you asked, it was a gray area whether or not my death was murder or the fact I was supposed to die. Max refused to see it. He’d forgiven Slade for completing my death on the hood of a delivery van right in front of him, but he hadn’t forgotten.

  Probably never would.

  Thankfully Slade chose to ignore it. “Shades are supposed to reside in limbo. Wraiths are basically corrupted shades, so they’re in limbo too. That is, when they aren’t in human bodies,” he explained calmly. “They all knew Kody was in limbo with me, but they couldn’t get close because I was protecting him. The shades were following you because, like the wraiths you met, they know you’re Kody’s protector, and they were hoping to run into him again.”

  The entire time I’d been talking to Slade, shades and wraiths had been watching me? My hands resumed their shaking, and Max shifted until he held them both between his stronger but smaller ones. For a moment I felt safe, protected by his touch.

  “I’ve been shielding you boys every time you go into the human realm, but I can’t keep doing it forever,” Slade confessed, looking weary, tired.

  That meant… every time I snuck away to Mom’s he’d been forced to keep these beings away from me? I’d caused some of the exhaustion creasing Slade’s normally serene face. If only I’d been able to stay away. If only I’d been obedient—

  Slade raised his hand and shook his head, stopping my thoughts in their tracks. “Move on, Kody,” he said, then addressed Max. “Most shades are harmless. They’re just spirits who’ve lost their way.”

  “Doesn’t mean I want them anywhere near me,” I said privately to Max, though doubtless Slade heard me too.

  He squeezed my hand with promise. “I’ll keep you safe, babe.”

  Slade held out his upturned palm, and we both looked down.

  He held two shiny black bracelets.

  “What are those?” I asked.

  “Are you giving us mo
re jewelry, Slade?” Max looked perturbed.

  “Yes, these are made of black obsidian,” he answered. “I want you to wear them.”

  We each reached out and took one of the smooth bands. I flinched at the chilly feel of it, but like Max, I slid it onto my left wrist. Instantly a shimmer went through me and the bracelet was no longer cold.

  Max looked at me in surprise. “Did you feel that?”

  I nodded, then faced Slade. “What was that?”

  “Obsidian can help ward off evil,” Slade explained. “You felt it creating a barrier around you. Now it isn’t foolproof, but we gotta take any help we can get because where shades are, wraiths will follow.”

  I caressed the polished stone bracelet, which seemed custom made for my wrist, fitting comfortably snug but not constricting at all.

  This little piece of black rock would keep me safe?

  “I want you to wear them anytime you aren’t in the dorms,” Slade said.

  We both nodded. Then wordlessly we each reached for the other’s hand.

  “I’ve been coming to Paris for a long time,” Slade went on. “I watch the world and its people change while all these beautiful buildings and monuments stay the same.” He gestured to the people on the sidewalk and those sipping their cafés over breakfast. Many of them wore earbuds or had their noses in cell phones, both tourists and locals, all but oblivious to the splendid city around them. “Everyone is so busy, so connected, but they’ve never been further away from what really matters. An old city like Paris might look the same, but its people don’t, and not just on the outside. Fewer and fewer people believe in God and without faith or hope they cling to the mortal world. When they die, they don’t believe they can pass on so they stay behind and become shades.”

  “Is that why it’s getting harder to control purgatory?” Max wanted to know. “People don’t have faith, so there’s an epidemic of shades? Or is it because they’re all becoming wraiths?”

  “I see you found Ed’s journal,” Slade said, grinning. “He was a good kid, but he asked too many questions, just like someone else I know.”

  Max didn’t skip a beat. “I’ll stop asking questions when you start answering them.”

  “Fine, I’ll answer,” Slade said with a sly grin, and it surprised me Max didn’t do a fist pump. “Because of a decline in faith, there are more shades than limbo can hold, and it’s becoming almost impossible to monitor them all. This lack of faith also makes those shades vulnerable to the temptation the wraiths offer—to walk the earth again. It’s a simple but dangerous cycle. The more shades the wraiths have to choose from, the more recruits they amass.”

  “That wraith told me a war was coming,” Max said, and I suppressed a shiver. He’d imagined dozens of scenarios about what that meant, and I’d been forced to hear every single one in excruciating detail. “What kinda war? Is Kody going to be in the middle of it? Tell me, Slade. I need to know.”

  “No, you don’t,” he said matter-of-factly. “But I will tell you this. The wraiths want what every living spirit or being wants. Life. Or the twisted version they’ve created where there is no God. The desire to live is a powerful magic, but there is something more powerful.”

  “What?” Max demanded.

  “Love,” I answered at once, surprising myself a bit.

  Max wrinkled his face but Slade beamed at me. “Exactly. God is love therefore love is the most powerful force in the universe. Do you understand?”

  “Um, what?” Max scoffed. “We’re supposed to fight the undead with hugs and kisses? Are we gonna be riding unicorns that poop rainbows too?”

  I fought down a giggle when Slade scowled.

  Our boss took a deep nasal breath. “And this is exactly why I don’t tell you things that you aren’t ready to understand, Max. I’m not keeping secrets just to be an asshole. Knowledge in the hands of someone without understanding can never be wisdom.”

  “That’s it, then, huh? You’re not gonna tell me why these shades are after my boyfriend?” Dropping my hand, Max sat back and angrily crossed his arms. “Totally not cool.”

  “Too much knowledge too fast creates chaos and ignorance. Mistakes are made,” Slade told him, and I recognized his teacher voice right away. “Do you know the difference between knowledge, understanding, and wisdom?”

  “I’m guessing you’re gonna tell us.”

  “Max,” I scolded. “Just listen.” When I picked up my coffee my hand shook, almost spilling the now-cold liquid. I took a fortifying swallow, hoping Slade and Max hadn’t noticed the tremor.

  Slade watched me set my mug down, and then, appearing satisfied we were listening with open minds, he spoke. “Imagine that you boys are standing on train tracks. Suddenly you hear a horn and feel vibration in the steel. Knowledge is realizing that a train is coming. Understanding is knowing that if you stay where you are, the train will kill you. Wisdom”—he raised his finger on point—“is actually getting off the track.”

  Max and I looked at each other.

  “But this is our situation,” he said, gesturing between the three of us. “How can the two of you achieve understanding or wisdom when you don’t even know what a train is yet?”

  Blinking a few times, I tried to absorb what he meant.

  “Of course, I can tell you to get off the track because I know what a train is,” Slade went on. “I could even explain to you that if you don’t listen to me, it will tear you apart. But you’ve never even seen a train, so how can I be sure you’ll believe me? Maybe you’ll listen and maybe you won’t.” He shook his head, lips pursed. “I won’t take that risk with your lives just to satisfy your curiosity.”

  We were quiet, and I could tell some of Max’s irritation had waned. Slade had that kind of effect on a person.

  “So how about we start at the beginning?” Slade said after a moment. “Would you like to have your first lesson on trains?”

  “Yes, let’s do this.” Max leaned forward, and I half expected him to clap impatiently like my kindergarten teacher used to do when she wanted to get our attention.

  Slade chuckled. “No, not here. Too many witnesses. Your first lesson will be this afternoon,” he said, adding, “if you don’t annoy me with your mouth, that is.”

  Instantly Max’s expression altered, chagrined. “I’ll behave,” he promised, then looked at me as if making the same vow.

  “I’ll call for you in a few hours.”

  “We’ll be there,” Max promised.

  With an unreadable expression on his face, our boss stared at me but continued to speak to Max. “No, Kody won’t be going. It’s just you and me this time, Max.” Those gray eyes bored into me and I squirmed. “You need to rest.”

  “I’m fine.”

  “No, you aren’t. You’re exhausted. That crossover took more out of you than you expected.”

  “You can tell?”

  Rather than answer, Slade broke eye contact and stood. His tall, imposing figure loomed above us, the snake tattoos glaring in the sunshine and garnering the attention of a few passersby. “I’m not going to be available for a while. I’ll make time for your lessons, Max, but I may not be able to meet you for coffee, Kody. You two are gonna have to help each other. And in the meantime, you’re not to go anywhere except the dorms. I want to know your whereabouts at all times. There’s too much at stake. Do you understand?”

  I glanced at Max and we nodded. When I turned back, Slade had vanished.

  “Do you understand?” Max mimicked in a snotty voice.

  “You better be careful,” I said, trying not to laugh. “He can hear everything we say.”

  “Don’t frikking remind me.” With a nervous tick in his hand, he picked up Slade’s remaining coffee and took a sip. “Oh my God!” He gagged. “That’s so disgusting! What is it?”

  I laughed and took the cup, carefully setting it down. “Espresso. It’s what you get when you order coffee in France. Here, have some of mine.”

  He took a sip of my choc
olaty drink and smiled. “Much better.”

  With a sigh, I leaned back in my chair. “I hate that I can’t go by myself on assignments. And here I thought I was finally going to just be like everyone else.”

  Smiling, Max patted my arm. “I don’t want you to be like everyone else. I want you to just be my Kody, okay?”

  I forced another smile, not wanting to burden Max with any more of my insecurities. “Okay.”

  With shades after me, I shouldn’t be so worried about what the rest of the team thought of me. But I just hated being so different than everybody!

  Somewhere nearby music began playing and a man sang along, filling the air with the melodious sound of a violin and French words I didn’t understand. Birds flew overhead and a crisp breeze wafted over us. All around the world went on, beautiful in its simplicity. The people in Paris had no idea shades were searching for me. No one knew about wraiths or how they could end someone’s life to use their body as an unholy vessel.

  Life continued like it always did and always would.

  Squeezing Max’s hand, I tugged on it until our gazes met. “I’m glad you’re here.”

  “Yeah, me too,” he said but his tone didn’t match his words.

  Knowing the constant threat of the supernatural unknown coupled with Slade’s refusal to answer his never-ending questions wore on Max’s nerves, I changed the subject. “What do you think of Paris?”

  “It’s okay, I guess.” He frowned, then gave a begrudging smirk. “Kinda romantic.”

  “I didn’t really notice until you came.”

  He gave me a bashful smile. “Really?”

  “Duh. Don’t tell me that you’re jealous of Slade?” Even though it pleased me to see it on one hand, on the other, I couldn’t allow him to think there was any validity to his feelings.

  Like I could ever have a crush on Slade!

  Max made a sound that reminded me of a blustering horse. “I’m not,” he argued. “I’m totally not jealous. That’s just stupid.”

  I dropped my head back and laughed out loud. “You are so jealous your eyes are turning green.”

  Playfully he slugged me on the arm. “Shut up. Am not.”