Blinking, I started when I saw Gabe—or at least the body he’d borrowed—slumped over on the couch. He didn’t move; his tanned skin was as pale as a corpse. Was he still in that limbo plane? What would happen to him if he couldn’t come back to his borrowed body? Or, more urgent—what would happen to me if he did come back?
Got to go—and fast!
I jumped to my feet, poised to run, but I had barely lifted my foot when something hard and steel-like clamped around my ankle. Looking down, I saw Gabe’s hand.
“Leaving so soon?” he said, in a chilly tone of controlled fury.
“Let go! You can’t force me to become like you.”
“I won’t have to. You’ll come willingly.”
“Never!”
“Oh yes, you will. You have forty-eight hours.” He paused, his smile wicked. “Or the next body I possess will belong to your beau Eli. A fall from a high building or in front of a speeding train. I can switch to another body quickly, but your beau won’t escape. Earthbounders are so easy to kill.”
Gabe didn’t stop me from leaving the garage.
There was no need for him to go after me physically, not when his threat bound me tighter than duct tape. He knew I’d do anything to save Eli.
Before I left, Gabe told me to not to bother setting up a meeting with my grandmother. He’d never planned to meet her, he admitted proudly—he’d only used that pretense to gain my trust. And heaven help me, it had worked. Not only had I fallen for his lies, but there had been something more in my feelings for Gabe.
“Stupid, stupid,” I repeated as the garage door slammed behind me and I returned to the house.
I was angrier with myself than with Gabe. I’d been warned over and over not to trust a Dark Lifer. Yet it turned out I was no smarter than Sharayah and the other girls who’d fallen for his poetic, old-world charm. He’d told me what I’d wanted to hear and I’d believed him.
Now I had to figure a way out of this mess.
The GEM!
I could use it to alert the DD Team. Gabe couldn’t have gotten far yet, which should make it easy for the DDT to capture him. But could I trust the DDT? If they hadn’t caught Gabe in over a century, how could I expect them to get him now? And if Gabe found out I reported him, he wouldn’t take his anger out on me—he’d go after Eli.
Lying on Alyce’s bed, staring at nothing, I tried to think logically. I didn’t turn on a light because Gabe might still be lurking outside, waiting for me. Although why should he bother? In less than two days he would take a new body (and if he wasn’t caught by then, my mission would be cancelled anyway). If I didn’t go with him willingly, Gabe would possess and destroy Eli’s body.
That wasn’t a choice.
It was a death sentence.
And only I could offer a reprieve.
I slept uneasily that night, waking up only when Mrs. Perfetti came into my room to ask if I was asleep. That had to be one of the dumbest questions ever. She sounded kind of spacey, and I had a feeling I should get up to make sure she was all right. Instead I brushed her off. “Yeah,” I murmured. “I’m asleep.”
She apologized, then shut the door.
After that I couldn’t go back to sleep. Awake, tormented, thinking of everything that had happened and searching for a solution. There had to be some way out. But if I reported Gabe, he’d go after Eli. And if I did what Gabe asked, I’d lose more than my life.
I’d lose my soul.
What would it be like to be a Dark Lifer? Living a month at a time in stolen bodies, always hiding and afraid of being captured by the DD Team. I’d never go to college, become an entertainment agent, get married, have kids, or grow old. I’d live forever but never really live at all. And my own grandmother would add my name to the Wanted, Dead and Alive list of other-side enemies.
I smashed my fist against my pillow and sat up in bed. Gabe could not win! I wouldn’t let him. But I’d need help.
Glancing at my bedside clock, I saw that the illuminated dial read 5:13 a.m.
Sure it was early, but Grammy would understand.
It took three rings before she answered.
“Amber?” Grammy greeted sleepily.
“Yeah, it’s me.” My voice cracked and I had to swallow fast so I didn’t cry.
“Is everything all right?”
“Uh … sure. It’s just that I can’t sleep.”
“Is this about the Dark Lifer?”
I gasped. “You know about him?”
“I may be away from my desk, so to speak, but I’m still the overseer of Temp Lifers. I sent Cola to warn you, but I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“You didn’t.” It was Gabe who scared me.
“Cola warned all the Temp Lifers in the area as a precaution, but it’s unlikely you’ll encounter a Dark Lifer. The warning was routine and nothing to worry about.”
“I’m not worried … well, not much. I just couldn’t sleep.”
“Bad dream?” she guessed.
“It was more than a dream … ”
Here’s where I tell her the truth, I thought. She’ll be upset and contact the DDT, which will result in my being pulled off my mission. I’ll be safe. But would Eli? I’d seen only some of Gabe’s powers and suspected he was far more dangerous than anyone realized. Could I trust the DDT and my grandmother with Eli’s life?
“I had a horrible nightmare,” I told Grammy. “Sorry I woke you so early.”
“I’m always here for you. Make some hot tea or cocoa and you’ll feel better.”
I wish it were that easy, I thought with a sigh. “It’s good to hear your—well, my—voice. Can we just talk a while?”
“Sure, hon. Want to tell me about your nightmare?”
I wanted to tell her far more. “I guess so … it was about Dark Lifers.”
“The DDT will take care of them. You have nothing to worry about.”
“I know. But I wondered if any of them are dangerous.”
“Nah,” she said dismissively. “Most are just lost souls afraid of change.”
“But the one that Cola warned me about—the same Dark Lifer I met on the boat—isn’t lost or afraid.”
Grammy sighed. “Gabe Deverau is an unusual case.”
“He bragged about having unusual powers. Is that true?”
“Never believe a Dark Lifer.”
“But he … ” I shifted the phone to my other ear, hiding the catch in my voice. “He seemed capable of anything.”
“Don’t worry, honey.” I imagined her sitting in my room, swiveling at my desk chair or perched on the edge of my bed. “Dark Lifers can slip into bodies but that doesn’t make them powerful; in fact, switching bodies weakens them. Also, they can’t jump into a body without placing both hands on the person’s skin—which isn’t easy.”
“Do they knock their victims out, or drug them?”
“Nothing so dramatic. It’s not in a Dark Lifer’s best interest to damage a body they want to possess. They simply wait till their target is asleep.”
“I may never sleep again,” I said wryly.
“Sleep with no worries,” Grammy assured me. “It’s impossible for a Dark Lifer to possess a body occupied by a Temp Lifer.”
“Really?” This was news to me.
“The TL process is thorough. When you’re switched, there are powerful protections placed on the Host Soul’s body.”
“If I’m protected, why are you and Cola so worried and planning to pull me off the job?”
“I didn’t say an experienced Dark Lifer couldn’t hurt your body—he could do great damage if he gets close enough to grab you with both hands. He could drain your energy so you can’t speak, think, or even breathe. This has only happened once—with tragic results.”
A tremor quaked through me. Tragic—that meant death. To both Temporary and Host Soul.
Grammy must have noticed my shocked silence. “I didn’t mean to scare you,” she said quickly. “Only to advise caution. Gabe Deverau has a long hi
story of Earthbounder abuse. I can’t even tell you how many young girls have needed Temp Lifer replacements after he damaged their spirits. I want to believe there’s good in even the darkest soul, but I’ve seen no evidence of compassion or decency in Gabe Deverau. The sooner he’s captured, the better for everyone. But he always seems to know when the DDT is coming for him and is gone before they get there.”
“Then how can you stop him?”
“Leave that to the DDT,” she assured me. “Put him out of your mind, because the one thing we do know about Gabe Deverau is that he’s smart—too smart to come near you again.”
“You’d think so.” I frowned, glancing out the dark window. “But how can you protect the people he steals bodies from? Let’s say a Dark Lifer jumped in front of a moving train, but then jumped out of the body before impact. What would happen?”
“The Host Soul would die,” she admitted. “But nothing like that has ever happened.”
“Not yet,” I worried.
“It would take an enormous amount of energy for any Dark Lifer to leap from a falling body without damaging his own energy. Then he’d have only ten minutes to find another body, all the while eluding the DD Team which would have spotted his beacon light the moment he left the body. The Dark Lifer would be captured immediately. But if you’re worried, I can arrange for you to switch back right away.”
“But then you’ll switch back too, and I thought you wanted to fix things with Mom.”
“I tried already and it didn’t work out. Maybe we should both go back where we belong. What do you say?”
I considered this, tempted to just run home, but I quickly discounted the idea because wherever I ran, Gabe would follow. He would recognize me no matter whose body I wore. And I didn’t want him near my family. So I assured Grammy that I wanted to finish my assignment.
It was still early, and my bed looked so inviting that I curled up under the covers, missing the warm furry comfort of my cat Snowy, but suddenly so tired I couldn’t keep my eyes open.
When I woke up, I felt an eerie sense of quiet in the house. And when I got dressed, I couldn’t find Mrs. Perfetti anywhere—even her car was gone. Alarm changed to understanding when I found a note on the fridge saying she’d gone to church like she did every Sunday. Alyce stopped going a few years ago, although I’d never known the reason why. I’d just been glad because it meant Alyce could spend more time with me.
Only now it wasn’t Alyce I was thinking of … and when I heard a musical tone coming from my phone, I couldn’t check the text message fast enough.
Driving.
Home 2nite.
C u soon.
Eli.
I wanted so badly to call him back … to hear his voice and tell him how much I missed him and longed to see him … but I didn’t. Because I had to think this through, figure out how much I could tell him. Considering that Eli didn’t even know that Gabe had found me and we’d been meeting in secret, the whole wanting-to-kill-my-beau thing would be hard to believe. And Eli might consider it a betrayal, too.
Still, he deserved to be warned—even if he’d hate me and our relationship would be over before we’d shared a real first kiss. So, steeling my heart against breakage, I picked up the phone. Only I’d delayed too long. My call went straight to voicemail.
Anxious and frustrated, I couldn’t do anything now except wait for him to call back. So I kept busy doing random stuff like cleaning the room and flipping through Alyce’s photo books, feeling sad whenever I saw pictures of us together. There was an entire album of the theme baskets she’d created for the Halsey Hospitality Club, and underneath each basket was the name of the new student who received this “Hello Halsey” gift. She never personally handed out the baskets—that was my job, because she couldn’t stand gushy emotional scenes—but I could feel her pride over her artistic work in each photo. And I felt something inside me soften, letting me know it wasn’t only about the art. She cared about helping people more than she’d ever admit.
Sighing, I put the albums away and searched the room again, checking drawers, shelves, and even under furniture for any clues, but finding nothing new. There was so much I didn’t know and little time left to find answers. At least I’d be able to get into Alyce’s locker tomorrow at school.
School.
A familiar yet foreign word, from a language I’d spoken in a past life. Thinking about walking the halls, going to classes, and facing people with my borrowed face freaked me out. Talking, walking, looking like Alyce … who always wore lots of black, which was so not me. I shared a few classes with Alyce and knew her schedule, so I wouldn’t get lost. Still, I’d be my own best friend and my grandmother would be me.
I should have taken Grammy up on her offer to switch back early.
Sorting through Alyce’s closet—seeing so many familiar shirts, jackets, boots, and skirts—made me feel like she was here with me. I could quit now and she’d return. Only what would she return to? A depressed mother, a grave that was still lost, and a best friend who might be a Dark Lifer.
I now had less than forty-eight hours to find a way out of this crisis.
Or tomorrow would be my last day.
Alive.
Mrs. Perfetti returned from church acting almost normal. I was getting used to her mood swings, and noticed the way her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. She didn’t say much, as if socializing had drained her. She asked me to make her some tea, then wearily sank down on the couch. She expected me to fuss over her, rather than the other way around like most mothers. So while she watched TV, I made linner—Alyce’s word for a late lunch/early dinner.
Rather than place a cooking SOS call to Dustin, I made the only thing I could think of: stuffed French toast. Cream cheese and blackberry jam slapped between two slices of battered bread, grilled, then served up with whipped cream on top. High in calories but even higher in delicious-factor, and for a while I was able to forget my problems.
Eli called while I was washing dishes.
“I’m back!” he exclaimed in happy exhaustion.
And it was so good to hear his voice—soft, sweet, buttery warm. I thought of his smiling face, his tender blue eyes, his soft lips … until I remembered Gabe’s threat and snapped back to harsh reality.
“Eli, I need to see you right away,” I said before I lost my nerve.
“I’ve needed to see you all week. Should I come there or will you come here?”
I glanced over at Mrs. Perfetti, who was back to lying on the couch and staring zombie-like at the TV. I didn’t think Alyce would want me to leave her alone. “Come here,” I finally told him, then added, “Hurry.”
“Can’t wait to see me, huh?” he asked, teasingly.
“More than that—there’s something I have to tell you.”
“So tell me now.”
“I-I want to … and I will when you get here. It’s just better in person.”
“What about Alyce’s mother? Will she let me in the house?”
“She’s the least of my worries. Just get here.”
“Sure. I’m really beat after driving seven hours and am practically falling asleep on my feet.” He yawned. “I got some things to do before I can see you.”
“Soon?” I persisted.
“Within an hour,” he promised.
I hung up, feeling better for the first time all day.
I finished filling the dishwasher then turned it on, all the while checking the clock, counting the minutes and preparing how to dump my horrible news on Eli. How could I explain about meeting with Gabe despite knowing Dark Lifers were bad news? I couldn’t—not without admitting how Gabe had made me feel and how much I’d enjoyed our secret rendezvous. Thinking back now, I ached with shame as if I’d cheated on Eli.
And in a way, I had.
Eli was going to be so pissed.
Maybe hurt, too.
While I waited, I rehearsed what I was going to say, hoping he’d understand.
But an hou
r passed, then another. Mrs. Perfetti turned off the TV and went to bed. I waited by the window, hand poised on the curtain to check the streets, but no sign of Eli. When I tried his phone, it went straight to voicemail. After checking the phone book, I dialed his house. His brother Chad answered and I almost dropped the phone, flashing back to kissing him when I’d been in a different body. But that was two body switches ago and he didn’t even know Alyce.
“Is Eli there?” I asked cautiously.
“He’s sleeping,” Chad said.
“Sleeping! But he promised to come right over.”
“Eli’s a big star now—lots of girls have been calling him.”
“They have?” I had the absurd impulse to smash the phone.
“Well, sure. Didn’t you hear he made it to fourth on the Voice Choice contest?”
“I heard,” I said dryly.
“Eli hasn’t had time to go through his messages or gifts—can you believe girls send him gifts? I’ve won some impressive golf tournaments but girls never gave me the rock star treatment.” He laughed in that charming yet egotistical way I’d once crushed on. “Anyway, Eli was so beat from driving all day, he fell asleep. I can wake him if it’s important.”
I was feeling less than important, more like abandoned, but I wasn’t about to admit this to Chad. “That’s okay,” I said. “It can wait.”
“Should I give him a message?”
“Um … not really. I’ll see him at school.”
Then I hung up, disappointed. Not much later I went to bed.
At first it was hard to sleep, so many things running through my head, but I eventually slept soundly with no horrible dreams. And when I awoke, the sun streaking golden warmth through the window, disappointment (and admittedly, some jealously) seemed far away. Energized with hope, I felt like I could conquer any problem today. Soon I’d be with Grammy, Dustin, and Eli, and we’d come up with some way to defeat Gabe and find the missing grave for Alyce.
As I slipped into black jeans and a lacy black vest over a dark purple crepe shirt that went nicely with Alyce’s velvet ankle boots, I was thinking all about Eli. So it was like my thoughts had materialized into reality when I glanced out the window and saw him coming up the walkway.
Dead Girl in Love Page 17
