Mr. Qureshi frowns. “It appears so. That was when Kazuya first had the vision about you. But I’m sure we can get things sorted. We have many classes here that are designed to help you work through this new state of being.” He hands Rafe and me separate pieces of paper that look like course schedules. “In the meantime, Kazuya can show you the rest of the school and then to your dorms. My office is just over there if ever you need anything. The door’s never open, because it doesn’t have to be.”
He chuckles to himself as he floats off.
I thread my fingers through the cold strands of my hair. They feel far more liquid than anything else, like thick streams of water flowing across my skin. “A week. Where have I been for a whole week?”
Rafe frowns. “You don’t remember?”
“I don’t remember anything.”
“Nothing at all?” Kaz asks.
I look at our Ghost Guide. “Oh, it does not encourage me that this surprises you.”
Kaz rests a hand on my shoulder. A sort of weird feeling like a cold breeze spreads across my skin. If a cold breeze had solid weight to it. “I know it’s scary. But Mr. Qureshi is right, we can help you figure it out here.”
“Can’t we like...look me up?” I tug on the ends of my hair. “Surely there’s a record of me somewhere.”
A wince twists Kaz’s face. “It’s possible. We know a little from your public records, but you don’t have much in the way of social media accounts. What we usually do in this situation is contact a living medium. With their ability to see us, and their magic, they should be able to help. But it’s also better for you to remember as much as you can on your own. Working with a Healer should start the process of finding your memories again too.”
“It’s kind of like a mystery, right?” Rafe says.
This idea does make the whole thing slightly less overwhelming and halts a full-on freak out. I offer Rafe a slight grin. “A mystery, sure. I think I’ve read enough of those to know what kind of clues to look for.”
Bam. Another memory nugget. I definitely like mysteries. Maybe I will be okay. Besides. I’m already dead. The worst has already happened, right?
The floating through doors thing continues throughout the tour. After a while, I get used to the odd feeling, but the sneezing doesn’t let up. Can ghosts be allergic to certain types of wood? This doesn’t make much sense without a body, but then, I still have a lot of ghost rules to learn. Other students appear in the halls without much warning, though no one uses the walls and no one else appears to have the same allergic reaction.
“Phasing through walls is allowed,” Kaz says, “but not kosher. Even though the limitations of the living don’t totally apply to us, we try to follow some rules to keep order.”
“Well without those, what would we tormented teens rebel against?” I drag a hand along the wall, trying to figure out the best way to describe the sensation. My fingers dip into the wood as if it were water. Only the wall isn’t water. But my hand isn’t either. It’s almost impossible to explain.
Rafe snorts at my bad teen rebel joke as Kaz leads us through a large set of double doors into a room full of round dark wood tables. Long counters line the far wall, right under four silver shuttered windows. Probably where they serve food. The smell the last meal served lingers in the air and my mouth waters.
I squint at Kaz. “Ghosts can eat?”
Rafe lifts a finger. “Hey, there’s a question I can actually answer. Yes, we can definitely eat. A friend of mine used to feed me bacon under the table.” Red flushes his cheeks and his eyes bug a little.
I bust into a laugh. “Let me guess. Shifter? Please say shifter, because otherwise, that’s super weird, dude. Not that I should make fun of anybody for their fetishes but...”
That dimple appears alongside Rafe’s grin. “Yeah, fox shifter. What are you?”
“Witch.” The word pops out before I can even consider his question. “Huh. I’m a witch. That’s a fun fact.”
“Like I said, memories should start coming back fast,” Kaz says with a smile. “And yes. You can eat, but don’t get too excited and go hog wild. You can still eat too much and feel like garbage after. You can also get tired and sick just like a living human. I know it doesn’t make a lot of sense, but as far as we can tell, we’re still tied to some of the same rules as the living so long as we still exist in their plane. We can also get hurt, which brings us to combat.”
We follow him back into the hallway and out to the next building over. Snow weighs down the branches of the pines, so they dip in front of the doors we slide through. It looks like a gym, complete with metal risers off to one side, and gray mats on the other.
“Combat goes hand in hand with Corporeal Contact,” Kaz says. “You have to master that class first. In there, you’ll learn how to pick things up. Sounds dumb, but it’s harder than you might think.”
“It is.” Rafe rubs the back of his neck. “I still have a hard time with it.”
I wince. “How long have you been practicing?”
Rafe shoves the hair out of his face, but it floats back down onto his forehead. “Time’s kind of hard too, but a couple weeks? I think? Right before the Unleashing.”
“The Unleashing?” Like other words they’ve used, this sounds familiar, but I can’t get a grip on their meaning. It slips away before I can grasp it.
“Yeah,” Kaz says, leading us toward the back door and out into the cold night again. “Supes had their powers stolen for years by this group of fae and anti-supe humans. Then, when they tried to use Cade Blakemore to channel the rest of them into their own machine, she released them right back out into the world. Hence, the Unleashing.”
My brain tries to push past the mental barrier to the memory it knows is beyond. I absolutely recognize the name Cade Blakemore, but I can’t even get a mental image to come up. Instead, my head pounds, which is totally lame.
I rub my temples with the tips of my fingers. “Ugh, if ghosts can eat, can they also take pain pills for headaches?”
Kaz winces. “We can visit the Healer Ward before I take you to the dorms.”
We drift toward the main building. Kaz pauses at the halfway point, and waves toward a path on our right. “Most of the trails around campus loop back around to form a circle, but that one leads to the Locklear graveyard. Just a heads up in case you stumble across it.”
My eyes widen. “The Locklear graveyard?”
Kaz nods. “When we track down students’ bodies, we move them here to protect them from the Xers. It’s much easier to keep an eye on them that way.”
Weird, though I guess it does make a certain amount of sense, especially if there are a bunch of people out there looking around to desecrate graves.
We follow Kaz into the hall of the main building and back toward the lobby. A few feet from the door labeled Healer Ward, a trio of students slides out through the wall in front of us. I collide with one of the two boys. The shock of how solid he feels throws me off so bad I stumble back into Rafe’s chest. His hands clamp down on my shoulders, keeping me on my feet.
They’re much stronger than what I expected, and they send an odd flush of warmth through me. Since I’m dethatched from my body, I know I don’t have hormones anymore, but pleasant jitters buzz through me anyway. Maybe my spirit remembers what physical attraction used to feel like…
The dude I ran into gives me a look with so much disdain I almost attempt to duck behind Rafe entirely. His expression is so ugly that it destroys his really ridiculous good looks. Almost anyway. I’ve always been into blonds, and this guy is nearly platinum. Not to mention that square jaw and those blue eyes. They remind me of the center of a flame, hot and cold all at once.
That sneer though.
“Watch where you’re going.”
I straighten and cross my arms. “Oh, I’m sorry, you’re right. I’ll ask the Healer to check my x-ray vision. It must be malfunctioning so I couldn’t see through the wall you ghosted through.”
Legit fire sparks in blondie’s eyes, then surrounds both of his hands. “Think you’re funny?”
“Generally speaking, yes I do.” I lift my chin, eyeing the flames.
In spite of myself, I shuffle back a bit into Rafe, whose grip tightens. This guy can’t hurt me with that fire, there’s no way. Not if I’m already dead. Then again, I do have a headache, and can eat, and Kaz said I should be afraid of these Xers. So maybe I should retreat a little, try to smooth things over.
Then Kaz steps between us. “Knock it off, Landon. You know torching new students is frowned upon.”
“Seems like a terrible way to welcome people,” Rafe says.
He’s still standing behind me, and I’m just now noticing the way he smells. Like hikes in the woods all full of cedar. Pine. It’s lovely, if not a little strange. Eventually I’ll figure out ghost rules, but for now I find the fact that he smells at all oddly comforting. Part of me wants to lean against his chest, breathe in that pleasant scent.
Maybe later.
Landon’s sneer tightens, and the fire intensifies, but he shoves past us instead of attacking, so I count it as a win. The other boy follows him, but the girl who’s with him hangs back and takes my hand, giving it a hard squeeze. She has short, copper colored hair and warm brown skin. Both glow with the same ghostly light as the rest of us, but with a bit of a golden tint, almost angelic.
“Sorry about that.” She pushes the thick rimmed glasses she’s wearing back into place. “He’s been cantankerous since he got here.”
I nod, laughing a little at her word choice. “Guess death’ll do that to a person. It’s super inconvenient.”
The girl grins. “Not everyone adjusts so well. It’s rather fascinating to observe differing reactions. I’m Haya. Are you Billie?”
“That’s one thing I am sure of.” I step awkwardly to one side, immediately missing the feel of Rafe behind me as I introduce him.
Dimple mode activates and he shakes her hand too.
“Welcome to Ghost High.” Haya looks back at me. “I’m your new roommate.”
“Oh! Cool. Fair warning, I sleep scream.”
Haya’s eyes widen. “You do? Not that it wouldn’t be an interesting study in the mechanics of sleep but…”
I chuckle. “Totally joking. I sleep like the dead...uh...which I guess is appropriate under the circumstances.”
Haya grins, then pokes Kaz in the shoulder. “Your hypothesis was absolutely correct. She will fill the void Erin left behind quite well.”
“Last roommate?” Rafe asks.
“Yes. She...” Haya frowns and trails off. Her eyes dart to meet Kaz’s again, then move quickly back to mine. “Left about a month ago. I’ll tell you about it when you get back from your tour. Or sometime. See you in the dorm. Bye.”
I blink after her as she coasts down the hall and disappears through a door. Before I can ask, Kaz launches into an explanation about the Healers on staff and leads the way toward their office. I’ll have to add Haya’s former roommate to my ever-growing list of questions, because it sure doesn’t sound like she completed her unfinished business and passed on quietly.
Chapter Three
After visiting the Healer working that night — an older woman with round cheeks and a thick Georgia accent — Kaz takes us to the dorms. The girls’ section is upstairs to the left and the boys’ to the right. A common area filled with couches, tables, overstuffed chairs, and two TVs separates the two. There’s even a fireplace in the corner.
A handful of students mill about. Some play cards, others video games on the smaller of the TVs, and a few are even watching the news on mute. Guess even my generation has to do things old school when cell phones are taken out of the equation. Footage of Blakemore Academy plays across the screen. Construction crews work to rebuild the walls while text scrolls underneath it.
...after the attack, much of the old building, including the library, was destroyed. Once the work is completed, Blakemore will reopen as a leadership school for humans and supes alike. Up next, coverage of the upcoming wedding of the century between Acadiana Blakemore and Sebastian Locke. Blakemore has been integral in the process to change the school after the fall out from the Unleashing.
A girl with long brown hair appears on screen, and I definitely remember the Paranormal Princess now. It always irritated me the way the media talked about her, dissecting what she wore, who she dated, and speculating about all sorts of junk they had no business poking their noses into.
The way they handled her break up with that Golden Boy dude nearly made me throw my cell across my bedroom. I guess after they saw who he really was, they felt pretty stupid. Then again, it is the media, so there isn’t much hope of that. Drama sells after all.
I roll my eyes away from the TV and focus back on Kaz and Rafe. The latter is watching the TV as well, brow furrowed. I’m about to ask him what’s on his mind, when Kaz distracts me.
“Now, stairs can be tricky,” he says. “You can always just float up for now. That’s usually easier than trying to walk up them on your first day.”
Rafe laughs, snapping out of whatever memory he was clearly trapped in. “It’s true. Took me three or four tries to climb the stairs at Blakemore. If I’d realized I could float I would have. Should have figured that out on my own.”
“Like I said before, most everything around campus is spelled to make it easier for us to touch things,” Kaz says. “But the stairs are good practice for when you start to learn to handle objects still in the realm of the living.”
I look at my feet, then at the door. The rules definitely keep my head spinning. If I can stand on the first floor, why would it be difficult walking up the stairs? Either way, flying sounds pretty cool, so I might as well do that.
“Everything in your room is spelled as well to make things easier though,” Kaz says. “So, getting into bed won’t be a battle. Things are hard enough without having to lose sleep.”
“Well that’s good. Do I need to know anything about, like, putting on the breaks if I do float?” I squint one eye. “I’m not going to slip straight out of the school if I do something wrong, right? Fly off into the atmosphere never to be seen again?”
Kaz grins. “Shouldn’t be a problem. For some reason, it’s just a lot easier to master than the stair thing. Just stop the way you have been. Your room’s on the third floor. 305. If you have any questions, Haya should be able to help.”
I give Kaz a mock salute. “Thanks chief. Guess I’ll see you two in the morning...at breakfast?”
We all say goodnight, and I watch the two boys drift toward their door on the other side of the building. I try not to let my gaze linger on Rafe. Try, but fail miserably. The attraction fluttering through me sparks even more questions about my life.
Was I romantically involved? Did I date?
When I can’t remember, I drag my gaze away from Rafe, then face my own staircase. It can’t be that hard. Not if I’m already standing on the floor. Curious, I try to grab the door handle, but my fingers slide right through. I scowl at it.
“This isn’t over. We will meet again.” With a snort, I glide past the wood and follow the stairs up to the third floor.
But not without sneezing, of course.
Doors line the hall, each with pearl white numbers across them. At least some things are easy around here. I pause at 305, wondering if I should knock, wondering if I can knock. I focus and give it a whirl, but again, my knuckles can’t make purchase with the wood. Nothing for it. I’m way too tired to care, so I just poke my head inside.
Empty, and unbelievably massive. My jaw drops as I drift forward. Though I’m missing my memories, I know for sure I’ve never seen a bedroom quite this big. Really, it kind of looks like two rooms shoved together. Matching beds are pushed against a set of massive windows looking out on a sky thick with stars. A single couch covered in pillows and plush blankets separates them.
What I assume are closets are half open on either side of the
room, though I can’t imagine why on earth we’d need them. Then again, I still don’t have the rules all sorted, so maybe we can change clothes? I shake my head and float toward one of the windows. A forest stretches out around Locklear, disappearing down the other side of the mountain.
Something moves in the moonlight. Dark. Deeper than the other shadows, it twists, tornado-like. I squint to see better, curious.
“Billie!”
Haya’s voice comes from behind and I jump a little. Or, jump as much as a hovering ghost can. I swirl around to face her. It’s a little hard to stop, kind of like oversteering a boat on a lake. A memory coasts across the room, almost like someone’s projecting an old film onto the walls, the floor. I’m on a speedboat, spinning the wheel, laughing along with a much smaller voice.
A boy’s voice.
Tears fill my eyes and Haya touches my shoulder. “Did you just experience a life flash?”
I swallow past the lump in my throat. “A what?”
“Sorry, you’re new to this.” Haya taps one of her temples. “Sometimes we get flashbacks of our former lives, especially if we’re missing pieces of them. Instead of complete memories in our heads, they kind of play out in front of us. It’s always riveting to observe someone experiencing their first. It’s a bit jarring, isn’t it?”
I pull my hair away from my face, tugging until the roots hurt. “Very jarring. I just wish I could remember the whole thing. Anything other than my name, really.”
“I’m sorry,” Haya says. “It’s far from ideal, especially when attempting to calculate your unfinished business. One more mystery in the grand puzzle to solve. If it makes you feel any better, I marched right past the door to the afterlife. Somehow managed to completely miss it.”
I half-gasp, half-laugh, remembering Kaz’s comment from earlier. “You’re kidding.”
Ghost Academy: Book One Page 2
