by Ann Aguirre
“Edith Kramer?” A rich, deep voice spoke, so inviting that I’d listen to him narrating audio books. He had a faint Spanish accent, just enough to offer a charming embellishment.
“Nice to meet you.” Manners were never a bad call, right? Even if the circumstances are weird.
“Likewise.” He sounded amused. “You must be wondering at the cloak and dagger, hm?”
“A bit. But I understand that you’re a wanted man. So you need to be careful.” That was probably why he wasn’t showing his face.
“You’re clever, that’ll help.”
“With what?”
“I’m sure you’ve worked this out on your own, but … if you keep going the way you have been, you won’t survive to repay your favors.”
Hearing my chances summed up so bluntly made my ears ring; I went light-headed and my chest tightened until I couldn’t breathe. I breathed through the pain. “What do you care? You don’t know me.”
He must’ve understood that I was scared because his tone gentled. “While we’re not personally acquainted, I’m aware that Kian cares for you very much.”
Wow. I tried to imagine them talking about me, long before I met Kian. Pictured him saying sweet things, adorable things, before I changed everything about the way I looked. Considering that, it was hard to hold on to my grievance.
“Well, there’s no good way to tell someone they’re probably going to die,” I choked out.
“A realistic admission.”
“But there’s no way for me to win this game. The deck is stacked against me.”
“True, the house always wins, or so they say.”
“You must have an idea, though, or you wouldn’t be talking to me.” I hoped that was true. Otherwise I was beyond screwed.
“Precisely. There are certain skills you must acquire to survive the gauntlet that lies ahead.” His knowing tone suggested he’d peeked ahead and he had some idea what was coming.
“Both your safety and Kian’s depends on your drive, Edie. Are you willing to work harder than you ever have in your life?”
There was only one answer to that question. “Just tell me what to do.”
Raoul laughed quietly. “I shall, next time we meet. This is enough of a start for now.”
“Are you back now?” I had questions of my own. “Kian thinks you abandoned him.”
“When I was in hiding, I had certain matters to organize. Those preparations are now complete and it’s time to move to the next stage.”
There was no telling if we could trust him, but since Raoul had pissed off all the immortals when he stole that artifact and went off the grid, it seemed unlikely that he could be working for one of them. On the other hand, maybe he could use me as a bargaining piece somehow to get back into Wedderburn’s good graces. No, that didn’t track since he’d already betrayed him. Dwyer might be interested in making a deal. Pain throbbed in my temples, and I gave up on deciphering Raoul’s shadowy loyalties on the spot. All I could do was trust Kian’s judgment; we’d talk about this after we left the cathedral.
“Just don’t hurt him again, okay?” That seemed like a safe enough request.
“I’ll do my best not to,” he promised. “Can you say the same?”
I froze. “What are you getting at?”
It was like he could read my private fear—that something terrible would happen to Kian because of me. He felt like he owed me a debt, and like a knight of old, he seemed convinced he could only pay it in blood or personal pain. That was the last thing I wanted.
“You won’t answer?”
“I’ll try to protect him,” I whispered.
“Good girl. You have all the influence now. He’s not even a pawn, no power from our former master, while he owes everything to one who’s not known for mercy.” Raoul seemed really familiar with our problems, no need for me to explain.
“I’m aware. And I’m looking for a loophole.”
“Excellent. I’ll be in touch.” The window closed, dismissing me.
“Kian?” I rushed out of the confessional looking for the other two, but I didn’t spot them right away.
Then I saw Aaron waving from the front door. Even at this distance, I could tell he seemed agitated, so I quickened my pace, limping quickly down the center aisle toward him. Snow sputtered down, huge flakes that stung as they hit my cheeks. It hadn’t been that cold when we went inside, and the sharp temperature drop bothered me.
Does that mean Wedderburn’s found us? Does he know about Raoul?
“Hurry,” Aaron said, grabbing my hand.
His fingers were cold and thin as he pulled me toward the Mustang idling near the corner in a no-parking zone. Aaron dove into the back and once the seat snapped into place, I slid in front and shut the door. While I was belting in, Kian took off. It felt like we were running from something and my heartbeat reflected that fear as I peered through the back windshield.
“What’s happening?”
“Wedderburn.”
As if the name summoned him, hail pelted us, freak weather for this time of year and the snow came harder, a sudden blizzard in the middle of the city. I had a thousand questions but with Kian fighting the wheel against the gusts of icy wind, this didn’t seem like the time to ask. Since Wedderburn still needed me to repay my favors, he couldn’t be trying to kill me, but the gusts definitely seemed to be trying to herd us somewhere.
“Maybe we should pull over?” I suggested.
Aaron was huddled into the hood of his jacket, all big anime eyes and nervously bitten lips. But he didn’t protest as Kian snapped a sharp turn, tumbling him toward the other side of the car. That fast, the sun was out, shining brightly on the dry street ahead. A jumble of conflicting thoughts rioted in my head. Dwyer & Fell’s territory, maybe?
“I’ll drop you off at home, Edie. I have some stuff to do.” Kian averted his eyes, unwilling to discuss whatever Raoul said to him.
“Can I come to your place? I feel like we need to—”
“Some other time. You need to get ready for school tomorrow anyway.”
Wow. The straight-up rejection surprised me. But I couldn’t beg when I understood what he was doing. I just had to regroup and figure out how to reach him. Raoul had probably told him that—whatever this secret—was crucial to my survival. He’d played more or less the same card with me; I just hadn’t known the guy as long, so I wasn’t ready to go all in this fast.
“Okay,” I said quietly.
It felt crappy getting out of the car but I couldn’t think what else to do. Besides, he wasn’t wrong. This holiday break, I hadn’t spent a ton of time on homework so I had a bunch of reading to catch up on. Still, unease prickled over me as I went inside. It wasn’t the emptiness of the apartment; I was used to that. But the rooms had a different smell, nothing I could identify, but I felt as if something had been in here. Like a kid, I searched all the closets and under the bed.
Nothing.
Though all my mental alarms were going off, I got to work, reading my way through the assigned chapters. Then I typed a couple of essays and raced through the problems in my AP Calculus class. Part of me felt like this was a colossal waste of time, as Wedderburn might not even let me go to college, if I ended up indentured. But I couldn’t live expecting the worst. I’d been in bed for an hour when my dad came in. I listened to him shuffle into the bedroom he slept in alone while guilt rushed in my head in an endless tide.
He didn’t knock on my door or pop his head in to check on me. The guilt ripened into a deep, raw ache. It’s like he knows it’s my fault … and that’s why he doesn’t want to be around me. I’d hoped Christmas was a turning point, but it was starting to seem like it was more of a last look from a drowning swimmer. I smothered the bad thoughts and rolled over in bed, careful not to look at the mirror I’d draped with a sheet.
The Harbinger said that doesn’t work. If I can believe him.
In the morning, a weird sensation crept over me when I slipped into my un
iform, as if I’d outgrown it in a few weeks, not physically but emotionally. To make matters creepier, the trip to school on the train felt surreal too, more so when a cute college guy kept trying to talk to me. At one point, this would’ve been a moment that came only between the pages of a romantic story. I’d been pretty long enough to realize it came with its own complications, and now I also had to wonder if he worked for an opposing faction, if this random handsome stranger had been sent by Dwyer & Fell to test my loyalty to Kian.
Jesus. Normal teenagers don’t have to worry about this kind of crap. But “normal” left the building when I took the deal.
I’d gotten good at ignoring people by fiddling with my phone, but this guy was adorably persistent—in his own opinion, anyway. “Come on, smiles are free. You can’t even spare one?”
Any response would encourage him, so I flipped to the next page of the book I was reading on my phone. Should’ve put in earbuds. I didn’t look over at him, even when he leaned in, trying to get a peek at what I was doing. It wasn’t that he was unattractive; he radiated a Cameron Dean vibe, in fact, which meant I’d never, ever go for him. His attitude suggested he’d never met a girl who wasn’t interested.
“Look, Connor, or Hunter, or…” I trailed off, sizing him up. “Maybe Logan. I’m sure you’re a delightful, privileged asshole but I’m in no mood to experience your charms firsthand. So let’s move on to you saying I must be a dyke and call it a day.”
“Are you?”
“If it’ll shut you up, yes.” With that, I got off the train and ran toward school like he might be chasing me.
Usually, I wasn’t so confrontational but I was grumpy about Kian blowing me off last night and the fact that my phone hadn’t rung even once since then. Before, I had the impression he’d never bail on me—that he was into this relationship even deeper than me—and there was a certain comfort in that. Now the floor was tilting beneath my feet.
Jen and Davina were waiting for me at the front gate, though, so that was a slice of brightness in an otherwise icy, awful day. They reached for me in a joint move, so I guessed Davina had told Jen about my mom. For a few moments I stood in the hug while other students sped by, yammering about their holidays in Tahoe and the islands, tropical and sunny as they likely had been. Comforting to know some things didn’t change.
“I’m so sorry,” Jen whispered. “I wish I’d been here. You okay?”
Davina had on her cheerleader’s uniform, so there must be a game today … or maybe she was just wearing it because she could. Finally. “Idiot. Of course she isn’t.”
“I’m coping.” It wasn’t like I had a choice. With my dad checked out, one of us had to try to keep life on a normal keel.
“You still with Kian?” Jen asked.
I was kind of impressed she remembered his name but it also jangled my nerves. I just nodded, pulling away with a head tilt toward the main building. “We shouldn’t be late on our first day back.”
Davina nodded. “Wonder who they got to replace Mr. Love.”
“Wait, he’s gone?” Jen grabbed my arm. “What happened?”
As we walked, Davina filled her in about all the weirdness that went down, including belly buttons. Jen flashed hers as we walked in the front doors, drawing a whistle from a passing sophomore and a sigh from the teacher who was monitoring the hallway. “No bare midriffs.”
“Sorry,” she said brightly, tucking in her shirt. “Satisfied?”
I managed a smile. “Yep.”
We went our separate ways then. I stopped at my locker and headed to my first class, where I brooded about Kian and what Raoul had said about needing to learn some new skills. What’s he talking about anyway? My new Lit teacher was neither young nor handsome. They’d apparently pulled some fossil out of retirement, but Mrs. Harrison led a lively discussion, seeming sharp enough that we shouldn’t be bored. And she didn’t stint on homework, either. There would be no dramatic pining over this teacher.
I was a good enough student that I daydreamed through most of my classes, though I had to focus enough not to get killed during PE. Afterward, I lingered in the shower, longer than I should have; I realized my mistake too late.
MESSAGES FROM BEYOND
Mist whorled in the bathroom, spiraling beneath the hypnotic flicker of a struggling fluorescent bulb. I tightened the towel around me, conscious of how alone I was. The other girls had finished up and headed off to their next classes, leaving me in the locker room. Once, under these exact circumstances, I could’ve expected a truly heinous prank. Inside me there was still a frightened kid waiting for the torture to resume.
But my problems were broader and deeper now. My skin crawled with the unmistakable certainty that I was no longer alone. I rushed to my locker, half expecting to find my uniform missing or damaged in some ways, but most of the people responsible for that were dead. A chill went down my spine as I struggled into my underwear. Not drying off made it difficult, as did the steam all around me. Visibility was low, and the rows of lockers obscured my vision even more. Still, I got dressed in record time and was shouldering my backpack when the fog parted.
That was the right word too, as it blew to either side, as if driven by a strong wind. Seconds later, I felt that icy touch on my skin; the goose pimples popped up instantly. The mirror was smoky with heat and condensation, so I could just make out the shadowy hint of my own reflection. God, I hope that’s me. The cold enveloped me on all sides, confirming my suspicion that this wasn’t a routine let’s-screw-with-Edie scenario. Nothing human could make me react like this. Since I couldn’t fight a feeling, I took a step toward the doors, or at least where I thought they were.
A few seconds later, the first letter appeared in a jerky streak on the foggy glass. I. The bottom bled away in tearful drops as my breath came in quiet gasps. Unable to look away, I watched as the rest of the message appeared. AM ALWAYS WITH YOU. My heart was beating so hard it hurt, hammering in my ears. This could be only one person.
“Cameron?” I whispered.
In answer, a chill touch swept over my bare arms. Shivering, I shrugged into my blazer and ran out of the locker room. I had no idea what he meant by that, if it was a threat or reassurance, but I wasn’t sticking around to find out. If I had anywhere to hide, I’d probably cower there but home wasn’t any safer than school. It didn’t protect my mom. So while I was pale and shaken, I went to class and pretended I was feeling crappy.
Not much of a stretch, actually.
Later, at lunch, Jen peered at me worriedly as we went through the line in the dining hall. “You look worse than you did this morning.”
“That’s awesome for my ego,” I mumbled.
“Not what I mean.”
Davina cut in behind us, earning a couple of dirty looks. She replied with a smile so sweet that the underclassmen probably thought they asked her to do that. “Thanks, guys. I really appreciate you letting me catch up with my friends.”
“No problem,” a short kid said.
I waited until we’d gotten some food and headed off to a new table. The one the Teflon crew had claimed and graffitied sat empty, and I noticed students giving it a wide berth like it was haunted. Allison headed up a new popular table along with some of Russ’s lacrosse buddies and the rest of the cheerleaders; Davina showed no interest in joining them. Apparently she’d only cared about fitting in with that crowd because of Russ.
Who’s dead because of me.
My stomach hurt, making it impossible for me to eat the salad and sandwich I’d put on my tray. Quietly I picked at the food, hoping the other two wouldn’t notice.
No such luck.
“What happened?” Davina demanded.
Maybe I shouldn’t tell them … but they already knew most of it anyway. I just hadn’t mentioned the immortal game, and guilt flickered through me that I was being more honest with Jen and Davina than Vi. There were justifiable reasons, however, as they were at greater risk due to our proximity, and it wasn’t like I
could protect them as I had Vi.
With a faint sigh, I summed up Cameron’s creepy locker-room visit. By the time I finished, they’d both stopped eating, gazing at me with mute horror. Yeah, pretty much.
Davina wrapped both arms around herself and made a face. “Is he with us now?”
“Probably.” I couldn’t sense him, but that wasn’t a foolproof indicator. If science applied to this batshit business, then there had to be an energy cost when he manifested.
“What a perv,” Jen said. “That guy doesn’t change, even when he’s ghosting up the place.”
“Huh?” I blinked at her.
“Seriously, Cam chooses to write you a message when you’re naked after a PE shower?” She flattened her mouth while lifting her eyes to the ceiling.
For some reason, that made me laugh. “I doubt that’s why.”
“If you say so. But I have to ask, do you have any sudden urges to make pottery?” She was smirking, so casual that it helped me settle down a little.
“Shut up.” Why is she so cool about all of this? The question jangled in my head like an unanswered phone. I tried not to show my sudden suspicion. Dude, you’re losing it. Jen’s a good friend. You can’t let Allison succeed in driving a wedge.
“If he’s … gone,” Davina whispered, “why is he hanging around?”
“No idea.” If I did, I’d release or exorcise him, whatever applied to trapped spirits.
“My grandmother would say it’s unfinished business,” Jen offered.
“He should’ve written what the hell he wants, then.”
Davina nodded. “Would it kill him to be specific? Wait.” She bit her lip as the shitty turn of phrase dawned on her. “Okay, I didn’t mean it like that. Sorry, bro.” With wide eyes, she glanced around like he might be sitting here with us.
After talking with these two, I felt better, and the rest of the day was less traumatic.
When school let out, Kian was waiting for me past the gates, propped against the stone wall. Today, he had on gray pants and a tailored charcoal wool coat. The wind ruffled his dark hair, and even from this distance, it had a satiny sheen. His beauty was so remarkable that I had to search for flaws every time I saw him. But from the sharp line of his jaw to his kissable mouth, there were none. His skin was smooth and perfect, lightly tinged with gold, and his green eyes shone like gilded jade through a tangle of thick, inky lashes.
