by J. N. Colon
I shook my head, trying to school my face in that well-adjusted expression people always hoped for when you spoke about a deceased loved one. She passed away right after having me, literally. According to my dad, she held me for a few seconds and she… was just gone. Complications and a weak heart—that was what he’d said.
It seriously sucked, for both of us.
He got to meet her.
I never would.
“Sorry,” Jayson murmured, understanding without me having to say it.
“Thanks.” I bit my lip, missing Charleston. She grew up there. I felt like I’d left part of her behind. “I’m not sure what’s worse, never knowing her or loving her and then losing her like my dad.”
Why did I just admit that to a practical stranger?
Maybe because I saw some of the similar pain in him. Jayson lived with his uncle for a reason. Maybe he’d lost both his parents.
His brows furrowed. “Did she die during childbirth?”
“Yeah.” I swallowed hard.
Several awkward moments of silence followed until he cleared his throat. “You look like her.”
A sad smile crossed my lips. “Everyone says that. It’s the blue eyes.”
Jayson spun around and continued putting another piece on my bed. “Yours are prettier,” he mumbled so low I wasn’t sure I’d heard him right.
Chapter 4
I sat at a round table in Sebastian’s basement, his apparent headquarters, getting a crash course in ghost hunting. My eyes skirted over the posters of horror and sci-fi flicks pinned to the wood paneling along the walls. Electronic equipment was scattered around us.
This guy took ghost hunting seriously.
“This is an EMF meter.” Sebastian clutched a black object in his hand, pulling out a thin, silver antenna. “It’s used to pick up electromagnetic fields, which can sometimes indicate the presence of a ghost.”
I nodded while biting back a grin. I actually knew what the device was. They played a part in every ghostly stakeout.
Sebastian motioned toward the digital panel. “High spikes can mean a spirit is near.” He tilted his head, chewing on his lip. “It can also mean there’s some kind of electrical source. If a power cord or powerlines are in the area, it could give inconclusive results.”
I was getting some inconclusive results on my shmexy neighbor. Jayson hadn’t said much after the topic of my mom. He’d quickly finished assembling my bed and left, mumbling a goodbye. I still wasn’t sure if I’d heard him say that about my eyes.
I probably imagined it.
I shook off the thoughts of my dreamy neighbor and grabbed a small silver device. “How about this one?”
Sebastian’s brows rose. “That handy little thing is an EVP recorder. It records things the naked ear can’t hear, electronic voice phenomenon. If a spirit is trying to communicate with us, we might be able to pick up its voice with this guy.”
“Cool.” I grabbed another mini Snickers, tearing the wrapper off before tossing it in my mouth. “Have you caught anything on it yet?”
“Yeah,” Jessica answered beside me. “Show her, Sebastian.”
A smile curled his lips. “Let me explain this baby first.” He pulled out a tiny handheld recorder, flipping open the screen. “This is a thermal camera. You can see the heat signatures objects give off. We would be warm. In theory, a ghost would be cold.”
“That looks expensive,” I said, warily eyeing the piece of equipment. “Are you sure you want me to use this?” I’d already given them the gory details of my clumsiness disease.
Sebastian shrugged. “It’s okay. I got these from my uncle for free when he upgraded.”
The hand-me-downs didn’t exactly look like hand-me-downs. “Whatever you say, but don’t be surprised when I fall and break it.”
“Are you sure your dad’s okay with this?” Jessica asked, pushing the glasses higher on her nose.
“Definitely.” Some parents might have a problem with their seventeen-year-old daughter traipsing around town, looking for spirits. Not my dad. He was pretty lax in general. He also laughed his ass off when he found out what I was getting into. He told me to carry a hex bag so I couldn’t get possessed by a demon.
Haha. Funny, Dad.
“James is totally cool with it,” I said, still examining the thermal camera. “I just can’t let any spirits follow me home.”
“We make sure to get all the energy off us before we leave any site.” Sebastian’s expression was as serious as a heart attack.
Jessica masked a smile behind her apple. At least one of them got my joke.
“All right.” Sebastian walked over to the living room area, grabbing a sturdy laptop from a tan microfiber couch. “Get ready to have your mind blown with some EVPs.” He placed it on the table between us.
“I have to warn you, after hitting my head as many times as I have, there’s not much left to explode.”
Sebastian paid me no attention while he sat and clicked on a bunch of files.
Jessica, on the other hand, gave me a funny look. “How many times have you hit your head.”
I shrugged. “I lost count when I was five.”
After about an hour of Sebastian playing what sounded like different clips of garbled crap, he held his hands up. “This next one isn’t for the faint of heart.”
I popped another Snickers in my mouth, the foil wrappers collecting in front of me. What? A girl’s got to eat. “Hit me with it.”
Jessica flicked her tawny ponytail over her shoulder before scooping up my wrappers. “He’s serious.” She stood and dropped them in the trashcan. “This one totally freaks me out.”
“We got it a few weeks ago from school while we were testing out some new equipment.” Sebastian shook his head. “Never heard anything like it before.”
I waved my hand for them to continue. “I get it. Be afraid. Be very afraid of the voice about to come over the speaker.”
They shot each other knowing looks.
After hearing it, I was in the know.
The recording started out with the two of them quietly talking. It happened right over their conversation. They hadn’t heard it then. They probably would have run out screaming.
A harsh, guttural growl morphed into words.
“Search for the totems. He will be ready.”
My blood ran cold. “Holy…”
“More like unholy something,” Sebastian said. “I still get freaked out when I hear it.”
Jessica shivered. “It gives me nightmares.”
It sounded inhuman—demonic even.
Chills erupted down my back. I believed in ghosts and evil spirits, but demons? That was a hard pill to swallow. And even harder, the thought that they were lingering around Mystic Hollow High.
The sky was too dark. Heavy clouds obscured the moon and stars as if a blanket had been tossed over the heavens. Streetlights bathed the sidewalk in an eerie glow. A shiver rolled down my back. I was an idiot. I should have taken Sebastian up on his offer to drive me home. But no, I decided to walk.
Me walking home was never a good idea. Me walking home in the dark was just plain stupid. That EVP Sebastian played only made it worse. Every little noise had me jumping. If I weren’t careful, I was going to trip and crack my head open.
Creepy McCreeperton custodian, Mr. Freeman, flashed through my mind. His eyes had gone from light-blue to nearly black as we spoke. You wouldn’t want to crack that thing open. It would ruin the chewy goodness inside.
What the heck did that even mean?
I groaned and reached into my pocket for another piece of candy. My jeans already crinkled with the number of wrappers stuffed in them. The chocolate was sweet on my tongue and soothed the knots in my stomach.
A dog began to wildly bark in a yard down the street. The pooch could see me and was being protective of his or her territory. Nothing else.
I continued to walk, nearing the house. Something appeared amongst the bushes, a red glow beaming
through the darkness.
No. Two luminescent red orbs burned within the deep shadows of the shrubberies.
My breath caught. They looked like glowing eyes.
A nervous laugh slipped out. That was ridiculous. Reflectors on a bike were catching the moonlight or something.
My head tilted back, taking in the black, cloudy sky. Oh, right. The moon was completely hidden. Not even a sliver was visible.
I gulped and reached for another mini candy bar. My fingers trembled as I unwrapped it, tossing it in my mouth. By the time I looked up, the scarlet glowing whatevers were gone.
The barking suddenly ceased followed by a harsh yelp. I halted, my feet frozen to the sidewalk. My breath fogged in quick puffs as my chest rapidly rose and fell. What was out there?
A crash resonated, and angry snarls lit the street. That didn’t sound like any dog.
The candy turned to ash in my mouth, and I struggled to swallow. My heart pounded a hundred miles a minute. Something was definitely going on in the backyard of that house. It was directly on the other side of the street now.
A flash of crimson penetrated the darkness again, and a figure emerged.
Chapter 5
I choked back a squeak as a man stepped forward, his ebony suit blending in with the shadows. A shock of silvery white hair peeked from the edges of a short brim gambler hat. His weathered skin looked sallow in the hazy streetlight.
Goose bumps scuttled across my flesh, and it wasn’t from the brisk temperatures. The man’s irises were black holes sucking in every ounce of light. They landed on me, and my knees threatened to crumple to the ground.
He tipped his hat and nodded in my direction. He didn’t say a word, but that ominous smile across his dry, thin lips was enough to make me run.
My feet unstuck from the sidewalk and I took off, sprinting to my house. The man whistled a slow, eerie tune that had me cringing.
By the time I made it home, a cold sweat had slickened my skin. It was a miracle I’d managed to make it all the way up the stairs to my room without falling. My lungs heaved from the unexpected cardio.
I fumbled with the floor lamp in the corner, finally managing to twist the switch, flooding the area with light. I leaned against the wall, my heart ramming into my ribs hard enough to bruise.
After several minutes passed, and my body stopped trembling, a weak laugh broke free. This was ridiculous. I was afraid of some old man. He probably lived at that house. And the dog? It stopped barking because he put him inside.
That damn EVP had me whacked out.
My gaze landed on my bed, and I was swarmed with visions of Jayson. His salty scent still lingered in my room. I licked my lips. My mind was definitely in the gutter now. All I could picture was him sprawled on my bed, giving me those steamy, bedroom eyes and a come-hither stare.
I shook myself, shattering the naughty fantasies and yawned, stretching like a cat. My first day at school wasn’t terrible thanks to Sebastian and Jessica. How was it possible I’d made two friends already?
I shed my jacket and shuffled to my window to close the blinds. Before I did, my eyes landed on something that had me doing a double take. I had a perfect view of Jayson’s bedroom, and what did I spy with my little blue eye? Mr. McHottness lifting weights in nothing but a pair of low-slung sweatpants.
Oh, baby!
Sweat glistened on Jayson’s tan, rippling muscles as if he were steeped in a heavenly glow. His torso was shredded with pecks and washboard abs while his arms looked strong enough to carry ten of me.
Holy hotness incarnate. I could drown in the figurative drool leaking out of my mouth.
His dirty blond hair was darker, soaked with sweat and brushed away from his handsome face as he lifted the heavy dumbbells again and again.
Why was this hunk of man meat positioned right in front of my window, torturing me?
I should look away.
I couldn’t look away.
What female in her right mind would turn away from a living, breathing god of hotness?
Without warning, Jayson’s eyes shifted, landing directly on me.
Shiitake!
Flames licked at my face, but my body still didn’t possess the willpower to move. I was frozen, watching him like a creeper.
This was so effing embarrassing.
Jayson didn’t stop working out as his eyes remained locked on mine, his muscles heaving. I was definitely drooling. My heart was pounding a hundred miles a minute, and tingles melted over my skin. I couldn’t decipher the look he was wearing. He wasn’t angry, but he wasn’t exactly pleased.
His eyes suddenly brightened—glowed actually. They were now a shimmering gold.
What the what?
I blinked. It had to be the lighting, right?
I leaned closer, smacking my head on the window.
Tiny stars popped in my vision, and I jerked back. Of course my spastic attack wasn’t finished. I tripped over my own foot, crashing to the ground.
“Mother trucker!” Hot pain lanced through my butt. It was still sore from my earlier fall at school.
What was worse? Being caught staring at him or making a fool out of myself by falling?
With my wounded bottom and ego, I crawled up, peeking out the window.
Jayson was now directly in front of his, the light outlining his body and giving him an otherworldly glow. He sent a smirk my way—right before slamming the blinds closed.
I fell back, groaning at my utter humiliation. Jackass couldn’t let me die without adding fuel to my funeral pyre.
I gazed up at the P.E. coach with my most pleading expression. Hell, even my hands were held together in prayer. It was going to take some praying if he forced me to do this. No one would be safe.
“Please, Coach Morris. I really would prefer to sit out.” I motioned toward the belt strapped around my gray sweatpants. Orange flags ominously flapped around my waist. “This isn’t going to turn out well. For anybody.”
The thick man shook his head, veins popping in his neck. “Everyone participates, even new students.” His attention returned to his clipboard.
We were standing on the green practice field, the rest of the students stretching and gearing up to play flag football. P.E. was the bane of my existence. It would soon be his if he didn’t let me sit out. The teachers at my old school learned that lesson when they forced me to walk the balance beam, and I fell—right into another girl. I broke her nose and fractured my arm.
“I really don’t think you understand how uncoordinated I am,” I continued.
His muddy brown eyes shifted from his clipboard, his brow arching. “Raven, get your tail out there or fail P.E.”
With a groan, I trudged toward the other students, hoping I didn’t crack any bones. Even though this wasn’t tackle football, I could get injuries and inflict them simply by walking. This had the potential to become a nightmare.
Maybe I should just take the F.
I found a position in the back with the scrawny nerds. We all had the same hope of avoiding the action. When a big guy who was definitely on the football team launched the ball toward another jock, he took off, and we scattered.
A curvy brunette with a permanent smile jogged toward us. “Trey, how about you give us girls a chance.”
The tall, dark drink of hunky guy flashed a grin. “I’ll try, Shannon.”
Oh, hell no.
I inched away from her, smacking into Melinda Mickens.
Her lips curled into a snarl. “Watch where you’re going,” she hissed, straightening her Mystic Hollow High jacket.
“Excuse me.” I held my hands up in mock defense. “I’m just trying to survive this torture.”
She rolled her gray eyes, and then schooled her expression into one of sweet perfection. “Over here, Trey.” Melinda clapped.
Crap on toast. I pivoted to get the heck out of dodge. Across the field, a dark shadow appeared in front of the bleachers.
My head angled to the side. What wa
s that? It was shaped like a person, but no one was there to cast a shadow. The bleachers were empty.
A chill skittered down my spine. How could a shadow exist without something to project it? Unless it wasn’t a shadow at all. What if it was something else, something paranormal?
Sebastian’s menacing EVP played through my ears, freezing my veins.
I suddenly smacked into a hard wall of muscle. Frack! I was in the middle of a chaotic flag football game. A squeak slipped out as I bounced off the guy, my feet tangling with someone else’s. A body went down—maybe two—and I avoided a group of girls. I tripped and caught an elbow to the face on my way down.
Pain whipped across my mouth. Son of a buttery biscuit. I was a walking disaster. Literally.
I spit grass, and a metallic tinge lingered as blood dripped out.
The coach cursed. “Everybody back. We got a bleeder.” The crowd of students parted, allowing Coach Morris through to help me up.
“I told you,” I muttered through the throbbing. I wiped blood off my chin. My bottom lip was split.
He handed me a towel to put to my face. “I can see that, Raven.” He jerked his thumb over his broad shoulder. “Can you make it to the nurse or do you need an escort?”
“I can make it.”
I carefully trudged toward the building, praying I wouldn’t run into anyone, particularly my sexy as sin neighbor. I made it inside without incident, the maroon, gray, and white hall empty. But as I neared the corner, hushed voices echoed. One gruff one I instantly recognized.
A groan ran through my mind. He was going to insult me. I had no doubt about it.
I peeked around the corner. Brenna, Kale, and Jayson were standing in a deserted hallway, talking closely.
“I can’t see what it is, Kale.” Brenna crossed her arms against her chest as she gnawed on her bottom lip. Her voice was light and airy, riddled with the hint of an Irish accent. “Something big is coming, and it’s not good.” She shivered. “In fact, it feels downright evil.”
“You’re a seer, Brenna,” Jayson snarled. “You’re supposed to see things.”
