Youre yelling now! And for no good reason, that she could tell.
Yeah, he said, still with that fury, but now, it was tinged with something else. Something low and raspy. His eyelids dipped to half-mast as he traced a fingertip along the slope of her nose. But now we get to kiss and make up. Even his voice had dipped.
Yes, please. First, why would you have yelled? Clearly someone had told him what shed done, but she wanted to hear him admit it before she spilled her guts. Second, we cant kiss. She backed away from him, not stopping until she hit the door. The closer they were, the headier his wild scent became. The closer they were, the better she could feel the heat radiating off him. The closer they were, the closer she wanted to be. I need to get to class.
Actually, youll have to miss it. Were talking right now.
Uh-oh. The words echoed around her, a threat. I cant keep putting off my studies, Riley. Yeah, Im fine with missing Geometry right now, but anything after that? No. As you know, Spanish is my worse subject, and I need all the help I can get.
Ill tutor you later. Si?
Yeah, right. Like theyd really pay attention to their books if they were alone in her room. No. The only other Spanish she could recall at the moment was: No hay tenedor limpio, tenemos que lavar la. There is no clean fork. We have to wash some.
That wasnt really applicable here.
Well, youre not going to class until we discuss a few things. Namely, you went into town last night, he said, jaw clenched.
And there it was. The admission. She gulped. Yes.
Alone.
Yes. How did you find out?
My brothers. They followed you.
The two wolves who tailed Pennys car. Of course. She should have guessed.
They said you encountered a witch. Tell me, Mary Ann. Why would you endanger yourself like that?
You are not the weak link. You are not the freaking weak link. Did your brothers also tell you that I stayed in the car? Did they tell you Penny and I drove away before Marie could reach us?
His nostrils flared in outrage. You know her name now.
Uh-oh.
Youve talked to her. Again, not a question.
Yes, she admitted softly.
He slapped the wall beside her temples, caging her in. Hed done that yesterday, on the walk to school, and shed loved it. Hed kissed her, after all. Now, he just looked like he wanted to choke her. The funny thing was, she still loved it. She had only to lift onto her tiptoes and she could kiss him.
A witch doesnt need to be close to you to bespell you, Mary Ann. If he knew the direction her thoughts had taken, he gave no notice. She needs only to see you. You were in danger the moment you left your house. Do you not recall what I told you about spells?
I do, she said with a nod.
Tell me.
A tremor slid the length of her spine. When a spell is uttered, that spell becomes alive, its sole existence to fulfill its purpose. There is no breaking it. Ever. Even by the witch who cast it.
As shed spoken, his gaze had lowered and remained on her lips. Tension had wafted from him before hed snapped his attention back to her face. Thats right, he croaked. And what would happen if a different type of death spell were cast over you?
I would die twice? she asked dryly.
Yes, smartie. Thats exactly what would happen, and neither time would be pleasant.
Shed never seen Riley so fierce, so intense, but she planned to stand up to him exactly as shed stood up to Marie. This was too important. Guess what? she said, flattening her palms on his chest. His heart thundered to the same erratic beat as hers. Thats a chance Im willing to take. Im part of this team, and I will help in any way that I can. How is my being in danger any different from you being in danger?
His eyes narrowed to dangerous slits, even as he pressed deeper into her body. I heal.
So do I!
Not from death!
But his kind could be brought back? Hardly, she wanted to snort.
She paused. Wait. He had been brought back. She recalled the night hed told her about his brothers curse. He should have been cursed that way, too, ugly to anyone he desired, but for him, the requirement of that spell had been met. Hed died, and the werewolves version of modern medicine had brought him back. Modern medicine could bring her back, as well, she thought defiantly.
Still. Thinking of his death filled her with fear. She couldnt lose him. She needed him.
Mary Ann slid her hands around his neck and gentled her tone. Im not going to argue with you about this, Riley. I went into town, yes, but Im not sorry. Marie will be there tonight, and I know where. Marie had threatened Mary Ann, as good as told her not to return. Which meant she would want to know if Mary Ann disobeyed her. Which meant she would have to be there, watching, waiting. We can capture her.
No, we cant. His hands settled on her waist, locking her in place. Shell be prepared now. Well walk right into an ambush.
Mary Ann shook her head, refusing to give up. She thinks shes warned me away. Intimidated me. She told him a bit about their conversation, but left out the part about feeding; she didnt understand that, and until she did, she was sharing the details with no one. And even though shed thought to talk to him about what she was, according to Marie, she left that part out, too. Now wasnt the time. Shell be careless.
So you hope, he said, his grip tightening.
True. Even if youre right, we still have the advantage. Well be prepared for an ambush. Either way, I guess well find out tonight. And Riley, do not even think about leaving me behind.
Ill do what needs to be done, Mary Ann.
Finally she rose on her tiptoes and kissed him. He didnt respond, and she tried not to let it matter. So will I. And guess what? I changed my mind. Im hitting second period. With that, she turned and opened the door. He released her without protest and she strode into the hall, never once glancing back.
ELEVEN
GO AHEAD AND FLUSH this day down the toilet, Aden thought as he and Shannon walked home from school.
Cars whizzed past them on one side, and trees stretched on the other. They were taking the main roads today rather than the forest. Riley had insisted, and agreeing had been the only way to get rid of him.
All day, Aden had been too tired to listen to his teachers. He had no idea what material had been covered, and even if he had been paying attention, the souls had been too chatty to allow him to concentrate, having just come out of their drug-induced stupor. Theyd wanted to know what had happened with the vampires, but he hadnt had a chance to reply.
On and on theyd askedwere still askinguntil hed wantedstill wantedto bang his head against the wall. It was probably a good thing, then, that Riley and Mary Ann hadnt spoken to him at lunch. Actually, Mary Ann hadnt spoken to anyone at lunch. Shed sat at the table, food untouched in front of her, frowning at everyone who passed. Aden would have asked her what was wrong, but trying to carry on a conversation hadnt seemed wise.
Especially since shed looked ready to throw something at Rileys head when the wolf announced he would be walking Aden home rather than his girlfriend. But Aden had refused his escort with a firm shake of his head. Having a friend beside him, sure, good times. But a babysitter? No, thanks.
To his surprise, Riley had accepted his refusal after only a few halfhearted protests. Hed been free to go with Mary Ann, after all. Hopefully, theyd work out their problems before midnight, when their little group was supposed to meet up and head into town to huntand kidnapa witch.
Aden was still reeling about that. Kidnap? Really?
Again, there hadnt been an opportunity to discuss it. Not just because of the souls, but because of their audience. And now he had to rush to the ranch so that Dan could take him to Dr. Hennessys office for their emergency session.
This sucks, he said.
W-what does? Shannon asked, flicking him a glance.
The question battered against the rest of the noise inside his head, and Aden took a moment to decipher it. My upcoming doctors appointment. I dont want to go.
If that stupid doc forces any more drugs down your throat, Im going to shoot myself, Caleb grumbled.
Good luck with that, Julian replied dryly. I dont think I ever told you this, but its always been a dream of mine to watch a soul without a body wield a gun.
Well, bodiless or not, we might wish we could shoot ourselves after todays session, Elijah said grimly.
Do you know something? Aden demanded. Elijahs predictions never failed. What the soul thought would happen, happened. Usually, he only knew when people were going to die. Yet more and more lately, he knew other things. Scary things. Like blood flowing in rivers.
Know w-what? Shannon asked.
This time, he didnt have to pause to decipher the words. The different conversations were finally streamlining, becoming clearer. Sorry, he said to Shannon, cheeks heating. I meant, this has just been such a crappy day, with Mary Anns silence, Rileys bad mood and the doctors visit, like I mentioned.
Yeah. What was wrong w-with you yesterday, man? Ive never seen y-you like that.
Aden wanted to confess. He wanted to trust Shannon fully. He really did. But he couldnt predict the boys reaction to vampires and werewolves and ghosts, which meant he couldnt say a word. If Shannon told Dan, Dan would think Aden was crazymore than he already didand send him back to juvie or to another institution. For help.
Stress, he said, and left it at that. In a way, that was the truth.
Know what you m-mean. Sometimes life just seems to be t-too much.
Having trouble? Aden knew kids liked to tease Shannon about his stutter, and that embarrassed the boy unbearably.
What if I t-told you that II Shannon rubbed the back of his neck, clearly uncomfortable. His stutter was more pronounced now, which meant his emotions were jacked. M-my parents, they knew I was d-different and He pressed his lips together, now mute.
Come on. Aden grabbed his arm and tugged him into the woods completely, seemingly leaving civilization behind. Yeah, hed told Riley hed stick to the main roads. No, he didnt feel guilty. When a friend needed you, you delivered. Its okay, man. You can tell me anything. Believe me. Hed been different his entire life. Hearing voices, talking to people who supposedly werent there. Now, summoning creatures from fairy tales and nightmares.
Yeah, but Im not d-different like you. Horror blanketed Shannons expression. I-Im sorry. II didnt m-mean that in a b-bad way. I j-just He pushed out a shaky sigh. Ive n-never really told anyone else a-andNo, thats n-not exactly true, b-but
A boy Aden didnt recognize stepped from behind a tree.
Aden and Shannon drew up short.
Another boy he didnt recognize swung from around the next trunk over. Both were relaxed, seemingly unarmed. The first had pale hair, pale skin and pale blue eyes. Multiple shades of brown and gold colored the others hair, the same shades swirling in his eyes. Both were tall, stretching over Adens own six feet. They were leanly muscled, and both wore T-shirts and soft-looking slacks.
Not another fight, Caleb groaned.
Aden reached for his daggers.
Riley sent us, Majesty, the pale one said, his voice deep and husky. He held up a palm in greeting. Were his older brothers. Be glad you arent meeting the younger brothers. Im Nathan.
Maxwell, the other said with a nod.
Thank God, Julian said after a relieved sigh. Werewolves.
The horror returned to Shannons expression, though Aden suspected it was because hed almost confessed his secret, whatever it was, with strangers nearby.
Nice to meet you, Aden replied.
Shannon tossed Aden a strange look. M-Majesty?
Nickname, he muttered. To the new boys, he said, I prefer Aden.
They nodded as they straightened from their relaxed poses.
Why are you here? More babysitting?
Maxwell waved his arm, motioning them forward. To see you home safely, of course. Just in case you deviated from your promised route.
He still wouldnt feel guilty, he told herself as he surged forward, dragging Shannon with him. Nothing he could say in rebuttal, not now. Riley, though, would get an earful later.
Wish Riley would have sent a girl to guard us, Caleb said.
There are more important things in life than girls, Elijah admonished.
Name one.
A moment passed in silence.
Caleb laughed. See!
The list is so long I got lost in thought, the psychic grumbled.
Yeah. Right, Julian said, his own laughter blending with Calebs.
Guys. Please.
Shannon tossed him another strange look, and Aden motioned to their escorts, trying to pretend hed been talking to them.
Sorry, Caleb said, repentant. My bad. I just, I miss Victoria, I guess.
Aden missed her, too. Monster and all, whatever shed meant by that. He still didnt fully know. Her demon-possession example hadnt told him much. Did she morph into an actual beast or just exhibit beastly qualities? Either way, shed been mortified to tell him.
Didnt she realize he would care for her, no matter what? Didnt she realize that this, whatever it was, made her better able to understand him and his differences, and offered more proof that they belonged together?
There was absolutely no way hed date those other girls. That simply wasnt going to happen, whether Victoria was fine with the idea or not.
The newcomers didnt speak again, even when they reached the edge of the forest and the ranch came into view. They simply backtracked, soon disappearing. Aden didnt get a chance to ask Shannon about his problem, though. Ryder and Seth were at the edge of the property, smoking.
When Shannon spotted them, he drew up short again. Only this time, a little color flooded his face. He wasblushing? Really? Why?
Aden closed the rest of the distance. Why arent you inside? Usually, they were doing chores this time of day.
Mr. Thomas didnt come in again today, Seth said with a shrug. He raised the butt to his lips and inhaled, his wrist turned so that Aden had a full view of the fanged snake tattooed there. We did our chores early and called it a day.
And then theyd snuck out to smoke. Dan would rage if he saw them inhaling cancer sticks, as he called them.
Want? Ryder asked, claiming the butt and offering it to Aden.
No, thanks.
Shannon finally approached, though he remained outside the little half-circle. Wheres D-Dan?
Ryder immediately looked down at his shoes. He handed the cig back to Seth and tangled a hand through his hair. He had to check on his cows or something and said hed be right back.
Maybe hed luck out, and Dan would arrive too late to take him to Dr. Hennessy. Like youre really that lucky.
Shannon motioned to the cigarette with a wave of his hand. T-then maybe you should put that out.
Ryders head snapped up, his eyes narrowed. Maybe you should make me.
T-thanks for the invite, but Ill pass. I mean, why b-bother? Shannons hands balled into fists, and the image caught Adens attentionas if it were important. As if it werelife-changing. Why? You already smell like an ashtray.
Tension crackled between them, thick and palpable. Usually, they got along just fine. Clearly, though, something had changed.
So, uh, whats Dan going to do about Thomas? Aden asked, hoping to distract them from their anger. He brushed off his uneasiness. There was no time to ponder it now.
Seth shrugged. He tried calling the guy, but someone else answered, a Ms. Brendal. She said she was his sister and that hed disappeared. She also said shed be by later to talk to us. Fingers crossed shes hot.
Guilt consumed Aden. Guilt and fear. Ms. Brendal. She claimed to be Thomass sister. If she had told the truth, she was a fairy. Which meant another enemy of the vampires would be coming to the ranch. Asking questions. Would Aden be forced to kill someone else? A woman this time? He shuddered. Please, God, no.
Gravel suddenly crunched up ahead, and Aden saw Dans truck coming up the long driveway. Nope. He wasnt that lucky. His stomach sank.
Seth tossed the cigarette on the ground and smashed the butt with his shoe. Ryder whipped out a tiny can of body spray from his pocket and hosed everyone down. Shannon coughed and glared, but didnt protest.
I better get going, Aden said, fighting dread and trudging forward. When he was certain the wind wouldnt carry his voice back to the boys, he muttered, Elijah, are we coming out of this unscathed?
Silence.
Aden stiffened, stumbled.
You might, the psychic finally said, but I dont know about us.
TELL ME ABOUT the voices, Aden.
I dont hear voices anymore, Dr. Hennessy.
Youre lying to me, Aden, and I dont like liars. Tell me. About the. Voices.
I dont hear voices anymore, Dr. Hennessy.
The same conversation had been replaying between them for over an hour. Aden was tired and fighting sleep, lying in the doctors plush recliner, the lights dimmed, and peering up at a plain white ceiling. His lids were heavy, keeping them open a difficult chore. Didnt help that soft music played in the background. Dr. Hennessy sat behind him, papers rattling every so often, but even that had a lulling effect.
Bor-ing, Caleb said with a yawn.
Lame, Julian agreed.
Remain on guard, please, Elijah said, but even he sounded fatigued. I dont trust this man.
Im always on guard, Caleb retorted.
This time, Julian yawned. Youre a liar, and Dr. Hen is pushy. Not a good combo.
Aden agreed.
and as you know, Ive read reports from your other doctors.
Great. Hed lost track of the conversation. So?
So, when you were younger, you told several of them that these voices are souls and those souls possess special powers.
I lied. No way would he trust Dr. Hennessy with the truth. That would only score him more medication, more sessions like this one. No one has special powers.
So you admit there are souls, then? They just dont have any otherworldly abilities?
He ground his teeth. No. I didnt say that.
Are you telling me that one of the souls can no longer time-travel?
Aden stiffened. Eve had been the time-traveler, sometimes sending him back into younger versions of himself. One wrong word, and he would change the future, sometimes returning to a different reality than hed left.
He didnt think he could time-travel now that Eve had passed on, and anyway, he was too afraid to try. The consequences were too vast, and he was too happy with his life. Well, most of it.
Aden, the doctor prompted.
Time-travel is a myth, was all he said.
As mythical as predicting when other people are going to die?
Yes, he croaked. Where are you going with this, Dr. Hennessy?
Oh, Im sorry. I must have given you the impression that its all right to question me. Its not. I ask. You answer.
Adens hands fisted. Hed had a lot of doctors over the years, but this one was by far the worst. As condescending as he was, Aden had to wonder if the man even had a degree. Better yet, how about if I just dont talk at all?
Thats all right, too, Dr. Hennessy replied easily, as if thats what hed wanted all along, surprising the hell out of Aden. Silence is better than lies.
They would see about that.
One minute ticked by after another, not a word spoken. Soon Adens eyelids grew even heavier. The ceiling began to blur, becoming one giant white blob. He blinked rapidly, trying to stay alert, but on and on the soft music played in the background. He thought he recognized the melody. Hush Little Baby. What an odd song to pick for grown patients. But even the voices quieted, listening, falling
Youre exhausted, Aden.
Yes, he found himself replying from a sea of black. Black? Yes, he thought. He was floating, the white gone, darkness all around him. His eyelids must have closed for good, then. He tried to open them, but they were glued together.
Youre relaxed.
Yes. And he was. Lost, still floating. No cares. No secrets or problems. Justfreedom.
Dr. Hennessy asked him another question, but he couldnt make out the words. They were too jumbled. Odd, then, that he responded anyway. What he said, though, he couldnt be sure. Again, odd. And yet, he didnt care. Such peace.
This was heaven, he thought. All that black. So tranquil. So quiet. He wanted to set up shop and stay forever. Perhaps Victoria could even join him. Yes. How kickass would that be? Just the two of them, floating and drifting and relaxing.
Victoria.
He frowned. Here was a care. A care he liked. The thought of her caused the sea to part in a thin line, a little light seeping into his awareness. Where was she? What was she doing? When would he see her again? Tonight, he hoped. They were supposed to meet up, werent they? Except, what if she stayed away, like shed done at school?
He was talking again, he realized, but again, the words were unclear to him.
He should leave the black. Victoria couldnt come here. There were no doors, only that tiny line of space. Wait. If there were no doors, how had he gotten here? And how was he supposed to leave?
A tiny spark of panic caused the line to widen, and more white flooded that endless sea of black. Another care. This one, he hated, but still he didnt want to shake it. This wasnt right. Something was wrong.
Aden.
The voice called to him, echoing. He should recognize it, he thought, panic rising. Who was here? He couldnt bridge the gap between question and answer.
Aden.
His name had been more insistent that time. MaybeElijah?
Aden!
Yes, yes. That was Elijah. What was Elijah doing here? How had Elijah joined him?
ADEN!
What? he found himself muttering, and this time he heard himself. His voice rattled inside his skull, and it was like being thumped in the brain, jolting him.
Aden, you have to wake up. I think he hypnotized you.
What! His eyelids popped open, practically ripping at the seams. His gaze roved, wild. Dr. Hennessy sat on the end of the recliner, one hand braced beside Adens knees, the other clutching a voice recorder. He was leaning forward, that recorder outstretched, mere inches from Adens mouth.
There was somethingoff about him just then. Underneath his plain, human exterior, Aden saw something soft, almost glittery. Somethingpretty. As if he had longer, thicker hair. Pale, like snowflakes. As if he had eyes of sparkling brown rather than dull and lifeless ones, and full, pouty lips.
His stomach rolled. He was not attracted to his doctor.
Instinctively, Aden shoved him and the doctor fell off the chair, thudding onto the floor with a gasp. What. The. Hell? What do you think you were doing? he demanded.
Dr. Hennessy pushed to his feet with as much dignity as he could muster. He still clutched that recorder, but he quickly stuffed the little black device into his pocket, slid his glasses up his nose and smoothed the lint from his shirt and pants.
I think thats enough for one session. Mr. Reeves is waiting in the lobby for you.
Bile rose in Adens throat, burning like acid. What did I say? What did I tell him? He had to get that voice recorder. And wasnt that just perfect? His to-do list lengthened every day.
Dr. Hennessy must have sensed the direction of his thoughts because he strode to his desk and punched a button on his phone.
Yes? a female voice asked from the speaker.
Please let Mr. Reeves know Aden and I are finished. He can now collect the boy.
Well played. Adens eyes narrowed as he sat up. There was nothing he could do now. Not without causing a scene. He would be back, though. And he would get that recorder. No matter what he had to do.
TWELVE
AT THE RANCH, Aden ate a sandwich. Or five. Afterward, he showered while Mr. Thomas stood in the back of the stall and yelled at him. He had his arms braced beside the nozzle, the hot spray hitting him directly in the face. He tried not to care that his first couples shower was with another guy.
You smell like my sister, the fairy ghost snarled. Where have you been?
So. Ms. Brendal had been telling the truth. Tell me about her. Your sister. Like, did she attack first and ask questions later? And had she been watching Aden without his knowledge? Other than the ghost prince, he hadnt been around a fairythat he knew of.
You will not touch her! Do you hear me? I will kill you first.
I hear you. I just know that itll be hard for you to see that threat through since youre dead and all. He shouldnt encourage a conversation, but he really hoped Thomas would accept what he was and quiet down. For the record, though, I have no intention of hurting your sister.
There was a heavy pause. Momentaryas always. I want to leave. Why cant I leave?
To depart from this world, you have to do in death whatever you regret not doing in life, he said, turning. That, he knew for fact, since that was how hed lost sweet, motherly Eve.
Thomas crossed his arms over his chest. My last wish was to kill you.
Then I guess were stuck with each other because you cant get your hands on a weapon. Aden twisted the knob, the water pressure easing, then stopping. He stepped out of the stall and grabbed a towel.
Thomas continued to rant, but Aden easily tuned him out. And not because of any medication.
On the drive home, Dan had told him to continue taking his new pills just to prevent another scare like yesterdays. Hed even walked Aden to his room and watched as he put a little white tab on his tongue and swallowed. Of course, the moment Dan had left, Aden had spit the pill in the trash. He must be getting better at compartmentalizing each distraction, as hed done with Shannon in the forest today. Or maybe he was simply too distracted to listen.
What had Dr. Hennessy done to him? Hed started to mention the forced hypnosis to Dan, but had changed his mind when Dan became a supporter of Operation Take Your Pills.
Frowning, Aden patted himself down and wrapped the towel around his waist. He padded through the hall to his bedroom. It was empty. Where was Shannon? He heard muttering from the other rooms, some of it angry, but the doors were shut and he couldnt tell who was fighting with whom. This late in the evening, the boys usually holed up and chilled with their roommates.
With a sigh, Aden dressed in his customary jeans and a T-shirt.
Youre going out again? Thomas gritted out, claiming his attention. The ghost paced from one side of the bedroom to the other. Where are you going? You cant leave me here!
Wear something sexier, Caleb said. Were gonna see Victoria.
Leave him alone, Elijah replied. We have more important things to consider. I mean, really. No ones mentioned Adens parents in days. When are we going to start looking for them? Finding them will benefit all of us.
His parents. Hed managed to walk the Forget Them path for days and Elijahs reminder was like being shoved in front of an oncoming bus.
Theyd given him up when he was a toddler, and hadnt checked on him since. For that, he hated them. Still. He had to talk to them. Sooner rather than later. They might know why he was the way he was. They might have a relative just like him.
More than that, however, he would be better able to search for information about Elijah, Caleb and Julian along the way. Like who they used to be, what their final wish had been. Then he could free them. If they still wanted to go.
You eager to pass on or something? Julian asked the psychic.
Aden had dreaded having this chat, too afraid of the answers.
Yes. No. I dont know. Im just curious about who I was. Maybe, like Eve, I knew Adens parents. Maybe I did something wonderful with my life. Knowing would benice. And if nothing else, the more we can find out about Adens abilities, the better equipped well be to help him deal with everything going on around him these days.