| |
I got through the rest of the school week, not remembering much beyond Misty following after me, constantly asking questions I couldn’t answer. It was a relief when I said goodbye to Friday.
I was able to talk my parents into letting me go to my archery lesson, since Jake would be there. My appointment with my dance instructor Madame Chloe was a different matter.
Mom—who always supported my dancing—turned out to be the biggest traitor.
“You are not going anywhere alone—much less the next town over.”
“But—I’ll be in a public place, with plenty of other people. The studio and the theatre will be full of dancers rehearsing for the performance.” That I wouldn’t be part of. Yeah—still not over it. “This interview today is important—if I miss it, Madame Chloe will drop me as a student, permanently.”
I knew the panic shooting through me leaked into my voice. Dancing was important to me—to lose it now, with so much crazy in my life, would be unthinkable.
Mom let out a sigh, looked over at Dad. “I know this means a lot to you, Margaret.” I tried not to flinch—again. “Here’s the deal: you call in every half hour, without fail. Miss one call and I will send out the police to search for you, and you will be grounded. Indefinitely.”
Wow. She really was scared for me.
“Can it be every hour?”
Dad hid a smile by rubbing his face. I learned my negotiating tactics from him.
Mom crossed her arms. “Why?”
“To, um—give me time to get through my interrogation with Madame Chloe.” Mom fought her own smile. “If I interrupt to call my mommy, she’ll throw me out.”
Now the smile broke loose. “Fine. Once an hour. I know how—rigid Madame Chloe can be.” Rigid was nice. I could think of a few more that described my domineering dance teacher. “But everything else stands. Miss it, and your life will change.”
“Received and imprinted on my brain.” They both laughed—really laughed, a sound I hadn’t heard since October. “I better get going. Jake will lecture me if I’m late.”
Mom’s next words froze my hand on the front doorknob. “We’ll talk about plans for your birthday when you get home.”
My birthday has always been a tug of war between me and Mom.
I’m a Christmas baby, born just a few minutes before midnight, on December 24. For years now I’ve been perfectly happy combining birthday and Christmas into one event. Mom always had other ideas. And now that I had actual friends she could send invitations to, I was terrified that her ideas had gotten—bigger.
“Mom—” She raised one eyebrow. “Okay.” I’d already pushed her. I didn’t want to be grounded for something as silly as a party. Even if I so didn’t want it.
I escaped before any more restrictions could be clamped onto my leaving the house. As it was, I’d have to break speed limits to get to my archery lesson. I hopped in my MG Roadster, started it up, and hoped the local police were busy with other crime.
~ ~ ~
I was late. Karma frowned on me, and stuck me behind a squad car all the way to the range.
Jake waited for me on the field, tapping his foot and looking at his watch. I limped over the uneven ground, cursing my still uncooperative ankle, and braced myself for another lecture.
“Let’s hear the excuse now, Finch, get it out of the way.”
“Parents not wanting me out of their sight, negotiation for freedom.”
His smile reminded me so much of Sam it made my heart hurt.
“Best excuse I’ve heard so far. Ready?”
I nodded, afraid my voice would shake if I said anything.
Jake must have sensed it, because he was more—gentle—than normal during the lesson. And I impressed him with my ability to hit the bull’s eye, or close to it, with every shot.
“Have you been practicing on the sly, Finch?”
“Not with an arrow. I’ve been working with the bow, trying to get comfortable. And I’ve been doing pushups.”
He reached over and gripped my bicep. “Flex.”
I did, and he raised his eyebrows. “Impressive. Do you always develop muscle strength so fast?”
I blushed, shrugging. “I had a head start. Dancers have strong arms anyway, from holding poses, and the constant arm movements. I just—pumped it up.”
“Okay.” Jake rubbed his hands together, and I knew I was in trouble. “Let’s see what you can do.”
Cue evil laugh.
~ ~ ~
By the time Jake finished with me, my arms throbbed, and my back muscles wanted to cramp in outrage. Which made shifting gears an exercise in endurance. I made it to Santa Luna, and found a parking space on Forest, about a block away from the dance studio.
Because I cut it so close I ran and, of course, tripped just before I got to the studio door, forcing me to limp all the way across the long lobby to the doorway of Madame Chloe’s office. Where she stood, watching me. This was not going to go well.
Half an hour later, my ears still burning from her lecture, I was right. Not only had she banned me from auditioning for the spring season, I was off the books, and out of class, for the unknown future. In that half hour I watched my dance career crash and burn.
Moving slowly, my ankle twitching and complaining with every step, I limped back to my car. Still numb, I slid in, and sat there, not sure what I was going to do now.
Don’t get me wrong—I never planned to make dancing my lifelong career. The horror stories I heard from other pros put me off that path a long time ago. But I wanted to dance as long as I could, because I love it. Because it’s a part of who I am.
With a sigh, I closed my eyes, leaning against the seat, and let the mild day, the scent of the ocean drifting in my open windows soothe me.
“Zach.” The deep, worried voice had me opening my eyes.
I spotted the owner, crouched in the narrow alley in front of my car. And I pushed myself out of the car when I saw the reason for his worry.
A figure knelt in the shadowed alley, doubled over, hands clutching the cement.
“Hey.” I moved to them, lowered myself to the ground. “Can I help?”
The head snapped up—and I looked into the bluest, most mesmerizing eyes I’d ever seen. Even dark with pain, they almost—glowed. Sun streaked brown hair stuck to his face, brushing his shoulders.
“Hit me,” he whispered.
“What?” I was sure I heard him wrong.
“Hit me—” He gasped, his arms giving out. I caught him before his head smacked the hard cement, eased him down. Those incredible blue eyes looked up at me. “As hard as you can,” he whispered. “Please.”
“Anywhere in particular?”
A smile touched his mouth. Did I mention he was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen? Too beautiful to be real. So I figured I was hallucinating, and punching a hallucination wouldn’t hurt either of us.
I looked over at his friend, who was just as gorgeous, but in a more approachable, male model way. His clear green eyes narrowed.
“He’s serious, isn’t he,” I said.
Surprise flared across the man’s face. Then he smiled, and my heart skipped. I could fall in love with both of them, if my heart wasn’t already taken. “Deadly,” he said. “Are you up for it?”
I nodded, took aim, and punched his right arm as hard as I could.
My fist didn’t go through like I expected. I smacked into skin and solid muscle, and we both let out a gasp. Man, that really hurt. Okay—so he wasn’t a hallucination.
Instead of collapsing in pain, he sat up, leaning against the wall of the alley. “Thanks.” Those incredible blue eyes studied me. “How’s the hand?”
“Painful, thank you.” He laughed, cutting it off when his male model friend raised an eyebrow at him.
“Sorry—and thanks, again. I can’t ever cause enough pain myself to—”
“Zach.” His friend was clearly annoyed. “Too much information.”
Shaking his head, Zach got to his feet, helped me stand. “I don’t know why I told you—never mind. I hope we meet again, under less painful circumstances.”
Oh, yeah, I’d be happy to stare at him again, for hours at a time if he’d let me...
The thought faded as I looked down at his hand, still holding on to mine. A fine, blue line tattoo stood out on the pale skin of his inner wrist. A tattoo I recognized. Wings surrounding a flaming sword. My heart skipped, and my fingers tightened on his.
“You’re—are you—” Finally my mouth caught up with my brain and I spit out the words. “That’s the mark of a guardian angel—how—”
Zach dragged me down the alley. I was still so shocked I didn't struggle.
“How do you know—”
“Your tattoo.” I touched the swirling, beautiful lines. They were warm, almost—pulsing. Huh. I turned to his male model friend. “You know about him, I take it.”
“You can see him?” Zach almost lifted me off my feet, his grip on my arm was so tight. I nodded, and he let me go. One hand closed over a really stunning amethyst pendant he wore at his throat. It started glowing as soon as he touched it. “You shouldn't be able to see him. He’s—”
“Zach—”
“Dead.”
“Really?” I glanced over at his friend. He shrugged, a smile flashing across his face. Zach nodded, eyes wide as he watched me. “I've had stranger moments in the last couple of months.”
And I had a feeling I knew why I could see a ghost. The pendant. Going through—whatever protected Hyattown.
“Since Zach has forgotten all the manners his mother nagged into him, I'll introduce myself.” Flashing a heart twisting smile, he held out his hand. “I'm Simon.”
“Alex.” I reached out to take it, aware that they both studied me, like scientists watching a lab experiment. Since this was my first ghost, I just went for it and took his hand, expecting it to go straight through. It didn’t. “Whoa,” I whispered.
His skin was warm. And he felt almost solid. But I noticed the longer I held on, the colder my fingers got. We both stared at each other, his fingers wrapping around mine. Like he craved human touch.
“A pleasure to meet you, Alex. Now I have questions.”
“Join the club.”
Laughter burst out of him, deep and warm. “I like her already, Zach.”
“Liking isn't the issue here,” Zach said. He frowned at our hands. Simon still had me in his grip, and it was starting to get frosty.
As if he heard me, Simon let go. “Sorry, sweetheart. I miss human contact.”
I tucked my hand in the pocket of my hoodie, let the warm fleece help thaw my fingers. “No worries. You and Zach can't—”
“Sparks fly, worlds collide.” Simon flashed that heart skipping smile. “It's painful, so we avoid it.”
“You're avoiding something else.” Zach said. He had his arms crossed, and anger flashed in the intense blue eyes.
As I watched, that anger dialed up to rage.
It surrounded him, a blue, pulsing glow that seemed to reach out, wanting to strike me down—and I stumbled backward, a primitive fear squeezing my throat.
“Stop.” Simon stepped between us. “You're scaring her. Zachariah.”
Zach blinked, looking disoriented. The rage that had shimmered around him just a second ago disappeared, and he looked normal again.
But I would never think of him as human—not completely. I just got an up close glimpse of the avenging angel.
Sweet God in heaven, my life is strange.
He reached for me, then seemed to think better of it. “I'm sorry. God, I'm sorry, Alex. I didn't mean to scare you.” Fear edged his voice as he spoke to Simon. “I'm losing control of it.”
“We'll figure it out. I promise, Zach.”
“If you're talking about that whole rage thing you just threw at me.” They both swung around, obviously forgetting I was there. “I may have a solution.”
~ ~ ~
Zach and Simon took me to a huge apartment, right over the most delicious smelling take out. I could have kissed him when he stopped and placed an order, arranging for it to be delivered upstairs. Then he grabbed my hand, helped me up the stairs, and practically dragged me to a soft, comfy sofa, pulling me down with him.
“Talk,” he said.
So I did. Something about both of them made me feel safe, and I spilled it all—from the day I met Jake-as-monster to reading about them in my guide the night before.
The food came, and I paused long enough for Zach to distribute the food and sit back down.
I spent a few minutes worshipping the most amazing roast beef sandwich I have ever tasted. Then Simon cleared his throat, pulling me back to the moment.
“Right. Sorry—this is the best thing I’ve eaten in a long time.”
Zach had already started in on his second sandwich. “I swear Lily adds something to them. I’ve been hooked since my first taste.” He glanced over when Simon cleared his throat. “Keep going. I should be able to hear you over the sound of my moaning.”
I laughed, liking Zach. Liking both of them.
I set down the sandwich, used it as an excuse not to meet their eyes as I told them about Hyattown, and what happened down there.
Simon leaned against the wall, arms crossed, until I mentioned the guide.
He pushed off and crouched in front of me, those green eyes so intense I wanted to look anywhere but at him. Remembering my vow back in October not to be a coward, I met his eyes, clutching the edge of the sofa cushion
Zach carefully pried one hand free, laced our fingers together. His touch made me feel safe. Safer than I’d felt in a long time.
Simon’s voice was gentle when he spoke. Like he knew. “You read about guardian angels in this guide?”
“It mentioned the mark on Zach’s wrist. That was how I knew.”
“Did it mention any other angels?”
“Fallen angels, and how they can retain some of their former powers. Why?”
Zach shook his head at Simon, who ignored him and kept going. “And did it mention seekers?”
“Simon—”
I nodded, focusing on his quiet, gentle voice. “It said that seekers are rare, really rare, because they had to be, because they were...” I looked from Simon to Zach, and the truth hit me like a fist.
Zach hunched over in pain in an alley, vulnerable, a dead friend watching over him...
Sweet God in Heaven.
I freed my hand and slid across the sofa. I needed some distance. “You—you are—”
With a sigh, Zach nodded. “A seeker.”
“But—you’re a guardian angel. How can you—”
“I wasn’t always a guardian.”
“But a seeker—you can only be a seeker if—” My brain refused to function at that point, because I just remembered the final detail from the guide.
A seeker was an angel who chose to fall to earth, to become human. I was holding hands with an—angel. No wonder he was so beautiful, so inhumanly perfect. He was an—
“Alex.” Simon’s voice jerked me back. “It just hit you, didn’t it?”
“Yeah,” I whispered. I was having a pow wow with an angel, and a ghost. That shouldn’t be a big deal, since I’m in love with a boy who is also a Fenris Wolf, but—an angel. Shouldn’t my eyes be burning? Oh—maybe the whole fallen thing erased that nasty part of the angel thing. I turned to Zach, tried not to flinch when I looked in his eyes. “How?”
“I wanted what I couldn’t have—I wanted to be human. For that I was cast out, made a guardian, without any hope of redemption. Until I met someone willing to help me.”
“Did you—did it hurt, when you fell?”
“I don’t remember much about it. Which is probably a good thing.” He flashed a devastating smile at me. Some girl was going to lose her heart to him after one shot of that smile. “Where did you get this guide?”
“It was written for the haven under my town, by one of the people who—” I cut myself off, wanting to slap my forehead. I couldn’t believe I forgot. “You have one here, too.”
They both stared at me like I just grew an extra head.
Zach managed to recover first. “We have a—what did you call it—a haven, here?”
“Somewhere outside town. There’s a map in my guide, marking them around the world.”
Zach and Simon exchanged glances. “You would have known, Simon. You would have seen—”
“Only if he’d been to the haven,” I said. “Unless he has some superhero power that lets him see—”
“The power of those who have it?” Simon said. “Check.” I stared at him, wanting to know more. He smiled. “Childhood injury, allows me to see power of pretty much any kind. With an exception or two.” He stood, running one hand through his hair. “Why can’t I see anyone from this haven?”
“There’s some kind of protection field, at least around ours, and one other that I know of. I figured it would be the same for the others, to hide them in plain sight.” He nodded, waiting for me to continue. “There’s also a pendant the residents can wear. I think it has the same protection—only someone who has been touched by this field can see past the pendant. Otherwise they are almost invisible. I tested it. Accidentally the first time.”
“That must have been a shock.” Simon flashed his own heart melting smile.
I smiled back at him. “You have no idea.”
“You’re sure?” Zach frowned. “About us having one of these havens nearby?”
I sighed. “You’re on the map. Let me ask you this—does Santa Luna attract more than its usual share of weird?” Zach and Simon looked at each other, then back at me. “Okay, I’ll take that as a yes. There’s an underground network that spreads the word about these safe places to those who might need one. You probably see them before they hit the haven, but you won’t after they’ve been there.”
“Because of this pendant,” Simon said. I nodded. “That explains a lot. And you’re right, Alex. Santa Luna has more than its share of strange. I thought it was—never mind. I’d like to know more.”
“I can make copies of the guide. But there’s supposed to be one for each haven, so I’m guessing if you look around, you’ll come across one.” Now it was my turn for a question. I turned to Zach. “What was happening to you in the alley—did that have to do with you being a seeker?”
Zach flinched, and I wanted to take it back. Simon spoke before I could.
“Tell her. She already knows more than anyone outside the family.”
Swallowing, Zach stared at his hands while he talked. “As a seeker, I have a huge weakness. I call it the F word syndrome. If someone asks me to—” He cut himself off, grabbed a pad of paper and a pen off the coffee table and wrote on it. “Read it. To yourself.”
He held up the pad. Scrawled over it was a single word. Find. Oh—the F word.
“So—they ask you to—F something, and you double over in pain?”
“Until I recover it. Fun times.”
“Were you looking for something?”
“No.” He pushed the rich golden brown hair off his forehead. “And that’s where the weakness comes in. Lately, if I just hear the F word, that’s all it takes. Someone was walking by me and said it.” Zach touched the amethyst at his throat again and glanced over at Simon. “It seems like every power associated with the—old me has spiraled out of control.”
“Like puberty,” I said. I was kidding, but they both stared at me. Then Simon started laughing.
“I think she nailed it, Zach.”
“But, how—”
“You’re human now, and though you may not look it, your body still thinks you’re only about fifteen. And I bet the raging hormones are playing havoc with your power.”
“Jeez.”
Simon let out another laugh. “Welcome to the human race, son.” He sat next to me, and I felt the heat/cold radiating from him. Part of me wanted to take his hand again, but I wasn’t all that sure I wanted to risk the possible frostbite. “Now that you’ve pretty much proved that you know there’s more around us than other humans, what is this solution you mentioned?”
“Sam—the boy I told you about—he’s having the same problem. Controlling a part of himself that just recently manifested. Namely, the turning-into-a-monster part. For now, I seem to be his calming influence.” The knowledge still made me blush. Simon smiled, and brushed his fingers over my wrist. “Anyway, I think if you had some sort of focus, something you could do yourself, it might help you when you’re unexpectedly slapped with the F word.”
“It’ll have to be something I can wear, and tap into without much effort. Not my amethyst,” he said, as Simon started to mention it. “There’s still a connection to Mom, and I won’t risk her being hurt by this.”
Mom? A fallen angel/guardian angel has a mom?
Zach obviously realized he hit the too much information zone, because he shut up fast, and tried to stand.
I caught him before he could escape. My arms were still sore from practice, but the new strength sure came in handy. Zach looked at me, surprise and a new respect lighting his intense blue eyes.
“Sit down,” I said. “Explain.”
“I can’t—”
“I just spilled my guts all over this room, so yes, you can. Now talk.”
With a sigh, he leaned back, aimed a glare at Simon, who was fighting hard not to laugh, and started talking.
“Her name is Claire Wiche, and she owns the Wicca store down the street.”
“The Wiche’s Broom?” He nodded. “I’ve driven past it, on my way to class.” Now it was first on my to do list, just to meet her.
“She—helps people, when someone, or something has invaded their life. I was one of those someones.”
“She met you when you—before you—”
“She helped me fall.” He glanced over at Simon, who nodded. “What I’m going to tell you doesn’t leave this room. Ever.” Swallowing, I nodded. This was going to be monumental. Maybe life changing. Zach took a deep breath, touched his amethyst. “My mom is one of the original fallen. Those who stood up with Lucifer, and were thrown out of Heaven. She gave me her grace, and that allowed me to get back into Heaven long enough to fall.”
Okay—now I definitely had to meet her. “You mom is an—angel.”
I saw every muscle tense. “Not exactly.”
What was I missing? Lucifer, the fallen angels tossed out of Heaven...oh. My Sunday school lessons floated out of my memory, slapped me as they sharpened, and I remembered. Those angels became—
Sweet God in Heaven, they became demons. The first demons.
“I should go.” I leaped up before Zach had a chance to grab me. I almost made it to the door—then Simon appeared right in front of me.
“Sorry, sweetheart. We’re not done yet.”
“I won’t tell anyone.” This felt like my conversation with Sam—when I found out his family’s dark secret. “I swear—I’m fantastic at keeping secrets. Just ask my—” Simon’s laughter rudely interrupted my plea. “What?”
“Claire will enjoy meeting you.”
“How did you—I mean, I wasn’t really planning on—”
“Alex.” Simon laid his hand on my shoulder, just long enough to make his point. “Don’t ever play poker.”
“Oh.” Yeah—I don’t do passive face all that well. “I do mean it.” I turned back to face Zach—and jumped when I found him right behind me. It scared me, more than a little, that I didn’t feel him there. At all. “I won’t tell anyone.”
He studied me, those blue eyes so dark, so focused, I felt like I was being measured. And not really sure I would come out on the good side. The same blue shimmer I saw before surrounded him, less threatening but just as jaw dropping.
“Okay,” he said. I almost sagged in relief. “Simon—we’ll need to start researching protective stones. ASAP.”
“You could ask Claire—”
“I don’t want her to know about this. Ever.” He looked straight at me. Right—I was the only one in the room who could actually tell her. “She’s dealing with enough right now.”
I bet they had some stories. We could swap—after I wrapped my head around the fact that Zach was an angel, and stopped staring at him with what I knew was straight up, slack jawed awe. Never mind talking to a ghost.
“Well,” I forced a bright smile. Trapped between two supernatural creatures—no matter how stunning—was starting to break down my connection to reality. “I really should get—” My voice froze in my throat when I caught sight of the clock across the room. “Oh, God—is that the time?”
I missed my hourly check in with Mom. By, oh, about an hour. I was so screwed.
“Hey.” Zach touched my wrist. It jerked me out of visions of Mom boarding me in my room. “Everything okay?”
“I missed a call in deadline. Recent events, paranoid parents.” Zach nodded. I figured he’d understand. “I really do have to go. I don’t want to subject you to all the crying and pleading.”
They both laughed, and the tension that weighted the air eased off.
Simon stepped away from the door, and Zach opened it for me. “Let me give you my cell number.” I handed him my phone, watched him tap it in. “Call me, if you need anything. I’ll do the same.” With a shy smile, he returned my phone, and handed over his. I added my number, gave it back to him. “Just don’t use the F word. I’d really appreciate that. And writing a note to remind yourself before you call me would really be appreciated.”
I smiled. “You got it.” Relief snuck in past the awe as I stepped over the threshold. “Thanks, for an unforgettable afternoon. I’ll get a copy of the guide to you.”
They crowded in the doorway, watching me limp down the stairs, two of the most unique people I have ever met. And that’s saying a lot, considering the last two months. I wanted to talk to them again, and soon. Their energy, and their obvious love for each other left me feeling—safe, and right now that was a feeling I wanted more often.
Dreading what I was about to do, I ducked into the same alley where I met Zach and Simon, swiped my phone and tapped in the number for home.
“Margaret Agnes Alexandrea Finch!” Mom’s voice blasted out of the phone before I could say a word. “Get your grounded butt home right this instant. I don’t want to hear anything but the sound of you nodding.”
“Mom—”
“What did I just say?”
“I want to explain—”
“And I told you there would be no second chances. Now get yourself—”
Someone slammed into me from behind. I lost my grip on the phone and watched it bounce on the ground, cracking the front screen.
“Damn it.” I turned, ready to take my temper out on whoever was dumb enough to pick that second to invade my space. I didn’t get the chance to say another word.
Strong hands grabbed me, whirled me around and threw me at the nearest wall.
I managed to catch myself before I hit face first, scraping my palms on the rough brick. The same hands caught my arm, spun me and slammed me into the wall.
“Why the hell couldn’t you stay out of it?”
“Mr. Hyatt?” I could hardly believe what I was seeing. The always impeccable, better-than-thou Mr. Hyatt looked like he’d slept in his expensive suit, his hair as wild as his eyes. “What are you doing?”
“You stupid girl.” He dug his fingers into my arm, slapping me when I tried to pull away. Hard. “Why didn’t you just leave it alone? Now I have to take steps.”
Blinking tears of pain out of my eyes, I saw the knife—right before he pressed it against my throat. I forgot all about the stinging in my cheek.
“Mr. Hyatt.” I kept my voice low, calm, even though every nerve was screaming to fight, to run. “You don’t need to do this. We can pretend it never happened, go on with life as usual—”
“It’s too late.” I gasped as the edge of the blade nicked my throat. Blood slid down my skin. “Too late for me, and too late for you.”
“What would Katie say if she saw you right now?”
It was a desperate play—one that could completely backfire. But I felt the hand holding the knife against my throat shaking, like he was trying to control an impulse that would leave me bleeding on the sidewalk.
He closed his eyes. Just not long enough for me to do anything.
“She’s too young to understand—”
“You underestimate her.” That angry gaze bored into me. I swallowed and kept going. Kept talking. Kept him distracted until I could figure out a way to escape. “She’s strong, and brave, and the smartest little girl I’ve met in a long time.”
“She shouldn’t have to be brave!” He pressed against the blade and I grabbed his wrist, knowing even as I tried to push him away that I was no match for his strength. “And none of this would have been stirred up again if you hadn’t stuck your nose where it didn’t belong.”
“I didn’t start the fire ten years ago.” He stilled, his ragged breath the only sound. “Did you, Mr. Hyatt?”
For a terrifying second I thought he was going to hit me. Then the rage in his face died, leaving behind a despair I found more frightening. “I had nothing to do with what happened ten years ago. But Mary—she cared, far too much, about what lived right under our feet. And when she decided to do something about it, I was too late. Too late to stop her, too late to save them.”
Mrs. Hyatt set the fire. Which meant—
“Oh, God,” I whispered.
She had kidnapped her own daughter.
~ ~ ~
Mr. Hyatt’s body pressed me into the wall. I knew what was coming next. And I had no way to stop it.
“Please,” I whispered. “You don’t have to do this.” He stared through me, like I no longer mattered, like I was a task that needed to be completed before he could go on to the next one. “Mr. Hyatt—”
“Shut up!” The knife slid down my throat, biting into the skin over my collarbone. “Do you think I want to do this? If you stupid kids had just stayed away, just kept your mouth shut—”
“We won’t tell anyone. We haven’t told—”
“I saw it.” His fingers vised my arm, so tight I knew I’d find bruises there later. If there was a later. “I saw the Devil walking our streets, again.” What looked like grief darkened his eyes. “The haven was destroyed, so there would be no place for—”
“It’s still there.” He reared back, shaking his head. “I’ve been there. Hyattown is standing—”
“You lie.” I could have sworn hope flared through the grief and anger. “Mary told me—she told me it died in the fire, along with, along with—”
He lowered his head, his hands shaking, which made the blade hum against my skin, like a carnivorous mosquito. With teeth. I felt the edge of the blade nipping me—and forgot the pain when I saw Simon standing at the end of the alley. Between one breath and the next he was at my side.
“Keep stalling him, Alex. Zach is on his way. I’ll stay with you.”
The tears I managed to control until now stung my eyes. I kept looking at him, those clear, intense green eyes giving me courage. Someone knew—I didn’t have to fight alone anymore, not much longer.
Mr. Hyatt’s raw voice snapped our connection.
“You saw it? You’re not lying to me?”
“I was there. I touched the buildings, saw the welcome sign with the burned Algiz rune, telling anyone who found it that it wasn’t a haven anymore.”
“That was supposed to be the only thing left... why did she lie to me? Why did she lie!”
He raised the knife—and I knew my time had run out.
“No—” Adrenaline surged, blocking the pain, the numbing fear. I wrenched out of his grip, ducking just as the knife swung down.
A tall blur slammed into him, knocking them both to the hard ground. The knife flew, clattering out of reach.
One solid punch from Zach took him out. Unconscious, he looked harmless, and more than a little sad.
I sank to my knees, the realization that I wasn’t about to die turning my legs to rubber.
“Hey—you okay?” Zach closed his hands over my arms—right where Mr. Hyatt had drilled his fingers into me. I let out a harsh gasp and recoiled. He let go and caught me around the waist, easing me to the ground. “I’ve got you. Just hang on to me, Alex. You’re safe now.”
“Yeah,” I whispered. Now that the adrenaline had started fading, I felt every nick of the knife blade, the cool air licking at the open wounds. Man, it hurt to talk. Who was I kidding—it hurt to breathe. I leaned into him, shaking with relief—and the realization that I had been seconds away from dying. “Thank you, Zach.” Tears clogged my throat, and I knew Zach could hear them in my raw, rasping voice. Another second and I’d be spilling them all over his shirt. “I should go.”
“I don’t think so.” His arm tightened when I tried to pull away. “You’re hurt, Alex. And it would hardly be guessing to say that you can’t stand up on your own. I’m going to get you off this cold cement, and take you to my mom—”
“Zach.” Simon’s quiet voice froze him. “You can help her.”
His eyes widened, and a blush crept over his face. “I only helped with Mom—Marcus did most of the healing. I didn’t do it on my own, not like I could before...”
“You have more of the old you than you think, Zach. Remember how it felt, before, and how it felt when you helped Marcus.”
“Right.” Taking a deep breath, he faced me, hands hovering over my throat. “This is probably going to hurt, so I’ll apologize now. If you need me to stop, just grab my wrist. Okay?” I nodded, not wanting to use my voice. Just the movement flashed pain through me. “Now hold still for me, and just breathe.”
He laid both hands on my throat.
Heat exploded through me. I let out a hoarse gasp and clutched the ground. Then I looked at Zach.
He was lit up like a Christmas tree.
The same blue light surrounded him, only stronger, and threaded with a rich gold that pulsed like a heartbeat. He had his eyes closed, and I could feel his fingers shake against my throat. I almost jumped out of my skin when he opened his eyes.
That gold light filled them, bursting through the already intense blue. He looked like an—angel.
I was so awed I forgot to breathe.
“Alex.” Simon’s voice shocked me so much I sucked in a harsh breath. I held it, waiting for my throat to retaliate. Instead, it felt—good. “I think you’re going to need to catch Zach.”
“Oh.” I reached for him just before he slumped over. The glow around him faded, leaving him completely human, shaking and cold. “Zach?”
“Okay,” he whispered. “Give me a minute.”
He didn’t even need that long before his color came back, and a soft, gold glow surrounded him. Huh—I wonder if I could see it because of being in Hyattown, or because he healed me.
“Let’s get you off this cold ground.” Zach hauled me up, held on to me while my legs decided whether or not they were going to cooperate. “The Roadster is yours, right?”
“Yeah.” It definitely hurt less to talk, but my balance was completely wonky. I held on to Zach like a fangirl, Simon on my other side. He looked worried, which told me I probably didn’t look all that hot. “I need to fi—um, locate, my—friend, Sam. Warn him—”
Zach smiled, noticing my almost slip. “We’ll get you there.”
“My phone—”
He leaned me against the brick wall, snatched my phone up and handed it to me. The screen had a narrow crack running up the right side of the screen, but when I pushed the home button my apps popped up.
“Okay?”
I nodded, and he wrapped one arm around my waist, moving to my car. Once we got there he opened the passenger door for me, and helped me in. Every inch ached, but not as much as I expected. So Zach had done a little more than heal my throat.
Simon appeared behind him. “I’ll meet you wherever you land. Just—call me.”
Zach smiled. “Right.”
I looked up at Simon. “Thank you, for staying with me. It helped.” I swallowed. That was a serious understatement. Having Simon there kept me from giving up. “It really helped.”
He reached in past Zach, touched my cheek. The heat/cold made me feel—cherished. Yeah, stop judging. He’s my first ghost. A male model gorgeous ghost.
“Anytime, sweetheart. I’ll see you soon.” Straightening, he looked at Zach. “Call my friend Nick at the station, send him Hyatt’s way. I’ll keep a watch on him until Nick shows up. Be careful, Zach—and don’t do anything stupid.”
“Okay, Dad.” Simon laughed—and disappeared. Zach let out a sigh and shook his head. “I will never get used to that.”
“What—him disappearing, or the whole ‘a ghost is my friend’ thing?”
He flashed me a smile that could drop a girl in her tracks. “Duh.”
I tried not to laugh as he shut the door. My throat still hurt enough to remind me of how close I’d come.
He slid behind the wheel, adjusting the seat for his much longer legs.
“Are you—” I didn’t want to offend him, but it was my car. “Can you drive a stick?”
“My mom’s new husband has a Jag—it scared the hell out of me the first time I drove it. But man, what a rush.” His smile was infectious. “This will be a breeze.” He started it up and shifted into reverse, like he’d done it more than a few times. I felt better, seeing him shift without thinking about it. “Okay—where to?”
I didn’t know where Sam was, or Jake. “Give me a minute.” I decided to call Jake—he’d know where Sam was, and wouldn’t ask as many questions. I tapped in his number, letting out a shaky breath as it rang. “Jake—I need you to listen, and not ask questions.”
“Alex—”
“Please—I’ll explain when I get there.” I took his silence as a yes. “You and Sam are in danger. Get him and meet me—at the archery range.” Public place, plenty of witnesses. Mrs. Hyatt wouldn’t dare do anything stupid. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“Can I talk now?”
I let out a sigh. “Hold on.” I put off the lecture I knew was coming, and looked over at Zach. “There’s an archery range just outside Emmettsville. Just head down the coast road—I’ll give you directions when we’re close.”
“Got it.” He backed up, slowly, shifted into first—and shot down Forest. Fabulous. Another lead foot.
I leaned back, closed my eyes, and braced myself for the questions Jake was bound to throw at me. Questions I wouldn’t be able to answer.
~ ~ ~
Sam all but jumped me when I walked into the back room of the archery store.
“Alex—where have you been?” He halted, and I knew he spotted Zach, who had come in behind me. “Are you...” His voice faded, which told me he saw the scabs on my throat. “What happened?”
“Quick and dirty—you and Jake are in danger. We need to get you out of town—”
“Before Mrs. Hyatt can get to us?” I jumped at Jake’s angry voice. Zach stepped in front of me. Jake pushed him out of the way and trapped me against the wall. “I’ve been doing some research of my own. I know what really happened ten years ago, and what was supposed to happen.” He slapped his hands against the wall, blocking any escape. “How the hell did you figure it out?”
Before I had the chance to tell him, someone yanked him away. Zach let go of him, fury shooting dark blue through the halo of gold. Uh oh.
“The hard way,” Zach said, anger humming through his voice. “If you took a damn second to look at her, you wouldn’t need to ask.”
Jake growled, low in his throat. Double uh oh.
Before they could get into a former angel/Fenris Wolf rumble, I pushed off the wall and stepped between them, facing Jake.
“I learned about it from Mr. Hyatt. Just before he tried to kill me. Zach saved my life, so I’d appreciate it if you didn’t maul him. Or bite him.” I glanced over at Sam, who looked shell shocked, and not all that happy to see me. “Though I seriously doubt Zach would give you the chance to touch him.”
Zach smiled at me, looking fierce and—okay, I’m going to say it—like an avenging angel. I was really, really glad to have him on my side.
Jake, on the other hand, looked like he wanted to strangle someone. I hoped he didn’t do something stupid. Like attack me. Or more stupid—attack Zach.
Misty bounded in, running straight for me. “Did I miss anything? Sam called me, said you were on the...” Her voice faded, and she stopped mid bounce when she caught sight of Zach. “Oh—hi.”
Was she blushing? I’d never seen Misty anything less than fully confident around other people. I don’t count monsters; only idiots aren’t scared, even around the good ones.
Zach stared at her, a blank look on his face. One I recognized. I’d seen it on boys all over Emmettsville, whenever I went anywhere with Misty. I didn’t blame him.
But when I turned back to Misty I blinked in surprise. She had the same blank look and was blushing.
Hiding a smile, I took Misty’s hand, pulled her forward.
“Misty Corwin, meet Zach Wiche. Zach, meet Misty. I’ll be right back.”
They stared at each other. Poor Zach looked like he’d been hit with a stupid stick.
Sam was already halfway across the room when I turned around. He caught my wrist, and to my eternal relief, pulled me into his arms.
“Are you okay?” I nodded against his chest, gave him an abbreviated version of what happened. He tilted my chin, ran his fingers over the scabs. “He healed you? How—”
“I’ll tell you later. We have to get you and Jake somewhere safe. Mr. Hyatt was rambling, but I got the more important bits. One of them being Mrs. Hyatt wants to finish what she started ten years ago.”
“We’re not kids anymore, Alex. It won’t be that easy—”
“You don’t understand.” I forced myself to stay calm. “Mrs. Hyatt was the one who kidnapped Katie, and the brothers. She kidnapped her own child. All of her circuits are definitely not firing.”
“And you have a plan.”
I’d figured it out on the way here. I wasn’t happy with the solution, but it would keep them safe. “You and Jake need to go back to England.”
Every muscle tightened. “I’m not—”
“Running away? Think of it as a strategic retreat. I won’t give her the chance to hurt you.”
“Then you’re coming with me.”
Oh, he knew how to tug the right strings. I could already picture us there—walking through endless green fields, climbing rolling hills, marveling at ancient and mysterious sites—
“Alex—”
“I can’t. I want to, Sam.” Oh, how I wanted to. “But she has to be stopped, and me flying off to England is not going to make that happen.”
“I won’t let you face her alone.”
I touched his cheek. “I won’t be alone, I promise.”
“Are you talking about—him?” He almost sneered. The jealousy he fought hard to hide from me was the icing on this day. It didn’t start out like a memorable one, but boy, was it ending that way. “How do you even know you can trust him?”
“I just do. And you have to trust me, Sam. You have to go.”
He leaned his forehead against mine, tightened his grip on me. “I just got you back.”
“I know,” I whispered, my heart already aching. But knowing he’d be safe helped make it easier to let him go. Again. I pulled away, took his hand. “Now we just have to convince Jake.”
“No, you don’t,” Jake said. Sam and I swung around. Jake stood behind us, phone in his hand. “Your mom called me, Sam. She just got a call from the police in Santa Luna. Seems a witness saw Mr. Hyatt threatening a teenage girl with a knife. He’s been arrested, and your mom was his one call. You should have told me, Alex.”
He stalked over to me, and to my shock, gathered me in his arms.
“Jake—”
“I would have come for you.” After a long, almost painful squeeze, he slid his hands up to my shoulders, looked me in the eye. “We’re friends, aren’t we? Why didn’t you call?”
“Jake—” I didn’t know what to say. Two months ago, I was a loner/geek, and pretty happy with my life. Now I had friends, and I was still too new with the concept to understand all the rules. “I was a little busy, being in pain. Hey,” I grabbed his wrists, to keep him from pulling away. “I had help, and I wasn’t alone. We have a short window, and I want you and Sam to take advantage of it to get yourselves out of here. Before Mrs. Hyatt fi—” I cleared my throat, glanced over at Zach. He winked, nodding his head. I continued, hoping no one else noticed. “Before she discovers that we know about her.”
“Already taken care of. We’re meeting Sam’s mom at the airstrip outside town. Their plane is gassed up and ready to go.”
My heart skipped, just before grief clamped down on it like a vise. In a split second, I’d lost Sam. Again.