Not a single tourist among the boardwalk shops of Raven Hallow had any idea reapers were in their midst. If they did, if the truth of my origin was revealed, fear would radiate in their eyes. Mothers would keep their children close. People would avoid touching me, afraid of instant death. There were many fables surrounding reapers, good and bad, but what none of these people knew was the real terror wasn’t us, but the spirits who walked silently on our realm. At every corner, I expected to turn and come nose to nose with a hallow. I seemed to attract them like flies to horseshit.
It must be my perfume.
I meandered through the crowd, blending in to keep from drawing attention to myself. The last thing I wanted was to be recognized. I was safe within the crowd. Meeting Crash in such a public place was risky, but I until I knew what team he was on, precautions must be taken. I was already putting myself in danger by leaving the manor unaccompanied.
I imagined Declan was having a shit fit right about now. The image brought a half-smile to my lips.
As I walked, the sun glittered on my skin, and the air smelled of cotton candy and classic hot dogs. The sights and sounds were lively and colorful, just like my life. Trotting down the rickety wooden stairs to the beach, I headed to a spot just under the docks where the boardwalk was still visible, yet offered privacy.
But as I rounded the corner, I came to a complete stop. Someone was following me.
A girl stood on the beach a few feet from where I’d come from, her head tilted skyward, soaking up the rays. It was her hair I recognized, even before my banshee sonar ability kicked in. The red strands glowed in the sunlight.
“Venus?” I said suspiciously. What was she doing here? I might have thought it was only a coincidence, until her gaze fell upon mine. Venus and I never really had a proper conversation. Regardless, there was a mutual dislike between us that had everything to do with Zane.
Her almond-shaped eyes were encompassed in webs of black. “I followed you.”
At least she was upfront about it, slightly disappointing. I’d sort of been looking forward to calling her out. “Why?”
She moved forward wordlessly, and the vibe coming off her was not friendly. “To warn you.”
I don’t take too kindly to warnings, and I was just about to tell her so, when she attacked.
She body slammed into me with force, taking me by surprise. We went down into the low tide, the wet sand cushioning our landing. My brain hadn’t caught up to the turn of events, and she was already moving onto phase two—the hair pull. She grabbed a wad of my hair and yanked my head back. I yelped. Not thinking clearly, I tugged in the opposite direction, making the pain amplify. Smart move. The sting brought tears to my eyes.
Christ, she had octopus arms.
No matter what I did, I couldn’t get a grip on her, and to make matters worse, the tide was sucking us further into the water. “What the hell is your problem?” I yelled, right before an icy wave tumbled over us.
I drew in a sharp breath, but it was cut short. Her hand landed on my head, and she shoved, holding me under the cold water. I opened my mouth to scream, and ended up swallowing a gulp of saltwater. My arms flailed against the cold, fighting to break free to the surface.
Shrieking, I clamored to stand up. Looking like a drowned cat, my clothing clung to my skin and water dripped down my face. “I’m going to kill you,” I seethed, getting my feet secured in the sand. Waves continued to hit me from the side.
My threat on her life didn’t faze her a bit. “I had to get your attention.”
I shoved the hair sticking to my face to the side. “By attempting to drown me? You’re freaking crazy.”
“Thank you,” she replied in all her supremeness.
I squeezed the water from my hair, not bothering to tell her that hadn’t been a compliment. It would have been like talking to a brick wall. My hands shook. “You better have an exceptional reason why I shouldn’t slap the reaper out of you.”
Her long legs glistened with water, and even soaked to the bone, Venus looked beautiful. “Are you ready to listen?”
My eyes bounced from the water to Venus. Being wet and cold pissed me off, almost as much as being jumped for no good reason. “Not until you get me of my way.”
She stepped aside, but I could feel her eyes stabbing me. Her cheeks were crimson with rage.
For a brief moment, I contemplated popping her right in her perky little nose. I wanted to draw blood almost as much as I wanted to get out of these wet clothes. I lumbered my through the rocking waves caused by the nearby boats. The bottoms of my feet were raw, and I’d lost my flip-flops somewhere in the struggle. I could have kissed the shore, but even on steady ground, my heart wouldn’t stop pounding.
She smiled sweetly, holding me with her stare. “Consider that a warning. Stay away from Zane. Do us all a favor, marry Crash.”
I thought I was going to lose it right then and there. Is she serious? That leech had gone completely over the edge because she wanted Zane. Newsflash, he was never hers. Maybe for one hot second before I arrived, but the moment I stepped on the island, it was over. She couldn’t hope to have a fragment of what Zane and I felt for each other. Our souls were twined. My response was a no brainer. “I can’t do that.”
Her eyes snapped up as water lapped at her ankles. “Then you’ve issued your own death sentence.”
Was I supposed to thank her for the gracious warning? “Did Heath put you up to this?” I asked, unable to disregard the facts. I had received a text from Crash to meet him, and ended up getting ambushed by a jealous lunatic, demanding I marry Heath’s son. The whole thing stunk like the low tide.
“Does it matter?” she countered.
“You know I could strip you of your abilities for this.”
A faint snicker sliced through the crackling air between us. “You don’t have the guts.”
Oh, boy. That was it. Underestimated once again. White-hot fury encompassed me. “The hell I don’t.” I snatched her wrist, and her eyes went wide with shock. Enjoyment filled my veins, joining the power trembling inside, cold and terrifying.
She swung her tormented gaze to mine, and let a feline yowl, but it did nothing to waver my command. There was only so much I could take, and Venus had made her choice, as I had mine. It needed to be known I wasn’t going to be manipulated or disrespected. I wasn’t an outsider any longer. They needed to accept that. It was my responsibility to maintain order, and that was exactly what I was doing.
Venus was a death reaper, but not a very good one. The soul power I drained from her was minuscule compared to someone like Zander. It still gave me a buzz as white lightning raced over my skin from head to toe.
When she was completely tapped out, she ripped her hand from my grasp, the silver charm at her wrist tumbling into the sand. Her eyes were bright and filled with angry tears. If I thought Venus hated my guts before, she despised me with a vengeance.
I tipped my chin, meeting her violent gaze head on. “Leave my island. And don’t ever come back. If I see you, I will take more than your powers. I will make you beg for mercy until your throat is raw.”
Cold anger crept into her eyes, turning them black. “You bitch.” Her hand rose in the air, prepared to crack me across the cheek.
I caught her forearm inches from my face and kept my expression blank. “I’ve been called worse. You have twenty-four hours before I come looking for you. Is that clear?” Without any reaper abilities, she was weak, no match for me. Not that she ever was.
Venus collapsed to the ground. Those emotions of fury shattered into sparkling tears as the reality of her fate seeped in. She was no longer a reaper. She no longer had a home. And she most definitely didn’t have what she came looking for. Zane.
Dropping my hands to my sides, I exhaled, my fingers tingling with energy. I turned around and stormed off the beach, leaving Venus on her knees, crying in the sand.
The sand squished between my toes as my legs carried me in purposeful strides toward the boardwalk. The hustle and bustle of the crowd hit me all at once as I trudged it through the boardwalk’s parking lot, water dripping from my clothes and cursing Crash under my breath. The happy-go-lucky vacationers thought I was nutso. Not only did I look like a drowned kitty, hair flat and soppy, I was mumbling to myself.
“Are you playing parking-lot spy again?” said a familiar husky voice, cutting through my bleak thoughts.
Crap-a-cola. After my run-in with the jealous mongrel, I thought for sure Crash wouldn’t have the balls to show his face. Obviously, I was wrong. So much for our undercover operation.
Ignoring the sharp pebbles digging into my feet, I turned around. There he was, shaggy hair the color of straw, blowing with the oceanfront breeze. His Irish green eyes were sparkling with humor. My gut reaction was to throw a bunch of accusations at him for double-crossing me, but something held me back. “I don’t play games,” I replied, not in the best frame of mind. It wasn’t lost on me that he implied I’d done the spy thing before.
“Why are you soaking wet? If you wanted to take a dip, you should have least lost some of the clothes first. Not that I’m complaining. This look has a certain…” His eyes roamed over my body. “…allure.”
He would make the situation into something perverted. My clothes were plastered to my skin, revealing every curve. “Don’t be an ass. I’m so not in the mood.”
“I can see that. Care to share?”
“With you?” I snorted. “I’ll pass. But more pressing, tell me you have a car?”
He leaned causally against the pier. Everything about Crash was lazy and carefree. “I might. Are you asking me for a ride, princess?”
I bit my tongue. I wanted tell him to go screw himself. Unfortunately, that wasn’t going to get me where I wanted to go. Home. “Look, you say you want to help me, so this is your chance. I just got into it with that hoodrat, Venus. And right now, all I want to do is go home and get out of these wet clothes.”
He smirked. “Fine. But with one condition.”
I frowned. “What’s that?”
“You tell me what happened between you and Venus.”
“Like you don’t know?”
His hand went to his chest. “Ouch, you wound me. What did I supposedly do now?”
“Shut up. You don’t have emotions,” I said.
He angled his head. “Tru dat. So do we have a deal?”
“Just take me home, and then you’re going to tell me why I should believe anything you have to say.”
The look in Crash’s eyes was bleak. “The manor isn’t safe.”
I crossed my arms. He was right, too many ears and eyes. “Okay,” I agreed. “We’ll go out.”
The smile on his lips spread so fast. “Are you asking me on a date?”
He was the only guy I knew who could go from serious to flirty in a blink. “I’m two seconds away from planting my fist in your gut. Another suggestion like that and I’ll follow it with a kick to the balls.” I flipped my hair in his face.
Crash’s laugh was husky. “I love it when you talk dirty.”
I shook my head, searching the lot for a car that had Crash’s name written on it. Just what kind of vehicle would the rule-breaking, mellow, irresponsible hawk drive? My bet was on the flashy red Scion.
He was suddenly at my other side, holding the door open for me. It wasn’t the little sports car, but a black truck that had seen better days. The rust and dirt collecting on the bottom reminded me of my jeep. “Your chariot awaits,” he said, leaning over the door. “Any chance you brought a towel? The seats are leather.”
I glared and plopped my soaked butt directly onto his seat.
“All right then.” He looped around the car and got in. “Buckle up, doll.”
“Cut the cute nicknames. We’re not a couple.”
“Not yet,” he said as the engine ripped to life. “But if my father gets his way, we’ll be doing more than handholding and making out in the backseat.”
I wrinkled my nose. “Don’t make me vomit.”
“So…” he prompted, hanging an arm out the window. “What’s the big to-do with you and Venus? She got her thong in a bunch because you’re encroaching on her territory?”
“Are you spying on me?”
“Don’t flatter yourself. I heard Venus ranting the other day at the club about you moving in on her man. She has a reputation for being delusional and clingy. Not to mention confrontational.”
“Thanks for the heads-up. It would have been nice to know there was a psychopath plotting my demise. Might have come in handy,” I mumbled.
Crash drove one handed, a sly smirk on his lips. “God, I can’t believe I missed that. If only I’d been five minutes earlier. There’s nothing better than a chick fight.”
He was warped. “You should try being on time for once.”
Blink. Blink. Blink. The turning signal chimed on repeat as he waited for a break in the oncoming traffic. “Story of my life.”
I fumbled with the rings on my fingers as he drove us to the west side of the island. It was a quiet affair. He stopped outside the gate leading to the manor. I was borderline shivering and never so happy to see the pristine palace. Before he could put the truck in park, my hand was on the door handle. “Hey Crash,” I said as I was about to swing my feet outside. “Don’t breathe a word of this to anyone. She won’t be a problem anymore.”
He cast me a look of intrigue. I hadn’t admitted what I’d done, but Crash understood. His eyes said and comprehended too much. “My lips are sealed,” he assured.
Call me crazy, but I didn’t believe him. Shaking my head, I made a beeline toward the back of the house. I didn’t get very far before the ranks swarmed me.
Declan shadowed my steps. “Where have you been?”
A crow squawked over my head, a message to the others. I was no longer missing. “I went for a swim.”
“In your clothes?” he asked, calling me out for what it was, a boldface lie.
I rolled my eyes. “It was a spontaneous decision. Don’t you ever have them?”
“You know you’re not supposed to go anywhere without an escort.”
“Sue me. I needed some space.” I stopped and spun around. “And Declan, since you need to know my constant whereabouts, I’m taking a shower. Think a girl can shave her legs in peace?”
The mere mention of any body part made Declan squirm. I found it hilarious, and used it to my advantage. He stared at me. I started shedding clothes, wiggling the button on my jeans. That was Declan’s cue to exit. He grumbled some response about being in the hall if I needed anything.
As soon as the door clicked closed behind him, I dropped my pants and peeled the shirt off my back. Being wet sucked. My skin looked like a raisin, wrinkly and purple.
Tearing through my dresser, I grabbed clean clothes. After a quick towel-off and a bathroom visit, I stood in the bedroom with the shower running. There, that should give me a few minutes. I never thought I would have to sneak out of my own house. Tiptoeing across the room, I grabbed my backpack and slipped it on. A jab hit in my stomach— guilt for running out on Declan a second time. It couldn’t be helped. If there was a chance, even the slimmest, that Crash knew something, I needed to hear what it was, because currently, I had nothing.
Flipping over the side of the balcony, I felt like a thief in the night. I used the impending nightfall to my advantage, as well as borrowing a bit of Zane’s shadows to disguise me from the grounds guards. Zane would feel me link our souls, but I would deal with the backlash later. He wasn’t the only one who acted first and left the consequences for later.
I climbed down the trellis, careful not to miss a step and plummet two stories in the most epic fail of my life. I breathed a sigh of relief when my feet touched the ground. Boom. Homerun. I disliked breaking promises, but with the world’s future at stake, I didn’t see I had much of a choice.
Staying flush against the exterior of the manor, I inched my way to the rear of the building. There was a section of rocks, more like small cliffs, that dropped off to the beach. The bluff was about a six-foot jump, but it wasn’t the first time I’d taken the plunge. It fulfilled the hidden daredevil inside me.
I didn’t wait around. Once my feet hit the sand, I was gone, backtracking to where Crash’s truck was idling. The lights were killed. A part of me expected him to have flown the coop. It was easier to believe the worst in him, than believe he had a heart or a conscious. Yet, for reasons I could not explain, my intuition was to give him a chance.
I slipped into the passenger seat, and dropped my bag onto the carpeted floor. The radio was on low, and Crash was thumbing the steering wheel in beat with the drum solo to “Cherry Bomb.” His gaze slid to mine. “Are you sure you weren’t a ninja in another life?”
“I can’t tell if you are being serious or a shithead. I’m going with both.”
“Since the docks have been compromised, where to?”
Throwing my hair into a messy bun, I said, “Anywhere that serves hot coffee by the gallons…and no one knows me,” I added.
He hit the gas. “I like a challenge.”