Storm and Fury by Jennifer L. Armentrout

8

Oh, damn, that was a hard question to answer, because I couldn’t be honest. By the time we reached the house, I still didn’t have a response. We stopped at the edge of the floodlight that shone down from the front porch.

“Is it because you don’t have anywhere else to go?” he asked. “I don’t mean anything rude by that. I can imagine it would be hard growing up here and then going out there, into the world.”

“But I want to go out there.” The moment I said it, I mentally cursed myself up and down the block. I really needed to get control of my mouth.

Zayne angled his body toward me. “Then why don’t you?”

“It’s not... It’s not that simple,” I admitted. “I mean, I don’t have anyplace to go. Like you said. It’s hard coming from this and going out there. The Board of Education now recognizes our diplomas, as do most colleges, but where would I get the money? Financial Aid would be tricky, because Wardens don’t qualify for it, and even though I’m not a Warden, my education suggests that I am. It would be a mess, and everyone here has better things to do than help me figure it out.”

“Sounds like you’ve looked into it.”

I had. A lot. And all the looking I had done was pointless, because college wasn’t in the cards for me. That wasn’t what I’d been...born for. After Mom had been killed, I’d researched colleges, figuring there was no reason that I shouldn’t be able to go to school and be ready for whenever I was summoned.

But how would I pay for it? Ask Thierry and Matthew for the funds? They already provided everything for me. I couldn’t ask for that, too.

“I have another question,” he said.

“Okay,” I sighed, half-afraid of what this one would lead to.

“What happened to the Warden who killed your mother?”

The question was a jolt to the system, and I took a step away from Zayne. “I shouldn’t have told you about that.”

“Why?”

“Because I don’t like talking or thinking about it.”

“I’m sorry,” he immediately said. “I shouldn’t have brought it up.”

Drawing in a shaky breath, I turned to head up the steps and then stopped, facing Zayne. “The Warden is dead. I wouldn’t have stayed here if he wasn’t.”

“I wouldn’t imagine that you would’ve,” he said quietly. “I’m sorry, Trinity.”

Air caught in my throat. There it was again. The way he said my name. A tight, hot shiver danced over my skin, and that shiver made me think of the yearning I’d seen on Misha’s face when he saw Alina. That shiver made me think of warm summer nights, of skin against skin.

The heat inside me rose, rolling down my throat and over my chest, pushing down the bitter grief that always surrounded thoughts of my mother, and I knew it was time for me to go.

And that’s what I did, without saying a word, without looking back.

The confused ghost was back again, pacing in the driveway outside the Great Hall, and it was far past time to talk to the poor guy and help move him on.

“This makes me uncomfortable,” Misha muttered, trailing behind me as we walked along the paved path around the Great Hall.

I grinned.

Jada hated it when I dragged her along for these things, too. In all honesty, Misha should’ve been in the Great Hall for the Accolade along with everyone else, but as per usual, he was on Trinity Duty.

“You can’t even see them, so I don’t get why it makes you so uncomfortable.”

“I may not be able to see them, but I know they’re there.” Misha caught the edge of my shirt, pulling me to the side before I sideswiped a baby fir tree I hadn’t seen.

“Thanks,” I murmured, stopping at the corner of the building. Night had fallen, and soft lights glowed from the entrance of the Great Hall.

Ghost Dude had stopped by the hedges, arms up and hands tugging at his hair. My heart squeezed with sympathy.

“What’s he doing?” Misha whispered.

“Freaking out,” I told him. There was enough light from the building to see where I was going. I started to step out but stopped and looked up the wide steps.

Muffled laughter and cheers floated from the hall, catching my attention. The Accolades were a good time. Dancing. Celebrating. Family. That was what it was like. Family.

I glanced at Misha. He was also staring at the hall, and I wondered if he was thinking about Alina. “Is Alina at the Accolade?”

“Yes,” he answered, and I realized it had been a dumb question. Any Warden of age who didn’t have a youngling to watch over was at the Accolade.

He should be there, too. Not out here with me, creeping around in the darkness while I talked to ghosts.

Nibbling on my thumbnail, I faced him. “Why don’t you go in and see what’s going on? After I move Ghost Dude along, I’ll join you.”

Misha’s face was shadowed. “Why would I want to go in there without you?”

“Because it’s better than being out here with me while I talk to ghosts.”

“I rather be out here with you even with the whole ghost thing.”

My lips twitched. “That’s a lie.”

“Never,” he replied. “Besides, I can’t leave you alone when you’re talking to a ghost. If someone came out and saw you, they’d think—”

“Something’s wrong with me?” I supplied.

“I wasn’t going to suggest that. I was going to say they’d think it was odd and they’d start asking questions.”

Turning back to Ghost Dude, I saw he was still by the hedges. I walked toward the ghost, careful to stick close to the hedges. The ghost didn’t seem to hear my approach, and now that I was closer, I could see that his shirt was the gold and blue of the WVU Mountaineers. I could also see that something was wrong with it.

The back of the shirt was torn and stained in a darker color. My heart gave a little jump, like it always did when I was this close to a ghost or spirit, no matter how many times I’d seen one.

I cleared my throat. “Hi.”

The ghost dissipated like smoke in the wind. My mouth dropped open. “How rude.”

A moment later, he began to take shape again, this time facing me. His head and shoulders formed first and then the rest of him came into view, but his body from the waist down was transparent.

“Holy crap,” I gasped, my eyes widening as I got a good look at the man as I heard Misha stop a few feet behind me.

The ghost was young, maybe in his midtwenties, and his face was leached of all color. But that wasn’t what turned my stomach with a sharp twist of nausea. The front of his shirt was ripped open, as was the flesh beyond it, his stomach torn into ragged strips.

I took a step back. I hadn’t been able to see all of that when I’d been on the roof. Perhaps I was wrong about the car accident.

“You can see me?” the ghost asked, rushing toward me...and then through me.

Strands of hair blew back from my face as an icy wind whipped through me. I shuddered and swallowed hard, hating that feeling.

“Did he... Did he just walk through you?” Misha sounded sick.

“Unfortunately.” I turned around and found the ghost staring down at himself. “Hey, let’s not do that again.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to. I don’t understand how that happened.” Panic crept into the man’s voice as he stepped toward me again but stopped. “You can see and talk to me?”

“I can.” I glanced down and saw that his legs had solidified. “What is your name?”

“Wayne—Wayne Cohen. Can you help me? I can’t seem to find my way home.”

Oh God.

I started nibbling on my fingernail again as my gaze slid southward. He had to know he was dead. “I can help you, Wayne, and I can help you go home, but it’s not the home you’re thinking of.”

Wayne’s dark brows furrowed. “I don’t understand. I need to get home—”

“Do you know you’re dead?” I asked. It was best not to drag it out.

Misha made a choking sound behind me. “Wow. Way to be gentle.”

I ignored him. “Have you... Have you looked at yourself?”

“I have, but...” He placed two fingers against the side of his neck as he stared down at his body. “I’m... I can’t be dead. I was on my way back to my house and then...” He dropped his hand, still staring at his ruined chest. “I was going to order pizza. Meat lovers and stuffed crust.”

When people died, they were usually concerned with the most inane things alongside the most powerful things.

“Am I... Am I really dead?”

“You’re definitely dead,” I confirmed.

“I can’t believe I’m dead,” he whispered.

“I’m sorry.” And I was, even though I’d never seen him before. Death was rarely easy to accept. “What happened to you, Wayne?”

“I don’t... My car broke down. Flat tire.” He turned to Misha. “Can he see me, too?”

“No, he can’t see you.”

“Is he looking at me?” Misha muttered. “Please tell me he’s not looking at me.”

Wayne cocked his head.

“He is and he can hear you,” I said, shooting Misha a dark look that screamed shut up. “Wayne, what happened with your flat tire? That didn’t do that to your...chest.”

“Oh God,” Misha mumbled. “What does his chest look like?”

Wayne stared at Misha, slowly shaking his head in confusion. “I was changing my tire and it came... It came out of nowhere.”

“What did?” I asked. “A mountain lion?”

“Are you for real?” Mischa exclaimed.

“There are mountain lions around here.” I refocused on Wayne. “Is that what got ahold of you? Or maybe a bear?”

“How bad does he look?” Misha asked, lips curling.

I wasn’t going to answer that question in front of poor Wayne, but it was bad, really bad, and even though Wayne had to know that already, I really didn’t want to confirm it for him. Like the kind of bad that was sure to give me nightmares.

There were times, especially after seeing something like this, that I knew Misha or Jada would ask why I didn’t just ignore the dead. It seemed like it would be easier to do that, but that wouldn’t save me from seeing such haunting, gruesome death. There’d even been times when I asked myself that question, especially after I saw that little girl.

But I couldn’t ignore these people.

I was always, always willing to help ghosts and spirits. Over the years, I’d gotten really smart about how to deal with them. As cliché as it sounded, being able to help them was... It was something special. And it wasn’t like I was going to be able to see them forever. Time wasn’t on my side.

So, I didn’t run from what I could do.

I didn’t hide from it.

“It was big, but not a large cat. It was on two feet.” Wayne’s gaze shifted to me. “It wasn’t a bear, though.”

A wave of goose bumps rippled down my arms as I checked out his chest again. “It wasn’t an animal?”

“It was dark and it happened so fast, but it... Oh God, you know. I saw this show once about monsters. It looked like a monster, like something not real, and it...it had wings. Huge wings. I heard them. I saw them, even though I couldn’t see anything else.”

Tiny hairs rose all over my body. Monsters weren’t real, not the kind he was thinking of, but if it wasn’t a bear or a hungry mountain lion that did this to him, there was only one other thing.

And it wasn’t a chupacabra.

Or bigfoot.

“I thought I got away. I mean, that’s why I’m here. I got away,” Wayne was saying. “Right?”

I shook my head. “Where were you when your tire got a flat?”

“Near the old fire tower. Maybe a mile away from it.”

A chill swept through me. The abandoned fire tower wasn’t far from here. Only a few miles. “Do you have any family?”

“I...uh, just my mother and a brother.” His voice was hoarse. “How can you see me if I’m dead?”

“I just can.”

He glanced down the driveway. It was too dark for me to make out his expression. I thought I knew what he might be seeing.

“Is there a light there?” I asked, hopeful. “A really bright, white light that might’ve followed you here?”

“Yeah.” His laugh turned into a sob, and my heart squeezed once more. “There’s a—there’s a freaking light there. It’s been there since I—since I got away from that thing.”

“That’s good. I know this sounds cliché, but you need to go into the light,” I said, and thankfully Misha knew this was the part where he really needed to be quiet.

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t understand.” His words cracked, and I winced.

“Everything will make sense to you once you go into the light. And you need to go,” I told him. “You can’t stay here.”

“Why not?” His voice was a soft whine.

That was a common question. “Because you’re meant to move on now, to what awaits you.”

“H-how do you know what awaits me?”

Another common question. “I don’t know exactly, but I do know that if you see a light, it’s something good.”

Never once had I come across a ghost that didn’t see a light, even if they’d died long before I saw them. That light followed them around like a happy puppy.

Some people were just too scared or confused to go into it. Couldn’t blame them for that. I’d be scared, too. Who wouldn’t be? Death was the great unknown.

“Will I see my father?” He was still staring down the dark driveway, to where I now knew that light was waiting for him. “He died a year ago. Car accident on US50.”

I tried not to lie to those passing over, because it felt wrong to do so. “I wish I could say yes, but I honestly don’t know. I just know that you belong in that light. It’s not going to hurt you.”

Wayne was silent again and then he stepped forward, and that’s when I moved closer to him. “Okay,” he said. “All right. I can do this.”

Lifting my thumbnail to my mouth once more, I squinted until his face became clearer. His image was more ghostly now than anything, but I still saw his expression the moment he decided to go into the light.

My lips parted on a soft inhale.

His eyes widened, and then warmth poured into his features as the look of a thousand Christmas mornings rolled into one settled into his expression. He began walking forward.

I asked then what I always asked when I saw that look settle onto their faces. “What do you see?”

Wayne didn’t answer.

They never did.

Even spirits who’d passed on and come back didn’t talk about what they’d seen. I guessed there was some kind of cosmic rule about it, like all the other stupid rules.

I did know that the light Wayne was about to enter would send him either upstairs...or downstairs. Heaven or Hell. They were both real, and based on the look on his face, I had a feeling he was about to experience something magical and pure. I’d never seen anyone scared once they decided to go into the light, and I theorized that meant all the ghosts I’d helped were bound for Heaven.

Wayne took one more step and then he was gone.

I let out a ragged breath, suddenly misty-eyed. I always felt that way after someone crossed over. I didn’t even know why. Lifting a hand, I tucked my hair behind my ears.

“Is he gone?” Misha’s voice was quiet.

“Yeah.” I cleared my throat and slowly turned to Misha, pushing away the lingering sadness. “We need to see Thierry immediately.”

“What?” Confusion filled his tone. “Why?”

I took a step toward him. “Because that man was killed near here...by an Upper Level demon.”