He nod was stiff. “Yeah, just not as much as I’d hoped. His name is Ethan Hamilton, he’s twenty-one and a business major at Birmingham Southern. He has a fifteen-year-old sister who was diagnosed with leukemia last year.”
How sad. “What are you going to do about him?”
Violence gleamed in his eyes. “Besides have a little chat with him?”
I knew that look. The chat would involve fists rather than words. “Are you sure you want to do that? He sounds like a pretty decent guy, and Blood Lines around his house isn’t that uncommon. And I kind of understood Reeve’s point today, about not being able to do the back-and-forth with you anymore. It might be time to let her go.”
He peered at me for a long while before saying, “Do you really think you’re in a good enough place to be throwing out advice? No, don’t bother with a response. We both know the answer. So why don’t I live my life, and you live yours?” With that, he stomped away.
Great. I doubted I could have messed that up more.
A chirp from my phone. I pulled the device from my pocket and read Dinner’s ready! I made your favorite. Lasagna and garlic bread. I also asked Ankh if we could use his private balcony, and he said yes. I’ve got everything set and ready, so come out here as soon as you’re able.
My heart twisted. Oh, no. She didn’t know. She—
Another text came in a second later. I’m sorry, dear. I must have missed your text about canceling. Well, no worries. We’ll do it another night.
Tears welled in my eyes. Nana had slaved in the kitchen, preparing my favorite meal. She’d probably decorated Mr. Ankh’s balcony with twinkling Christmas lights, just because she knew I wasn’t the biggest fan of the dark. That was how wonderful she was. And I’d canceled on her. For this.
I was a terrible person.
I moved back into the corner and called her. “Nana, I am so sorry. I’m at Cole’s gym. He asked to meet. I thought it would be just the two of us, and I’d be able to find out what’s wrong with him, but it’s a meeting with all the slayers.”
“Ali,” she said on a sigh. “It’s okay. I understand.”
“I’ll make it up to you, I swear.”
Another sigh. “We’ll have leftovers tomorrow, and we can talk then.”
“Yes. I would love that.”
We disconnected.
“Hey,” a voice said from behind me.
Gavin. Every muscle in my body stiffened as I turned and faced him. I made sure to stare at my feet. “Hey.”
“I came over to tell you I’ve got a date with a very hot chick tomorrow, but I’d be willing to do the unthinkable and break it. For you.”
Uh, what? “Don’t do that. And I thought you were mad at me for what I did to Veronica.”
“I was never mad. That would require a range of emotions I never feel. I thought we’d covered that fact about me. So, about our date—”
I shook my head, oddly charmed. And now mad at myself. “We’re not going out.”
“Look at me and say that. Maybe then I’ll believe you.”
I responded automatically, glancing up. Our gazes locked, and...nothing. No vision.
My shoulders sagged with relief, but Gavin frowned.
Cole stalked out of the locker room, snagging everyone’s attention. Conversations ceased.
His gaze snagged on me—no vision—skidded to Gavin and hardened. He climbed into the boxing ring and scanned the now silent, expectant crowd. He looked like he’d gotten in a fight since I’d last seen him. His features were tight with tension, his hair sticking out in spikes, and his clothing ripped.
I quashed my curiosity.
“All right, everyone,” he called. “Listen up. We have a new member on our team. You will welcome him with open arms, and you will keep your fists—and weapons—to yourself.”
Murmurs of astonishment surfaced.
A new member? Someone we’d want to hurt?
The locker-room door opened, and out stepped Justin Silverstone.
Gasps of shock replaced the murmurs.
Justin nodded stiffly, his puppy-dog eyes guarded. “Before you judge, hear me out. I made a mistake when I left, and I know it, and I’m sorry. What was done to Ali’s grandfather...her home... I had no part in that, you have my word.”
“Liar!” Trina spat. She pointed a finger at Cole. “He betrayed us once, and it cost us Boots and Ducky, and now you’re going to give him the chance to do it again?”
“We need all the help we can get right now,” Cole said, and I heard the rigidity in his voice.
Boots and Ducky. Cole bore their names on his chest.
Justin straightened his shoulders. “I’m back, and I’ll do whatever it takes to prove my intentions are honorable.”
“This is stupid,” Lucas snapped. “I’m not working with him.”
“You will.” Cole eyed the crowd through narrowed lids. “You will or you’re off the team.”Chapter 13
Let the Dead Heads Roll
In a daze, I made my way to the back of the barn. The slayers had settled in the chairs, all of them cursing and preparing to push their spirits from their bodies. Justin included.
What a shocking turn of events.
Trina gave me a slitted look, and I knew she was commanding me to speak with Cole ASAP.
Soon, I mouthed.
Had Cole welcomed Justin because he hoped to keep his enemy close? Or did he actually trust Justin? Was he using Justin, pretending to trust him in the hopes of gaining information about Anima?
Was Justin sincere, or was he acting as a double agent?
So many possibilities.
One after the other, the slayers stood in spirit form. Except me. I tried, again and again, but each time I failed.
As I struggled, it felt as if someone was holding on to my spirit, forcing it to stay where it was.
Gavin and Veronica took off, followed by Trina and Collins, then Lucas and Mackenzie, Cruz and Bronx. Although it seemed otherwise, no one but me had a partner tonight—and I hadn’t yet been told who that partner was. Everyone was to branch in different directions to cover as much ground as possible. However, no one was to engage until backup arrived.
“What’s wrong?” Justin asked me, hanging back.
Was he my partner? No, surely not.
“Nothing. I’m fine. I can do this.” I closed my eyes. Drawing on every ounce of my considerable determination, I imagined my spirit rising and felt my body respond. But when I opened my eyes, hard hands clamped around me and jerked me back into the chair. What the heck?
Justin shrugged, muttered, “Good luck,” and took off.
Cole crouched in front of me, the only slayer left. Oh, crap. He was my partner, wasn’t he? He looked at the door, then me. The door, me. Indecision played over his features. “Problem?” he asked.
Why not tell the truth? “Yeah, but I don’t know what it is.” Unless...was Z.A. now strong enough to hold me in place?
He looked relieved. “Stay here. I was supposed to be your sidekick, so we were going to cover the same area anyway. I’ll just do it on my own.”
And do it faster, his tone implied.
I scowled at him.
“Tomorrow,” he continued, “Ankh can run a few more tests on you.”
“That’s your answer to everything. Test, test, test. He’s run a thousand already, but hasn’t found anything. There’s nothing else to check.”
“So? He’ll do the same tests again. The results could be different.”
Oh, really? “Do you know the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”
“Wrong. That’s the definition of determination.” Cole flattened his hands on my knees. Because he was in spirit form and I was in human, he ghosted through me, somehow leaving a trail of heat behind.
“Just go,” I said, shivering. I motioned to the exit.
“Ali.”
“Go,” I repeated.
His gaze narrowed. “Despite everything, I am your boss, you know. You shouldn’t talk to me that way.”
Whatever. “You’re my boss. My ex. My friend. Sometimes. Maybe. You can’t be all of those things at once. You have to pick one.”
His gaze narrowed further, until all I saw was the darkness of his pupils. “Today I’m picking boss. Tomorrow I might change my mind.”
Frustrating boy. “Go!” Then, to be snotty, I added, “Sir.”
He snapped his teeth at me, the same way he’d done when we first met, straightened and strode to the door. He used more force than necessary to push it open, and then he stomped into the night.
I gazed around the barn. Mr. Holland and Kat were locked in a conversation. Anger and frustration mixed, as powerful as a tsunami, and I banged my fist against the arm of my chair. Leaping to my feet, I paced to the end of the row of chairs, turned to pace back...and saw my body in the chair. Wait. I’d done it? But how? Why?
And why were my legs still burning?
Cole’s touch... The burn...
Did Z.A. fear him? If so, I’d let him put those hot spirit hands all over me and hopefully scare her to death.
His hands...all over me... I shivered, then scowled.
I raced for the door. Because it was smeared with a Blood Line, I couldn’t ghost through. Like Cole, I opened the obstruction and entered the night. I looked, but found no sign of the—
Wait. There was a streak of gold in the center of the yard, as if a tiny lightbulb had been dropped. A Blood Line. I closed the distance, saw flecks of red mixed with the gold and frowned. Or maybe not a Blood Line. I found another streak a few feet ahead and followed it, kept following, going deeper and deeper into the forest beyond the barn.
Trees knifed toward the starless sky, and branches clapped in the breeze. An owl hooted. The darkness was so thick it looked like a black blanket had been draped overhead. Cold air battered against me, and goose bumps doubled parked on my arms. Ahead, to my right, a shadow moved—and another smear was left on the ground. I frowned. The smears definitely weren’t from Blood Lines, for sure, but from someone’s shoes. How? Why?