My Tethered Soul: Volume 2 (Reaper's Rite) (30 page)

“No,” she said with narrowed eyes. But the smile never left her lips. “Penn State.”

Hunter tipped back his beer, eyes trained on her. “What are you studying?”

“I’m still undeclared, but I was thinking about history. Maybe it’s from reading all of Lilura’s books, but I’ve found I like stories from the past. It’s interesting.”

Hunter smirked at her. “Beauty and brains. Nice.”

Mara scoffed and turned away from him, but the grin she tried to hide didn’t go unnoticed.

Gavin stared into his mug, deep in thought. I hoped he wasn’t still feeling strange about my conversation with Chase. I bumped his knee with mine. His response was a small smile.

“Let’s go check out the jukebox.” I pulled on his jacket sleeve until he followed me away from the booth.

We both stared at the song selections in the machine, but I doubted he was looking at the titles any more than I was.

“So how long were you standing outside Chase’s room?” I asked.

He looked at me sideways then let out a breath. “I wasn’t spying on you.”

I searched his face. “Okay.”

He shifted, propping his hip against the jukebox so he was facing me full on. “I went to my room to change, and when I passed Chase’s room, I heard your voice. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop. I meant to wait for you to come out so we could take a walk or something.”

“But you did eavesdrop.”

He shrugged.

I shook my head. “Why do I get the feeling I said something to him you didn’t like?”

Mara appeared behind Gavin, biting her lip as if she didn’t mean to interrupt.

Oblivious to her, Gavin scratched the back of his head. “Just strange to hear you say you care about him, that’s all.”

I ran my fingers up and down the glass of the jukebox. “Of course I care about him. He’s a good friend. But what I feel for you is, you know… more than that.”

Gavin’s eyes flitted over my face.

Mara leaned forward. “Dude, what she’s trying to say is she lo—”

“Mara!” I shot her a wide-eyed look.

Gavin’s mouth curled into a smile. I dipped my head, embarrassed. But he reached for my hand, wrapped it with his, and ran his thumb over it.

I stretched his way and pecked him on the cheek. “I’m going to the ladies’ room.” With a swift hand, I grabbed Mara by the elbow. “And you’re coming with me.”

“Ow! You’re pinching me.”

Mara and I zigzagged through the tables and found the doorway that led to the restrooms. The hallway behind the door split off, left and right, and we had to go through another door to an adjacent hall to find the ladies’ room. The music and chatter were stifled out when we shut the bathroom door.

“I can’t believe you,” I said.

Mara reached into her purse and took out a lip balm. “Oh, shut up. Like he doesn’t know you love him.”

I rubbed my hands on my jeans, then through my hair.

“But we haven’t said it yet. You can’t say it for me. That’s not how it works.”

“Zadie, our lives aren’t normal. The way things work for other people isn’t the same as how it works for us.”

“Mara, how would you like it if I told Hunter you’ve got a great big crush on him?”

She scoffed. “As if.”

“You can drop the hard-to-get act. Nobody’s buying it.”

She put her lip balm away and faced me. “Okay. You’re right. I’m sorry.”

I huffed a breath and rolled my eyes. “It’s fine. Just don’t do it again.”

“Deal.”

She opened the door and walked into the hall.

“So does that mean you
do
have a crush on him? Like I have to ask. It’s so obvious.”

“What are you talking about? I don’t have a crush on Hunter.”

“Oh, please. You even say his name like you’re head over heels for him.”

She laughed. “I do not.”

We went through the second door. Then stopped short. We somehow had taken a wrong turn and ended up outside the building. We stood in the alleyway between the bar and the building next to it.

“How’d we do that?” she asked.

“I don’t know.”

I turned and tried to open the door we came out of, but it wouldn’t budge.

“Is it locked?” she asked.

“Yeah, I guess so.”

“Here, let me.”

She held her hand out, about to use her magic, when the sound of something banging into a garbage can stopped her. We turned to see a staggering man with a scruffy beard and dirty clothes approach us.

I moved closer to Mara and clutched her arm.

“Have you got any change?” The man hiccupped. He was just a drunk begging for money. I let out a breath.

“No. Sorry.”

His shadow on the building behind him morphed. The man’s eyes became more focused, his stare piercing. He took a step forward.

“Mara, open the door.” I pulled at her.

She quickly reached for the door and used her magic. It popped open.

As a growl rumbled behind us, the door slammed closed again.

Mara and I spun to face the man. She extended her hand out in front of her. Controlled by her magic, a garbage can swooped across the concrete and rammed into the man, causing him to double over. At the same time, I used my powers to get the door open again.

We rushed inside and shoved the door closed. But we knew that wasn’t enough to stop a Reaper. Holding hands, we sprinted down the hall and rushed back to the table where Hunter and Gavin sat.

“We’ve got to get out of here.” I said. “Now.”

Without waiting for a response, I grabbed the car keys off the table and headed for the door. We charged down the street to the car.

“What happened?” Hunter asked. “Did you clog the toilet?”

“A Reaper.” I grasped the car key and dove forward for the lock. “Get in.”

Once all the doors shut, I peeled out of our parking space.

Mara leaned over the front seat. “Zadie, you shouldn’t be driving. You banged your head not too long ago; you might have a light concussion.”

“No time for that.” I yanked the steering wheel to the right and changed streets.

In the rearview mirror, a shadow floated over the street behind us. I clenched my teeth and begged my heart to stop hammering against my ribcage. Turning on to the next street, I pushed down hard on the gas pedal. The engine growled in protest.

I passed two cars, ignoring the speed limit and the double lines in the middle of the road. Still the shadow came into view.

“Hold on.” I took a sharp curve. The tires squealed as I skidded into the turn.

When I righted myself, I checked the rearview mirror again. This time I didn’t see the shadow.

A loud thump sounded above us. Mara screamed. And I felt like my head was exploding. Tiny pinpricks of ice stabbed my skin, and my eyes weighed a ton.

Oh, no. Not now.

My grip tightened on the steering wheel. But it wasn’t me who did it. It was the Reaper. He had control of the car.

At his will, I pushed the gas pedal all the way to the floor. The car inched to the right. The tires on the right dipped into the shoulder of the road. And then even farther until the car was completely on the shoulder, jostling over dirt and rocks. There was a signpost up ahead, not fifty feet from us.

“Zadie, watch out.” Gavin grabbed the wheel.

The car hit the signpost on the forward right bumper and continued to speed down the road. The Reaper made me let go of the wheel with one hand. I reached into my jacket and pulled out the switchblade Chase had given me. I held it up and snarled at Gavin.

“What are you doing?” Gavin’s eyes popped wide open.

With a flip and a thrust, the blade went into his arm.

He pulled his hand back, holding his arm against his chest as he screamed in pain.

“It’s the Reaper,” Hunter yelled.

“Oh my God!” Mara cried.

Hunter leaned forward and tried to grab the arm holding the knife. My arm flailed, while the hand on the wheel made the car swerve over the road. A car honked as we almost rammed into it.

Mara started chanting.

The Reaper took the next exit off the highway. It was the exit we needed to get to the Poulters’ estate.

It knew where we were headed.

My panic couldn’t be seen, but I was shrieking inside.

The car climbed the hill and took the curves that led to the Poulters’. At this speed, we were sure to crash into the gate.

“Mara!” Hunter yelled. “Use your magic.”

Mara didn’t respond. I hoped it was because she was doing what he asked.

The engine roared as we drove at full speed toward the black iron gates of the estate. If I could have closed my eyes, I would have.

Then the gates swung open at the last moment. I just hoped they opened wide enough for the car to pass through without striking us. But even if we made it through, how were we going to stop?

Please, Mara. Will the car to stop.

Gavin’s leg pushed mine aside. I felt my arm rise, fear coursing through me as it plunged downward. But Hunter’s grip on my arm threw off my aim. The blade stabbed into the seat of the car. Gavin’s foot found the brake just as the car barreled through the open gate, but the car bounced so much his foot slipped off.

Mara’s chanting became louder. I could feel my grip loosen.

In front of us were the Poulters’ parked cars and Hunter’s motorcycle.

Gavin found the brake again and rammed it into the floor. The car swerved and sideswiped one of the parked cars. Gavin fell into me, and my head smashed against the side window.

I grabbed my head, but the spinning didn’t stop. When I released my skull, the fingers of my left hand were slick with blood. With squinted eyes, I checked the other passengers. Gavin groaned, his arm clasped tight against his chest. There was blood all over him, seeping through his jacket sleeve. Over my shoulder, Hunter pushed Mara’s hair back. She let out a small moan and held her palm to her forehead.

“Oh God, Gavin.” I was glad to hear my own voice, glad the Reaper had left me but totally distraught that I’d hurt my boyfriend again. “We need to get you inside.”

My side of the car was up against the car we’d hit. There was no way Mara and I were going to get our doors open. We climbed out the right side doors and stumbled to the Poulters’ house.

I was so relieved to find the door unlocked. I wasn’t in the mood to deal with the butler’s creepy glares. Not after barely escaping a Reaper-triggered car accident.

But his glares were the least of my problems.

Diana and Paxton met us in the foyer, scrutinizing our faces and our injuries.

“What the hell happened?” Diana’s eyes narrowed.

“Reaper attack.” Hunter supported Mara’s arm and walked by the siblings.

“What was that crash?” Paxton didn’t pause, but headed straight for the door.

“We lost control of the car,” Gavin said.

Diana’s voice grew louder. “And crashed into what?”

“Oh, crap,” Paxton said from the front door as he looked out toward the cars. Then he turned to Diana and let out a laugh. I wondered if the car we hit was hers.

“What?” She rushed forward. On the porch, she let out a scream of aggravation.

When she jumped off the porch and disappeared from view, I helped Gavin to the living room. “We need to get you fixed up.”

Paxton was right behind us. “I’ll take care of it.”

Mrs. Poulter, who’d been sitting on the couch, rose to her feet when we walked into the room. “What on earth—?”

Erina ran up to us. Paxton came back into the room with bandages and bottles of ointment. As the two of them patched up Gavin’s arm and my head, Diana stomped in. Her face was blotched red, and her hands were clenched into fists.

“You idiots! First you leave without telling anyone, upsetting my mother and worrying Erina. And then you wreck my car?”

“Diana, calm down before you hurt someone,” Paxton said. “Remember the mess last time? We had to repaint.”

“No. They come in here expecting us to do everything we possibly can so they can be free from a curse that’s been around for centuries. But I say they deserve it. They’re nothing but trouble. They’ve only brought chaos and death into this house. What are we supposed to do? Lay down our lives just so they can sleep soundly at night?”

Mrs. Poulter walked over to the window. “No one is asking you to sacrifice yourself, Diana. No one would ask that of anyone. We’ll think of something.”

“I don’t want to think of something.” Diana stepped in front of me. “I want them gone. And so does my father.”

I took a deep breath and shook my head. When I stood, Diana and I were eye to eye.

“Don’t worry. You’re getting your wish. We’re leaving in the morning.”

Mara stepped in next to me. “We’re just giving Chase and Lilura the night to rest. Then we’ll be on our way. We’ll figure this thing out on our own.”

Mrs. Poulter turned toward us. Her brow was creased, and the way she wrung her hands, it looked like she wanted to say something. But she kept silent.

“Thank you for everything, Mrs. Poulter,” I said. “I’m going to go pack now.”

I charged out of the room, Mara in tow. We ran to the top of the stairs. When I turned to her, she had tears in her eyes. They matched my own.

Mara pulled me into her arms. “Don’t worry, Zadie. We
will
figure this out. There has to be a way.”

I clung to the back of her shirt, burying my face in her shoulder. Would we ever figure it out? We’d have to find another witch. Someone willing to summon Samael. Someone who didn’t hate Vila. And what about Lilura? Her health was failing. It wouldn’t be easy to drag her around to find a new witch. I closed my eyes and held Mara tighter, feeling hopeless and drained of energy.

Wiping my cheeks, I pulled back from her. “I’m going to pack. And then sleep.”

“Me too.” She pushed a strand of hair off my shoulder. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

I flashed her a quick, understanding smile before I went into my room.

Still a little dizzy from the crash, I struggled to pull my suitcase out of the closet. I yanked it onto the bed with a groan. I didn’t really feel like packing, but I had to be ready to leave in the morning. I didn’t want to spend another unwelcome moment in this house.