The Revolt (The Reapers: Book Two) (27 page)

“You and Angelica are all Kelsey seems to
care about, but someone needs to care about Kelsey,” Thad said.
“She’s too valuable to waste on the low-lifes they had her
feeding.” He seemed to be completely serious, and I began to wonder
if luring Caleb in hadn’t been the plan all along. I felt a tinge
of annoyance at being kept in the dark, and I fueled that into a
faux rage.

“You don’t know anything about—” Caleb
started.

“I can’t believe I ever trusted you.” I
looked at Thad and Tucker in turn. “Rose and her low-lifes are
beginning to look like the good guys.”

Tucker flashed me his middle finger behind
Caleb’s back and Thad snorted. “Yeah, right,” he said. “The ones
who almost killed you are the good guys. We’re keeping you alive,
and you might want to start showing some appreciation for
that.”

“I don’t like being lied to,” I said.

“I’ve never lied to you,” Caleb said. I
forced a smile and nodded at him.

“Tucker, please let him go,” I said. “He
could go back and make sure they don’t hurt Angelica. He could tell
them I really was kidnapped.”

“Nothing doing,” Tucker said.

I sighed and let Caleb put a ghostly hand on
my thigh. Thad stared out the window and Tucker shrugged. My heart
was sore and my body ached, but my brain hurt more. I was too tired
to think and I felt so helpless. My life was shredded, my best
friend hurt or killed, my father dead, my choices taken from me,
and the best solution I had was wheedling information from a dude
I’d already killed once.

Bright sun and the cessation of motion woke
me, and I found we were parked in front of a Holiday Inn in what
appeared to be a small town of strip malls and fast food joints. It
looked so normal after everything we’d done the night before, and I
spent a moment appreciating it. Normal. I feared that brief moments
of it were all I’d ever get anymore.

I sat up and both Thad and Caleb looked at me
expectantly. My moment ended.

“No safe house this time?” I asked.

“You said you want to be with him, Kelsey. A
safe house would prevent that,” Thad said.

“How nice of you to consider my feelings,” I
said, but I got the message. They weren’t giving up on the fight.
“And Angelica?”

Thad’s expression softened. “You have to
accept that she’s made her choice. You did everything you could,
more than you should, to protect her, and nothing that happens to
her now is your fault.”

“I don’t care whose fault it is,” I said. “I
don’t want her to get hurt.”

Holly stuck her head in the open sliding
door. “You two going to help or you just going to keep re-playing
the same broken record until everything’s unloaded?”

Thad sighed and slid out. I looked back at
Caleb, who was being unusually quiet. He smiled when I looked at
him, but his happy expression seemed forced.

They did allow me to be in my room alone.
Technically, I shared the room with Isobel and Holly, but they made
themselves scarce as soon as they dropped their stuff off. Camping
out at the boys’ room, probably. I was glad to have them. As long
as they could return at any moment, Caleb wouldn’t expect anything
more than talking. At least I hoped he wouldn’t, as images of him
asking me to cross over to make out with him, filled my head.

I smiled at Caleb, doing my best to picture
him as someone I actually liked. Jed popped into my head first, but
I was mad at him for leaving. So I tried picturing Tucker, since I
like him and he’s a hottie, even if he is unavailable, but Tucker
was still attached to Caleb and he was making faces at me behind
Caleb’s back. Asshole. Still, it made my smile genuine and Caleb
smiled back.

“I’m so sorry, Caleb,” I said. “I mean I’m so
glad to be here with you, but I’m so sorry about the way it
happened.”

“It’s not your fault?” he said, his voice
rising on the last word like it was a question.

I chose to hear it as a statement. “Yeah, I
know. I had no idea my dad would send a team to try to rescue
me.”

His eyebrows rose. “Len’s team? Really?
Where’s your dad?”

It wasn’t a good sign that Caleb hadn’t heard
my dad had been killed, especially since the reapers had probably
had a huge celebration or, at least, gossiped about it happily.
Caleb definitely wasn’t in the loop.

I figured the truth was my best option. “He’s
gone, Caleb. He was killed a few days ago.” I released all the fear
and sadness I’d been holding in and let the tears flow down my
cheeks. His expression softened and he reached for me, but he
stopped himself before making ghostly contact.

“I’m sorry for your loss, but it’s seems like
a pretty good reason for you to go after me and my friends.”

I nodded and sniffed. I was prepared for
this. “Yeah, I know. I just… I just don’t want any more people to
die or get hurt. When we were together… before everything… I was so
happy. I just want to be that way again.”

“Me, too.” He reached for me and placed a
hand on my shoulder. I smiled through my tears and thought I should
get an Emmy. Either Caleb really wanted to believe me or I’d gotten
to be a better actress. Just one more thing I didn’t want to think
about.

“It’s just… you said there was a way for us
to be together, that we could be happy again.”

“There is,” he said. “There is, if you’re
being straight with me. We can have that normal life you want.
There will be certain dues to be paid, but for all purposes you’ll
have a normal life. No one, outside a small group ever has to know
what you can do.”

“Dues? What kind of dues?”

“Rose will have the occasional job for you,
but it’ll be low profile and infrequent. You can resume working at
the bookstore and we can be together.” He said the last with every
bit of charm he possessed. It was impressive. I let a few more
tears fall for the man he might have been.

A few weeks ago, I think his offer might have
tempted me. Now, I understand that it would make me nothing less
than a slave to Rose and I’d never be free, not really. I didn’t
want normal that way. I suspected normal was never going to be an
option for me, unless it came with untenable terms.

“That sounds too good to be true,” I said,
smiling my happiest smile. “How is that possible?”

He took his hand off my shoulder and stepped
away. “You’re just going to have to trust me on this,” he said.

“I really want to, but…”

“The last time she trusted you, you locked
her up in a safe house and threatened her life,” Tucker said
without looking at either of us.

“And the last time I trusted you, you killed
me,” Caleb said. “Now, I’m here with people you claim kidnapped
you, but who are also good friends of your father’s. I love you,
Kelsey, and I want to believe you, but I’m not sure I can.”

“What can I do?” I asked. “I’m as much a
victim here as you are.”

He started to sneer, but he caught himself
and smiled instead. It was enough to convince me I wasn’t the only
one acting. “I know you are, but they only kidnapped you to protect
you, right? They’d be more likely to listen to your demands.”

“Maybe. What do you want?”

“I
want
a body and a night alone with
you, but I’m
asking
for them to let me go. I need to be in
Briarton to get that normal life I’m promising you. I’ll come back
for you once everything’s settled.”

It sounded reasonable. Even when I knew he
was playing me, Caleb’s charm was still utterly persuasive. “I want
to help you, Caleb, especially if it means we can be together like
you said, but how do I know you aren’t just telling me what I want
to hear? How do I know you won’t leave me here and never come
back?”

He nodded. “Cross over. I need to touch you
to have this conversation.”

It was a test. And it terrified me, because I
wasn’t sure I’d be at all convincing when his hands were really on
me. The very thought of him touching me again made my stomach roil,
and I wasn’t sure he wouldn’t try to destroy me while I was over
there. He might need me, but he might want revenge for me killing
him more. Not that it mattered in the larger scheme. The future of
Briarton rested on whether or not I could get the information from
him.

“Okay. Just give me a few moments to make the
crossing.” I looked at Tucker, and he nodded to let me know he’d
have my back. That was nice to know, but he could only help if
Caleb attacked me. He couldn’t help me convince Caleb I really
loved him. I crossed over and faced Caleb.

He didn’t touch me. He didn’t even reach for
me. He just stood there, waiting for me to make the first move. I
swallowed hard, reminding myself why I was doing this: Briarton,
Angelica, and Len. I needed to make sure they were all safe and
free. I threw myself into his arms and hugged him tight.

“I’m so sorry,” I said. I tried for tears
again, but they wouldn’t come. Caleb hugged me hard and stroked my
back. “I should never have doubted you, but everyone was telling
me—”

“Shhh, I know.” He leaned away from me so he
could look at my face. “Jed’s a sheep. He lives by their party
line, even when they oppose his own brother.”

I didn’t bother to argue with him and remind
him that the corporation had thought he was a hero until a few days
ago. “I see that now. You’ve always been there for me, I just
didn’t understand.”

He took a step away from me and let go. I
dropped my arms back to my sides.

“What changed?” he asked.

I had expected that question. I tried to be
as honest as possible while still giving him the answer I knew he
wanted. “For so long, I didn’t believe anyone as wonderful as you
could really love me. It was easier to believe it was all a trick.
Then Rose showed me how special and valuable I am, and I think I
saw what you saw in me for the first time. I believed you could
love me, and I didn’t want to waste another moment away from you.”
I was prepared for Caleb to back away. There was a lot of ick
factor in that statement, especially about Rose’s abuse of me being
enlightening in any way.

He stepped closer to me and put his hands on
my shoulders. “You are special in every way, Kelsey. Never believe
I love you only for your power, although it is an important part of
your attraction.”

Ewwwww. I suppressed a shudder and smiled at
him. “I’m beginning to realize just how powerful I can be and to
embrace it.” I was surprised to find myself wishing I was telling
the truth. I realized I might like a me who could enjoy my
abilities, more than the me I’d been for most of my life, the me
who wished so hard to be anyone other than myself. It was beginning
to look like embracing my power was the only way to survive. I
pushed those thoughts away to focus on Caleb.

“I know you don’t love me now,” he said. “But
you will come to love me. It’s enough for me to know we have the
same desires and goals.” He leaned in closer and kissed me hard. I
resisted the almost overwhelming urge to pull away and tried to
return his passion. Caleb was a great kisser and I lost myself in
the kiss a couple of times, but I was mostly unsuccessful. He
didn’t seem to notice.

“So you trust me? That I’ll come back for
you?” he asked, his eyes still a bit glazed from the kiss.

I pouted. “I don’t want you to leave. We’re
finally together again.”

“I don’t want to leave, either, but I don’t
have any choice.”

I looked at him, widening my eyes. “I don’t
understand. What could possibly be so important? You’ve promised my
service to Rose, what else does she need?”

He put on a thoughtful look, but I could see
the pride in his face. He wanted to tell me, he wanted to show me
how far he’d come from the talentless boy he’d been when I met him.
He leaned in close. “This town belongs to me. I’m the heir to
power, Kelsey. A lot of power. And I’m the only one who can give it
to the reapers.” He jiggled on his feet, waiting for me to be
impressed. I looked at him, my brow furrowed in confusion. “I’ll
have access to over a hundred years of magical power that’s been
holding the curse in place. The ceremony is tomorrow night. I’ll be
back for you as soon after that as I can. I’ll bring some friends,
and we’ll get you out of here, or Varius, or Harvest One, or
wherever they take you. I’ll find you.”

I almost groaned aloud at my own stupidity.
It had been Caleb all along. He was the descendent of the crazy
ghost girl haunting Bruce. Now that I knew it, I could even see a
slight resemblance between them. I chose my words carefully. I
wanted to be sure. “Your mother?” I asked. “Was she the heir to the
curse?”

He nodded and smiled. “I suspected you’d met
my ancestor. She’s been spending more time around Bruce than I
think she should, but who am I to stand in the way of true
love?”

I suppressed a shiver. “She’s beautiful.”

“I’ve never seen her, but I spoke to her when
she borrowed the bodies of the living. Not that I’m on her plane, I
hope to see her as she was.” He smiled. “She wants me to have
everything I want and she’s allowing me to end the curse so that I
can get it.”

I smiled a little then, I gave him a bone,
but I couldn’t manage the look he wanted. That look of adoration
and submission that men like Caleb believed was their due from
every woman they met. “And what does she get?”

“She gets Bruce. We’ve both waited a long
time. Now, I have the opportunity to avenge her injustice as well
as the mistreatment of my father.”

“That’s why the war? The attack on
Varius?”

“The war was the reapers’ idea, but, yes, the
attack on Varius was orchestrated by me. My father gave them his
loyalty and his work, and they threw him out like trash. He sent me
back to right that wrong and to make them pay. He’s quite happy
with what I’ve accomplished.”