The Rift (26 page)

Tessa shrugged. “If he knows where your room
is he’ll know something’s up, but he won’t know what. Hurry up.
Grab a skirt and a sweatshirt from my dresser. They’ll be close
enough to your size to work.”

Fifteen minutes later, I was in the living
room with the others, my wet hair soaking Tessa’s sweat-shirt and
my ass just barely covered by her red skirt. Wraith sat next to me.
There were dark circles under his eyes, and he was holding his left
arm in his lap, like it hurt him.

Lionel filled us all in on the plan for
attacking Wraith’s pack. They were going to wait until Tessa was
well enough to fight with them, because it was her right to kill
the ones who’d hurt her and she’d chosen to claim that right. After
having seen her reaction when I’d mentioned wolves to her, I was
surprised she wanted to go near them at all, but I didn’t know
enough of wolves to question her decision. Maybe killing her
tormentors would give her closure.

Wraith followed me into the kitchen when I
went in to make dinner for everyone. “How are you doing?” I asked
as I pulled out pots and pans to start making sauce and
noodles.

Wraith sat down at the table. “You’ve made
your decision haven’t you?”

I stopped what I was doing and turned to look
at him. “What are you talking about?”

“I can tell. You seem calmer and more
distant, like you’re already done with me.”

I sat across from him. “I’m not done with
you, but I can’t be your partner.”

He froze and his eyes emptied of emotion. I
knew I’d made a mistake, but I also knew there was nothing I could
do about it. He’d been so honest with me that it had seemed natural
to be honest with him, and I hadn’t considered my words as I should
have. “I like you, Kelsey, and I think we could have been truly
great together. Can I ask why you chose to walk away from
everything I could offer you?”

There was no point in lying to him. The
damage had been done. I took a deep breath and faced him. I knew I
should shut up, but I needed him to understand. “I like you, too,
Wraith, and I hope we can be friends, but I’m not okay with reapers
taking over the bodies of the living. I don’t think I ever will
be.”

He leaned back in his chair and smiled a
predatory grin. “Your morality is charming, Kelsey, but forgive me
if I don’t believe that’s all there is to your decision. We humans
are a selfish race, after all.”

I sighed and shook my head, because I wanted
to deny the truth of what he was saying, but I couldn’t. He was
right. I’d made the decision because I wanted to be with Jed. “I
can’t tell you my other reasons.”

“Someday you may find yourself in a position
like the one your friend Angelica is in, and you may choose to put
your morals second to what you want.”

My heart stuttered. “What position is
Angelica in?”

“Jeremiah is dying. Bruce’s spirit isn’t
strong enough to support the body and he’ll be looking for a new
body soon, if he wants to continue to be with Angelica.”

Lionel walked into the room as Wraith spoke
and sat down at the table next to him. “And what about you, Wraith?
You’re not looking so well.”

Wraith turned his icy gaze on Lionel. “The
body is fighting me, but I’m stronger, and I will prevail.”

I turned to go back to making dinner. The
conversation might be fascinating, but if I didn’t get to work,
we’d all go hungry.

“It’s not possible,” Lionel said. “The
connection between the spirit and the body in a wolf is different
from that in ordinary humans. When the spirit leaves a wolf body,
the body begins to decay, even if a new spirit inhabits it. And the
spirits of wolves don’t linger in the in-between, as the spirits of
ordinary humans do. You won’t be able to make a connection with the
wolf body and, even if you do, your spirit will pass on when the
body is finally killed.”

Wraith paused so long I turned to look at
him. His teeth were gritted and he had paled, his skin so white he
looked like the ghost he was. Lionel watched him with a slight
smile tickling his lips.

“I’ll make the connection,” Wraith said. “If
I can’t survive as a wolf, then I don’t deserve to survive. I’m
tired of body-hopping, and I’m tired of being beholden to the rules
of others.”

Lionel tensed, and I turned back to stirring
the spaghetti sauce. “If you stay here, and you manage to survive,
you will be beholden to the laws of the pack.”

“Relax, wolf-man. I think I can handle your
rules. They are little different than the rules one must follow to
stay out of prison.”

“What about Jeremiah?” I asked. “You said
he’s dying. If he does, will Bruce’s spirit pass on?”

Lionel looked at me and then at Wraith. “Two
reapers have reaped wolves?”

Wraith didn’t bother to acknowledge Lionel’s
question. “Yes, Kelsey, he will be gone. I had an idea to help him
but, as you have chosen not to join me, I am less inclined to put
that plan into action.”

I felt as though the ground had dropped out
from under me. “But you’re the reason he reaped a wolf in the first
place.”

“He made his own decisions, as did you.”
Wraith stood and pushed his chair in. “If you aren’t with me,
you’re against me.” He walked out without a look back. “You let me
know if you change your mind.”

I returned to stirring the spaghetti sauce,
the smell of food suddenly nauseating. I’d been so happy just a
short time ago, and I was an idiot for thinking it could last. I
thought about Angelica watching the man she loved die for a second
time, and I dropped the spoon into the sauce and ran out of the
room. It was my fault Bruce had died the first time, I wasn’t going
to let Angelica lose him again.

“Wait, Wraith,” I yelled as I ran through the
house and onto the front porch. He was just opening the driver’s
side door, but he stopped and smiled up at me. I walked down the
steps until I was nose to nose with him. “What do I have to do to
convince you to save Bruce?”

His smile widened. “I’m not sure I can do it,
but I’m willing to try.
If
you agree to join me.”

My heart sank. “I can’t do that.” My life and
my happiness were worth that much to me. I couldn’t feel happy
about standing up for myself, though, when it meant Angelica would
lose Bruce again. “Can you take me to them?”

His smile faded. “If you weren’t such a good
person, I might have a chance of persuading you to my side.”

“Well you don’t. Will you take me to
them?”

He nodded and I ran back to the house. Jed
was standing in the doorway, a worried look on his face. “Lionel
told me what Wraith said. You aren’t…”

“No, but I should be with Angelica. Do you
think you could finish making dinner?”

He nodded, unsurprised. “Have you really
thought about what you’re going to do? Saving Bruce will mean some
other person has to die. Neither he nor Angelica will be content to
have him stay in the spirit world. I don’t want you to sacrifice
more of yourself or your happiness for him. Maybe you should just
let him pass on.”

I sighed and my head began to pound. He was
right. My instinct was to save Bruce, but maybe it was time to let
him go, time for me to accept that I couldn’t save him, and that
doing more would be worse than doing nothing. I nodded and stepped
away. “I’ll do what I can to convince Wraith to help him, but I’m
pretty sure I’ll just be saying goodbye.”

He put a hand on my shoulder and squeezed
gently. “Do you want me to go with you?”

“Yes,” I said. “But you need to be here with
the wolves. Can you send Henry with me?”

He stepped forward and wrapped his arms
around me, before kissing me hard on the lips. “I don’t like this,”
he said, his breath warm against my cheek. “Wraith can’t be
trusted.”

“I know,” I said. “But I am, and I need to do
this.”

He nodded. “Just be careful.” He disappeared
into the house. I felt cold with his absence.

Bruce was in bed, his face pale, his whole
body shaking. When Wraith and I walked in, Angelica leapt up from
her place beside the bed. Her eyes were red and bloodshot from
crying and her lips were raw and bloody, like she’d been chewing on
them. “Oh, thank god,” Angelica said. “Wraith you have to help
him.”

Wraith at least felt bad enough about what he
was doing to grimace, but he met Angelica’s gaze. “I can’t help
him, child. It was a risk he was aware of when he took the wolf’s
body.”

“So why did he reap a wolf? Why did you let
him?”

Wraith swallowed. “He wanted to be strong
enough to protect you. He felt it was the only way.”

A sob escaped Angelica, but no more tears
fell. I wanted to wrap my arms around her, but I didn’t think she
even realized I was in the room. “I will do anything, Wraith. I
will do whatever you want. I’m a witch. I can help you.”

“Angelica, no,” I said, but she didn’t hear
me. I reached a hand out to touch her, but she brushed me away.

“Stay out of this, Kelsey.”

“You’re an untrained witch,” Wraith said, his
tone serious. “What good are you to me?”

“You help him keep this body, Wraith, and I’m
yours. I’ll go back to Varius and finish my training and, when I’m
done, I’ll join you wherever you are and I’ll do whatever you want.
I’ll do anything.”

“No,” Jeremiah rasped out from the bed.

Angelica looked back over her shoulder at
Jeremiah and gave him a gentle smile. “It’s okay, baby. You told me
he’s not a bad guy.”

“Keeping that body’s not an option, witch,”
Wraith said. “If I don’t help him—”

“Wraith, please,” I said, not ashamed to
beg.

“If I don’t help him,” Wraith went on more
firmly. “His spirit will leave the body, and he’ll cross over. He’s
not strong enough to stay with you.”

“You don’t know that,” Jeremiah said, his
voice raspy. “He doesn’t know that, baby. I’ll leave this body when
it dies and we’ll find another body.”

Angelica didn’t seem to hear Jeremiah, her
gaze was locked on Wraith, desperation obvious on her face.
“Whatever you can do to keep him with me in any form, do it. I’ll
do whatever you want.”

“Angelica, please don’t,” Jeremiah said, but
a shudder interrupted him and Angelica finally looked at him, tears
spilling down her cheeks. She put a hand on his shoulder and tried
to calm him, but he didn’t stop shaking.

Wraith smiled a slow, wistful smile, that
didn’t reach his eyes. “Are you going to let her do this,
Kelsey?”

“She’s done enough,” Angelica said. “Leave
her out of this.”

Wraith’s features hardened. “I was speaking
to Kelsey.”

I looked at Jeremiah and, through the tremors
and the pain, he met my eyes and he pleaded with me without saying
a word. With just his eyes and his expression he begged me to step
in and take his girlfriend’s place as sacrifice, but I couldn’t do
it. It might make me a horrible person, but I’d done everything I
could do to help them. I wouldn’t sell my soul to Wraith.
Angelica’s life wasn’t at stake, and Bruce was already dead. I
might feel guilty about his death, but he’d chosen to reap a wolf
and I shouldn’t have to pay for that choice. “I’m sorry, Bruce,” I
said, a tear sliding down my cheek. I looked to Wraith and shook my
head. “I won’t do it, Wraith. It’s not who I am.”

Wraith studied me for a long moment.
“Morality is only evident when it is convenient.”

I thought of my father and Tucker, who’d
refused to reap any one, and I shook my head. “I don’t believe
that, Wraith, and that difference between us…it’s the most
important one.”

“Wraith, will you fix him?” Angelica asked,
still refusing to look at me.

Wraith nodded. “Yes, I already have someone
in place. Just give me an hour.” He started to turn away and
stopped. “I want it clear that you will work for me even if I fail
to save Jeremiah.”

Angelica nodded once. “You have my word.”

Wraith started for the door, and I turned to
follow him. “You stay here,” he said without looking at me. “I
don’t have time to take you back to the house.”

As I watched Wraith walk out the door, I
almost admired his tenacity. He was probably hoping that leaving me
there with Angelica and Jeremiah would change my mind. He was
wrong, but I couldn’t help wishing he’d take me with him. Henry
stepped into the room after Wraith had gone. He raised his eyebrows
in question, but I gave him a tiny smile and shook my head. Like
everyone else, he was worried I’d throw my life away trying to save
Jeremiah’s. Just because I’d once been willing to die to save
Angelica’s life, the people I cared about suspected I placed no
value on my own. Of course, when Angelica’s life had been
threatened, she’d been in no position to save herself and she
hadn’t chosen to be in the dangerous situation she was in.

Jeremiah and Angelica were talking quietly,
their hands clasped on the bed, Angelica kneeling on the floor. I
took Henry’s hand and led him out of the room. Once the door was
shut behind us, I slid down the wall and sat on the cool linoleum.
“Why can’t anything ever be simple?” I asked.

Henry sighed. “Don’t be so whiney. I heard
you and Jed finally got together.”

I felt guilty about the rush of happiness
that warmed me, when Angelica was in the next room saying goodbye
to the man she loved. I nodded at Henry.

“So my makeover worked.”

I rolled my eyes. “Yep, that’s what he said.
The tight jeans and fitted tops made him realize he couldn’t live
without me. I’ll just have to be careful to never wear baggy
clothes again, or he might change his mind.”

“So what was holding him back?” His tone was
light, but his expression was serious, his gaze on me intense.

“His mother wants us to be mated and if we
are, if we ever had a child together, we’d never be free of her.
Jed didn’t want to do that to me or to himself.”