LITMIR.BIZ

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      “Not true—” Jamie responded to Heather, but stopped when Robert arrived.

      Ally’s lip curled ever so slightly but I caught it before it went back down. We shared the same feeling. Robert had creeped me out from the day at the hospital after I’d inhabited her body. And the fact that he studied the paranormal, such as Ally and myself, made him even more of a threat. He always seemed to be looking for something to study.

      Robert placed a hand on Jamie’s good arm and looked around. “Are they here?”

      Ally grabbed Heather and escorted her to the tables, calling over her shoulder, “See you later, Jamie.”

      Cooper and the rest of the Guard followed Ally, but I stayed where I was. My protective side flared up and I wanted to hear what he had to say to his daughter.

      Jamie’s dejected expression turned to mortification as she whirled on her father. “What the heck, Dad? I’m never going to have friends if you insist on scaring them all away.”

      I hesitated a short distance away from them and felt Jackson stop by my side.

      “What—?”

      I held up a hand. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from Robert as he spoke.

      His gaze bored into the back of Ally’s head. “I told you I don’t want you hanging around that girl. Because of her you’re in a cast.”

      “Dad,” Jamie pleaded. “I told you I fell. She was the one who took me to the hospital.”

      “You are my daughter and also a terrible liar. I don’t want you to go near her again.”

      “If you don’t let me go tonight I will leave for Yera’s sooner rather than later,” she said flippantly.

      “Come on,” Jackson touched my shoulder.

      I shook my head impatiently. “Who’s Yera?”

      He ignored my question. “We have a job to do. Jamie’s with her dad, she’ll be fine.”

      I slowly turned around, knowing he was right. I hadn’t realized how much I missed Jamie. I’d have to make a trip to the Living Realm to visit her. And if she was going somewhere I’d have to make it sooner rather than later.

      ***

      We stayed close to Ally for the remainder of the reception and I noticed a gaping shift in her treatment of others since meeting her. I think almost dying would give anyone a different perspective on life, especially a life that would last quite a long time.

      Even though Jackson clung to my side, Cooper managed to squeeze his way past him. “Ally has something for you. It’s in her locker.”

      I looked up at Jackson, but immediately Cooper’s words from earlier came to the forefront of my mind. I didn’t need permission to do anything. I was on the same level as they were. Almost.

      “Sounds good.”

      “Are we taking the army as well?” Jackson mused.

      Cooper’s gaze flicked up at Jackson. “No. We are heading back to the After immediately following. The other Guard are for crowd control only.”

      Jackson’s eyes scanned the room. “Fine. But let’s be quick about it. I’d like to get in another training session today.”

      Ally was in a conversation with Heather and Brody, but she leaned her head toward us, listening and touched Heather’s arm. “I have to go. Marie and Henry want to do this dinner thing.”

      She’d told Marie the same thing about Heather, sealing an alibi, so I knew it was time to go. Ally hugged her friends.

      “We need to have a sleepover soon!” Heather exclaimed. “I feel like I haven’t seen you outside of school in forever!”

      Ally smiled tightly and gave Heather another hug. “I’ll call you.” But Heather’s attention was already on Brody as they left the gym hand in hand.

      Ally watched them leave with an almost wistful expression.

      “We should go,” Cooper hinted.

      Ally sighed and took off toward the gym entrance, stripping her cap and gown on the way. She wore a flowing dress underneath and tossed the strewn outfit to a group of underclassmen at a small table. The table was piled high with discarded caps and gowns and a few of the girls looked mortified at their task. I didn’t have time to linger though as Jackson, Cooper, and Ally left the gym.

      The empty hallway reminded me of the night that the Shadowed had come after us during the dance. I quickly looked out of the double doors to check the field. No scythes were present, just the maintenance group stacking folding chairs onto carts. Ally’s flip flops thwacked with each step she took toward our destination, the sound bouncing off the walls of the narrow hall.

      We rounded the corner and went up a flight of stairs down another hallway, the same one that led to Ally’s chemistry class. The room where I’d first laid eyes on her. I often wondered if I should have refused her mission. Maybe things would have turned out differently, but I doubt Felix would have allowed that and I had certainly never been one to turn down a challenge.

      Ally stopped at a locker near the end of the hall and scrolled her combination. “Cooper told me what lengths you took to find this. And since you are the oldest relative that I’ve met, I thought you should have it.” She opened her locker and pulled out the Book of Records, the old tome that outlined the lineage of our family from the first Caeleste that mated with a human creating our Prognatum line.

      “I can’t—” Even though I’d pushed my way through David’s wards to get the book, I didn’t feel right taking it from her. That was the day my entire after-life changed, when I knew I was something more and when I realized I was living a lie. I was the black sheep, I didn’t deserve anything good. Even though, I would have loved to explore it more.

      Ally pushed it toward me. “Cooper said that the book can go to the After with you. It’s magical or whatever.” Her phone blasted a pop song, grabbing her attention.

      I took the book and she reached into her pocket to pull the phone out. “Hello? Jamie? Wait. Slow down.” Her head snapped up and she gave Cooper and me a worried look. “That’s impossible. Where are you?”

      Jamie’s inaudible voice spoke frantically over the receiver. Ally took the book back and shoved it into her locker, then she lifted her baldric from the space and closed the door.

      Jamie’s tiny frame rounded the corner, her bad arm flailing like a chicken wing as she struggled for balance.

      Ally hung up her phone. “What do you mean Aaron is here?”

      “What?” Cooper, Jackson, and I spoke in unison.

      “Aaron is gone,” I said with finality, just as Cooper and Jackson pulled out their swords.

      Jamie rushed to our side, panting for breath. “I. Saw. Him. In. The. Parking. Lot.” Then the chattering began. It had been warm enough in the gym that she didn’t get the chills as she did around any After being, but with three of them around her, I knew she wouldn’t be able to subdue her ‘tell’.

      Ally barely hid her eye roll. “It must have been someone else.”

      “I know what I saw,” Jamie retorted fiercely.

      “You also saw me slam him against a rock wall,” I said.

      “Merely a bump,” a familiar voice called from behind us.

      My soul stiffened. I lifted my sword from behind me as I turned around. “Aaron.”

      “Did you miss me?”

      I wanted to slap that stupid grin from his face. He looked the same as I remembered. Not that I expected any different. Although I hadn’t anticipated he’d still be wearing the Guard uniform, even though it looked tattered

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