Unraveled

He was asking for her help now, rather than trying to leave her behind to keep her safe. Powerful stuff. He had to know how much that affected her. “Can’t. I’ve got a Chem test, and I can’t miss.” Not that a perfect grade point average mattered in the afterlife, but part of her wanted to pretend this was a normal week.

“All right, I’ll—”

Victoria suddenly appeared in the center of the room, and Mary A

“You have to come with me,” she said to Mary A

Mary A

“No. That will take too long. I’ll teleport you.”

She stifled a groan. “All right. I have to get past my dad, though, and convince him I’m headed to school.” No Chem test, after all. “I’ll meet you at the gate to my neighborhood.”

“I’m going with,” Riley said, standing.

Victoria shook her head, adamant. “You can’t. You prevent Mary A

Stubborn, he said, “I’ll walk her to the gate, then, and you can leave me there.”

After a harried nod, Victoria vanished.

Mary A

Together, they raced down the stairs and into the kitchen. The scent of eggs and bacon wafted through the air. Her mouth didn’t water, but her stomach didn’t threaten to revolt again, either. An improvement.

“Dad,” she said in greeting.

He turned, spied Riley and froze, his expression both disgusted and terrified. There were lines of tension around his eyes, as if he hadn’t slept after he’d left her room. “Dear Lord. I didn’t realize how big that thing really was.”

“Sorry, Dad, but I don’t have time for breakfast. I forgot I wanted to get to school early and study for my Chem test.”

He frowned. “You’ve barely even picked at your food lately. Don’t think I haven’t noticed. At least take a piece of bacon with you. It’s brain food.”

She didn’t want to argue, so she claimed the piece he held out for her. “Thanks.”

“Want a ride?”

“Nah.” Too casual? “Oxygen to the brain, and all that.”

“Good luck, honey.”

“Thanks. Love you.” With that, she was out the door and ru

Fu

Besides, even if Tucker was here, even if he was following her, she didn’t have time to stop and question him. Aden needed her. She just prayed she could help him—rather than hurt him further.

SEVENTEEN

TWO VOICES CALLED TO ADEN. Both female. Both alarmed.

“Try something else.”

“Like what? I’ve tried everything! Screaming at him, shaking him, slapping him.”

“He’s inside that body. Get. Him. Out!”

“What do you want me to do? Reach inside his chest?”

“Yes!”

“You are such a pain! How does Aden stand you? But fine, I’ll do it. I’ll try.”

One second Aden was inside Sha

She was panting, sheened with perspiration, gaze glazed with shock and fatigue. “Did you see that?” she gasped out. “Did you? I can’t believe I just did that. Tell me you saw that!”

“What happened?” he croaked. God, he ached. Every inch of him ached as if he’d been in a hit-and-run—hit with a baseball bat and run over by a truck.

Victoria moved to his other side, her mouth hanging open with an equal measure of shock. “You’re okay. You’re going to be okay now.”

Was she trying to convince him? Or herself? “What happened?” he asked again.

“She—she reached inside. Jerked you out. You were like a ghost at first, not truly solid, then you were here. I’ve—I’ve never seen anything like that.”

Any collateral damage? Aden took stock. His knee hurt the most, and he was shaking, but he wasn’t puking and wasn’t paralyzed. The poison had passed through him. Thank God. He almost collapsed in relief.

Elijah, Caleb and Julian were no longer moaning, babbling and incoherent. They were quiet. There, Aden could tell, but quiet, as if they were exhausted from their ordeal and needed rest.

Despite Mary A

Odd. Riley wasn’t here. Mary A

“Uh, A-Aden.” Sha

He didn’t know that Aden had been inside his mind, then. Thank God for that, too. “You passed out.” It was the only thing his fogged brain could come up with so spur of the moment.

“P-passed out? Why?” Sha

“He thinks you’re sick.” Aden remembered Dan’s visit, and what he’d said. “And you were. For a little while.”

Sha

“Sha

The voice. Aden reached out and grabbed her wrist. When she focused on him, he shook his head. “Don’t do it.” Sha

Though she was clearly confused, Victoria nodded.

“Sha

“Yeah. I—I feel fine. Except for that loss of time.”

“You can still make it, if you want.”

One dark brow rose. “You going?”

Aden shook his head. “Yeah, but not just yet.” At this rate, he wasn’t going to get any kind of education anytime soon. “I’m still not feeling one hundred percent.”

“O-okay. I dig.” His friend’s head tilted to the side. “But maybe o-one day, you’ll trust me with your s-secrets. See you later,” he added before Aden could reply. Motions slow, Sha

So. Sha

Worry about that later. Aden glanced down at himself. He wore boxers and sweat, and that was it. His knee was caked with dried blood, the skin still shredded. His skin was pale with a grayish tint. Nice. “Can you guys stay while I shower?”

“Of course,” Victoria said.

“Yeah,” Mary A