Beautiful Redemption (32 page)

I turned to John, who was kicking at the dirt with his boot. “You told him what we were doing? What about our plans? What about the part where we agreed not to tell my uncle anything?”

“I didn’t. The note was for Liv,” he answered sheepishly. “I couldn’t just disappear without saying good-bye.”

Link shook his head. “Seriously, dude? Another note? Why didn’t you just leave a map?”

This was the second time John’s guilty conscience and one of his notes had led Liv—or, in this case, my uncle—to him.

“You should all be grateful for Mr. Breed’s sentimental inclinations,” Uncle M said. “Or I’m afraid this evening could have resulted in a very unfortunate outcome.”

Link elbowed John. “You’re still a sap.”

I stopped listening.

Why couldn’t Liv keep her mouth shut?

Another voice entered my mind.

I hardly think blaming Liv for your mistakes is necessary.

I was almost too stunned to speak. My uncle had never Kelted with me before. It was a power he could only have acquired after his transition into a Caster.

“How?”

“You know my abilities are constantly evolving. This one is unpredictable, I’m afraid.” He shrugged innocently.

I tried not to think. It didn’t seem to stop him from scolding me.

Really? You thought you could take on Abraham alone, in a graveyard?

“But how did you know where we were?” John asked. “I didn’t put that in the note.”

Oh my God….

“Uncle M? Can you read minds?”

“Hardly.” My uncle snapped his fingers, and Boo lumbered up the hill. Knowing my uncle, it was practically a confession.

I felt my hair lift from my shoulders as a gentle wind whipped around me. I tried to calm down. “You were
spying
on me? I thought we made a deal about that.”

“
That
was before you and your friends decided you were equipped to take on Abraham Ravenwood on your own.” His voice rose. “Have you learned nothing?”

The Book of Moons
lay in the dirt, the moon embossed on its black leather cover facing the sky.

Link bent down to pick it up.

“I wouldn’t do that, Hot Rod,” Ridley said. “You don’t have that much Incubus in you.” She picked up the Book and touched her lollipop to his lips almost like a kiss. “Wouldn’t want those pretty hands to get burned.”

“Thanks, Babe.”

“Don’t call me—”

Link grabbed the lollipop out of her hand. “Yeah, yeah. I know.”

I watched the way they looked at each other. Any idiot could see they were in love, even if they were the only two idiots who couldn’t.

My chest ached, and I thought about Ethan.

the missing piece

my breath

my heart

my memory

me

the other half

the missing half

Stop.

I didn’t want to write poems in my mind, especially if my uncle could hear them. I needed to send a completely different kind of message. “Rid, give it to me.”

She nodded and handed me
The Book of Moons
.

The Book that nearly killed Ethan and then Uncle Macon. The Book that took more than it ever gave. Part of me wanted to set it on fire and see if it would burn, though I doubted something as mundane as fire could destroy it.

It still would have been worth a try if it prevented even one person from using the Book to hurt someone else—or themselves.
But Ethan needed it, and I trusted him. Whatever he was doing, I believed he wouldn’t use it to hurt anyone. And I wasn’t sure he could hurt himself now.

“We have to take it to Lila’s grave.”

Uncle Macon studied me for a long moment, an unfamiliar mixture of sadness and worry warring in his eyes. “All right.”

I recognized his tone. He was indulging me.

I started walking toward Lila Wate’s grave, next to the empty plot where the good folks of Gatlin believed my uncle was buried.

Ridley sighed dramatically. “Great. More time in the creepy graveyard.”

Link slung his arm over her shoulders casually. “Don’t worry, Babe. I’ll protect you.”

Ridley looked at him suspiciously. “Protect me? You do realize I’m a Dark Caster again?”

“I like to think you’re kinda on the gray side. Either way, I’ll give you a pass today. I did just kill the Galactus of Incubuses.”

Rid flipped her blond and pink hair. “Whatever that means.”

I stopped listening and wove my way through the cemetery,
The Book of Moons
pressed against my chest. I felt the heat radiating from it, as if the worn leather cover might burn me, too.

I knelt in front of Ethan’s mother’s grave. This was the spot where I’d left the black stone from my necklace for him. It
seemed to work then; I could only hope it would work again.
The Book of Moons
had to be a whole lot more important than a rock.

My uncle stared at the headstone, transfixed. I wondered how long he would love her. Forever, that was my best guess.

For whatever reason, this place was a doorway I couldn’t find my way through. The important thing was that Ethan could open it somehow.

He had to.

I put the Book on the grave, touching it for what I hoped would be the last time.

I don’t know why you need it, Ethan. But here it is. Please come home.

I waited as if it might disappear right in front of me.

Nothing happened.

“Maybe we should leave it alone,” Link suggested. “Ethan probably needs privacy or somethin’ to do his ghost tricks.”

“He’s not a ghost,” I snapped.

Link held up his hands. “Sorry. His Sheer tricks.”

He didn’t realize that the word didn’t matter. It was the image the word called up in my mind. A pale, lifeless Ethan. Dead. The way I found him the night of my Sixteenth Moon, after Sarafine stabbed him. Panic pressed against my lungs like two hands squeezing the breath out of me. I couldn’t stand to think about it.

“Let’s leave it and see what happens,” John said.

“Absolutely not.” Uncle Macon was done indulging me. “I’m sorry, Lena—”

“What if it was Lila?”

His face clouded over at the mention of her name. The question hung in the air, but we both knew the answer.

If the woman he loved needed him, he would do anything to help—from this side of the grave or any other.

I knew that, too.

He studied me for a long moment. Then he sighed, nodding. “All right. You can try. But if it doesn’t work—”

“Yeah, yeah. We can’t just ditch the most powerful book in the Caster and Mortal worlds on some grave and walk away.” Ridley was still perched on the headstone, smacking her gum. “What if someone finds it?”

“I’m afraid Ridley’s right.” Uncle Macon sighed. “I’ll wait here.”

“I don’t think it will work if you’re here, sir. You’re a scary kinda person, too,” Link said as respectfully as possible. “Sir.”

“We are not leaving
The Book of Moons
unattended, Mr. Lincoln.”

An idea took hold slowly, stretching out until it was perfectly formed. “Maybe we don’t need someone to stay with the Book, but
something
.”

“Huh?” Link scratched his head.

I bent down. “Boo, come here, boy.”

Boo Radley stood up and shook his black fur, which was as thick as a wolf’s.

I dug my fingers behind his ears. “That’s my good boy.”

“Not a bad idea.” Rid put two fingers in her mouth and whistled.

“You really think one dog can fight off the Blood Pack if they show up?” Link asked.

Uncle Macon crossed his arms. “Boo Radley is hardly a common dog.”

“Even a Caster dog can use a little help,” Rid said.

A branch cracked, and something leaped from the bushes.

“Holy crap!” Link yanked the garden shears out of his waistband just as Bade’s paws hit the ground.

Leah Ravenwood’s enormous mountain cat growled.

Uncle M smiled. “My sister’s cat. An excellent idea. She does provide a certain level of intimidation that Boo lacks.”

Boo barked, offended.

“Here, kitty kitty….” Ridley reached out her hand, and Bade stalked over.

Link stared at her. “You’re a total psycho.”

Bade growled at Link again, and Rid laughed. “You’re just mad because Bade doesn’t like you, Hot Stuff.”

John took a step back. “Yeah, well, I’m not petting her either.”

“So we leave the Book for a little while and see what happens.” I hugged Boo. “You stay here.” The Caster dog sat down in front of the grave like a guard dog, and Bade came over and stretched out in front of him lazily.

I stood up, but I was having trouble forcing myself to walk away.

What if something happened to it? The Book might be Ethan’s only chance to get back to me. Could I risk it?

John noticed I wasn’t moving, and pointed to the rise a few yards beyond the grave. “We can hang out on the other side in case they need some backup. Okay?”

Ridley hopped off the headstone, her platforms smacking against the border of the plot. In the South, that had to be the equivalent of something like seven years of bad luck. Maybe more in Gatlin.

She draped her arm over my shoulders and waved a lollipop in front of me. “Come on. I’ll tell you all about my adventures in shackles.”

Link jogged up next to us. “Did you say shackles? Those are like handcuffs, right?” He seemed a little too excited about hearing the details.

“Mr. Lincoln!” Uncle M looked like he wanted to strangle him.

Link stopped in his tracks. “Uh, sorry, sir. It was just a joke. You know…”

I let Ridley drag me down the other side of the hill while Link tried to talk his way out of trouble with Uncle Macon. John trudged behind us, his boots as heavy as any Mortal’s footsteps.

If I closed my eyes, I could pretend they were Ethan’s.

But it was getting harder and harder to pretend. I was Kelting
to him before I even realized it, the same three words over and over.

Please come home.

I wondered if he could hear me. If he was already on his way.

I counted the minutes, wondering how long we should wait before checking on the Book. Even Link and Ridley’s banter couldn’t distract me, which was saying a lot.

“I think all this quarter-Incubus stuff is going to your head,” Ridley said.

Link flexed. “Or maybe it’s taking out the baddest badass around.”

Ridley rolled her eyes. “Please.”

“Do you two ever stop?” John asked.

They both whipped around to look at him. “Stop what?” they asked at the same time.

I was about to tell John not to bother, when I saw a streak of black in the sky.

The crow. The same one that had watched us when we went to meet Abraham. Maybe it was following us.

Maybe it knew something.

It dipped and circled the area above Ethan’s grave.

“It’s the crow.” I took off back up the hill.

John ripped and appeared at my side. “What are you talking about?”

Link and the others caught up to us. “Where’s the fire?”

I pointed at the bird. “I think that crow has been following us.”

Uncle Macon studied the bird. “Interesting.”

Ridley smacked her gum. “What?”

“A Seer like Amarie would tell you that many believe crows can cross between the world of the living and the world of the dead.”

We made it over the rise. Bade and Boo were staring up at the sleek black bird.

“So what? Even if it could fly from world to world, you really think that little bird could carry
The Book a Moons
?” Link asked.

I didn’t know. But the crow was connected to Ethan somehow. I was sure of it.

“Why is it circling like that?” John asked.

Ridley strolled up behind us. “It’s probably scared of the giant cat.”

For once, she might be right.

“Bade and Boo, go home,” I called. The big cat’s ears perked up at the sound of her name.

Boo hesitated and looked up at Uncle Macon.

He nodded to the dog. “Go on.”

Boo cocked his head. Then he turned and lumbered through the tall grass. Bade yawned, baring her huge white teeth, and followed, her tail swishing like a lion’s from one of the nature shows Link was always watching on the Discovery
Channel. He blamed it on his mom, but in the last couple of months, I’d noticed him watching it by himself more than a few times.