Grave Possession (Wraith 3) (26 page)

Connor wiped his mouth with a napkin and said, “Tony’s work is incredible – he’s able to capture an image on canvas with the realism of a photograph.”

“I heard he just recently developed this style?” she asked.

Nina nodded. “Tony’s always had talent, but this new skill is pretty recent. Lucky for him, I have little doubt that it will make him a star.”

“I stopped by his room today. He was super-stressed,” I said. “Hopefully, he’ll complete everything. He had a lot of unfinished work.”

“That’s pretty standard. I can’t tell you how many all-nighters I’ve pulled before an opening. Just wait, you’ll find out one day,” she laughed. Turning to Connor, she said, “Tell me about your current project.”

I excused myself for the restroom while Connor explained his reverse graffiti project. A waiter pointed me in the right direction and I’d just reached the end of a long corridor when I heard my name called. I turned and found Christian walking toward me.

“Hey,” I said when he caught up.

“You and Connor are back together.”

Were we? I supposed we were.

“We’re working on some projects together and spending time with one another.”

“Dating?”

I made a face. “Is this about Louis? Because he broke up with me. I haven’t heard from him since the holidays.”

“I know,” he said. “He panicked about you and Connor being around one another again. I guess he had reason to.”

“I guess he did,” I agreed, pushing past him and through the door to the women’s room. Washing my hands, I wondered why Christian cared. He’d been Connor’s friend first, but he spent more time with Louis lately. He must have felt caught in the middle of this or something. When I exited the bathroom, he was waiting for me in the hallway.

“I’m not trying to start something, Jane. I’m just curious. Ava never mentioned that you and Connor were seeing each other again. I guess I was just surprised.”

“You’re not the only one,” I said. “I’m not sure what’s going on with us, but please know, and tell Louis if you want to, that I never cheated on him. I don’t want him to think that.”

Christian threw his arm around my shoulder and led me back out to the restaurant. “I believe you. I think the distance was hard on Louis.”

“I get it. You and Ava seemed to have worked it out.”

“Yeah,” he said, making eye contact with Ava. She flashed him a sexy smile.

“Thanks for being cool about it,” I said. Christian witnessed my “freak” days. Part of me still wanted that approval. The other part knew that I had so many secrets, three big ones facing us as we came in view of the table, that I’d never be truly close to anyone outside my trusted circle.

Christian wasn’t part of that. All he saw was college kids dating and breaking up and dating more. Nothing too big. He didn’t realize it was so much more than that and we were all just trying to hold it together.

Lucky him.

On the way out of the restaurant, Ava grabbed my arm and pulled me to the side. “Do you mind if Christian and I have the room to ourselves tonight?”

I flashed back to the scene I’d walked into earlier that day. No, thank you. “Sure, no problem.” I looked over my shoulder at Jeannie, Nina and Connor trying to figure out where I’d stay for the night. Connor gave me a warm smile and arched his eyebrow in question. I felt hunger flare in the back of my throat. “Yeah, I’m good.”

“Mind if we shack up tonight?” I asked, after Christian and Ava left for the dorm.

“Like I’m saying no to an offer like that.”

“Thanks.”

Connor wrapped his arm around my shoulder and we turned to Nina and Jeannie.

“Now that we’ve got a moment alone,” Nina said, “has anything happened that I need to know about?”

“No,” I said. “Everything’s quiet.”

“Too quiet,” Connor added.

“The cleansing must have worked,” Jeannie said. “I don’t see any negative energy around. Just the standard black halo from your gift. Are you still wearing protection?”

“Yes.” I touched the pouch under my shirt and Connor lifted his. The burn on my chest had scabbed over.

“Jeannie’s offered to show me the Shadow Bound book. We’re going to see if we can find anything useful,” Nina said. “Otherwise, I’ll see you tomorrow night for the gallery show.”

“I’ll come by and pick you up,” I said to Jeannie. She embraced me in a tight hug. “Be careful. Call me if you need anything.”

“We will.”

Connor gave her a hug and we waited on the sidewalk as they went back inside the hotel. He slipped his hand in mine, warm and safe against the cold night.

*

“You sure your roommate doesn’t care?” I asked. Tom hadn’t been around the last couple of times I’d been to Connor’s room.

“He’s holed up, working on a project or something. I’ve barely seen him.”

Connor tugged me into the room and pressed me against the closed door. He placed both hands on my hips and kissed me. His lips tasted like the chocolate cake we’d had for dessert. Warmth ran from my stomach to my chest. I kissed him again, sliding my tongue into his mouth. The hollow spot I struggled to fill burned at the edges.

“Do you feel that?” he asked, pulling away.

I tilted my head and frowned. “What exactly are we talking about? I’m feeling a lot of things right now.”

“The feeling of crazy desperation is gone. I don’t feel so foggy-headed and confused, unlike the last couple of times I’ve been up here with you.”

My fingers wound into his shirt and I kissed his neck. The fire flared inside. I’ve missed his
closeness. The way he made me feel. “No, I don’t feel confused at all, but I do like the way you feel.”

“Jane, I’m serious. The cleansing must have worked. The hotspot is gone. I feel want but not the desperation that came from it.”

“What does that mean? You’re not interested in me? This?” I asked. I only wanted him closer to me. That desperation? I still felt it. Why did he keep pulling away?

“I’m always interested in you, but I get that what went on before was a little out of control. Now that the hormones and supernatural stuff have leveled a little, I feel like a bastard for how all that went down.” He dropped to the bed and ran his hands through his hair. I followed, sitting as close as possible.

“Don’t,” I told him, running my hand up his arm. “It wasn’t bad, just the timing was wrong. Sort of. I don’t regret it.”

“No?”

“Do you?”

He stared at me and placed his fingers under my chin. “No way. Not a chance, but Jane, you’ve been through a lot. We’ve both been through a lot and I think we owe each other a little more than some supernatural hotspot sex. Something real and thought out.” He sighed. “I’m also a little worried about replacing addictions.”

“You think that’s what I’m doing?” I
knew
that was what I was doing – even if there was truth behind my desire.

“Maybe. Now that this is almost over I want us on solid footing. Physically and emotionally.” His words were exactly why Connor was my perfect match. The perfect one for me. The yin to my yang. My true north. And why he was so infinitely frustrating – because he was impossible to manipulate.

“When did you get so wise?” I asked, altering my plan. Connor was right. I didn’t need to sully my relationship with him for a hit of emotional energy. I had other outlets.

“Nine months in the woods will change a man,” he laughed.

I nodded and played along, squelching my longing. I averted my eyes while he changed and discretely slid on the shorts and shirt he let me borrow. Once the lights were off and we were under the covers, I snuggled close but kept my hands to myself. My lips away from his flesh. I took even, level breaths, fighting against the thrumming of his heartbeat pressed close to my back.

We were both awake for a while, distracted by one another, but eventually his breathing steadied. I sat up and observed him for a moment just to be sure he was really asleep. Lights from the street filtered through the window and Connor slept in peace. He should be enough, but his moral high road made it impossible. I’d already broken him once and I didn’t want to do it again. Even so, the hunger grew, making my limbs ache and mouth water. Silently, I pushed a wayward lock of hair away from his eyes. If I couldn’t get what I needed from him, I’d have to go elsewhere.

I had to say goodbye.

I untied the string tied around my neck, careful not to rub against the scab, and stashed the velvet pouch under the pillow. I lay back down and willed myself to that place between asleep and awake.

*

“You’re not supposed to be here,” Evan said the instant he saw me.

“They cleansed the building. I should be fine.”

He nodded, but looked wary. “I wasn’t sure if I’d see you again.”

“I know and that’s why I came. I’m pretty sure this is the last time I can cross over like this. The big stuff is about to go down.”

“Have you figured out what’s going to happen?”

I shook my head. “No. Not yet. We figure the spirits have taken possession of someone – or multiple people. We’ll find them.”

“I’m sure it will come to you,” he said, snapping his fingers. “Like a bang.”

His use of the word startled me but his expression remained even. I took a small step forward, away from the bed, where Connor’s arms were wrapped tightly around my shell of a body. “I want to be strong when it happens.”

Evan frowned. “You’re the strongest person I know.”

“I can be stronger,” I said. “Inside. If I didn’t have this stupid craving all the time.”

“You want to use me and my ghost spirit?” he rolled his eyes as if he was unsurprised. When did I become a user? Even more, when did I stop caring?

“It’s clean in here now,” I said, pointing to the clear walls. There was no smoke or wisps of evil creeping along the wall. It was just me and Evan. “It should be safe. Good energy. It may make me even stronger.”

“Jane, I’m not sure if it’s safe.”

“This thing, Evan, is bad. So bad. I felt the force of those spirits crossing over. God knows where they landed. Jeannie is here to help push them back and the whole group from Nina’s is prepared to fight, but this thing is energy and you’re so good. You always have been.”

“You want this as one last gift? Because you and I both know when this is over this room will be shut. I’m surprised it’s still here.”

I didn’t say it out loud, but I knew why it was still here. The room was still open because I needed him. I needed this. One last injection of strength before the battle.

“Please, Evan,” I said. He faced the floor. I held my hand out to him. His fingertips met mine and I felt the warmth, the tremors of heat leaving his body and entering mine. The room flared red, boiling with heat, sulfur burned. I took a deep breath, allowing the fullness to expand. He felt like sunshine. I felt safe. “Thank you.”

“No,” he said. “Thank you.” His eyes met mine and I stumbled backward in surprise. His irises were black and soulless. I yanked my hand away but he tightened his grip. The warmth evaporated, my veins turned to ice.

“Evan?”

The boy in front of me laughed. “Evan is dead, Jane.”

“But, how? Who are you? Where’s Evan?”

“Dead is dead,” the figure said, his teeth glinting in the dim light. “Never forget that.”

“Then who are you?” My arm was now numb. I barely felt my fingers. The hole in my chest quaked with pain, so cold I thought it may shatter. “What’s happening to me?”

“We’ve been trying to find a way inside for so long. A way to possess the only one who could truly handle our full power,” Evan (
not
Evan) said, raising an eyebrow. He looked a dozen years older, more powerful and frightening. “The others made their escape, but I waited for you. I waited so we could have full control over a human body. Your mind control is weak, Jane, but your body is strong.”

I gasped, short on air. The feeling running down my limbs was familiar. I’d been in this
place before, with Charlotte. The demon pushed from the inside – and was winning. “What do you want? What are you doing?”

“We’ve been trapped in this unholy ground for multiple lifetimes, but that changed when you took energy that wasn’t yours. Bit by bit you allowed us to pass over. It accelerated when you stepped onto our soil. You and the boy,” he gestured behind me at Connor, lying unaware on the bed, sound asleep. The demon’s eyes swam and his image shuddered, like that day in the bathroom when Hazel’s face exploded into a flock of birds. “You blew this place wide open, giving us the opportunity we’ve been waiting for.”

I fell to my knees, no longer in control of my body. My mind split into two, shattered between Jane and someone else – something else. “What opportunity?” I croaked.

The demon smiled, no longer looking like Evan but like something out of a nightmare. He stood over me with sharp teeth and yellow eyes, sores oozed across his opaque skin. In a foreign voice. I heard him say, “We just want another chance at life. You helped accomplish that. Again, I offer you thanks.”