The Haunting (16 page)

“It’s possible,” Damien said, standing. He sounded emotionless again, affronted. “He is next in line to be the Keeper. He has been given certain…gifts. Nothing that compares to me or, unfortunately, you.”

I half turned to deliver a glare when I realized he was much closer than I wanted him to be. His eyes held a question he didn’t dare ask, so instead, I asked one that I thought might make him angry. “Will he be all right?”

Instantly, I saw it. Fierceness flashed in those black eyes before he stepped away from me. Shrugging, he regained his cold composure. “Only time will tell. If he dies, however, a Keeper will be needed for your side of doorway. It has been unmanned for far too long.”

“Who could do that?” I asked. Though I wanted to ask about the kiss, I didn’t dare. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to know the truth from him, or myself for that matter.

Damien cleared his throat and focused on the green ball of light. The orb rose from the floor, making the room look green, like some strangeness from inside the Emerald City. “The Doorway will choose. It always does when a lineage has been severed.”

“It hasn’t been
severed
yet!” I protested.

Damien bobbed his head in a nod. “…yet,” he agreed.

“He’ll keep fighting,” I said.

“You’ll be surprised at how many people stop.” Damien’s straight eyebrows lifted before he tilted his head to the side. “Despite the fact that most humans fear death.”

“You don’t?” I asked. Somehow the numerous questions began to ease the crazy swarm of heat in my body. I couldn’t use it against Damien. I wasn’t a complete idiot. I knew I wasn’t any match for him.

He stared at me for a long moment, as if he were trying to sort out the question in his head. “Do I fear death?” he asked, amused. “Why should I fear something which holds no mystery to me?”

I frowned. “No, but you can be killed, can’t you? Can’t you die of old age?”

He shook his head. “It will take a very long time for me to die here.”

“So you’re not immortal.”

He shook his head. “Immortality is non-existent.”

“Then that means someone could kill you.”

He shook his finger at me. “Now, now, Nora, you aren’t thinking of killing me, are you?”

I didn’t reply. “What if you died while we were still here. Neive isn’t ready to be the Neophyte, is she? What happens then?”

“The Grave chooses its next host, willing or unwilling.”

“Were you willing?”

Damien stared at me for a long moment, seeming to understand my angle. “What are you looking for, Nora?”

A way out
. “I’m just curious.” I breathed out slowly, trying to screw my head into place. I had just kissed Damien. It was far too tempting to let my mind wander back to that. Instead, I asked, “And Neive, will she be alright?”

“So much concern for everyone.” Damien clucked his tongue. “You should be more concerned about yourself.”

“With a protector around?” I asked.

His dark eyes narrowed, his straight brow shadowing his obsidian stare, making it appear darker.

When Damien wanted to intimidate me, he could. My smile slipped just as the little green light moved, catching my attention.

Was that Read?

Before I could register the scene completely, the little green light went out, flinging me into darkness.

“Don’t get so cocky, Nora,” Damien warned.

I froze, drowning in the same blinding dark. I brought my hands up slowly, waiting for a surprise. Something to bowl me over, maybe? Snap at my ankles? Something that might whisk me away again? Instead, I cleared my throat and asked, “Did I just see Read in that light? Did you take Read?”

“I did not take Read,” he answered.

His voice was hauntingly smooth and a comfort in the dark. But I didn’t believe him. That light showed me friends who were missing. Why would it show Read if Damien hadn’t led him astray when we all fumbled into the dark?

I realized that we could have been separated. How many others could be at the mercy of the new Challenge? We had been so careful before, and it could all be ruined.

I stood there for several seconds when I felt him. I didn’t know how; it was just that heavy, oppressive presence he carried around with him. I felt it at my side. Slowly, I swung my outstretched hand towards him. “Can you take me back to my friends?” I asked, my heart jackhammering in my chest all over again.

I felt his hand. My skin was hypersensitive to his touch, and I stifled a flinch.

I could feel a breath against my cheek. I couldn’t smell it, but it was warm. Gooseflesh rippled across my cheek and down my throat, and I closed my eyes despite the darkness. I didn’t pull away, even though I knew I should.

I wasn’t supposed to trust him, but my sister was right. I did. What could possibly stop him from dropping me down a chasm right now? What could stop him from doing anything? The idea made my stomach clench, and I gritted my teeth hard.

“Am I making you that nervous?” he asked, amusement lacing his voice.

I didn’t ponder a silly, sarcastic answer. “Always.”

There was a pause, and we regarded each other for several ticking seconds.

Then he said, “The feeling’s mutual.”

I turned to Damien, my lips close to the edge of his mouth. “Is this all an act? Are you pretending to like me?”

With his face next to mine, I could feel the sardonic smile. “I don’t pretend,” he whispered. “You should stop, though.”

With that, the lights snapped on and Damien was gone.

Always the one with the last word. I’d have to figure out how to do that.

The light bulb embedded in the rock ceiling shone a soft yellow.

Stepping under it, I thought I heard a fly. An insect, of all things, buzzed around the Demon’s Grave. I tried to pick it out but could only hear the monotonous drone.

“I see her!” A male’s voice bounced off of the stone corridor.

I turned my head in time to see Cody racing towards me. I didn’t have much time to react as he grabbed me by my forearm, yanking me along with him.

This wasn’t Frankenstein’s corridor. The roof was shorter, and no windows lined it. Somehow, this felt more like a tunnel.

“What’s going on?” I asked, startled. “Where’s everyone?”

Cody didn’t look back as he nearly had to haul me in his sprint. I ran as best as I could to keep up. When my foot landed, I usually kicked off while Cody did the rest of the work before I’d touch ground again. It gave the impression of floating, except if I lost my footing I could risk taking us both down. Cody said the dreaded words. “We were separated.”

“What?!”

“This way,” was all he said through gasps.

Rounding the edge, I saw Phoebe. She leaned heavily between Joel and Read. Her golden hair had matted itself against her skull, her eyes half-lidded but open.

Claire was nowhere in sight.

They all perked when they saw Cody rounding the corner with me in tow. Unfortunately, Cody waved his free arm frantically. “Reapers!”

What the hell? “Reapers?!”

No one hesitated to explain. How long had I been gone?

Phoebe was propped up onto Joel’s back with Read’s help. She clung with her arms and legs but quivered, like it was a struggle to not let go.

I felt the weight of her suffering—not as she did, of course. I should have insisted with Damien. I should have
made
him help her. Instead, I played nice, had a chat, talked to my sis, and made out with Damien, all while Phoebe slowly died—again.

Read stayed behind Joel and Phoebe while Cody and I sprinted past them all.

Taking the lead, I glanced over my shoulder. “Where’s Claire?” I called out.

“Haven’t found her yet!” Read wheezed, sounding tragic and ready to collapse.

I immediately peeked at Joel. He was scowling, but that could have been from the added weight on his back.

A horn blared down the tunnel so loudly that I nearly lost my footing as a shock shot straight up my spine.

The reaction rippled through the group as the wall to our right disappeared.

One second it was there, and the next it wasn’t. Instead, a chasm gouged itself into the earth. A stone wall lined the far side, blocking off any possibility of freeing ourselves from the perpetual circle.

The horn blasted again, and this time I was able to comprehend what it was. A train.

Edging closer to the gap, I could see the tracks lining the chasm.

Would the train stop? Just as I thought it, the train squealed into view. The brakes emitted a powerfully loud shriek that had me covering one ear with my free hand. I noticed I wasn’t alone.

The train that screeched to a halt wasn’t like something you’d find in a subway. It was like the old locomotives that I used to see in some of the old Westerns my grandpa used to watch.

Neive and I’d sit in his living room, and we’d all cheer for John Wayne or Clint Eastwood. My heart grew heavy at the memory. He’d never treated us any differently, but I wondered if he knew about us.

The train managed to stop. The ringing in my ears, however, continued. The caboose was nearest us.

“Get on!” Phoebe rasped.

The caboose had a deck on the back with a thick metal railing surrounding it.

Cody let me go before vaulting over the rail and the three-foot gap between the train and the crumbling platform.

Joel slid Phoebe off his back; she teetered like a toddler before Read steadied her. Joel hadn’t noticed this, though; he was over the rail. His jump wasn’t as smooth as Cody’s, and I cringed when I thought of my turn.

Read helped Phoebe so she could grip the railing from the other side. Joel and Cody helped pull her over with them on the deck.

The shrill horn blared, vibrating the walls and ceiling.

Brushing cement from my hair, I realized it was down. After a quick glance, I saw I was back in my scuzzy pajamas.

The train began to groan, and I heard the chug from within the unseeing tunnel ahead.

Read motioned for me to jump next.

I didn’t stop to offer it to him. I didn’t think I would need to as I hopped over the gap and swung my legs over the railing just as the train jolted.

My feet hardly had time to touch the deck when the train jolted, and I hit the door leading to the caboose hard. It didn’t help that both Phoebe and Joel smashed into me as well.

My shoulder was throbbing as we all tried to right ourselves. The next jerk came as the train started to pick up speed.

Read started to run toward the rail just as children came into sight.

“What the heck is that?” I asked, my voice drowned by the train.

There were dozens of them: pale, bony children in ragged, dirty clothes with smudged faces and silver eyes that reflected the dim light.

I reached out a hand to grab for Read. Cody squeezed in at my side to help, his arm longer than mine.

Read was already tired. His steps faltered as he neared the train, his hand outstretched.

From behind, one of the children leaped. The distance was impossible for any human being, but it landed hard on Read’s back.

Staggering at the impact, Read lost his momentum. The gap between us and him stretched.

“Read!” I screamed and leaned over the railing.

Someone grabbed me from behind. The yank flung me onto the floor at Phoebe’s feet.

Joel let me go and swung his leg over the rail, hitting a gaping, frozen Cody in the shoulder in the process. The jostle made him shake his head, and he shouted Read’s name, cupping his hands around his mouth.

With the thing tearing at Read’s back, it made him run faster. He reached out an arm, stretching his fingers, his expression strained as he focused on Joel’s outstretched hand.

I peered around the corner and saw the dark tunnel approaching fast.

Read caught Joel’s arm just as the next jolt of the train hit. The jerk seemed to help them as Joel used it to fall back onto the deck and let Read go.

Read slammed into the railing, looking ill.

The silvery-eyed child still rode his back, its sharpened teeth buried in his shoulder. Read screamed, tears brimmed against his thick lashes, as Cody grabbed his arms before he could let go.

Launching myself forward, I grabbed Cody around the waist and pulled.

My eyes caught sight of the platform as the children raced toward us. Thankfully, the train had picked up enough speed that they were falling behind.

As Joel dragged Read over the rail, his knuckles knocked into the creature’s head. The thing shrieked, teeth dragging a tear through Read’s back and making him buck and shout.

The blood splattered my arm before it dropped its face back to the wound, gnawing like a dog with a bone.

Cody reached down and grabbed it by the back of its clothes, trying to rip it free.

Blood gushed out the sides of its mouth as it bit down again. Read’s shoulder would be hamburger if we didn’t get the thing off of him soon.

I kicked at it, careful not to hit Read in the process. Joel knocked the creature in the ribs. It made an unearthly hissing noise, but it had to lift its head to do it.

Cody then yanked on it again, ripping it from our friend.

Blood smeared the creature’s child-like face. It wasn’t a kid, I reminded myself when I saw the silver eyes. It’s a monster.

Cody flung the creature over the side.

It flopped onto the concrete in the tunnel, between the tracks. Its companions were catching up to him, still far enough behind that I hoped their leap couldn’t reach us.

As our attacker rolled to a stop, it was like watching a feeding frenzy. The others swarmed around their injured comrade. The first dove for its face, where the fresh blood still oozed.

“Use his shirt,” Phoebe said, sitting against the door of the caboose and looking as if she might pass out.

Turning back to the commotion, I saw Read sitting up and ghastly pale.

I dropped beside him and helped him pull his shirt over his head. His injured shoulder gushed blood again, making me feel queasy.

Cody took the shirt from me and tied it around Read’s shoulder, tight.

Blood dribbled down Read’s shoulder to his side. He wiped it away and met my eyes.

I smiled weakly. “Close one,” I said, feeling paranoid.

He nodded in agreement and rolled to his feet slowly, favoring his right shoulder.

Glancing at the door leading into the train car, I shrugged and pointed.

The wind whistled louder as we gained speed. The jerky motions thankfully had stopped.

“What were those things?” I called over the wind as Cody helped Phoebe up and swung the door to the caboose inward.

There were bright lights inside for a change, the windows shaded to keep us out of sight.

“They were Reapers,” Cody replied over his shoulder.

Slipping into the train car behind Joel, I slammed the door shut, my ears ringing from the wind. “What makes you call them Reapers?” I asked.

Cody said grimly, “Because they told us what they were.”

“Yeah,” Phoebe snapped. “Right before you tried to attack her. What do you have? A death wish?!”

Cody ignored her and closed the door, his back to her.

“Did anyone else notice that Gretchen wasn’t there?” Phoebe asked, collapsing into one of the cushioned benches. Two long benches lined either side of the caboose. Two square tables sat near the door to the next train car. The interior of the train was an unforgiving bright red. It was painted on the walls, ceiling, and curtains. The floor was carpeted in a red, brown, and orange pattern, the exact same as Phoebe’s aunt’s basement.

I sat down near Phoebe. “Who’s Gretchen?” I asked.

“You don’t know?” she asked.

“I wasn’t there.” My eyes widened. “Was I?”

“No,” Phoebe said, “but neither was Read, and he knew what they were. I heard him talk about them just before you—”

“Wait,” I interrupted her, “Read wasn’t there either?”

She shook her head. “When we found each other, it was just Joel, Cody, and me.”

“What about Claire?”

Phoebe shrugged. “Like I said, it was just us.”

“Tell me everything,” I insisted.

Phoebe eyed me.

“What?” I demanded.

Lowering her voice, she leaned in, her gaze hard and unyielding. “I saw you. I saw what you did.”

I stiffened as I stared at her. She knew? She
knew
! How was this possible?

I dared a glance at the three guys. They were talking about what they would do once they got off the train, unconcerned with our conversation.

“What did you see?” I asked, feeling my spine tighten. If she saw me kissing Damien, it was over. The trust that they may have had was gone. I might as well write myself off as a damn sacrifice. Slap the cuffs on me now, officer.

She tried to keep her voice low, but the anger that bubbled up with the words wasn’t nearly as soft as I’d hoped. “I saw you change the Challenge. You could have stopped Cooper from…”

I shushed her with a hiss, the sound also halting the conversation across from us. “No,” I said to her flatly, “I couldn’t.” She hadn’t seen the kiss; she’d seen my newfound abilities. I wasn’t sure which was worse.

How could she have possibly seen any of this? Before I could ask, Joel interrupted. “Couldn’t what?”

“What happened with you guys?” I snapped, changing the subject. I realized that Phoebe’s accusation had crept under my skin. She accused me of letting Cooper die. The memory of him swinging from the tree, lifeless, face slack and skin paled, produced raw fire in my stomach. Curling up, I brought my knees to my chest, clinging to my legs as if I could somehow contain it.

Phoebe leaned back in her place, glaring. Joel glanced between Phoebe and me. I could already see the wheels turning.

“When we got lost in that darkness, we lost each other. I found Claire, but for some reason she let my hand go.” Cody’s eyes shifted towards Joel, a silent argument playing in their gazes. “Then I found Joel and Phoebe. You and Read were still missing. That’s when Gretchen found us. The same creepy kid from the basement. She told us that she was the leader of her pack of Reapers. They were demons in a way, children who had gone bad, like kill your own parents and eating them, bad.”

I wrinkled my nose.

“She said we could have a three-minute head start on the race.” Cody swallowed. “We split up again. We had no choice.”

“Why?”

“Three of us were missing!” Joel snapped. “What else could we do?”