Phantom (Endlessly Book 3) (14 page)

BOOK: Phantom (Endlessly Book 3)
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19 READY, SET...

 

Once all the commotion was over I fell asleep on my sofa. I woke up feeling edgy, wondering what Verloren had become. I listened. Ash’s nerves felt settled and everyone seemed to be at the pool. They sounded as if they were in good spirits. I had a smoke and went to the gym.

As they splashed in the pool, Hania sat back in his chair, watching. Looking bleached, Abby jumped from the water, ran to the deep end, and cannonballed in. Water sprayed through the laughter.

When Ash saw me, she nodded to Verloren. The virus was consuming half his face. I’d never seen a vampire change like that. His newly white skin had a strange sheen and, as he and Ash approached me, I saw he’d regained much of his balance and grace. The onset of the vampire virus usually took a toll on a human body, but with him it seemed to be making all the necessary repairs. The strange skin was forming on his face, neck, chest, and ribs. It poked out of his swim trunks below his knee. His tattoos were rapidly fading, though his sparse chest hair remained as black as the hair on his head.

I realized his skin wasn’t turning the same white as Jack’s, nor was it like Ash, Sarah, or Abigail. Mingling with the white was an unfamiliar silver hue. When he pushed back his bangs, his eyes were still brown.

“Well, at least she didn’t kill ya,” I said.

“No… she didn’t,” he agreed with a smile.

“How do you feel?”

“Pret
ty good.” He looked down at Ash and she took his hand.

She beamed at him. He pushed her snowy hair over her horns.

“No fever or any of that shit?” I asked.

“Nope,” Ash replied.

“Appetite?” I asked.

“Still human… for now,” he replied. “I doubt it’ll stay that way.” He bared his teeth. His canines were reforming into sharp points.

“That isn’t too bad,” I said. ”They won’t be that noticeable.”

Ash whispered: “The real test will be what happens to his meals when they’re dead.”

“I’m sure it will be no different than Abby’s,” said Verloren. “I’m getting that same vision I had before — being able to see what people are.”

“He thinks that’s why his skin is turning this color.” Ash touched his neck. He shuddered.

“Silver,” I said, “The witches… makes sense. But why didn’t it change that color the first time around?”

“Probably has something to do with the different virus,” Verloren said. “It’s given us one hell of a connection. We can’t hide our thoughts from one another.”

Ash bit her lip.

“Oh love, don’t do that,” he whispered.

He spoke something low in the strange singsong voice of the born knowing. She smiled and stood on her toes to kiss him. It was strange to see her kiss someone who had no resemblance to the man she’d loved before.

He took her in his arms, lifting her off the ground. Ash laughed. He carried her to the edge of the pool and threw her in.
When she resurfaced he said something in another language and jumped in after her. She’d understood him by reading his thoughts.

I sat down beside Hania
and watched everyone having a good time. He seemed content to do the same.

“They’re getting married, you know,” Hania said.

“Fucking married,” I said. “I thought eternity trumped marriage.”

Ash still wore the stone necklace Verloren had made for her. In that former life, they’d seen it as an engagement gift.

“I don’t know if the law would call it marriage,” said Hania, “but they want to have a ceremony, and a party down at the beach, invite people they know. Ash is letting the other girls plan it.” He leaned toward me, cupping his hand to his lips. “So you better watch your ass. They’ll make you wear something uncomfortable, and you better pretend to like it, and not ruin it for Ash.”

“How would I ruin it?” I asked.

“Jason, don’t play stupid with me. We all know how mouthy you can get.”

I couldn’t argue with him. I listened to the conversations in the pool. The plans were already starting. The girls discussed color schemes as if they were complicated battle plans.

“Shit. Can I just skip it?” I asked.

“You love both of them. You have to be there.”

“Fuck me,” I growled.

Hania chuckled. “Don’t worry. They have to wait for Verloren’s change to complete itself. You have at least a week.”

“Let’s not do it and say we did,” I groaned.

Hania patted my shoulder. “Maybe you need something to eat. Jack’s leftovers are in the dungeon.”

 

I was grateful for Hania’s warning, but it didn’t prepare me for the constant bombardment of orders, measurements, and movements. I barely got any sleep. If the girls weren’t poking at me to size my outfit, then I had to try crap on. It was easier when they sent me out to pick shit up, or return it because it wasn’t exactly the fucktacular color they’d specified.

Ash and Verloren sat back and drooled over each other. Ash’s virus spread quickly through Verloren. I recalled her telling me it had done the same with Abby, so it wasn’t that much of a surprise. His hair and eyes never changed, but the tattoos disappeared as the strange silvery skin covered his body. Standing alone he appeared to have normal vampire skin, but next to another vampire the contrast was striking. He’d be able to hunt alone, but with another vampire, humans would see something was odd.

Just as Ash was a hybrid with unique abilities, Verloren’s powers were singular too. He kept every power he’d had before with his knowledge of being a witch. He could still cast spells. But there was more.

The mind reading started on the second day. He could read and implant thoughts just as easily as Ash or Abby. With Ash’s newly-discovered ability to show people pictures, their mind games got out of hand. I would be playing a video game and the room would vanish. For a few seconds I’d be hurled into some other place, then I’d come back to reality. Ash would test me, showing me pictures of Oz she’d taken from Sandy and Kristy’s minds. To her it was comical, but I found it downright infuriating.

Those pictures only increased the tugging. Ash knew that, which only pissed me off more. I had to fight to keep from shifting.

By the third day the effects of Verloren’s bite looked complete. His stringy muscles filled out into a slim, but solid build. He was thrilled when he discovered his eyes weren’t sensitive like a regular vampire’s.

Tension built around his first feeding. He began by trying to take the girl’s aura. Nothing happened. He cou
ldn’t even budge it. Still he fed from her until she was dead. All of us watched for possible reanimation. We let the body sit for half a day. Nothing happened.

I was reluctant to clean up after
him. I was already tied to Ash and, if I could tolerate a connection to anyone else, it would be him. After all, we were like brothers. Also, being connected to Ashley was like being connected to him. Still, I wondered if there might be something unexpected.

I followed Hania, Ash, and Verloren to the holding cells to check the body. The woman lay as still as any corpse. Her eyes were the milky color of the dead and her skin was cold.

As I carried the body from the cell Ash’s worries invaded me. I tried to ignore her. If his virus didn’t reanimate the dead, then it wasn’t likely to create a connection.

The three of them followed me across the gym, then we split up. In my apartment I made quick work of the body, then I stood in the shower, letting the hot water wash the tension away. I waited. With Ash the initial connection had been like a horrible case of déjà vu and vertigo combined.

This time nothing happened.

I dressed and headed to their apartment. Ash opened the door before I knocked. Verloren sat on the sofa.

“I like you and all,” I told him, “but I’m glad you don’t have any more access to my head than you already did.”

He chuckled. “Ditto. Besides, I don’t know if I could
deal with all that denial you’re in… about Oz.”

My chest tightened at the mention of her name. Was my stay here about to end? I hardly had time to think about it.

As the date of the party neared the house filled with people. Aubrey, the elf, and Coylene, came to witness. So did Fabi, to everyone’s surprise. I refused to talk to her. I still couldn’t forgive her for not saving Verloren’s life when she had the chance. That omission had begun so much suffering for all three of us. But Ash had invited her, so I followed Hania’s advice, and kept silent. I ignored Fabi.

I wondered what the living arrangements would be after this wedding thing. Verloren’s eating habits were turning
out to be the same as a vampire’s, making five of them in one house. That wasn’t a good idea. With our sloppy work in Seattle, we were already avoiding the area’s biggest city, and if we did too much around Portland, that could raise red flags too. Only so many people could go missing before someone stumbled onto us.

I wasn’t thrilled about Portland. The tugging grew so strong there, it terrified me. When it came time for Jack and Sarah to feed
, they took me along. They chose one human and agreed to share, but I refused to shift at a hotel.

“We’ll take him back with us,” I said.

“Jason, it will be easier if you just do it here at a hotel,” said Sarah, as she kept hold of their victim in the backseat.

“It’s over four hours to get home,” Jack pleaded from the shotgun seat. “Keeping a grip on his mind that long will be exhausting.”

I just wanted to go home. Why did they have to argue about it? I didn’t like shifting with the tugging this strong. It might lead to an episode like the one after Seattle. If the heat had been that bad when we were that far apart, how could I shift when she was nearby? I knew the answer. Shifting there would send me straight to her, and I wasn’t even close to ready.

“Does this have to do with Nicole?” Sarah asked.

“What if it does?” I growled.

Jack shook his head
and we all fell silent. I kept driving. I wouldn’t risk shifting any closer than Aberdeen.

I glanced at Sarah in the
rearview mirror, then I eyed her victim. He gazed forward, seemingly unaffected, except for a dull, glassy-eyed fear. Jack looked over his shoulder at Sarah and smiled. I huffed in disgust.

“It’s not that horrible
, you know,” Jack told me. “You’re thinking she’s going to tie you down… that you aren’t going to be able to do what you want… be who you want. She really won’t.”

“I don’t need relationship advice, Dr. Phil,” I snapped.

He smiled. “No, you don’t… you just need to find her.”

 

 

 

20
ONE MORE

 

Portland wasn’t the problem. The pulling grew stronger the next day, making me pace through all my waking hours. Lex and Jenny watched me as if I were a time bomb. They knew what was agitating me.

The night before their party I paced my apartment
, resisting the pull. I wanted to go out and run, but I was afraid where I might end up. I stepped out into the hallway. Jack caught me walking up and down the hall, running my hand in my hair. He chuckled as he passed me.

“What?” I snapped.

“Did I say anything?” he asked.

“No, but you want to.”

“I think you’re paranoid, Jason.” He went to the game room.

I followed him and found Ash curled up with V
erloren on the sofa opposite Josh, who was playing a video game. I flopped down beside Josh, and grabbed the controller.

Abigail was gabbing with the redheaded Christina, a dragon. The other dragons, Larry and Zola
, had just arrived. I hadn’t even known they were coming. I’d been too distracted by the tugging.

As people looked at me, I realized most of them could read my thoughts. I threw up a hasty wall. My eyes lingered on Zola. Did I feel something
from her? We’d once had a fling and I wouldn’t have turned down another round.

“Nervous?” Verloren asked.

“No. Why would I be nervous?” I barked.

“No reason,” he said, kissing Ash’s forehead.

Did he think I was jealous? I was way past that. I just wanted this damn tugging to stop. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. When I opened my eyes again, Ash was stifling a laugh.

“What’s so fucking funny?” I growled.

“Jason, what did we talk about?” It was Hania’s voice.

“Jason, please watch your mouth around Abigail,” Sarah chided.

I gritted my teeth as I lost track of the video game. I dropped the controller and headed for the stairs. I didn’t care anymore. I was going to find her. I ran up the stairs, climbed out, disrobed and shifted.

There was no heat, no pain, just the insane attraction. She was in her human form. I struggle
d to find the right direction as my chest ached. It was as if my ribs were wrapped in chains and she was pulling. I screamed. Worry rose like a cloud from the house below. Dragons amplified everything, including my scream. I shook off their thoughts and tried to sense her direction. It was as if we were playing spin the bottle. I had to wait till it came to rest, pointing me to her.

I took off west, toward the beach, and stopped at the cliff to gaze at the sea, but felt none of the clarity this place usually brought me. I
wanted to run down to the water, but my body didn’t cooperate. Lex had warned me about going to the beach alone, but now I wondered if death at the hands of the mermaid could be any worse than what I was already feeling.

I listened to my body, but still couldn’t make out the direction. I headed back toward the tree, but missed by a mile. I listened, but it was too maddening. For months I’d denied her; through all of it, I’d known where to find her. Now I was ready, but she was nowhere in sight.

I ran in a wide circle, hoping to sense her direction. I went for hours, but finally gave up. I was angry and frustrated when I ran into Verloren. He’d been waiting for me.

“Jason,” he called as I approached.

I growled, slobbering in frustration, then bared my teeth.

He smiled. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I’ve been being a dick. If you’ll just hold out through tomorrow, I’ll help you. But don’t ruin this for Ash.”

I wasn’t used to talking to Verloren internally. I thought about shifting back, but my thoughts spilled out:
Why is everyone so sure I’m going to ruin things? Why would me not being there ruin anything? Haven’t you guys been telling me to go find her?

“Just one more day, then I swear, we’ll help you find her.” Something in his voice seemed odd. Whatever it was
it didn’t feel threatening, so I let it go.

If I don’t find her soon I’m gonna blow my brains out,
I told him.
I can’t take this anymore.
It’s driving me mad. I don’t know if I can take one more day. It fucking hurts.

He hesitated. “Ash loves you; it would break her heart if you weren’t there. And… I’d really like for you to be there too. You’ve made it this long, I’m sure you’ll make it one more day.”

I hope you’re right.

 

BOOK: Phantom (Endlessly Book 3)
5.94Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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