Dad dropped his eyes from mine. “Your mother was right, you can’t cure a curse.”
I grabbed his shoulders. “Since Mum’s death you've been driven by your need to defeat the Darkness. You can't give up now. You said my blood infected yours. Where there’s infection, there has to be a cure. So what if the Darkness is real? Now you have a
Dad placed his palm on my cheek. “You have no idea how like your mother you are.”
I snorted gently and used his chair arm to get to my feet. “Do you mind if I…?”
He was already opening the Professor’s notebook. “Go.”
I hesitated at the stairs, then opened the front door and sat on the stoop instead. The sun had long departed and the air contained that breath of freshness that would be traded at dawn for the sunshine. I inhaled the scent of night blooming jasmine from next door and the tang of Mum’s ivy. It was full dark, but not a hunting Dark. I was safe until the next ghost Marked me. I wrapped my arms round my knees and stared down the street. Tomorrow maybe I’d go and find the old lady at the building site. I owed it to her.
My knuckles whitened. Did I really want to continue swelling the ranks of Anubis’ army?
The words were a distant whisper in the back of my mind, but I’d never forget them.
A dog barked in the distance and I groaned. I didn’t have any choice. As long as the ghosts came to me I’d have to keep Marking their killers, or risk returning to that place myself.
With mild surprise I realised my cheeks were wet. I felt my face; I was crying. I put my head on my knees and let myself sob.
For just a little while I hadn’t had to face the dead by myself.
Now I was alone again.
Suddenly my stomach cramped. My eyes widened at the pain and I cradled my gut with a whimper. The feeling grew in intensity until I thought I was going to burst.
I opened my mouth to call for Dad and the pain stopped as suddenly as it had started. I uncurled and wiped sweat from my forehead.
“Tay? Thank God.”
“J-Justin?”
He stood on the bottom step, his school uniform crumpled for the first time I could remember. His hair flopped into his brown eyes and his hands were clutched across his abdomen. His face shone with pain to match my own.
I lurched to my feet and he smiled wryly. “I'm sorry that hurt, I had to follow the life force to get back to you. It’s OK. I know where I’m going now. But the flow of life you gave me means I can’t go yet. I have to wait for it to dry up.”
I blinked. “How long will that take?”
Justin shrugged. “It could be any minute. I think it ran out before on the scaffolding. But you gave me a lot more last time. I don’t know.” He edged up the steps, his lips white. Was he nervous?
I held out a hand and he wrapped his fingers around mine. “So you could be sticking around for a while,” I murmured.
His head tilted and his hair cleared his eyes. “I don’t have to. I could go somewhere else, see the world.”
I inhaled sharply. “You want to see the world?”
“I won’t get another chance.”
“True.”
He sat beside me and together we listened to the distant hum of traffic.
Eventually I cleared my throat. “Still, London’s pretty nice.”
There was a grin in his voice when he replied. “You know, they say if you sit still long enough the whole world will come to you.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Do they?”
“I heard it somewhere.” His thumb started to trace patterns on the back of my hand and I shivered. Then I leaned against him.
“I’m going to speak to Mr Barnes and make sure the V Club is shut down.” Justin nodded against my head and I sighed. “I can’t believe I’ve got you back… at least for a little while.”
Justin’s arms tightened around me. “I’ve been thinking. If you don’t have to spend the whole time watching for ghosts, you can get on with school, get decent grades and plan a life beyond all this.”
I frowned up at him. “What do you mean?”
“I’m coming to school with you. While you’re there I’ll look out for the dead so you don’t have to. I’ll run interference, keep them away from you. You can spend some proper time with Hannah and sort things out. I can make up for everything I put you through.”
I pressed my lips against his hand in a silent thank you then shook my head sadly. “Justin, you can’t go back to school. They found your body, everyone knows you’re dead. If someone sees you…”
Justin shook his head. “I won’t come to class. No one will see me.”
“You’re solid now.”
“I’m still a ghost. I have skills.” He concentrated and his hand passed through the step beside us.
“Freaky.” I blinked. “You can’t be seen. Not at all.”
Justin sighed. “I won’t be.”
“It’ll be lonely.” I squeezed him tighter.
“You can meet me in free periods. If you tell Hannah… and Pete… maybe they’ll come with you.”
“You’d be willing to see Pete?”
Justin fell silent. “Not straightaway. One day.”
“You’ll forgive him?”
Justin pulled me close and nodded. “It won’t be easy, but he wasn’t the worst, he was sorry. It helps.”
“You’re pretty amazing.” I hugged him, my mind whirling with possibilities. If I could pay attention in class and do my homework instead of hunting for killers… I grinned. “I can’t wait to prove Tamsin wrong.”
“What do you mean?” Justin froze against me.
“She said I had a future bagging prawn crackers. This could really change things for me. Thank you.”
“Tamsin was a bitch.” Justin’s voice was flat and I understood. Tamsin had hurt him in more ways than one.
“I ought to call Pete.” I shuffled my feet. “I should see him before school, he’ll have questions.”
Justin’s chin rubbed my head as he nodded. “Can I…” he hesitated. “Will I be allowed to come in the house with you?”
I looked at his face, taut with nerves. “You have to stay with us; you haven’t anywhere else to go. I’ll speak to Dad.”
“He doesn’t like me.” Justin fidgeted.
“You saved my life, he’ll love you.”
“Maybe.” Justin’s eyes were tight with anxiety.
“We’ve got a spare room down the hall. Dad will read you the riot act, but he’ll let you stay. If you’re helping me with the ghosts he won’t have a choice.”
Justin relaxed. “Alright. Let’s go and call Pete.”
“There’s something we need to do first.”
“What?”
I kissed him.
Early morning mist clung to the grass verge and the sky remained grey with lingering dawn. I was the only one waiting at the bus stop; it was too soon even for the commuters to gather.
