Jasonsat at his desk and every light in the bookstore sizzled as the filamentssnapped and the LEDs fried.
Jimmywas picking up his phone, smiling as he dialed my number.
Denniswas asleep in his bunk at the firehouse.
Allof them shut down as they were hoisted into the air silently. I was flung backinto myself and something snapped inside me, clicking into place. The smokeytendrils of shadows flared as the tattoos etched on Shea's flesh began to bleedblue and copy themselves in lines of text through the shadows.
Lookingdown at my wrists, I saw the tattoos encircle my pale white flesh. Fearing thesame was happening to the others, I sent my consciousness back down the lines asthe runes appeared on each of their wrists, matching mine in design and color.When the last one filled in, they flared to life and disappeared, fading undertheir skin.
Therewas an echo from the clap of thunder that exploded around us as the shadowsmelted and lowered us to the bed. Everyone passed out but me as I writhed inagony while my flesh knitted itself back to normal. After it finished, I joinedthem in oblivion.
Chapter 12
Ididn't wake up untilthe next day, Shea lightly tapping my cheek with the tips of his fingers.
Iwinced as Yuki's Masterechoed in my mindfor the trillionth time. It felt like I had a hangover on steroids. What? I groaned and opened my eyes tosee a very relieved looking shadow walker hovering over me.
Whatthe fuck did you do? Icould feel Yuki's pain through her voice.
Don'tfucking ask me. Ask blue boy.Without looking, I pointed at the sleeping demon beneath me, even though she couldn'tsee him.
Don'task me, either. I'm dead.
You'renot dead, you're talking, you dumb fucking dog. Yuki was a little pissed.
IfI'm not dead, would one of you be so kind as to kill me?
Therewere muffled other voices in our conversation, but I couldn't make out any oftheir words. Somebodyturn off the voices.
Youhear them, too?Yuki sounded spooked.
"Wecan hear you. All of you. That might be the others trying to respond." Dargroaned.
Ilifted my head from Dar's chest and instantly regretted doing it. The lightfrom the window was blinding. Waving my hand, the shadows created willowydrapes blocking most of it.
"Howdid you do that?" Shea asked in awe.
"Brightlight." I covered my face in my hands and rolled over, burying my face inthe pillow.
Iam starting to feel better.Ellis' voice in mind-speech was unmistakable. Lifting my head again insurprise, I blinked at him.
Youcan hear me?
Yes.
Weall can, came acacophony of voices.
Holdup. Yuki?
Yes?
Dar?
Yes.
Ellis?
Aye.
Shea?
Lady?
Chief?Chief? Jimmy? Dennis? Jason?
Muffledrumblings, but no speech. They could hear me, just not respond. "Well, Iguess that answers that. How come Shea and Ellis can answer me now?"
"Darkelves," Dar answered. "Spheres. Can we go back to dead now?" Hegroaned and rolled over, sobbing silently.
Sheaappeared with a tray of glasses filled with water and a bottle of pills. He wasalso dressed.
"What'sthat?"
"Advil."
"Youhave Advil?" Witches didn't get headaches. I didn't have any at my house.
"No,but the drug store on the corner does."
Nodding,the scene played out in my head. As soon as he saw the state we were in, heshadow-walked to the pharmacy, stole the biggest bottle of pain reliever hecould find, and came back. Greedily, I popped four of them in my mouth andwashed it down with a bit of water. Being the considerate little assassin hewas, he shadow walked all over town, dispensing medication to everybody who hadbeen caught up in the metaphysical backlash. He knew where they were just byfeeling around for them in his head. The same way I had seen what hadtranspired the night before.
"Doesanybody need anything?" An annoyingly chipper sounding Ellis asked as helifted himself from the bed, found his pants, and got into them.
"Ashower." I was…gross.
Darlifted his hand and pointed at the bathroom door beside the bed.
Ishook my head. "I'm going home."
"Come,my lady. I will carry you," Ellis answered reverently.
Thatsounded about as appealing as listening to Skrillex.
Callingthe shadows, I felt their coolness as they slipped under me. Once they hadgathered enough, they swallowed me up and spit me out in my own bed at my ownhouse. I'm sure anybody in the room would have seen me rising from thecomforter like some ghostly apparition. It was a cool, handy new talent, andone I would explore further once my head stopped throbbing and my ass wassqueaky clean. Figuratively and literally. No more metaphysical sex. Ever.
I'mhome, I leteverybody know and slammed a mental barrier up, praying it would keep out thevoices. It seemed to work as I was bathed in silence.
"Youokay?" Yuki practically fell into the room.
"Iwill be as soon as the planet stops spinning and I have a shower."
Iheard her clothes hitting the floor as she stripped and then took my hand,hoisting me up off the mattress. She got her shoulder under my arm andpractically dragged me into the bathroom, turning the water on as she waitedand kept me from falling to the floor.
"Thatwas some party."
"I'mtoo old for that shit."
"Comeon, Nana. Let's get you clean." She giggled, lifted me up, stepped overthe edge of the shower, and stuck me back first under the spray of water. "Letme know when you can stand. I'll wash your hair and stuff. You're washing yourown butt, by the way."
Igiggled and wrapped my arms around her shoulders to hang on, resting my cheekagainst her shoulder. "Sorry for all that."
"Itwas Dar?"
"Notentirely. He pulled that binding shit again, and it exploded. Goddess knowswhy." I had a feeling, but I wasn't sure, and I had no intention oftalking out of my ass. "Water feels good."
"Yousmell different."
"Bad?"
Shesniffed the crook of my neck. "Stronger."
"Bad?"
"No.Not at all."
"Yousmell yummy," I said dreamily and nibbled her neck.
"You'rehungry, aren't you."
"Icould eat. A steak sounds yummy."
"Imeant blood," she answered warily.
Assoon as she said the word, my eyes snapped open and my mouth started watering.
"I'lltake that as a yes." She chuckled, feeling me tense in her arms. "Goahead. Gently. And just a little bit. Find somebody who doesn't need blood tolive to feed off, though."
Inodded, bit her neck, and was rewarded with a splash of blood that tasted athousand times better than Shea's
