Lightbringer

heavy linen. Now, with the familiar burn holes dotting the entire length, it appeared less like a garment and more like a slice of Swiss cheese.

“They hid their tracks very well. We found it torn up at the end of his trail.” Piotr punched the wall and, since his concentration was weak, his arm slid through the plaster almost to his elbow, sticking deeply in the wall. He scowled and, with effort, extracted his arm. “They are angling toward the city.”

Wendy sighed, nodded. “Tomorrow’s a half day at school. I can take Caltrain up to the city and take a look around. See if I see anything different.”

“Spaseebo balshoye,” Piotr said gratefully. “Your aid is appreciated.”

“No problem. It’s the least I can do,” Wendy said, folding the cloak and nestling it back in the box. Her phone beeped again.

IKssBoiz&Grls: Hellloo? U awake? Srry bout Mom. Screw her. I’ll still drive u anytime.

This time Wendy set her phone to silent and laid it on the corner of her desk. “Is there anything else you can tell me? Anything at all?”

“Only that there was a crowd.” Piotr sank onto the edge of the bed. “Walkers didn’t walk in crowds before. Now they thrive on it.” He buried his face in his hands. “I don’t know what to do! We sit like ducks, waiting to get picked off! One this week, two the next! Even gathered together we’re not safe.”

The phone flashed as another text came in.

IKssBoiz&Grls: Wendy? I’m sorry. Please call me. Please?

“Did they take him from Elle’s place?” Wendy sat beside Piotr. She started to take his hand and then thought better of it. He seemed untouchable right now and she didn’t want to push their boundaries. On the desk the phone flashed again. This time Wendy set it upside down. “Did they go inside?”

Piotr shook his head. “Tommy was fond of the roof. Some clear nights, the old theater will project classic movies on the wall across the wharf.”

“Was he up there alone?”

“Elle went with him but she turned to scout the far corner. When she turned back he was gone. She spotted a shadow moving south and gave chase but a block or two later she found Tommy’s cloak. Nothing else. No trace of which way they went from there. Nothing.”

“It’s not much, but it’s a start,” Wendy said, guilt churning in her gut. She still hadn’t told Piotr about the deadline the White Lady had set for her. He had no clue that Dunn might be in even more danger than he suspected. But it made no sense to her—why would the White Lady go to all the trouble of kidnapping the Lost and then do nothing but squirrel them away? Something about the whole mess smelled fishy. She just couldn’t pinpoint what.

“Wendy, we can’t take much more of this! You must help us,” Piotr cried, grabbing her by the wrist. This time his touch was not just cool but frigid and Wendy, startled by the sharp chill, yanked away. She rubbed her wrist, eyes wide with shock at the pain.

“Pros’tite,” he whispered, stunned and repentant. His own palm was dark from their brief contact; if he’d been alive, Wendy imagined it would be red and blistering. “My apologies. I hurt you. I didn’t mean to.”

“It’s fine. Looks like I hurt you too,” she replied grimly. “How’s your hand?”

“I’ll survive.” Piotr turned away from her and stood, walking to the window. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. You were worried, you lost your concentration and you weren’t careful when we touched.” Wendy laughed brokenly. “I mean, hell, it’s not like there’s an instruction manual for this sort of thing. We’re sort of feeling our way along, right?”

“I’ve asked every Shade still able to talk with me if they’ve ever heard of anything like this. None can. Most think I am insane to even think of being near the living.”

“Maybe. I wish my mom were here,” Wendy said. She slid from the bed and braced her back against the mattress, legs thrust out and flexing her toes. The exercise gave her something to concentrate on besides Piotr. “She’d know what to do. She might have a clue, at least.”

“Your mother?” Steadied somewhat, Piotr settled on the floor beside her. “What do you mean? How could your mother help us?”

“Mom is…was…like me. She…she sees. Saw. The dead, I mean.”

She’s also a Lightbringer, Wendy wanted to add, but kept silent on that fact. Now was not the time, nor the place. She had to think on this revelation first, to turn it over in her head.

“I do not recall you speaking of this before. So you were born this way, it was not merely your accident…it is inherited, your Seeing?” Piotr reached for her hand and Wendy hesitated, then drew away, uncertain if she wanted him to touch her after his outburst. He hadn’t meant to hurt them, she knew, but time after time he’d told her that existing in the Never was all about strength of will and concentration. If he lost his concentration again he might do more than sting her, he might do real damage to them both. Still, despite all that, part of her was anxious to brush her fingers across his wrist, to feel that strange ethereal suppleness that existed between them.

Duty, a voice whispered within. Her duty was being denied all for the touch of a boy’s hand. Wendy wanted to be disgusted with herself but couldn’t quite work up to it. Touching Piotr’s hand still felt too calming, too nice. Feeling like a taut bundle of nerves and emotions, Wendy gave in and brushed his fingers with hers. Now that he was calm their temperatures had almost equalized. It was very pleasant.

“Wendy?” Piotr was examining her face and Wendy, flushing, realized she hadn’t answered his question.

“Sorry! Um, well, yes and no. My ability to see the dead is sort of inherited, yeah, but I wasn’t born like this. I only started seeing ghosts after the accident. The one we met at.”

“The accident we met… oh, yes, I remember now.” He glanced around the room, as if looking would reveal more of Wendy’s past to him. “I have asked and asked, but no one has heard of your mother. And your patrols, are they still turning up nothing?” Wendy shook her head. “Wendy,” Piotr began hesitantly, “I do not mean to belittle your pain but…she has probably entered the Light by now. Much time has passed.”

Stiffening, Wendy started to draw away.

Piotr knew that he’d said the wrong thing. Wendy’s shoulders hunched and her head dipped down, her chin tucked to her chest and her eyes watering. Thoughtlessly, Piotr put an arm around her and drew her to his side, barely feeling the increase of her heat in his concern for her.

“You don’t understand. Before…before, I didn’t tell you the whole truth, Piotr. My mom isn’t dead.” She scrubbed the heel of her hand against her cheeks. “She’s in a coma. Mom’s sick.”

“Oh.” This changed things, Piotr knew. “Then your problem is fixed! Her soul may be where her body is and since she still lives—”

“That’s the problem,” Wendy whispered. Her shoulders shook and Piotr hugged her tighter, wishing that he could help. “Her soul isn’t anywhere near her body. She’s just gone!”

“Perhaps, because you are Seers, you are strange,” Piotr suggested, half to assure himself and half for Wendy. “It is known that your souls are different from the rest of us. Perhaps her cord, it has grown thin and she is just traveling. Wise men, yogi, do this from time to time.”

“That’s what I’ve been banking on,” Wendy admitted, “but I’ve scoured almost all of the South Bay and I’ve come up with bupkis.” She scrubbed her eyes. “I hate to say this, but I’ve been really counting on you coming up with some sort of lead for me. You seemed to know everyone, you know? But… you’ve got your own issues. I can’t ask you to keep worrying about my stuff.”

“This is nonsense!” Piotr cried, tightening his hold. “I do not leave my… friends… to suffer, Wendy. I shall keep looking, I swear.”

“But,” she frowned, “what about Dunn and Tommy? You can’t be in two places at once, Piotr.”

“Shush. I am here for you.” Inexperienced with this sort of misery, Piotr fought with himself over what was the best next move, what question would hurt her the least. Finally he settled on, “What do the doctors say is wrong with her?” and hoped that it wouldn’t cause Wendy further pain.

Knuckling away the tears on her cheek with one hand, Wendy coughed wetly, leaned back into his steadying arm, and sighed. “That’s just it. They don’t know. Her condition is like nothing they’ve ever seen before, but…” Wendy wiped her eyes. “Physically the doctors don’t know what happened. Aneurism, embolism…all these ‘isms.’ They can’t find any actual physical damage, her collapse and the coma are a big mystery. The insurance company flew in fancy doctors from New York, Paris, London. They all want to write papers about her mysterious collapse.