Fake Boyfriend

  Ivy crossed over to the spirit, who was standing very still. “Xavier? Can you hear me? You need to come back to us. This is not your time.”

  Xavier’s spirit looked at her uncomprehendingly and then turned to look at the reaper.

  “Sure you don’t want to come with me instead?” the reaper said smoothly. “Don’t worry, you can trust me, I’m a professional.” Ivy threw him a furious glance. “Hey,” the reaper protested with a smirk, “this job gets old. Why not let me have a little fun with it?”

  The spirit stood motionless, as if it barely understood what was going on. I knew Xavier was caught between the worlds of the living and the dead. It was a hard transition to make. That was what reapers and guardian angels were for, to lead people out of this world and into the one beyond. Only now we needed to get him back and that was no easy feat.

  “Look at me,” Ivy said, reaching for him. “You know who I am, you can trust me. I’ll take you back to the life you knew.”

  When her fingers connected with his pale, ghostly ones, Xavier seemed startled and took a step back.

  “That is one pathetic sales pitch,” said the reaper. He turned to Xavier, tossing his head in an overly theatrical way and grinning. “I can make all the pain go away. All of those worries that were weighing you down, you can forget them. I’ll take you someplace you’ll never have to worry again. No more death, no more destruction, no more suffering. All you have to do is follow me.”

  He threw a triumphant glance at Ivy, clearly impressed with his own performance. Xavier’s spirit tilted its head slightly as if the reaper’s words appealed to him and the air shimmered as he moved away from us. Instinctively, I looked around for my brother. I was so used to Gabriel coming to our rescue, solving all our problems. But today he had problems of his own. What could I do? I couldn’t grab hold of a ghost. Xavier’s body now lay deserted and there was no way to slay the reaper. I couldn’t kill Death himself.

  Xavier’s spirit gazed at me, confused. It looked around as if trying to determine which way to go. The reaper smiled coyly.

  “Looking for the way out? Come with me. I can show you.” His voice was full of promise.

  “Don’t listen to him!”

  Xavier’s spirit looked at each of us in turn, unsure who to trust. I knew how vulnerable he was in this moment, how easily he could be influenced. “You don’t want to go with him,” I insisted. “You’ll never get back. We need you here.”

  “She’s lying,” said the reaper. “She only wants to keep you because she doesn’t want to be alone. Come with me and nothing will ever trouble you again.”

  It had become a contest between the reaper and me with Xavier’s spirit caught between us. But there was no way I would let the reaper steal him from me.

  “Just take my hand,” I urged. “I’ll show you how easy it is.”

  But it wasn’t working. He only looked more lost and confused than ever. At any moment, I could lose him and he’d slip away for good.

  I felt Ivy’s lips at my ear. “Only you can help him now. Do it!”

  But how? I wanted to cry out. I had nothing on their strength or power. I was a weakling in comparison. But I didn’t have time to dwell on that. I ran forward and planted myself firmly in front of the spirit, hands on my hips. It stopped as recognition slowly dawned on its face.

  “You listen to me, Xavier Woods,” I yelled, trying to grab hold of his shoulders. But my hands passed right through him and fell uselessly back at my sides. “Don’t you even think about leaving me behind! What happened to we’re in this together? We had a pact: Wherever you go, I go. If you die on me now, I have to find some way to follow you. Are you trying to kill me? If you don’t come back to me right now, I’ll never forgive you. Do you hear me? You can’t leave me here alone!”

  My outburst was so personal I could see Ivy felt like an intruder. Even the reaper cast his pale gaze at the ceiling as he waited for me to finish. The spirit gazed for a moment and then stretched out its hand to me.

  “Come on,” I whispered. “Come back.”

  When Xavier’s fingers connected with mine, they were solid and I was able to grip them tightly. I knew it wouldn’t last for long, but I couldn’t rush him. Slowly, I coaxed him away from the reaper and back toward the couch, where his lifeless body lay. When Xavier stood looking down at his own death scene, Ivy took over. She moved her lily-white hands so that they now hovered over Xavier’s temples. It created a nimbus of light around his head. The light began to creep down, spreading across his body like a fine mist. It continued to extend until it reached the spirit, coiling around it like tendrils of fog, drawing back in. Suddenly, Ivy fell to her knees and threw her arms up to the sky. There was a flash as the gentle mist morphed into a blazing sheet of lightning and then vanished, taking the spirit with it.

  From the couch, Xavier let out a gasp like he’d been stuck underwater and had just broken the surface. His eyelids flew open and a moan escaped his lips. Sobbing, I threw myself at him, my arms clamping around his neck and refusing to let go. From the doorway, I saw the reaper pout.

  “You win,” he said with a slight bow. He turned and disappeared into the hall, muttering something about reaping not being anywhere near as much fun as it used to be.

  Xavier still seemed disoriented, so Ivy had to pry me off him.

  “It’s okay, Beth,” she said, handing me a wad of tissues. My face was a mess of tears and a running nose. I was crying so hard I felt my skin tighten and my eyes swell up. “He’s going to be fine,” Ivy repeated soothingly. Still, I watched the rise and fall of his chest fixedly, doubting my own eyes and refusing to take Ivy’s word for it.

  “Beth?” Xavier asked groggily, his eyes struggling to focus.

  “I’m right here,” I told him, overcome with a fresh wave of tears.

  “Are you okay? You’re not hurt?”

  “I’m fine so long as you are,” I said, lying down beside him. “How do you feel?”

  “My body feels weird,” Xavier said, and I automatically sprang back up.

  “Relax,” Ivy said. “It’s completely normal. He just needs to rest.”

  Xavier mumbled something incoherent before closing his eyes and falling into an exhausted sleep. I wrapped my body around his, relishing his warmth and made a promise to myself. As long as I was living and no matter what it cost me, I would never let anybody hurt him again.

  * * *

  NOW that I knew he was okay, he could sleep for a month and I wouldn’t mind. Gabriel strode back into the room with his wings retracted. He paused to shake the dust from his robes and plaster fragments from his hair and smiled when he saw Xavier.

  “How’s Lazarus doing?” he asked.

  “He’ll be fine,” Ivy replied, sinking back on her heels, exhaustion showing on her face. “It wasn’t easy.”

  “I’m sure it wasn’t.” Gabriel inspected my tear-stained cheeks and bloodshot eyes. I noticed that Gabriel too looked exhausted, his face drained.

  “How did it go?” I asked.

  “It is done,” Gabriel replied. “The students are blaming Mother Nature and emergency services are on their way.”

  “What about Spencer?” I asked, my eyes stinging with fresh tears as I recalled the last look we’d exchanged before his death.

  “He was never there.” From the curt way my brother spoke, I knew it was wiser not to probe him for further details. I didn’t know what he’d done with Spencer’s body, but it must have been difficult for him. Altering states of mind and erasing memories was one of the things he found hardest. He only did it when there was no alternative. I knew he had to be feeling pretty uncomfortable right now. Ivy turned the subject to more practical matters.

  “We’d better leave,” she said. “Before anyone starts checking these rooms.”

  For now at least the crisis had been averted and all four of us had come out relatively unscathed. I didn’t know whether the Sevens were enforcing God’s law or not but I still sent up a sil
ent prayer. Thank you, Father, for delivering Xavier from the hands of death and returning him safely to us. Keep him from harm and I’ll do whatever You ask of me.

  * * *

  WE were sitting around a traditional room in a local inn on the outskirts of town where we’d taken refuge, putting a healthy distance between us and the campus where the Sevens had just launched their attack. We weren’t worried yet about retaliation. We knew it would take them awhile to regroup.

  “Move away from the beast.” Xavier opened his eyes and we saw immediately that he was completely rattled.

  “Welcome back,” said Gabriel with a puzzled look. Xavier glanced up at him without a glimmer of recognition. His eyes wore the glazed look that comes with fever. I touched his forehead to find it burning hot under my fingers.

  “The beast is rising out of the sea,” Xavier said. He was writhing uncomfortably on the bed and kept looking toward the door even though it was bolted.

  “What’s going on?” I demanded.

  “I’m not sure,” said Gabriel. “He’s quoting from Revelations.”

  “It’s okay Xav,” I said, thinking he must be suffering from some kind of post-traumatic stress. “There’s no beast. You’re safe here.”

  Xavier fell back onto the pillows, his chest beginning to shine with sweat. He gritted his teeth like he was in pain.

  “Beth, no.” He reached out and grabbed my hand in an iron grip. “You have to leave. Go, now! Promise me you will?”

  “The Sevens are gone,” I said calmly. “Gabriel and Ivy dealt with them. They won’t be back for a while.”

  “Why don’t you get it?” Xavier suddenly sat up arrow-straight, alarm in his eyes. “Nobody is safe. He’s here.”

  “Ivy, what’s he talking about?” I turned to face my sister. Nothing coming out of Xavier’s mouth was making any sense. “What’s wrong with him?”

  “Calm down, Beth. Give him a minute. I think he’s just disoriented. He was dead, remember?”

  Xavier tried to stand up and all the color drained from his face. He swayed dangerously and had to grab the bedpost to steady himself.

  “Take it easy,” Gabriel said, a look of concern spreading across his features. “There’s no rush.”

  Xavier looked at each of us in turn in complete confusion. Then suddenly, his expression shifted.

  “Well, that was fun. Can we do it again real soon?” At first I wasn’t sure where the biting voice was coming from. I’d heard Xavier use sarcasm before, but this didn’t even sound like it was the same person speaking. I held a hand out to him, but shrank back immediately. Nothing had changed and yet everything had changed. The softness was gone from his face, as if someone had just remodeled the contours to take on a hard, brittle look. His cheeks were more cavernous and I’d never seen him narrow his eyes in such a mocking way. An uneasy look passed between Gabriel and Ivy.

  “What? What’s happening?” I looked from one to the other but whatever they were thinking they chose not to enlighten me.

  “Are you feeling okay?” Gabriel asked gently. He seemed to have a sense of what was happening but wanted to make completely sure. Perhaps he wasn’t ready to accept it.

  “Never better!” Xavier smiled pleasantly. He slid off the bed and slunk around the sofa, never taking his eyes off my brother.

  “Xavier?” I watched the smile fade from his face as he returned me a level gaze. I wanted to walk over and shake him to his senses. To let him know we could overcome this hurdle if only he would be himself again. But I had a feeling my words would be lost on him right now and any gesture of affection would not be welcomed.

  “I could really use a run.” Xavier was pacing now, flexing his arms and bouncing on the balls of his feet. He wasn’t the hyperactive type. I didn’t recognize him like this—behaving as restless as a caged tiger.

  “Maybe you should lie down,” I said, taking a tentative step forward.

  “Beth, don’t,” warned my brother.

  “No, I don’t want to lie down,” Xavier said. His voice was shrill as he parodied mine and was colder than a snowstorm. I took a step toward him and felt Gabriel’s ringed fingers squeeze my shoulder. I looked up into his silver eyes.

  “Xavier would never hurt me,” I protested.

  “No,” Gabriel said. “Xavier wouldn’t.”

  There was something about the inflection in his words I didn’t like.

  “He’s just worn out is all,” I said loudly, refusing to accept any other alternative. My emotional threshold had been reached when I’d seen Xavier die before my eyes. I didn’t know how much more I could handle.

  This had to be a reaction to extreme stress. After all, humans, unlike angels, didn’t have limitless reserves of energy they could tap into. Xavier had coped with so much in the last few weeks it was a miracle he hadn’t fallen apart sooner. But everyone had a breaking point and Xavier had just reached his. I remembered reading about this in psychology books. If you put someone under enough pressure, cracks were bound to show and they would start acting out in bizarre ways. But I hadn’t expected Xavier’s meltdown to result in anger that was directed at me. What was happening to him? The hostility in his voice now was worse than a scorpion’s sting. It was hard to ignore the way he was looking at me, like I was his worst enemy.

  “There must be something I can do,” I whispered to delay the tears that were threatening to spill. I needed to stay strong right now for the both of us.

  “As a matter of fact, there is.” Xavier had never spoken to me so formally. How hard had he hit his head when he’d fallen to the ground? I looked at him expectantly, eager to accommodate whatever request he might have. I walked across to where he stood behind the sofa, cutting himself off from us. He cocked his head as he cupped my face in his hands, studying me as if he were seeing me for the first time.

  “Tell me what I can do,” I repeated.

  Xavier bent his mouth to my ear and whispered in a low voice, “You can stay the hell away from me, you whiny little bitch.”

  And then I knew. The voice speaking to me through Xavier’s body wasn’t Xavier’s but I recognized it instantly. I would have known it anywhere. It hadn’t changed since I’d last heard it in a place I wanted desperately to forget.

  Lucifer’s voice was still that odd combination of gravel and velvet, syrup and whiskey.

  17

  Bad Tenant

  I clutched my stomach as if someone had just stabbed me there. It seemed a childish reaction but hearing the venom in Xavier’s voice felt like a violent physical attack.

  I stepped away from him and walked numbly toward the window. Outside, the sun was still shining and cars passed by in a colorful blur, their drivers oblivious to what was happening just yards away from them. Jumbled thoughts collided in my head like a meteoric storm. How could this have happened? What were we going to do about it? Could Xavier be set free before something disastrous happened? But what could be more disastrous than what we’d already faced in the last twenty-four hours?

  “How could this have happened?” I said it aloud this time and whipped around to face my siblings. “I don’t understand.”

  “Possession can happen to anyone,” Ivy said softly.

  “No.” I shook my head vigorously. “Things like this don’t just happen to people like him. He’s supposed to be protected by his faith. There shouldn’t have been an opportunity for his body to be invaded like this!”

  “Bethany, think about it,” said Gabriel gently. “Xavier died.… Those minutes on the brink between life and death were more than enough time to let darkness in.”

  “But…” I felt my chest constrict and my eyes sting because I knew my brother was right. “I just got him back.”

  “Don’t give up hope,” Ivy said. “This just means the fight isn’t over yet.”

  I was barely listening to her. The thought that Lucifer had been watching us, waiting for the opportunity to strike was enough to make me shiver. We had been so focused on avoiding
the ire of Heaven I’d forgotten we were being targeted by another, perhaps more dangerous predator. Heaven wanted us separated, but it seemed Hell wanted to exact its own revenge. The faceless Sevens were nothing compared to what I was about to deal with. A chilling memory fought its way into my conscious mind: the image of Sister Mary-Claire’s face, the nun from the convent in Tennessee. Amid the blood and scratches, bitten lips and ground teeth, there had been a look in her eyes. A completely vacant look that suggested she wasn’t present at all. The demon had completely overrun her mind, body, and spirit. That experience had been damaging enough when I’d only been present in astral form and the person involved was a perfect stranger. This time it was happening to Xavier. I wasn’t sure I had the courage to deal with that.

  I kept my face averted from Gabriel and Ivy, knowing how easily they’d be able to read me. I wasn’t naïve enough to think I could hide anything from them—I just needed a moment to absorb what was happening and get my raging emotions under control.

  “Come on,” Ivy said. “We need to get moving. We can’t stay here.” She tried to sound businesslike but there was an edge to her voice that hadn’t been there before.

  “Where are we going?” Xavier asked cheerfully. His perkiness was almost child-like and it sounded wrong coming out of his mouth.

  “We’re taking you back to our house,” Gabriel said, his gaze flickering over Xavier’s condition. “You can stay there until you … feel more like yourself.”

  “Wait, you have a house?” I cut in. “Where?”

  “Here,” Ivy replied. “In Oxford.”

  “Since when?” I demanded.

  “Since you got here. We’ve been closer than you thought, keeping an eye on things.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “We thought it was safer if you didn’t know. If we were in constant contact, it might have given us away. We just wanted to have a base close by in case you ran into trouble. And it’s a good thing we did.”