Or, should I say, secret library, since up until a minute ago, I wasn’t aware the house had a basement, let alone a massive library with wall-to-wall bookshelves and a domed ceiling, an illusion created by magic. A black and white checkerboard floor swirls in a kaleidoscope of patterns, and a gothic chandelier casts starry shadows across everything. The place is truly badass.
“Why in the sneaky witches did I not know this place existed?” I mutter, turning in a circle.
A heartbeat of a second later, my answer arrives as the far-left bookshelf opens, revealing yet another room. This one is far less awesome and consisting of plain grey walls and a long, rectangular table where my fake father; Hunter’s father, Liam; and a few of my parents’ colleagues sit.
“Oh, the society is here!” Opal claps her hands and bounces on her toes. “Let me tell you a riddle.”
“For the love of all powerful witches, what the hell is that?” Liam gapes at Opal in disgust.
He looks like an older version of Hunter, only his blond hair is cut short and combed neatly. He’s also wearing a button-down shirt and tie, a style similar to what the old Hunter wore. Not the new, apparently real Hunter, who’s kind of Goth mixed with a bit of bad boy.
I blow out an exasperated exhale at the reminder that I may not know the real Hunter. Well, I pretend to blow out an exhale, since ghosts can’t breathe.
My mom sighs as she pulls out a chair. “This is Opal.”
Liam’s jaw drops. “What the hell happened to her?”
My mom massages her temples with her fingertips. “I’m not sure yet. All I can get out of her are riddles, and most of them make no damn sense.”
Opal plops down in a chair and pinches her squeaky nose. “They’d make perfect sense if you’d think bigger than what your brain is expanding to. Just open your eyes and look right in front of you. You’ll see.”
My mom crooks a brow at Liam. “See what I mean?”
“We need to figure it out and reverse the effects before she gets permanently stuck like this,” my dad—fake dad—intervenes, loosening his tie.
I swallow a lump wedged in my throat as I painfully realize something. I need to start referring to my fake parents by their real names, because Mom and Dad, even fake mom and dad, doesn’t work anymore.
Sucking back the tears threatening to pour out, I drift over to an empty seat and sit down. Well, more like hover above the chair.
“You don’t think this has anything to do with Plan Elimination, do you?” my fake mom—I mean, Julie—asks worriedly.
Liam tosses a distrustful glance at the witches and wizards sitting around the table. “The only way that could be possible is if someone outside of our inner magic circle found out about our plan. And the only way that could’ve happened is if we have a traitor in our midst.”
Plan Elimination? Inner magic circle? What the twitchy witches are they talking about?
My fake dad, Greg, absently taps his wand against his hand. “Well, either that or you weren’t cautious enough about the stuff you’ve been saying.”
Liam slants back in his chair with his brows raised. “You’re blaming me for this?”
Greg grips his wand tightly. “You’re the only one here who knows someone who would protect Evalee against us, even if it means going against the society and turning Opal into … that.” He waves his hand in Opal’s direction.
Opal giggles. “Indeed.”
“This isn’t my fault,” Liam snaps, a vein bulging in his neck.
Greg shakes his head at Opal, then narrows his eyes at Liam. “You know as well as I do that, if Hunter found out about Plan Elimination, he’d do whatever he could to protect Evalee.”
Liam’s nostrils flare. “I haven’t told Hunter about the plan. I stopped keeping him in the loop the day he got into that argument with the society members about wanting to tell that damn hybrid-demon the truth about what she was. And I punished him for opening his mouth. Five days in the cells and fifteen magical electric zaps. Your recommended punishment Greg, which I followed through, even though Hunter is my son. So don’t you dare question my loyalty!” He pounds his fist against the table.
My heart quivers inside, as if trying to beat again. Hunter wanted to tell me what I was? And he was punished because he did? With magic electric zaps?
My hands tremble at my sides. Holy heartbreaking witches, the pain he must’ve endured.
“Besides,” Liam says, “you know as well as I do that Ryleigh could’ve been responsible for this. She broke the rules, too, and got too close to the disgusting hybrid-demon.”
Disgusting? What a fucking asshole wizard! Sure, I’m a bit klutzy and have a bunch of bloodlines sloshing around inside me, but that doesn’t make me disgusting! Just different. And maybe a bit odd.
“Ryleigh’s been dead for a couple weeks, Liam,” Julie reminds him in a surprisingly emotionless tone. “There’s no way she could possibly be behind Opal’s condition.”
Liam rolls his eyes. “I think you’re forgetting that the hybrid can talk to the dead. And Evalee had Ryleigh’s body for quite some time, so who knows what was said?” He rests back in the chair with an eerie smirk on his face. “For all we know, Ryleigh could’ve found out what we were planning, told Evalee, and then she went after Opal in revenge.”
“Perhaps. But revenge doesn’t seem like something Evalee would do.” Julie polishes a spot on her wand with her thumb. “For as much power and evil as she has inside her, the girl can’t cast a proper spell, even if her life depended on it. Plus, if our plan has gone smoothly, Evalee should be dead by now.”
Her words drop my already cold body temperature even more.
My fake parents were behind my death? They were the ones who killed me?
I feel like I’m going to puke my ghostly guts out all over the trippy tile floor
“Only if our time spell worked,” Liam reminds her. “If not, then the demon we hired to kill her probably didn’t succeed, and she’s still walking around Mystic Willow Bay, tainting the town with her existence.”
A frown etches into Julie’s face. “I really wish all the members of the society were on board with killing her. But no, they think that’s too cruel. So instead, we have to go through all this trouble just to make it look like an unidentifiable creature killed her.” She huffs a frustrated breath. “Do you know how complicated it was to cast that time traveling spell just so her murder couldn’t be tracked back to that damn demon assassin we hired?”
“Time traveling spells are complicated,” Greg agrees. “But sending a demon through a time portal was the only way to cover our tracks. We should’ve done that to begin with instead of using Ryleigh’s body to lure her underground. It was a stupid idea, and I’m glad it didn’t work. Otherwise, we all might be in prison right now. Or like this hideous thing over here.” He swings his hand in Opal’s direction.
Opal laughs, but it’s like she doesn’t get what’s so funny.
“I just hope this time traveling plan works,” Julie mumbles. “And the demon assassin doesn’t do something stupid like back out or decide to stab us in the back and take Evalee for himself.” She drums her fingernails against the table. “It’s frustrating that the only creature that can kill her is a demon.”
“Yet demons don’t want to kill her because of what she is and what she can do,” Greg adds as an afterthought. “It makes her nearly impossible to kill.”
“Will you guys relax?” a younger wizard with dark hair and a scruffy jawline chimes in. “The assassin demon wants Evalee dead just as much as we do.” His smile is crammed with cocky assurance. “The travel plan went down smoothly. I have no doubt about that. We’ll never have to worry about that dangerous hybrid again. Unless she somehow returns from the Afterlife.” He chuckles, as if the idea is ludicrous.
“I wouldn’t be so sure just yet,” Julie warns the cocky wizard. “If there’s one thing we can’t trust in this world, it’s a demon. It’s why I had to sleep with my door locked every
night from the moment the society made me take in that monstrous hybrid. Every night, I worried she was going to kill me and Greg in our sleep. I have never felt as relieved as the day she moved out.”
“We should’ve gotten rid of her sooner,” Greg says with a shake of his head, “before the rest of the demons figured out how to use her power. But now, if she’s not dead, then demons are going to use her to gain power. Then they’ll take over the entire town, and we’ll all be doomed.”
“You know as well as I do that we couldn’t have just gotten rid of her.” Julie reaches over and pries Greg’s wand from his hand. “The leaders of the society refuse to kill her. That’s why her death had to look like an accident. And it’s taken us forever to find the demon who will kill her.”
“Let’s just hope he succeeded. I don’t want to go through the hassle of creating another plan.” Liam stares down at the table with a crinkle at his brow. “I thought for sure we were going to be able to lure her into the assassin demon’s hands after we got ahold of Ryleigh’s body. The hybrid has always seemed to like Ryleigh, but apparently, I was wrong since she never showed up.”
“Don’t worry about that.” Julie rises from her chair and hands Greg his wand. “Let’s just focus on the future.”
Nodding, they all stand and touch the tips of their wands together. “To the future,” they chant. “To a future without hybrids.”
7
Evalee
I leave not long after the inner circle nutjobs start chanting about a future free of hybrids. Not only did the words sting like an evil witch, but the betrayal stirring around in the room made me sick to my stomach.
Even before I knew what I was, I was aware I was different. I also understood that I wasn’t the favorite child, that my fake parents weren’t fans of my strange ability of being able to chat with the dead and my incompetence when it comes to casting spells. But hearing that my fake parents hate me … that they’ve wanted me dead … that they’re behind my death …
I burst from the house I grew up in and zoom through the air, ghost tears spilling from my eyes. The hatred in that house is too much. I feel like I’m dying all over again. I feel cold. Aching.
Maybe I’m better off dead.
Maybe I really am.
When I reach the end of the block, I zoom upward toward the rainbow-tinted sky. The wind blows strands of my hair into my face and a hazy mist of fog surrounds me as I soar higher. I wonder how high I’d have to go before I reached the edge of this world. What happens if I do? Will I never be able to return to Mystic Willow Bay? Do I even want to?
A sob wrenches from my chest as I hover in the clouds cascaded by rainbows of colors. The town is just a speck below my feet and various colors shimmer across my ghostly skin as I hug my knees to my chest.
“I don’t want to go back,” I admit over the heavy breeze. “There’s nothing there for me.”
As if an unearthly presence is hiding in the clouds, the softest plea caresses my ears.
“Eva, please don’t leave me.”
Hunter. And he sounds upset.
When I peer down at my legs and arms, my skin has become more transparent. My spirit is dying. The Afterlife is calling my name.
“I should just let go,” I whisper as tears drip down my cheeks. “If they want to kill me, I must be bad, right?”
“Please,” Hunter whispers from somewhere. “I can’t lose you. I need you, okay? I’ve needed you since the day I met you.”
I squeeze my eyes shut as a wave of pain, sadness, and regret washes over me. “I’m so sorry, Hunter, but I don’t think I’m going to—”
“Huh. I’m not sure I’ve ever had to collect a soul from the clouds before.” A deep voice rises over the brisk breeze, hilarity ringing in his tone.
I open my eyelids and cringe. “Oh, crap.”
The cloaked figure—aka, the freakin’ Grim Reaper—grins, his face just a shadow beneath his hood. “Hello, Evalee, it’s so nice to meet you again.”
Huh? “Again?” I’ve met this dude before?
He dismisses me with a flick of his wrist, which is surprisingly covered in flesh. I always thought the Grim Reaper was more skeleton-like. “We’ll catch up later. Right now, I need to collect your soul.”
I may have lost my damn witch’s marbles for a faerie wing flicker of a second and thought about surrendering to death, but now that Death himself is staring me in the face …
I stretch my legs and push to my feet. “Um, yeah, I think I’m going to pass.”
“Death doesn’t give out passes on Tuesdays,” he drones, sounding bored.
“Well, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow. You can give me one then.” I spring on my toes, preparing to fly, but he folds his fingers around my wrist.
“You can’t outrun death, strange hybrid-girl.” Amusement dances in his tone.
Hybrid. I’m a hybrid with all sorts of powers. There must be a way out of this.
Think, Eva, think. Which one of your powers could outwit the reaper? Demon feeder? Probably not. Witch? Yeah, since I’m so awesome at using my powers. Succubus …
Witch’s brewing pot! I have an idea!
Lowering my feet back down to the clouds, I spin around and smile sweetly at the reaper. “You know, you’re very handsome for a crazy paranormal who steals souls.” I trail my fingers up the front of his cloak while batting my eyelashes at him.
He snorts a laugh. “Nice try, but your succubus powers won’t work on me.” He snags ahold of my other wrist and yanks me closer to him. “Now, open up. It’s time to feed me your soul.”
I try to wrench away, but he’s freakishly strong. “No! I’m not ready to die.”
He only laughs, his lips nearing mine as he dips his head. “No creature ever is.”
I lift my leg and kick him in the shin, but only end up hurting my foot. Then I scream until my lungs ache, tears pooling in my eyes.
“Eva, please don’t leave me,” I hear Hunter whisper again.
“I’m so sorry,” I whisper back as the Grim Reaper opens his mouth and starts to devour my soul.
8
Hunter
Peyton was right; the Ghost Breather is being uncooperative. I understand not always liking the powers you possess, but I’m getting pissed. The more time we waste trying to get her to come out and help us, the longer Evalee stays dead.
“Just walk in,” I tell Peyton as she raps her knuckles on the front door of the single-story house located in a sketchy neighborhood on the outskirts of Mystic Willow Bay.
“Give her a second, okay? She hates this ghost shit, and honestly, I don’t blame her.” She bangs on the door again.
The curtain covering the window at the side of the door moves back, and a shadow of a face peers out.
“Open up!” I shout, but the curtain only falls shut again.
Peyton waits another a minute before knocking on the door again. Like the other ten to twenty times she’s knocked, no one answers.
“How does she even know why we’re here?” I step back and look at all the windows. Not a single light is on, but every so often, a face briefly appears in a window.
“Um, hello, you’re carrying a dead body.” Peyton gives a pressing glance at Eva’s lifeless body. “Why else would we be here?”
I adjust Eva’s body in my arms, noting her body temperature is rapidly dropping. My stomach coils with knots as a fading sensation sweeps through me.
Something’s wrong.
“You should’ve left her body in the car,” she adds, staring down at Evalee.
I shake my head. “There’s no way in hell I’m going to leave her alone anywhere. Too many dead bodies in this town go missing.”
I hold Evalee closer to my chest. She looks even paler than when she first died. And her body is as chilly as an ice storm, while my body feels like a dissipating cloud.
Something is definitely not right.
“I think we need to hurry,” I say. “She’s getting really cold and pale.?
??
“She’s dead.” Peyton rolls her eyes. “That’s how she’s supposed to look.”
“I know, but … she’s getting colder and paler, and …” I rack my brain for the right words to explain how I feel. “I’m not sure why, or if I’m just being overly paranoid, but I swear I can feel her fading.”
“I’m trying my best, Hunter.” Peyton heaves an exhale then hammers her fist against the door again. “Come on, Rowan; open the damn door. It’s an emergency!”
As Peyton continues to bang on the door, Evalee’s body temperature plummets.
As panic sets in, I sink to the steps, settling her body in my lap. I sweep her hair back from her face. Her skin is as white as the clouds, her lips blood red, and that fading sensation I feel emitting off her is amplifying by the second.
What’s going on? How can I feel her fading?
Suddenly, it dawns on me. The fading feeling is from our shared magic. I can feel Evalee’s magic diminishing.
Does that mean her ghost is leaving?
No, I’m not going to fucking lose her.
“This is why I don’t deal with this shit anymore.”
The unfamiliar voice startles me. I snap my head up as I jolt. Then I relax a drop when I realize where the voice came from.
The front door is now open and a girl around Evalee’s age is standing in the doorway with a frown on her face. She’s dressed all in black, which contrasts strangely with her nearly white hair and the most silvery eyes I’ve ever seen.
Rowan, the Ghost Breather. She must be her.
“If you want to say your goodbyes, you should probably do it now,” Rowan tells me. “She’s about to go.”
My brows pull together. “Go where?”
Sighing, she steps forward onto the porch beside Peyton. “To the Afterlife.”
I shake my head in fucking denial. “No, Evalee’s a ghost. She accidentally cast this spell on herself a while ago, and—”
“It doesn’t matter,” Rowan cuts me off, glancing at Peyton. “Spell or not, I can tell her spirit is fading, which means she only has a few minutes left before she permanently dies.”