If I could vomit on cue, I would hurl on Demetri’s shoes—better yet, a rise of projectile vomiting right in the old man’s face for even speaking the idea of Gage meeting his demise. I think everyone in our small circle knows that my husband’s death is Demetri’s end game, or should I say beginning—but must he be sobrazen?
“You mind?” I reach for Tobie, and she lunges into myarms.
“Not at all.” Wes offers a painful smile. “You and Ezrina are the only prominent female figures in her life.” He steps in, and my heart thumps because he looks so indistinguishably like Gage at the moment. “Thank you, Skyla. I may not say it often enough, but I appreciate you—in thatrespect.”
I don’t even let that pointy backward barb he laced it with bother me because I understand where he’s comingfrom.
“In that respect, I appreciate you, too. You’re a great dad, Wes.” I shrug up at him playfully. “Go figure.” I take off with Tobie as if I had just robbed a bank and make a beeline for a small familiar circle of peeps near theshrubbery.
Nat and Kate share a laugh while Pierce—the real deal—wraps his arms around Nat from behind. Both Nat and Kate are dressed as vixens, which is almost a requirement on this hauntednight.
“Skyla.” Pierce gives an easy smile. “I can’t thank you enough for thisgift.”
“Apparently, thanking me is a theme thisevening.”
Kate clears her throat. “So, you know?” she whispers her loudest. That’s Kate, forever the trooper. Even with her vocal cords out of commission, that girl hasn’t complainedonce.
“Know what?” I blink over to Pierce just as Holden and Serena come up, and for a moment I’m breathless at her beauty. Her snow-white hair is pulled into a bun, and she’s dressed as a prima ballerina. Holden is dressed like an unfortunate dumpster diver, and I’m not quite getting the connection, but nevertheless, Serena is abeauty.
“We’re going back.” Pierce gives Nat a painful glance. “I’m goingback.”
“Me, too.” Kate shrugs over at me. “Your mother came to me in a dream. We have less than a month.” She reaches over and picks up my hand, warming it with hers. The silk scarf around her neck quivers in the breeze. “Is there any way you can utilize me? I haven’t done a thing tohelp.”
“No. The whole point was for you to enjoy another taste of life—the life I cut short for almost all of you. It’s my way of saying I’m sorry. But a month?” I’m panicked at the thought, and I’m not sure why. “Did she happen to say when andhow?”
Kate shares a quick look with Pierce. “She said she would let me know the nightbefore.”
“Perfect.” I look to Pierce with a heavy heart. “Did you enjoy yourstay?”
“Yes.Hellyes.” He tousles Nat’s hair, causing it to spring skyward in tight little coils. “I think we needed this. A long goodbye.” His gaze falls to hers, and she lunges for him, conjoining themselves at the mouth and stumbling back behind thebushes.
“Don’t worry, Messenger.” Holden nods to me. “He’s shootingblanks.”
“Oh, wow.” I twist Tobie away from all Kraggers present. “I suppose that’s a small mercy. Rumor has it, you’re not, though.” Marshall told me all about their little nest egg of children, quite literally. I think they had four or five hatchlings atleast.
“The kids have been impossible,” Serena laments as she looks to the evergreens. “But I think everyone is looking forward to getting back to normal again. Earth is nice, but sky isbetter.”
By “normal” I assume she means feathers. At least they’re taking their captivity in stride. I know for a fact, Emerson is a hater of all things aviary these days. Can’t say I blame her. I’ll feel horrible once she’s forced toleave.
Holden drops a kiss over the top of his better half’s pale hair. “Feathers suit me,Messenger.”
“That’s good to hear.” Especially since there’s not a damn thing I can do about it. “I’ll be glad to have you floating around once again. But Chloe is sort of a fixture around me now, so be careful not to get too close when she’s within wing-shot.”
“Will do.” He shakes his head, rife with worry. “Dude, you are going to regret playing in that lava pit. She is going to burn your skin off before you ever realize it’smissing.”
“She’s capable of killing you, Skyla.” Serena touches her hand to her neck as if my own head were on the choppingblock.
“I’ll be fine. Hey, where’s Emerson?” I’m racked with guilt over the fact she’ll have to turn in that black lipstick of hers for a black beak. Tragically, I see no point in her rotting away in Mia’s room for the next hundredyears.
“She’s here.” Holden leans in, his posture suddenly wary. “You know she’s banging that dude your sister’sdating.”
“Gabe? God, I hate Gabriel Armistead!” I hate his sister even more, but I’m loath to even say her name. Both Carson and her airheaded friend, Carly, have been known to appear from thin air once I say their names outloud.
“The other one,” Serena corrects. “The bad boy with all the whips and chains and that smelly leather jacket. Believe you me, it’ll be the first thing I crap on once I’m back in proper form.” She wrinkles her nose at the thought ofhim.
I suck in a sharp breath, and Tobie jerks along with me. “Crap! Excuse me, I have to find Mia.” I take off through the crowd of costumed bodies, through the laughing, the haunting music that people still find enough rhythm in to move to, and search for my sisters, but for the life of me I can’t find them—I find the Bitch Squadinstead.
“Messenger.” Em nods me over where she and her trio of besties are all dressed in the same uniform I happened to don. I can’t help but giggle at the sight as I bop on over with Tobie tugging on my hair as if she’s attempting to braidit.
