For one, I’m floored that Holden is actually somewhat tame and obedient. I mull over the catastrophic possibilities—like for instance Wesley piecing together the brilliance of this plan and putting a stop to it. Not to mention the dilemma of the two Emersons. But I can only hope this provides a way to keep Arson on aleash.
“I say you can visit.” A smile blinks on and off from my lips. “But if your father wants details—swear him to secrecy because if Wesley hears of this, and believe me, I will be appraised of this—it’s back to the feathered pound for the three of you.” It will be regardless. A thought comes to me. “And keep it brief. I’m not sure I want you living with Daddy Dearest. I’ll try to find someplace for you to stay.” I glance to Nev, knowing full well they’ll be shacking up in Arson’s mega hovel in less than five minutes. “Would you mind giving Holden your phone?” Nev is quick to comply. “I’ll text you in a few hours. You’ll be residents elsewhere for the duration of your stay. Remember—you don’t spill a singlesecret.”
“No worries, Messenger.” Holden shakes my hand, and the three of them are quick to begin theirjourney.
Nev steps in front of me, his eyes dark and menacing. “What are they doing in the flesh, and why have you practically sent them into enemyterritory?”
“They’re here to take one for the team so to speak. The government wants bodies, and we’re about to give them justthat.”
His eyes enlarge. “But how did you do this?” Nev was a bird for so long I’m sure he tried a thousand ways till Sunday to free himself of the featheredbinding.
“Mymother.”
“Skyla.” Ezrina closes her eyes. “The Kraggers will sideline everything. And Arson? He is the worst of themall.”
Nev gives a solemn nod. “You’re about to see your plan unravel before the dead get to pay their dues.” It’s clear Holden has already spilled the resurrectedbeans.
“That may be.” A sly smile plays on my lips as I watch the fog absorb the three of them from the window. “But, trust me, I’ve got this. There is no way this is backfiring. It’s a done deal no matter how hard Arson or Wesley tries to foil this endeavor. Besides—the three of them? That’s just the tip of the Paragon cemetery iceberg. Maybe it’s time Wes and his deconstruction crew were in on my plan for a change—one in which they are impotent to do anything about.” How’s that for a rolereversal?
The boys begin to make their verbal presence known, and Marshall calls my name as if his voice box had magically transformed into amegaphone.
“The babes!” Ezrina makes a beeline for the back, and Nev and I join her. Before I can inquire about anything that might help solve the mystery surrounding my hatchet-wielding friend, she lifts Barron into Nevermore’s arms and takes Nathan for herself. The boys coo and gaze up at the new friendly faces, their eyes mesmerized, tiny giggles breaking out atrandom.
“They’re laughing.” It fills me with joy to have two tiny dimpled bundles who love to chat and smile. It’s a simple world I’ve quickly gotten used to. Yes, there is no sleep in this world, but I’ve discovered that with every good thing there is a little hell to pay. And sadly, that perfectly describes my marriage toGage.
Ezrina and Nev step away while rocking and amusing the boys with silly faces andsounds.
“Skyla.” Marshall glowers over at me as if I’ve wrung out a dirty diaper in hiscoffee.
“Oh, stop. You know I had to do something. Besides, it was my insane mother who—” The entire building trembles with thunder. “Okay, so it was my idea, but she totally egged me on until I came up with every last dead and dirty detail. But trust me, it’s a good thing. The government needs bodies.Supernaturalbodies,” I whisper so low it’s hardly audible, but I’d swear on my life ten people just turned around to gawk. “And my boys will never play the part of guinea pig as long as I have breath in mybody.”
He grunts as he looks up at the angelic beings. “And your stepfather is looking forward to this, I imagine? Three guests? I suppose you’ll cram them in your bedroom as well.” He takes a sip of his coffee with the satisfied self-righteous grin blooming on hisface.
“Heavens no.” I shake my head as I slip into the seat across from him. “There will be far more than three.” I reach over and pick up his hand in an effort to appeal to the most primal part of him, and that vibrating goodness strums through my bones, appealing to the most primal part of me. “There will be many—there will be legions. And I’ll need them all to stay withyou.”
“No,” he says it so fast, without a hint of hesitation, it fills me with an indignantrage.
“What do you mean,no? What am I going to do with all of these reanimated corpses?” Hopefully, there will be hundreds, thousandseven.
“I mean no, Skyla. Find somewhere else to play your graveyard games. My estate is off-limits.”
“But you love to entertain the dead. Think of Marlena and her call girl friends. How is this any different?” Marshall seems to host a hoedown whoredown just about every other day with those seventeenth-centuryhussies.
“It justis.”
He pulls his laptop forward and begins nonchalantly inputtingsomething.
“What are you doing?” I try to peer over at the screen, but he inches itaway.
“Calculating how long it will take you to figure out what to do with thedead.”
“No, you’re not.” I lean in farther. It’s a list of somesort.
“Fine.” He snaps the laptop closed just inches from clipping my nose. “Your mother and I are planning an extravagant first birthday party for the littlegoats.”
“The little goats? Marshall, they’re not even three monthsold!”
“Yourmother—”
