“And...” Warwick tipped his head knowingly. I swallowed, realizing he had seen what happened with Elek in the alley when we were trying to escape Sarkis’s base.
“I might have started to bring back a few others,” I mumbled, peering at my boots. “But I could have totally imagined it.” Mio, Rodriquez, Aron, Elek, the cat Aggie, the woman in Killian’s cell... the list was getting too long to ignore.
“Think we passed that a while back.” Ash’s hand brushed mycheek, warm and comforting, wiping a tear away. “I told you that you would feel like both life and death.”
I hadn’t even known I was crying, my terror turning into tears. “Can you tell me what it means?” I sniffed, rubbing my wet cheek on my shoulder. “What I am?”
“You are nothing I can explain. You are not fae, human, or even Druid.” A worry line creased Ash’s forehead. “But the more I understand about you, hopefully, the more we can figure it out. I told you, Brex, you are not alone.”
“Literally.”Warwick’s apparition whispered hoarsely into my ear from behind, his touch gliding up my spine, my eyes flicking up to him. Warwick, as usual, showed no emotion, but his gaze burrowed into mine.“I’m on your ass all the time now. You can’t escape me. Dependent on me, aren’t you, princess?”
My nose flared, hating how weak and scared I felt, my defenses kicking in. “Let go.”
Warwick scoffed, his tone condescending. “You sure, princess?”
“Fuck you. Let me go.” I yanked my arm from his grasp.
It was instant.
A blinding flood crashed on me, nausea spinning my head, forcing my lids shut. So many voices hissed together into shrill noise, the sensation of ghostly hands clawing at me, battering me against the rocks as they all tried to get to me.
I felt a hand grab my arm, but this time it didn’t stop their attack. I could feel thousands of spirits crowding me, taking me away from consciousness.
Then just as fast, they disappeared.
My lungs heaved for oxygen, my lashes fluttering open to see Warwick’s hand on one arm, Ash’s on the other, both men staring at me like a lab experiment.
“Interesting. My touch did nothing.” Ash tipped his head, his tongue sliding over his lip. “But I guess it makes sense.”
“What makes sense?” Warwick’s grip on me felt like energy and balance were being pumped into my veins, clearing the sickness and darkness away, stabling my legs.
“That only your touch would protect her. You are each other’s shields and swords.”
“Fucking hell, Ash,” Warwick growled. “Stop talking in riddles with your woo-woo shit. Just say it.”
“You can take each other’s pain away or at least ebb it. Share it. This,” he nodded to where Warwick touched me, “is the same sort of thing.” Ash turned his head to me. “What is happening when he lets go?”
I swallowed, knowing again where this was going. “They attack me...” I said quietly.
“The spirits?” Ash’s question wasn’t one at all. We all knew.
“Yes.” I gulped roughly again. “There are so many of them. I can hear them, feel them trying to reach me.” I shook my head. “But this has never happened to me before. I’ve been around graveyards and dead people, but I’ve never felt them like this.”
“That was what, maybe a dozen in a graveyard?” Ash snorted. “This small church has overforty thousandbones in one confined space, not counting the cemetery outside.” His voice lowered. “I can feel their energy too. Tree fairies can feel life and death in everything. I don’t think they are trying to attack you so much as they are drawn to you... moths to flames... like we all are.”
A noise came from Warwick’s throat, his stern gaze on Ash.
“Calm down, big man.” Ash huffed with amusement at his friend, turning his focus back on me. “I don’t think they mean you any harm. But so many coming at you at once can be overwhelming.”
“How do I stop it?” I sputtered.
“I don’t think you can stop it.” Ash bit down on his lip. “You have to control and dictate the way they interact with you. Show them who’s in charge.”
“In charge? Dictate?” I shook my head. “What do you mean?”
“Think of them like a classroom full of disobedient school children who need a strong teacher to get them in line. To understand their boundaries.”
“Why now? Why have I never heard or felt ghosts before?”
