They continued chatting about wards and protecting the school, but my name wasn’t brought up again so it went in one ear and out the other. All I could think about was Gran and Gage. Could Arthur come after them again now that he had his talisman?
No way. I couldn’t let that happen.
A spike of fear pierced my heart remembering how Arthur had almost succeeded in killing Gage once before, and that was when Gage had his Shade powers and Arthurdidn’thave his talisman. Arthur was a greater threat to Gage now than he’d ever been. And where was Gage? Out roaming the city like a walking target.
The sound of retreating footsteps and a closing elevator door brought me some sense of relief until Skye popped into view next to me. “I need you to tell my parents I’m still here.”
My mind was spinning. I needed to find Gage. Arthur could have found out he was still alive and already be hunting him.
Skye got in my face, eyes wide and unblinking. “Hello? I need your help.”
I shook myself. “Sorry. I’m all out of sorts.”
“I’m sorrymy funeralis bad timing for you, but suck it up, buttercup. I don’t want my parents needlessly grieving.”
I groaned. She was right.
I chewed on my lip, a sinking feeling growing in my gut as I realized I was only one person and could only do so much. I needed to do what I could to protect Gage, but of course Skye’s parents should know what happened to her.
“Yeah, okay. Lead the way. I just need to make a quick phone call.”
I tried calling Dash when I emerged from the basement, but he didn’t pick up. I left a hurried message about keeping an eye out for Arthur or any other Shades and then followed Skye to her parents.
After explaining to her parents that their daughter was in fact an angelic ghost sent on some mission from Avalon, I was permitted to take my seat for the funeral. Her parents had actually taken it surprisingly well after I’d told them some horribly embarrassing things Skye relayed to me in order to prove her existence. I didn’t want the entire school to know about my powers, so I kept my mouth shut as Skye walked through each row, commenting on what each person had really thought about her. She seemed keen on going through with the funeral and milking the drama.
I’d insisted on keeping the seat next to me empty in the hopes Gage would return. I didn’t want to believe that he would leave me alone at a funeral for a ghost I was the sole interpreter for.
With a tissue in one hand, Marlow stepped up to the podium that stood in the garden tucked into the corner of the courtyard.
She grabbed the mic. “Skye was special,” she sniffled, and my heart became heavy. I regretted not doing more to stop that level ten demon from hurting her.
“If she were still here, I’d want her to know that she was a bigger inspiration to me than she’ll ever know.” Marlow choked up and Drea stepped forward, taking over as she put her arm around her friend.
“Skye was one of the best warriors on my team,” Drea announced to a few cheers from the crowd.
“Damn right!” Skye called back, and I couldn’t help but smirk. There was movement to my right as some dude tried to take the seat I was saving for—
“Gage,” I whispered as he slipped in the seat beside me. Reaching out, he grasped my hand and pulled it on his lap. My heart did somersaults in my chest.
He came back.
I melted into his side, resting my head on his shoulder as we listened to the rest of the service.
Gage and I didn’t say a word to each other. We didn’t need to. The soft strokes of his thumb over my palm said everything. He was here for me no matter what, no matter how dark his own journey was right now. We were in this together and that meant the world to me.
I could handle anything with him by my side.
The sweet moment was shattered by the sound of half a dozen cell phones going off. Mine included.
I looked down at it and frowned.
Lumen Academy Dispatch: Team Drea. Level four demon at Wild Ones.
I flicked my gaze to Drea, who was still giving her speech while simultaneously glancing at her cell phone. “And that’s why I love Skye so much and will miss her,” she ended quickly and stepped off the stage.
“Come on, we got a call,” I told Gage, and a spark of interest lit up his face. Gage was a warrior through and through. If there was something that was familiar to him, something that would bring him some semblance of normalcy and maybe even a little joy right now, it was fighting.
We slipped into the aisle as Skye’s parents got up to speak, and slowly made our way to the armory with Dash. Marlow and Drea followed behind us.
