All the Pretty Ghosts (The Never Alone Series Book 1) (15 page)

There was no debris that rained down on me this time. Wherever the explosion was, it wasn’t anywhere near me. A puff of smoke in the distance was all I could see of the damage and death that had occurred.

All I could pray for was that Faith and Oliver weren’t anywhere near the building that had blown up. That thought spurred me into action. Ignoring the now pulsing pain in my shoulder, I set off in a run toward the apartment. There was nothing I could do about knowing my sister’s whereabouts, but I could find Oliver.

I had to know he was okay.

My eyes searched the streets for the landmarks that had guided me only that morning. My feet pounded on the pavement in the same rhythm to my heartbeat.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

It echoed in my head.

The thought of being without Oliver, of something taking him from me, was unbearable. He had become a part of me, just as sure as my own limbs. Without him, I wouldn’t be able to survive. I was fooling myself the entire time I was living in my house on the hill. Being without Oliver wasn’t living, it was only existing.

By the time I rounded the last corner, I was nearly crazy with panic. My lungs burned and my legs were quickly turning to jelly. I stopped outside the apartment building, taking the steps down to the basement two at a time.

He wasn’t there.

“Oliver?” I called out. My eyes found all the nooks and shadows, searching them and making sure he couldn’t be hiding anywhere from me.

There was no response.

If Oliver wasn’t here, he might have been in that building. The explosion that could be heard echoing around the city could have engulfed him. Swallowed him up like his life meant nothing. Like
he
was nothing.

I couldn’t breathe.

This time, it wasn’t the mold and mildew making it difficult, but sheer panic. I had to find Oliver. The thought repeated in my head, shutting down any other thoughts.

I ran for the door.

And almost ran straight into him.

I managed to stop myself before collided with his chest. Again, I found myself desperate to wrap my arms around him but couldn’t cross that line. We were friends, I wasn’t supposed to need him so badly.

“Everly? Are you okay?” he asked, his eyes full of nothing but concern.

I stepped back, trying to regain my lost composure. “Yeah, I was just… going to get some food. Have you eaten?”

“I have.” He took a step closer, his brows knitted with worry. “Are you sure you’re okay? You’re so pale. And breathless. What’s going on?”

Looking up at his earnest face, I couldn’t lie. There was no point. “I heard an explosion, I was worried you might have been hurt.” I held his gaze, desperate to know all that was running through his mind.

“I was worried about you for the same reason,” he confessed, his eyes leaving mine and falling to the floor.

Nobody cared about me as much as Oliver did. Not since the Event and I had lost my family. My heart, the same piece of me I had thought shriveled and dead, started to swell. It was a strange feeling, flooding my veins with warmth and lifting my spirits.

All that, in the space of less than a second.

Oliver was looking at me expectantly, waiting for me to say something.
Anything
. I wasn’t sure if I could find any words to speak. Because, as much as I knew my own feelings, I didn’t know his.

“I should go get food before it gets too dark,” I managed to get out. It was completely inadequate for what I wanted to say but it would have to do.

“Do you want me to come with you?”

I nodded, not ready to leave him again so soon. We walked side by side to the shelter, largely in silence. I didn’t want to confess that I had spent the day stalking Jet and he didn’t want to share his day’s activities for whatever reason he held.

The shelter was getting busier every time I visited. As the food supplies were running out in peoples’ private stashes, they were turning to the kindness of the shelter workers. The crazy kid had been right, the food was going to dry up soon.

As I waited in line, one of the spirits caught my eye. I knew he wasn’t real as he was an adult, standing taller than most people here.

And I had seen him before.

David was walking amongst the kids. He hadn’t seen me, he was going in the opposite direction. He shouldn’t have been here. I had seen him cross over and disappear with my own eyes.

Why was he still walking the earth?

I had released him, helped him settle his affairs with his children. He should have gone to the better place we were all promised. There was no way David could still be here.

“Ev? What’s going on?” Oliver asked, trying to see what I was looking at.

“It’s David. He’s here.”

“The spirit you helped?”

“Yeah.” A tall girl walked in front of me. I moved to see around her but David was gone. Maybe my eyes were playing tricks on me. Perhaps it was never him to begin with. I shook my head to clear the thoughts. “I don’t know. It was probably someone else that just looked like him.”

“Probably.” Oliver gave me a smile that was supposed to be reassuring. I tried to convince my shaking hands of that.

I got a small bread roll when I reached the front of the line and we walked back to the apartment once I had eaten. I needed to be away from the crowds, I yearned for some peace and quiet after everything that had happened. My aching body needed it even more.

As we sat in the musky apartment, silence settled between us. My mind was troubled, unable to keep the swirl of thoughts quiet for even a few hours.

Oliver was sitting across from me, his knees cradled to his chest in an attempt to stay warm. He blew on his hands and rubbed them together, trying to generate some heat.

I found the words falling from my mouth before I knew I was going to say them. “I need to find Faith.”

His head shot up to meet my gaze. “It’s been over a year. She could be anywhere.”

“She’s only nine, she couldn’t have gone far.”

“You haven’t even got any clues where she could be.”

I knew it was a hopeless search, but that didn’t mean I shouldn’t be trying. Faith was my sister, I would never be able to stop thinking about her.

Worrying about her.

Loving and missing her.

“I’ll find clues. She couldn’t have just disappeared.”

Oliver licked his lips to return some moisture to them before he replied. “Maybe it’s best you don’t know what happened to her.”

“How can you say that? She’s out in the world alone. She needs me, I was supposed to protect her.” Anger was rising up with the bile in my stomach. I didn’t know why Oliver was being so contrary.

He knew Faith, he had grown up with her too. She always wanted to hang out with us, he would constantly tease her about being a little drama queen. He was a big brother to her as much as I was a big sister.

“Things happen for a reason,” Oliver said quietly. “Maybe she wasn’t meant to stay with you.”

I was too stunned to say anything. And even if I did, I might regret what I wanted to say at that moment. No matter what Oliver’s opinion, finding Faith was something I had to do. I had been trying for over a year to locate her, it was time I stepped up my efforts.

Or perhaps there was another way.

If I could find out what secrets the adults’ held, I could restore the city. That would make it safe not only for my sister, but for all the kids. It was a long shot, but maybe it was crazy enough to work.

Chapter Thirteen

T
he night got colder as it wore on. I shivered and my teeth chattered all night. Morning was almost a relief, allowing us to move and generate some heat.

Oliver was awake before I was, staring at me as I woke up. Even with running a hand through my hair to try to smooth and untangle it, I felt self conscious. Once, I never would have left the house without looking perfect. Even though Oliver had seen me at my worst, it still didn’t feel right.

“Was I drooling?” I asked, wiping my face.

His lips quirked up into a smile. “No. You actually look really beautiful when you’re asleep. It’s peaceful watching you.”

For the second time in as many days, I was speechless. Oliver didn’t dwell, quickly standing and heading for the door. I stood too, shaking my arms and legs to get the blood moving around. The pain was a little better, but only marginally.

I opened the door and was instantly blasted with a gust of cold air.

No, not just cold, but
frozen
air.

Flakes of snow were softly falling to the ground in a silent dance, joining their mates already forming solid blocks on the pavement. What I wouldn’t have done for a heavy coat, gloves, and a scarf. My shirt and jeans were not going to stand up to the cold for long.

The raised voices of an argument drifted down with the wind. Oliver and I took one look at each other before sprinting toward it. We found them in an alleyway at the end of the street. Three boys, one of them couldn’t have been more than five years old.

“It’s mine, you can’t have it,” the smallest one said.

“I found it fair and square, it’s mine,” one of the bigger boys, in his early teens, replied. They each had a corner of a blanket, knuckles white as they held on for their life.

“It’s not! Give it to me!”

“I’m going to kill you if you don’t let go.”

“Like you could even try!”

Without warning, the two bigger boys lunged for the smaller one. They set on him like a wild pack of dogs, going for the most vulnerable one in the group.

“No!” I shrieked.

Oliver went to stop me but I was too fast for him. I jumped into the fray, my sole intention to get to the little boy before they could kill him.

I didn’t doubt they would.

Kill him, that is.

My hands clasped around the child’s collar, jerking him backwards. The grip of the other boy was too strong as his fingers dug into his little arms. He wasn’t going to give him up without a fight.

Trying not to think of what I was doing, I kicked the boy in the groin, trying to hit a sensitive spot that would take him out of the fight. I didn’t want to hurt him, I just needed to stop him for a moment while I took the child.

My foot collided with his belly, a little higher than I had aimed but it hit with some force, making the boy gasp as he let go. “Bitch!”

The other older boy let go as I lined him up in my sights. The child was finally free. I wrapped an arm around his struggling little body and picked him up. I half-dragged, half-carried him around the corner.

“Let me go!” he said, squirming in my arms. I returned him to the ground when we were a block away. He was breathing heavily as he straightened his jacket. “You let them steal my blanket.”

“They were going to kill you,” I pointed out. I wasn’t going to apologize, no matter how sorry I felt for the child. I had done the right thing, I was certain of it.

“Now I’m going to freeze to death,” he replied petulantly. Clearly I was not going to get any gratitude from the kid. “You should have left me there.”

“And they would have still taken your blanket. Go to the shelter, they might have a spare one for you there.”

He stood, his arms stubbornly crossed over his little chest. He had several scratches on his red cheeks, hopefully his only injuries from the fight.

“Do you want me to take you to the shelter?” I offered. I didn’t want to just leave him here, not when those boys were still so close. They would recover soon enough.

“No. I don’t want anything from you,” the boy spat the words at me before taking off down the street. At least he had the sense to run in the opposite direction of the alley.

“So much for good deeds, huh?” Oliver’s voice startled me from behind.

“He’s not exactly in the fan club, no.”

“You did a good thing.”

I shrugged and we kept walking. Ignoring the rumbling in my stomach, we needed to find somewhere warmer to stay. Perhaps we would get lucky and find some winter coats or blankets of our own. There had to be some houses that were still yet to be ransacked.

As we moved, we passed kids curled up in the streets. It wasn’t unusual to see them out, especially in the daytime.

What was unusual was the fact they weren’t moving.

“Oliver…”

“I know. Just keep walking,” he said, refusing to let his gaze go to the kids.

They were all dead.

Frozen in place with no chance of ever getting up again.

It seemed so unfair. At times I couldn’t work out how I had managed to stay alive when so many others had perished. There was nothing special about me. No special skills that helped me to survive after the Event.

And yet here I was.

With Oliver, still alive.

I didn’t know why or how.

But I
was
angry. Jet and his secret adults could change things. They could make it better, protect all those children who should not have lost their lives by freezing to death in the middle of the night. It should not have happened.

The winter was only going to get colder. Things were going to get worse unless someone did something.

“Oliver, I have to go back underground,” I said, changing my course to head for the tunnels.

He kept up with me. “No, they’re going to get you again. You might not get away a second time.”

“I have to speak with Jet. He knows stuff. He might be able to help.” I never slowed my pace. I would have broken into a run if the ground wasn’t so slippery from the snow.

“They’re going to hurt you, Ev.”

“Jet won’t let them.” As I said the words, I hoped they were true. Jet had let me go for a reason, surely those reasons hadn’t changed in only two days.

“I’m going with you,” Oliver said, determination in his voice, too. I was glad for the company, but I wasn’t sure how Jet would react to another visitor. I hoped his charity would extend to Oliver.

My faith in Jet was tenuous at best.

We worked our way through the snow, some of it starting to turn to slush with the sun in the sky. Each step had to be deliberate, otherwise either one of us would end up on the ground in a heap.

It took a lot longer than usual to get to the tunnel entrance. This time, I didn’t sneak around. Oliver and I walked right into the middle of the mole peoples’ territory and waited. Every second that passed only helped to make me angrier.

“Come on! I’m waiting out here. Come and get me!” I yelled out. I knew they were watching. I could feel every single one of their eyes on me from the shadows.

“Maybe they’re not-” Oliver’s words were cut off as they arrived.

They had sent a dozen people for us. Whatever system they had for monitoring their entrance was a good one. I wondered when they had first spotted us. Down the street? Down the block? There was no way to tell.

And, of course, Perry was the first one to step forward in front of me. “Are you seriously stupid enough to come back here? Do you have a death wish or something?”

I ignored her taunting, refusing to take the bait. “I want to see Jet. Take me to him.”

She laughed, more to herself than anyone else. “You’re making demands now?” She stepped closer, putting her face directly in front of mine. “Who do you think you are?”

I pressed my arms against my side so she didn’t see them shaking. If there was something Perry loathed, it was a lack of strength. I couldn’t show any less in front of her. “I need to see Jet. Please take me to him.”

She eyed every inch of me, never once breaking her gaze. I wasn’t sure what she was looking for, but I hoped she didn’t find it. I didn’t want to give Perry any reason to attack me again.

One of the other guys stepped closer. He was tall, even taller than Oliver. He had to be one of the older ones, eighteen if I had to guess. “She’s trespassing. Let me deal with her.”

Perry stood back, addressing him. “I’d like to see you deal with her.”

The man took another step closer, his hands already flexing and getting ready to do some serious harm to me. I stood as still as a statue, sure I had made a mistake in returning here. I shouldn’t have pushed my luck, it was stupid of me. And I had put Oliver in the firing line, making my mistake even worse.

The guy raised his fist, ready to strike. I clenched my jaw, waiting for the impact and pain to shoot through me. I’d survived their beating once before, maybe I could do it again.

Oliver moved to get between us just as the guy was about to swing.

He didn’t get a chance.

Perry’s arm shot out to stop him. Her hand landed on his wrist, holding him there. “Wait, you can’t. She’s Jet’s property. We can’t harm her.”

Her resigned voice was full of regret. She didn’t like stopping him. She didn’t want me to come to no harm. But she had orders. Jet’s orders.

She’s Jet’s property
.

I had never been happier belonging to someone. The indignation would sting later on when I thought about it. For now, I was just happy not wearing the guy’s fist as an accessory.

“Come on, just let me play with her,” the guy whined, smirking. His eyes were alight with bloodlust. “Jet won’t mind.”

Perry let go of his arm and all my muscles tensed with the anticipation. But she stood in front of me instead of letting him go. “I said she is Jet’s. Now go get him so we can get back to what we’re supposed to be doing. This is a waste of time and she’s not worth it.”

She didn’t get any more of an argument. The guy clenched his fists, relaxed his shoulders, and stormed off. A slightly built woman trailed after him.

The group collectively relaxed, no longer paying Oliver and me as much attention. Unlike Perry who was glaring at me. The silence was painful and awkward. I wasn’t sure if I should start a conversation with her or if she was best left alone. I wasn’t here to make friends, and I was pretty sure Perry hated me, so I just remained quiet while I waited.

Aurelia was nowhere in amongst the crowd. If she had come up, she was hiding. I got the feeling she did that a lot. I would too if Perry was my sister.

The tension radiating from Perry was palpable. If I put my hand anywhere near her, I was certain she would zap me with electricity. She didn’t like something being out of her control. If Jet was the only one she’d listen to, she would hate the fact I was considered his property. I didn’t need to get inside her head to know that.

At the back of the grounds, I saw some spirits. They were curious about what was going on. The moment I noticed them, I averted my eyes.

But it was too late.

They rushed at me, chattering amongst themselves. I worked on my walls, desperately trying to tune them out. I needed to concentrate on the mole people, I couldn’t afford to have such a formidable distraction.

I didn’t hear Jet come up. I didn’t even notice him until he stood right in front of me, blocking out the spirits who were trying so hard to be heard.

“What do you want, princess?” Jet asked tersely. He didn’t appreciate the interruption to his morning. “Spit it out, I don’t have all day.”

“I need to talk to you,” I said as confidently as I could. Inside, I was crumbling. I could barely see the others for all the spirits crowding around us.

There were too many.

They were going to swallow me up.

“Fine. But alone. I’m not talking to you out here.”

The last thing I wanted to do was leave Oliver behind. I needed him here, I needed him to help me escape if I had to find my own way out.

If only I could think clearly. The spirits were so loud, shattering my eardrums with their constant pleas.

“Come on, princess,” Jet said. “What’s it going to be?”

He looked around pointedly as I stood frozen in place. There were so many faces around me, staring at me, torturing me. The quiet of the underground would be a beautiful relief. Like an oasis in the desert.

But I couldn’t leave Oliver. “I can’t go alone.”

“Well I’m not talking otherwise.” Jet started walking toward the tunnel entrance – not the secret one but the exposed entrance down the steps.

I quickly turned to Oliver. He gave me a rueful shrug. “I’ll wait here for you. I’ll come down if you are too long.”

“Thank you,” I managed to get out before hurrying after Jet. It wasn’t a perfect situation, but even knowing Oliver was there was enough to give me the strength I needed.