All the Pretty Ghosts (The Never Alone Series Book 1) (16 page)

Jet kept up the fast pace relentlessly, not caring if I was keeping up or not. It quickly grew too dark to see anything in the tunnel. Still, he walked with purpose, annoyed I had demanded to speak with him.

The spirits didn’t follow me down and I was beginning to think they might not be able to. The relief felt wonderful, the quiet was the blessing I needed.

It was so dark and we were walking so fast that I didn’t get a chance to see the heavy rock in my path. I tripped, going down without being able to get a good grip on anything to stop myself.

All the air was knocked from my lungs with an “oomph” escaping my lips. My ankle instantly started throbbing with pain at being caught on the rock.

Jet let out a sigh as he reached down and felt around until his hand found mine. “You really aren’t very careful. Are you, princess?”

“How can you see anything down here?” I grumbled. I really wished he would stop calling me princess.

I was no princess.

“You get used to it.” He helped me to my feet, his arms lingering around my waist to make sure I was going to stay up. “Are you going to be okay or do you need me to carry you?”

I pushed him away. “I can do it myself.”

I couldn’t see him, but I could imagine the shrug of his shoulders as he started walking again.

He kept a slower pace.

My ankle got better the longer we walked. I caught glimpses of Jet during the short moments the sun shone through vents from high above. Each time his eyes were fixed forward, his posture confident as he walked. He certainly wasn’t as afraid of me as I was of him.

I guess he didn’t need to be.

Jet didn’t take me back to the room he had held me in previously. Something I was acutely grateful for. Instead, he walked for longer until we entered an open space. It was an artificial room, manmade by concrete, with a high roof and many doors leading off it. He chose the one on the right and waited for me to go first before he followed.

This tunnel was lit with emergency lighting as we walked through. It was dry with a paved floor and concrete walls. It even had a handrail lining the edges. This was luxury compared to the rest of the underground I had seen.

Jet stopped at a door and opened it. He stepped inside, flipping a switch before inviting me in. He closed the door again behind me, sealing us in.

The room contained a bed, a set of drawers, and a chair. A woven blue rug covered the floor. “What is this place?” I asked.

“Welcome to Casa Jet,” he replied, sweeping the room with his arm like he was presenting something huge.

So this was where Jet lived.

Huh.

It felt incredibly weird being in his private area. It wasn’t like we were close or even really knew each other. Yet this was his bed, the place where he stayed and the place where he chose who could enter.

“Why did you bring me here?”

He sat on the bed and gestured for me to sit on the chair. I did, purely because it felt odd standing over him. “You said you wanted to talk. So talk, princess.”

His bed was unmade.

It momentarily distracted me. Why didn’t he make his bed? Maybe he was asleep when I demanded to see him? Maybe he just didn’t bother to keep his place tidy?

“
Princess
.” His harsh voice snapped me out of it.

“I want to talk with the adults,” I said.

“I thought you wanted to talk with me.” The amusement was back in his eyes. He wasn’t taking me seriously, he was probably trying to work out how best to deceive me again.

“Only so you’d take me to the adults.”

“What do you want to say to them?” he asked, his head lilting to the side as he studied me.

A retort about it being none of his business was left unsaid. It wasn’t going to get me anywhere. “I want to speak with them about going above ground.”

Jet leaned back, letting out his breath. His arms crossed behind his head, creating a cushion against the concrete wall. “We’ve already discussed this. They have no interest in going up.”

“Then you shouldn’t have anything to worry about by taking me to them.”

“You’ve got an answer for everything, don’t you?”

“I wish that were the case.”

“I don’t want you talking to them,” Jet replied sternly, much harsher than he had previously been talking. “They’ve got nothing to say to you.”

“How about you let them decide?” I challenged. I couldn’t see what the big deal was. If they didn’t want to go up, then there was nothing I could do about it. But I needed to hear it with my own ears and have the chance to try to convince them otherwise.

He chewed on his bottom lip as he stared at me. It was much warmer in the small room than it had been upstairs. The warmth, combined with his forceful gaze, was starting to make the room stuffy. I hoped we wouldn’t be spending much more time here. I hoped he would finally relent soon.

I raised my eyebrows in the silence, trying to elicit a response. We couldn’t sit here all day. Children were dying in the snow above.

Finally, he leaned forward, his hands returning to his lap. “I’ll do you a deal. I’ll take you to the adults, but I want something in return.”

“What?” My stomach clenched with dread at what he could ask for. Jet was unpredictable, it was the only thing I could really count on.

“I’ll take you there if you tell me how you escaped from the warehouse.”

I thought he was joking but the grim set to his mouth told me he wasn’t. “That’s all you want?”

“It is. Do we have a deal?” He held out his hand for me to shake. I couldn’t see the string that was surely attached to the agreement but I knew it was there somewhere.

I shook his hand.

The deal was done.

It was his turn to raise his eyebrows as he waited for me. “I want to speak with the adults first.”

“Not going to happen.”

“How do I know you’ll keep your end of the deal?”

He let out a laugh. “We shook on it. I don’t go back on my word. And you have my word.”

There was nothing about Jet that I trusted.

Not one thing.

Especially not his word.

But I didn’t really have a choice. If he didn’t take me down there, I would run away from him. I would take my chances in the tunnels and find the adults myself.

I would do it.

“Someone left the rags loose,” I started. “One of your lackeys didn’t do his job well enough. I managed to get out of them and then I ran like hell.”

“Loose bindings? I don’t believe you.”

“Well, it’s the truth anyway.” I wasn’t going to mention Oliver’s part in it all. “It wasn’t easy if that makes you feel any better.”

Jet’s black eyes studied every part of my face. I refused to look away and his features eventually relaxed. A smile spread over his lips. “Who would have thought something so inane could have led to your freedom? And here I thought you were a master escape artist. A contortionist, even.”

I didn’t share in his laughter.

“Where is your group now, anyway?” I asked. I hadn’t seen any of them in amongst the mole people. I knew that for a fact – their faces were seared into my memory.

“I’m looking after them, don’t you worry.”

“Are they living down here?”

“No. They have no place down here,” Jet replied seriously. I wasn’t sure what that meant but I believed him anyway.

We were wasting time. “Now can you please take me to the adults?”

Jet pushed himself off the bed. “Okay, princess. I’ll take you to the land of Oz.”

Chapter Fourteen

S
eeing the adults up close was like getting too near the animals at the zoo. I was in awe of their existence. Adults should not exist in our world anymore. Not since the Event.

To have them here, so close I could touch them,
feel
their warmth, and hear their voices.

It was a miracle.

A living, breathing, miracle.

Jet stood by the cavern wall, refusing to join me in my mission. He had stayed good on our deal but he wasn’t happy about it. The grim set to his jaw and his crossed arms screamed his displeasure at the situation.

I didn’t know what his problem was.

And I didn’t really care.

I sat around the small fire they had burning. There were two that had joined me. A male and female, both looked to be in their forties. Jet had introduced them as Francine and Adrian.

Considering Jet probably wouldn’t allow me much time with them, I wanted to dive right in and ask the questions burning in my mouth. But it wasn’t polite and everyone knew you didn’t catch bees with vinegar.

“It’s lovely and warm down here, huh?” I started. They didn’t say anything. “I was surprised to see you when Jet first showed me down here.”

Francine’s eyes shot to mine. “The winged bird doesn’t know what direction to fly. There are no rainbows, only clouds.”

Okay.

“So, I was wondering if you’d thought about going above ground? You know, to see all the kids?” I prompted. They were both staring into the fire like they could see all the answers dancing in the flames.

“The pixies wouldn’t agree to that,” Adrian started, not looking at me. “Our hands toil with their work. But it is not light, nor are they. Darkness surrounds them.”

“That’s… whatever,” I said. “The kids could really use your help. We’re all struggling up in the city. We need guidance, some help. Do you think you’d be able to help?”

“Sentinels wait at night,” Francine replied. Whatever she said must have been funny because both she and Adrian erupted into laughter. They cackled together, almost falling off the rocks with their uncontrollable movements.

I tried talking to them for ages until Jet finally strode over to stand at my side. Frustrated wasn’t even the word for it. It went beyond frustration trying to get the pair to make sense.

I stood, facing Jet with anger I could barely control myself. “You set me up. Where are the others? They can’t all be like this.”

Jet grabbed my arm and pulled me away from the couple, dragging me into a tunnel just outside the cavern. Lights from the fire flickered on the walls.

“I told you there was no point in talking to them,” Jet said. At least he had the decency to not look as amused as he usually did with my actions.

I crossed my arms over my chest, having to yank my hand free from his grip first. “I want to speak with the others. There were more here the other day. Take me to them.”

“They’re all the same.”

“You’re lying.”

Jet took a breath, relaxing his shoulders before speaking to me again. “I guarantee you, princess, they are all the same. All. The. Same.”

I silently challenged him, staring into Jet’s eyes and wishing I had a direct line into his brain. I wanted the truth but there was no way to know whether he was giving it to me.

Others had deceived me before.

“Stop looking at me like that,” Jet said, still not breaking eye contact.

“Like how? Like you’re a liar?”

“No, like you want to kill me. I’m not the enemy here, Everly. When are you going to realize that?” His gaze went to the floor, breaking our standoff. “I’m not taking you to the others. You won’t get any sense out of them either.”

He started walking down the tunnel, his shoulders slumped. All the fight was gone from his stance. If anything, he looked… disappointed.

I knew how he felt.

I had to run to catch up with him. There were still things we needed to discuss. “Tell me what
you
know, then. Why are the adults here? Why didn’t they die with the rest of them?”

Jet kept walking, not even slowing down to listen. He led me up the ramp, the pathway a sheer drop down the side into the cavern. One wrong step and it would be all over.

“Jet, will you just slow down?” I pleaded.

He ignored me.

“Jet, please.”

We left the cavern, turning into the dark tunnel and starting down the labyrinth. He remained silent, refusing to say another word. I pushed him too far. I made too many demands. Any kindness he might have had for me had vanished into thin air.

But I was still angry. I still needed answers. There was no point in beating around the bush when there were children dying above ground. It wasn’t a trivial matter.

And it wasn’t only a few children.

The death toll would continue to rise during the winter. Whoever wasn’t taken at the hands of others would be snapped up by the ice and snow. It wasn’t a matter of
if
, but
when
.

“Jet, I need to know what’s going on,” I started again. We had walked so far we were almost outside his room again. “Please tell me. So many are dying.”

He suddenly stopped without warning, pushing me against the wall. Both his hands were leaning behind me, boxing me in so I couldn’t do anything except look at him.

My heart instantly started racing. It wasn’t his close proximity, but the fear of what he might do to me. Clearly, I had made him angry.

“It’s not my secret to tell, princess,” he said, his breath running over my skin.

For a few moments, we did nothing but stare at each other. I was certain he could hear my heart pounding. That, combined with his sharp breathing, was all that filled my ears.

My mouth was dry, I had to lick my lips just to get them to work and form words again. “Whose secret is it then?”

Jet dropped his arms and stepped back, releasing me from his hold. The relief was instant and I couldn’t help but sigh from the action. I could breathe again now.

“I’m telling you now, just drop it,” he said evenly. Whatever had caused his outburst had subsided. “There are some things you don’t want to know. This is one of them.”

“I should be the judge of that. I don’t need you telling me what I should and shouldn’t know.”

He balled his right hand into a fist and hit the wall. The dull thud echoed down the tunnel, making me flinch. I didn’t want my face to be next. “You’re not listening to me. Walk away and don’t come back. Okay? Forget about the adults, I shouldn’t have shown them to you in the first place.”

“But you did. For some reason, you trusted me with that knowledge and now I don’t have the option of walking away. I have to stay and I have to know why,” I replied, trying to keep the quiver out of my voice. I had no idea why he was reacting this way or what he was trying to tell me. Everything was just so… wrong.

“I was stupid to show you.”

“But not stupid enough to trust me with the rest of your secrets.” I started walking. If we were at Jet’s room, I could probably make my way back up without him. It would take me much longer, and I’d probably get lost more than once, but I would be able to do it.

I didn’t need Jet.

I didn’t need anyone.

My feet made it about ten paces before Jet spoke again. “I know what happened to your sister.”

I froze. Either I was dreaming, or he was just saying anything to keep me here. Or perhaps he was trying to get rid of me and knew the mention of my sister would have that affect on me.

But how did he even know I had a sister?

I hadn’t told him. I didn’t let anyone know about her if I could avoid it. Only Oliver knew of Faith and her connection to me. Nobody else.

I turned around. “What did you say?”

He hadn’t moved from his position by the wall. “I said I know what happened to your sister. I take it you would probably like to know, too.”

“You’re lying. You know nothing about her,” I called out, my voice rising with panic I couldn’t hide.

“There isn’t anything I don’t know about in this city.”

He was lying.

I was a toy he enjoyed playing with. Nothing more and nothing less. He could not have known anything about Faith. I was her sister and hadn’t managed to find her in over a year. It was ludicrous to think Jet, a stranger, could have any answers.

“You know nothing,” I muttered, shaking my head and turning. I couldn’t look at him anymore. Keeping some dark secret about the remaining adults was one thing. Lying to me about my sister was something else entirely.

It was cruel.

Inhumane.

I wound my way through the tunnels with stomping feet and fuming anger. I let the darkness swallow me whole, glad for the deprivation of my senses. I had failed in getting the information I came for. The information I needed. I deserved the darkness, it matched my mood.

Jet didn’t follow me.

If I ran into one of the mole people, they would probably have taken the opportunity to kill me while nobody was watching. My heartbeat sounded like footsteps on so many occasions my nerves were shot by the time I saw daylight again.

The sun was on its way down already, refusing to linger in the cold weather. Strong winds whipped around my thin clothes, sending the chill right down to my bones. Once it wrapped itself around my body, it refused to release its grasp.

The real light at the end of the tunnel wasn’t the sun, however, it was seeing Oliver waiting for me. He was alone, obviously deemed unlikely to be a threat by the mole people. Either that or Jet’s ownership extended to him, too.

Perhaps he owned everyone in the city. He had implied enough down below.

I wanted to run into Oliver’s embrace and let his strong arms wrap about me. I wanted him to whisper into my hair that everything would be alright and warm me with his body.

But I didn’t.

I stood there wanting to cry instead.

“Everly? Everything okay?” Oliver prompted. He was reading my face, taking me in and working everything out before I needed to say anything.

“I didn’t find out anything,” I said.

He offered me a kind smile, it was only the start of what I really needed. “We’ll work it out.”

I didn’t want to believe him. My logical brain said the odds were so far stacked against us that it was impossible to work it all out. But that was the thing about Oliver. He made you believe in him. If he said we’d work it out, he wouldn’t stop until his promise was fulfilled.

We’d work it out.

We didn’t have any other option.

One minute with Oliver and my world was spinning on its axis again. I gave him a small nod and we turned to leave. If we didn’t hurry, it would be dark again. Being out after sundown was not wise in the city.

Oliver kept a brisk pace but it was one I could easily match. We passed the debris from fallen buildings, past the pile of rocks covered in brown snow, and past the white building with no windows.

At the very least, the walk warmed me. After being underground in the tunnels that were much hotter than above, the cool wind was almost a nice change. I enjoyed it while it lasted because it wouldn’t take too long before it chilled me to the core again.

As we reached the grey building with only half its side still standing, I thought we were home safe. There might even be time to get some food from the shelter before we hid away for the night.

I was wrong.

So very, very wrong.

Five boys jumped out from inside the building. They had to have seen us coming and waited for our approach. Their attack was instant. Fists and legs flying everywhere, all aimed at us.

They formed a barrier around me, blocking off my view of Oliver. All I could do was hear him repeatedly screaming my name. Over and over again, the desperation growing with each one.

“Everly. Everly. Everly.”

A fist connected with the back of my head, sending stars swimming in front of my eyes. I had nothing to trade with the boys for my life. If they wanted anything of value they had chosen the wrong people.

“Please, stop,” I begged as a leg collided with the back of my knee. I fell forward, straight into the arms of one of the boys. He threw me backwards, knocking me to the ground.

My head hit the steps of the building. Pain radiated out as my vision blackened from the edges inwards. I couldn’t get up again. I wanted to. My brain
screamed
at me to. But I couldn’t.

“What have you got? Give us your shirt,” one of them ordered me.

My hands started working the buttons but they were shaking too hard to get a good grip. They wouldn’t wait for too much longer but there was nothing I could do to make my fingers work properly.

“Hurry up! We don’t got all day.”