Elysian (13 page)

A giant thump crashes over the hood of the Mustang, and I let out a tiny scream.

Large ebony plumes fan out as Nevermore spreads his wings across the span of the windshield.

I roll down my window in haste, and he hops over to the ledge.

“Nev! You gave me a freaking heart attack. And by the way, you pull that crap while I’m driving, and I’ll launch both of us into paradise a little sooner than expected.” Well, maybe not Nev. He’s due to cease existing once his time caged in the body of a raven is through, no thanks to the generosity of my mother. And me, well, I’ll probably be a vegetable somewhere until I’m sixty.

I lay my hand over his back to hear what asinine excuse he might have for nearly taking me out.

Well done, my friend. The war ended better than expected.
He shudders when he says it and appropriately so.

“Not really. I got all the way to the sword of the Master, and my mother said hands off. Well she let me touch it. She’s a tease in the cruelest sense. Anyway, they’re tallying up the points. Knowing her we’ll have to go ten more rounds before she declares Celestra the losers.”

A bolt of lightning touches down in the woods just beyond the border of the Oliver house.

I’d watch your tongue, young lady. Perhaps try and get on her good side. There’s more riding on this than you’ll ever know
.
I’ve something to tell you
.

“Well, could you tell me later? I’m sort of in a hurry to find Gage. Hey! Would you mind taking me to him? He doesn’t seem to be responding to my text.”

Follow me
. He pushes off the Mustang, and the entire car moves in a smooth wave. Nev is huge for a bird, even for a raven.

I drive down long stretches of lonely Paragon highway, away from the noise and bustle of the downtown district, away from the humble side streets where most of the homes are situated. Instead, I follow Nev toward the beach and instinctively know where we’re headed.

The sign to Rockaway greets me as I pull into the lot. Gage’s black truck sits in the dark like a shadow against the glittering backdrop of the ocean. The moon sprays its beams down over the skin of the water, and it lights up like a smooth sheet of glass refracting the light.

I pluck my shoes off and make a mad dash onto the ebony-colored sand. God, what if he’s here with some girl? What if Gage has replaced me in the truest sense, and tells me to get lost as soon as he sees me. I suppose on some level I deserve it. Who the hell do I think I am stringing three men along as if I were some golden princess?

The soot-stained shoreline stretches for what seems like miles in both directions as I follow a set of deep-welled footprints over to our little love shack built for two. A new thatched roof has replaced the old one, and I spot a familiar glint of gorgeous dark hair. I sneak in low, rounding out the side until I fall on my knees and poke my head in.

“Boo!” I shout, and Gage rises onto his elbows. His bloodshot eyes startle me. “Oh God,” I whisper.

‘Skyla?” Gage gives an all-encompassing grin and pulls me in until I’m snuggled right next to him, safe in his arms.

It’s obvious he’s upset, but I’m terrified to acknowledge this, afraid I’ll make an already bad situation worse.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper. The least I can do is apologize.

“Don’t be.” He presses a soft kiss against my cheek, and I melt as soon as he sears me with his lips. “What are you doing here?”

I’m pretty sure that’s code for what happened with Logan.

“I miss you, Gage Oliver.” I wrap an arm around him and press my face into his T-shirt, inhaling that familiar spiced scent. “God, I
really
miss you.”

I’m ready to lose it. I’m ready to surrender myself to Gage because I can’t stand another moment of this bizarre self-imposed breakup. Logan begs to surface in my mind, but I hold him down a little bit longer just enough to satisfy my cravings for his gorgeous nephew.

“Skyla,” he whispers it hot into my hair. “I’m glad you’re here. Did you meet my great-grandmother?”

Nev plops in the sand just shy of our faces, and I physically push him away.

“Sorry.” Great. Now I’m apologizing for my bird. I don’t think there are enough
I’m sorries
I could give to Gage. “And,
yes
, I did meet your great-grandmother.” I lean on my elbow and look up at him as his whole person brims with happiness. “She was very nice. I think.”

“You think?” His left dimple goes off. “What happened?”

“I don’t know. It was strange. She and Logan were having this private conversation for a minute. I kind of felt out of the loop. She said it was important I get the pendant back from Chloe. She also mentioned she once had the hots for Rothello, that Sector that got the war spinning in my direction.”

“Really?” His dark brows swoop in like twin ropes.

Nev bounces back in our line of vision, and I just shake my head at him.

“Excuse our little friend,” I say, glaring at Nev a moment. “He obviously hasn’t heard of this little thing called
privacy
.”

“Hey”—Gage pulls me in by the waist—“do you think Logan’s been acting strange? I’m not trying to throw him under the bus, but there’s been something off about him this past week.”

“Yes, totally!”

“Like what?” Gage examines me like the answer might be written across my face.

“Just little stuff like asking me to tell him about the war, some of the things he said to his grandmother, and that whole strange episode with him talking to Chloe in private. It’s beyond odd. How about you?”

Nev has the nerve to hop into our tiny hut and onto my back.

“Hey, dude.” Gage gives him a gentle push off my person. “If I’m not getting any action, neither are you,” he teases. 

I give a soft laugh. “God, Gage.” I trace out his perfect lips, and my muscles tense up. “Everything in me wants to give you more than a little action,” I whisper. “I guess in that way things were easier before the war.” Before Logan threw his hat into the ring. But I’m respecting that. I have no intention of whoring myself out like some kissing Pez dispenser. I may have dabbled in free love in the past, but I’m all through with that. It’s time to move on, grow up, make a choice—choose somebody.

“The war is over, Skyla.” He strokes the hair from my eyes, and a painful smile curves on his lips.

Nev jumps on my bottom then onto the bare skin of my lower back.

“You are so going to be featherless in less than ten minutes,” I say, landing the naughty bird in the sand.

“I think he wants to say something.” Gage moves back and pats a spot between us. Nev hops over and jerks, opening his wings just enough to smack us both in the face.

“What is it?” I land my hand soft over his back.

Pardon the interruption, but I thought you might like to know my lady love is hiding something from you
.  

“Ezrina is keeping a secret from me?” I glance up at Gage while stroking Nevermore’s back. “Is it about Ellis?”

I’ve been sworn to secrecy. Needless to say, I found it paramount to share this information. If you would please refrain from clueing my wife in on the fact I’ve spoken with you, it would be much appreciated
. 

“He says it’s important,” I whisper. “That I shouldn’t tell Ezrina he told me any of this.” I press my lips together as a surge of pain riots through me at the thought of Ellis being dead for good. “I think we should go to the Transfer.” I look to Gage, desperate for him to come with me.

It’ll do you no good. A binding spirit has been erected against you.

“What?” I sit up. “Ezrina put up a binding spirit to keep me out.”

Nev hops in my lap and caresses his head against the palm of my hand.

It was per someone else’s request
.

I glance up at Gage with my heart jumping inside my chest.

“Someone wants to keep me out.” I shake my head.

“That means we have to get you in.” Gage takes up my hand and kisses each finger. “Whatever this is, we’ll solve it together.”

I nod, taking him in with his crimson-laced eyes. 

I’m feeling ready to end a lot of mysteries—especially the one that lies in my heart.

Gage wraps his arms around me, and I let him hold me like that until morning.

A week drifts by with the ever-present haze locking us in, permeating us like a membrane as the seasons shift, and fall descends upon us.

No sign of Ellis, and Marshall is being an ass about the whole thing.

I glare at him from over the top of my lab manual. I’m still not used to him as my chemistry teacher, not that I ever fully accepted him as my “math” teacher. He’s more of an inter-dimensional stalker who has conveniently landed a job as a person of authority just to be near me. Actually, now that I think of it that way, it sort of endears me to him.  

“Still no leeway into the Transfer, huh?” Gage whispers while Marshall accidentally sets Michelle’s phone on fire in front of the entire class.

“Oh, heavens,” he gravels with little affect. “I suppose a replacement will be necessary,” he says, extinguishing the blaze with the palm of his hand.

The room lights up with fumes from the melted plastic, and Logan goes over to open the windows.

I twist into Gage. “Logan hasn’t offered to help me get into the Transfer.” It’s weird because he’s usually on board with all of my twisted schemes.

Gage tweaks his brows as he peers beyond my shoulder. “Maybe he’s the one keeping you out.”

“Right.” I scoff at the thought of Logan denying me access to the Transfer—
anywhere
for that matter. Gage has been trying to build my suspicions for the past several days, citing Logan’s strange behavior like he’s keeping a running list of all his grievances. “His head’s just messed up, no thanks to Chloe.” I spin in my seat to shoot her a dirty look and spot Logan gliding his hand over her bare arm. I turn quickly before either one can see me.

Holy shit. Gage is right. Something is definitely going on with Logan.

Marshall taps his long wooden pointer, otherwise known as his phallic extension, until I snap back to attention.

“Ms. Messenger? Name a substance that can survive a fire.” He gives a placid smile because he knows this is all too easy for me.

“Gold.” It swims from my lips just as Logan resumes his seat by my side.

“Is it simply gold?” He ticks his head as if motioning for me to continue.

“Oh, um…” I sit up. He covered this just a few days ago, but I was too busy thinking up creative ways to off Chloe to pay attention to his non-mesmerizing sermon. “Gold but not mixed with an alloy, so I guess
pure
gold.” I shoot him a look that says, end this now or die.

“Very good.” He steps around the counter with all of his attention poured over me. “Alloyed gold may look the part”—he looks directly past me at Chloe—“it may believe it has entirely the same purpose, but it’s nothing close to being pure. It’s too hard, bastardized into looking like—
acting
like something it’s not. It’s often malleable by the very compounds that pervert it. It is nothing like the original—nothing but a second rate imitation at best.” He locks his hostile stare over her, and my blood runs cold. There’s no way in hell I’m turning around.

I slide down on my stool. Usually when Chloe gets her ass handed to her on a fake “alloy” platter, all roads of retribution lead straight to me.

The bell rings, and bodies flood the exit on their way to the next class.

“Ms. Messenger, may I see you a moment?” Marshall tucks his chin. His eyes blaze into mine as if I’ve done something wrong. He’s probably got some pocket porn he wants to share, courtesy of his friends in the hereafter who believe erotica makes excellent wedding gifts.

I give a wry look to Logan and Gage before heading on up.

“Did you like my rather accurate analogy?” He gathers the papers scattered over his desk.

“Brilliant per usual. Have you thought any more about getting me into the Transfer?”

“No can do. The reason I summoned you, is to request your presence at my hearing tomorrow night. It’ll afford you a visit with mommy dearest as an added bonus.”

“Yes!” I jump a little at the thought of picking my mother’s brain. “There’s no game tomorrow, so I don’t see why not.”

He purses his lips. “I’m glad the resolution of my future fits into your schedule. We’ll leave right after dinner.”

“Are you taking me to dinner?” I tingle all over at the idea.

“No, but would you like me to?” His forehead smooths out as if this were news.

“Oh, um, I guess not.” I shrug. “It may not go over so well if anyone from school sees us. I just thought maybe you were trying to, you know,
woo
me.” Quite frankly I’m a little disappointed in his lack of wooing efforts.

“
Skyla
.” His head ticks back a notch. “You’re my spirit wife. We’ve moved past the wooing phase of our relationship”—he leans in—“and onto the consummation portion of our union.” His lips curve a wicked grin.

“Right.” I avert my eyes for a moment. “Hey, if I consummate will you break the rules and take me to the Transfer?” I’m dying to know what the hell Ezrina is keeping from me. Besides, eventually Morley and his ex-wife are going to wake up and realize Ellis is never coming home. Not that they’ve displayed the slightest bit of interest in his wellbeing. Morons.

“Consummation in exchange for a visit to the haunt of jackals?” His brows rise as if asking the question.

“Yes.” Really, no, but it’s the thought that counts.

“Done.” He touches the papers in his hand to the desk to annunciate the fact. “By the way, I still haven’t received your homework for trig. You do realize you’re falling behind.”

“My dog ate it.” I give a hard wink.

“I’ll confirm this with your mother tomorrow night at dinner.”

“I’m surprised she’s invited anyone to dinner. She’s been cleaning out the clutter, trolling for items to sell on eBay. Tad’s pay cut has really hit us hard.”

“She did indeed extend the invitation. In fact, I believe she promised an important announcement would be made.”