Surrender (27 page)

I woke in the hospital. My shoulder was bandaged under the hospital gown, and ached from the ghostly snakebite. That surge of power had exhausted me after it burned out, leaving me weak and spent, and I'd collapsed to the floor.

I rolled to my side and saw Bennett sitting in the chair beside the bed, his hand inches from mine. I felt myself smile, as my fingers interlaced with his—with his beautiful, unstained hands. The red rings had already faded from his cobalt eyes, the purple blotches gone from his fingers.

I felt like I'd been dragged around behind a car like tin cans to celebrate someone's wedding—but despite the aches, my smile widened. Tears welled in my eyes. We'd done it. We'd won. Neos was gone, the dead were laid to rest. The nightmare was over, and our future had finally begun.

Bennett kissed my hand, and I touched the stubble on his cheek. He looked better than he had in months: strong, steady, and stable.

“You're still too skinny,” I told him.

He laughed with easy pleasure, a sound I hadn't heard in months, and the tears of happiness welled in my eyes again.

“The Asarum is gone?” I asked.

“How much do you remember?” he asked. “I mean, after you dispelled Neos, but before you fainted?”

I furrowed my brow. “I remember I felt them—the other Emmas—and I saw the Beyond all around me. I saw the trapped souls, and the people who'd been possessed, and I—”

“You freed them. You fixed them—you healed the damage of the possessions, too. Everyone's fine.”

“And
you
?”

He showed me his unstained fingers. “When you took my power, you took my addiction, too. You burned the Asarum out of me.”

“I didn't
take
your power, you
gave
it. It worked, but … can you still see ghosts?”

He shook his head. “Not since that night. My powers are gone.”

“Oh, Bennett.” I squeezed his hand.

“I'm not sorry,” he said. “I did what I needed to, and I—”

“You didn't need to die,” I said, knowing now that's what he'd planned.

“I thought Neos would either kill you and me, and everyone we loved, or … it could just be me.”

“How could you do that? Put me in the position where'd I'd be the one who—” I swallowed back tears.

“You'd have done exactly the same to me.”

I opened my mouth to object—but didn't say anything. He was right. If I'd needed to surrender everything for him and my friends, I'd have done it. “Maybe,” I finally said. “But at least
I'd
have the grace to feel guilty about it!”

“I don't regret anything. It's over, Em.” His eyes burned into mine with their intense blueness. “I've got everything I want right here.”

I still worried about him missing his ghostkeeping powers, but was more concerned with touching him, smelling him, now that he didn't reek of Asarum. I hitched myself higher in bed to kiss him, then winced at a sudden pang in my shoulder. “Ouch.”

Bennett helped me lie back down. “You healed everyone except yourself. I've got something for you, but it can wait. Go back to sleep, and—”

And my family bustled into the room. “Oh, thank God!” my mom said, looking at me.

“Told you she'd be all right,” Dad said. “She's a Vaile, isn't she?”

“Well,
something's
wrong,” Max said, his brow knit with concern. “After twenty minutes alone with Bennett, she's still wearing her shirt.”

“Jerk,” I muttered, but I couldn't help smiling. Especially after Max and Bennett headed off together, giving my parents some time alone with me. I didn't want alone time with my parents so much, but was glad Max and Bennett seemed on the way to rebuilding their friendship.

My dad fluttered around, making sure I was
comfortable, while my mother peppered me with questions and news.

The Knell had their contacts in the police cover up the possessions at Thatcher by saying there was a gas leak that caused mass fainting, headaches, and temporary amnesia. And my mysterious wound? Well, I'd been treated for snakebite, and a ghostkeeper at Boston animal control claimed to have confiscated someone's missing pet python.

As my mom helped me dress to leave the hospital, I said, “So how bad's my shoulder?”

“Pretty bad,” my dad said. “They said to expect a few months of bandages, physical therapy, and some scarring.”

“How bad a scar?”

My mother burst into tears. “It's all my fault. Neos went insane because of me, and look what happened to poor Rachel. And now you're disfigured.”

“Disfigured? Not helping, Mom.” But I soothed her until she calmed down, telling her that none of this was her fault. “Neos was sick from the start. He didn't go insane because of you.”

She sniffled. “Really?” She sat on the bed and wiped her eyes on the sleeve of her thick black wool sweater. “We still haven't been the best parents. We never should've kept your abilities from you.”

Dad plopped down beside her. “We made a huge mistake there.”

I nodded. “You did. But as much as I'd like to blame you for everything that's wrong in my life … I think I'm
okay. I mean, I want everyone back. All those pointless deaths. I really miss Martha. And Coby …” Well, that was still unfinished business. “But I know who I am now. Who I want to be. I guess that makes you not the worst parents to ever walk the earth.”

Dad smiled. “We'll take it.”

My mom laid a hand on his knee. “There's something else we need to discuss, Emma. We're selling the house and business in San Francisco and going to work for the Knell full-time.”

“We want you to come with us,” Dad said.

My stomach dropped. How could I be so far away from Bennett? He'd be going back to Harvard. And what about my friends?

Mom saw my face and sighed. “The Sterns want you to stay with them, and finish the year at Thatcher.”

Hope bloomed in my chest. “And after that?”

“We'd like you to spend some of the summer with us,” Dad said, “but you can do your senior year at Thatcher.”

“Thank you!” I beamed.

“You don't have to look so happy about it,” my mother said.

I hugged her. “I love you guys.”

And my mother started crying again. But this time she said they were good tears.

When I got home, everyone was waiting in the kitchen. Lukas was helping Harry flirt with a blushing Celeste, who
he couldn't even see, as Coby and Sara watched in amusement. And Natalie and her mother were at the counter, stirring bowls of what looked like chocolate batter, under the watchful gaze of Anatole.

Simon and the Sterns saw me first, and stood to greet me. Everyone hugged me, then I sat in the nook next to Bennett. He seemed a little quiet; I worried it was because he couldn't see Anatole and Celeste. But he also seemed more like himself than he had for months. I cuddled against him, enjoying his warmth, as my friends teased me.

“Emma's so kick-ass,” Harry said. “Did you see her open that can of exorcist on his ass?”

“I still say she needs a tramp stamp,” Lukas said.

My mother glared at him.

“Maybe a delicate little snake on the inside of her wrist,” Sara suggested.

“Emma would never get a tattoo,” my mother declared.

I almost giggled, remembering my plan to secretly get inked when she and my dad had first disappeared. Hard to believe a tattoo had seemed the riskiest thing I could do at the time.

“How about some fierce piercings?” Natalie asked, licking batter from her spoon.

“Natalie!” her mother said, and they both smiled.

“Did you hear I got suspended?” Harry asked gleefully. “I am
persona non grata
at Thatcher for the next two weeks.”

“For what?” I asked.

Sara giggled. “They suspect it wasn't a gas leak, and he dosed the lemonade.”

“But he's sober!” I said.

He's still Harry
, Coby told me with a grin.

Good point
. I looked at Harry and asked, “Did you tell them it wasn't you?”

Harry drew himself up in mock offense. “I explained I had no idea what had happened. I was just trying to find my chimp.”

“Your
chimp
?” Bennett asked with a half laugh.

“Despite what you might think, that is
not
a term of endearment for your girlfriend!” Harry explained, raising his hands in a placating gesture. “Even though she has monkey toes.”

I ignored him as Bennett put his arm around my waist and whispered something sweet into my ear. I half listened to Sara telling a story about Harry's youthful fascination with Curious George, as Simon related some obscure point about spectral reading to Mr. Stern and my mom. Natalie opened the oven, then looked around for oven mitts, and my dad offered her his ghostly boxing gloves. She put them on and struck a boxing pose, and the smell of brownies and happy conversation filled the air.

And leaning against Bennett, still weak from my wound and exhausted from the fight, the truth sank in all over again. The long battle was finished, and we'd won. Everything that had happened with Neos, from my childhood on, was in the past, and
this
was the future. These people in this kitchen.

I knew who I was now, and where I was meant to be.
Were there still some questions? Sure, a few. But one thing I knew for certain:

I'd come home.

The first day of February was bitingly cold, but the sky was cloudless and picture-book blue. I was feeling stronger, walking with Bennett, Natalie, and Lukas from the museum to Echo Point Cemetery.

“This is a weird day to say good-bye,” I said, looking at the sky. “We should wait for a cold, gray, drizzly day. How long before it rains again?”

“Emma,” Natalie said gently. “This is what Coby wants.”

Bennett clasped my mittened hand, and despite my mood I felt the pleasure of holding his hand without worrying about our power. He'd even put on a little weight since he'd been home—Anatole and Celeste had seen to that. But it wasn't enough to stop me from feeling sick over what we were about to do.

“You're not taking something from him,” Bennett told me. “You're giving him what he wants.”

“Still sucks, though,” Lukas said.

Natalie glared at him. “Lukas, not helping.”

“No, he's right,” I agreed. “Why should I pretend it doesn't suck?”

“Because,” Natalie answered, “that's how you get over the grieving.” I guess she knew something about that. She was still hurting over losing Lukas—and having me and
Bennett together couldn't be making that easier. Even worse, her mother had gone back to the Kingdomers, though Mrs. Stern suspected she'd return to Echo Point soon.

We walked in silence the rest of the way. When we made the final turn, we could see Sara and Harry through the black iron gates, passing a coffee thermos back and forth as Coby messed with them—pulling Harry's cap down, playing with Sara's hair, grabbing the thermos and taking a sip of coffee that poured right through him and splashed on the ground—as though he wanted one final playful moment with them before he went. That's how they all must've looked when they were twelve.

We stopped outside the cemetery entrance, giving them some time.

“I can't do it,” I suddenly said. “I can't.”

Bennett pulled me close. “You have to let him go, Em.”

I buried my face in his navy wool coat, quietly sobbing. He was right. I'd asked too much of Coby already. In the short time I'd known him, he'd been such a good friend to me, and all I'd done was use him. I owed this to him, no matter how much it hurt.

Bennett kissed the top of my head, and after I pulled myself together, I led him through the gates. Time to help one of my best friends find his peace.

When we got to the gravesite, I saw what Sara was wearing. All black, of course—but under her open coat was a
little black dress, more appropriate for a party than a burial.

“I know,” she said, seeing my expression. “I'm
freezing
.”

“Then why that?” Natalie gestured toward the tiny dress.

“I woke up this morning,” Sara said, “and he'd laid it out for me, on the foot of my bed.”

“Really?” Natalie said. “That doesn't seem like him.”

“I know. I just thought, well, if he's got one last request …” Sara's voice trailed off as she suddenly eyed Harry suspiciously. “Wait a minute. It
doesn't
sound like Coby.”

“What?” Harry said, trying to look innocent.

“You snuck into my room last night!”

He laughed. “You're just lucky I couldn't find a bikini!” He raised the thermos and toasted the empty space beside him, where he must've thought Coby was standing. “One last prank, Coby, for you. Damn, I'm going to miss—” And he suddenly choked up, for once unable to find the words to say.