wants,” he said.
His face was hard and his silver eyes were full of fire. I had no doubt he meant it.
“Why?” I asked.
“He tried to kill me. Almost did, too. One day, I’d like to return the favor.” His face was fierce and his silver eyes hungered for Marcus’ death.
“Sounds like him,” I said.
“You know him?” Reaper asked in surprise.
“I have a friend who did. Tried to do the same thing to him,” I said.
Reaper’s eyes lost some of their surprise. “Ah. So, what will it be?”
“What about your people here? Don’t they need your help in trying to save the world?” I asked.
“River can manage the store for a while,” he said.
“It might take me a while,” I said.
He nodded; he was fully aware that I could be chasing ghosts. I shrugged at him, and accepted his company. Better to have him close than potentially following me at a distance.
“It’s up to you, I guess. But if you’re trying to trick me, I will kill you. I won’t let you hurt the people I care about,” I said.
“Sounds fair.” He smiled and stood. “Do you have anywhere you need to be today?” he asked.
Excitement flooded my stomach at his words.
“Nope,” I said.
He smiled at my excitement and got off the desk and went over to the door. He threw it back expectantly. Outside of the silver door was a girl I hadn’t seen before. Her hair was to her chin, uneven at the edges in a stylishly-cool way. Like the others, she was dressed in black, but unlike the others, she wore colorful jewelry. When she spoke, she had a proper British accent.
“Are you ready?” she asked Reaper.
“Almost. Clare, this is Sara, Sara…Clare. Sara will be our means of traveling to North Carolina.”
“She gonna strap us to her back and carry us there?” I joked, eyeing her curiously.
“Sort of,” Reaper replied.
“I’m a walker,” Sara explained. “My brother and I both can think of a place and appear there in the blink of an eye.”
“Oh…talk about reducing your carbon footprint,” I said.
“We are a trendy organization; going green just felt right,” Reaper replied.
“Where are we going?” Sara asked, maintaining her professionalism.
“Clare, you need to show her,” Reaper told me.
“Show?” I asked.
“You have to touch her and share the visual of the place you want to go. It’s how her gift works.”
Sara held out her hand at his words. “You have my permission to touch me,” she said formally.
“Ah…um…”
I thought of Daniel and my desire to see him, and got over my hesitation. I wouldn’t let the oddness of meeting her be what kept me from him. I touched her hand and shut my eyes, thinking of the place I wanted to go. Once I had thought of the place, I opened my eyes again to see if she had gotten it. She nodded at me, though she looked a bit confused. She held her other hand out to Reaper. He took it in casual familiarity.
“Hang on,” Reaper told me. “It can be quite a ride.”
In the next instant the room blurred; objects, color, and light, all faded into a moving darkness. The darkness I found myself in felt alive, as if I could reach out and take its hand as well. It caressed me, urging me to slow down and stay forever. Voices started swirling around from the depths of the darkness, shallow voices raised in darkness’ name. The voices grew in intensity, until I wasn’t sure where the voices ended and the darkness began; they were one in the same. The feeling of Sara’s hand on mine was the only thing that kept me from stopping to discover the source of those curious voices. The urge to stay was almost overwhelming. I wanted it more than anything.
Before I could make the choice to stay, the darkness ended and the blurred movement stopped. We were in the light again, though the sun was farther along in the heavens. Heavy branches were overhead, and the thick forest reached out to shelter us protectively. I recognized the forest as one near King’s Cross.
I felt my head
His face was hard and his silver eyes were full of fire. I had no doubt he meant it.
“Why?” I asked.
“He tried to kill me. Almost did, too. One day, I’d like to return the favor.” His face was fierce and his silver eyes hungered for Marcus’ death.
“Sounds like him,” I said.
“You know him?” Reaper asked in surprise.
“I have a friend who did. Tried to do the same thing to him,” I said.
Reaper’s eyes lost some of their surprise. “Ah. So, what will it be?”
“What about your people here? Don’t they need your help in trying to save the world?” I asked.
“River can manage the store for a while,” he said.
“It might take me a while,” I said.
He nodded; he was fully aware that I could be chasing ghosts. I shrugged at him, and accepted his company. Better to have him close than potentially following me at a distance.
“It’s up to you, I guess. But if you’re trying to trick me, I will kill you. I won’t let you hurt the people I care about,” I said.
“Sounds fair.” He smiled and stood. “Do you have anywhere you need to be today?” he asked.
Excitement flooded my stomach at his words.
“Nope,” I said.
He smiled at my excitement and got off the desk and went over to the door. He threw it back expectantly. Outside of the silver door was a girl I hadn’t seen before. Her hair was to her chin, uneven at the edges in a stylishly-cool way. Like the others, she was dressed in black, but unlike the others, she wore colorful jewelry. When she spoke, she had a proper British accent.
“Are you ready?” she asked Reaper.
“Almost. Clare, this is Sara, Sara…Clare. Sara will be our means of traveling to North Carolina.”
“She gonna strap us to her back and carry us there?” I joked, eyeing her curiously.
“Sort of,” Reaper replied.
“I’m a walker,” Sara explained. “My brother and I both can think of a place and appear there in the blink of an eye.”
“Oh…talk about reducing your carbon footprint,” I said.
“We are a trendy organization; going green just felt right,” Reaper replied.
“Where are we going?” Sara asked, maintaining her professionalism.
“Clare, you need to show her,” Reaper told me.
“Show?” I asked.
“You have to touch her and share the visual of the place you want to go. It’s how her gift works.”
Sara held out her hand at his words. “You have my permission to touch me,” she said formally.
“Ah…um…”
I thought of Daniel and my desire to see him, and got over my hesitation. I wouldn’t let the oddness of meeting her be what kept me from him. I touched her hand and shut my eyes, thinking of the place I wanted to go. Once I had thought of the place, I opened my eyes again to see if she had gotten it. She nodded at me, though she looked a bit confused. She held her other hand out to Reaper. He took it in casual familiarity.
“Hang on,” Reaper told me. “It can be quite a ride.”
In the next instant the room blurred; objects, color, and light, all faded into a moving darkness. The darkness I found myself in felt alive, as if I could reach out and take its hand as well. It caressed me, urging me to slow down and stay forever. Voices started swirling around from the depths of the darkness, shallow voices raised in darkness’ name. The voices grew in intensity, until I wasn’t sure where the voices ended and the darkness began; they were one in the same. The feeling of Sara’s hand on mine was the only thing that kept me from stopping to discover the source of those curious voices. The urge to stay was almost overwhelming. I wanted it more than anything.
Before I could make the choice to stay, the darkness ended and the blurred movement stopped. We were in the light again, though the sun was farther along in the heavens. Heavy branches were overhead, and the thick forest reached out to shelter us protectively. I recognized the forest as one near King’s Cross.
I felt my head
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