girl’s
form disappeared into the forest.
This time, the ghost didn’t wait for her at
the edge of the trail where the forest fell away and the cliff
overlooking Miner’s Drop. As Autumn watched, the ghost approached
the edge of the canyon. She stood still for a long moment.
Fear rose fast and cold within Autumn. She
quickened her pace, uncertain why the idea of a hallucination –
probably brought on by her pain meds – jumping off a cliff affected
her at all.
Don’t. She willed the girl. Just
wait!
If the ghost heard, she gave no indication.
Autumn limped free of the path into the snow. Black fog swirled
around the ghost. She was gazing down into the canyon. Autumn drew
abreast of her, taking in the pale face once more. There was sorrow
in the girl’s dark eyes, and Autumn followed her gaze. For a long
moment, she couldn’t breathe.
On the snow-covered slope far below, the
girl lay unmoving. Her body was bent at angles that told Autumn she
didn’t survive the fall. Blood pooled around her, glimmering
red-black amid the black shadows milling around her form. Both were
a stark contrast to the snow.
A tremor of distress went through Autumn.
She glanced at the girl beside her. The apparition was gone. She
was alone on top of the cliff. Her body shook from something she
couldn’t identify. Emotion? Memory? Whatever it was, it was buried.
The scene before her meant something to the part of her she
couldn’t access. It made her breathing harsh and uneven.
As she watched, the body in the canyon faded
and dissipated like smoke. No sign of what happened remained.
But Autumn knew. She understood why the path
to Miner’s Drop was off limits. The dark-haired ghost haunting her
had showed her. She fought the darkness of her memories, struggling
to recall why the ghost had chosen to follow her from the hospital
to bring her here, tonight, and remind her what happened.
Her head began to pound. The harder she
fought the blocked part of her mind, the sharper the pain grew,
until she was dizzy. She needed to know, but fighting her mind was
a losing battle resulting in a migraine.
She just couldn’t remember.
“You keep following me.”
Decker’s voice made her jump. Autumn winced
and touched her temple. She drew a few deep breaths before turning
to face him. He stood a few feet away, gaze on the sky. She focused
on him, frowning. His words were slightly slurred and his eyes
unfocused. The allure she’d barely escaped by day was intensified
by night. Shadows didn’t just trace his movement, they swirled at
his feet and wrapped him in a cloak.
“I don’t mean to,” she replied.
Her voice drew his attention. His gaze
remained glazed. She wasn’t certain if she was relieved he couldn’t
focus his intensity on her or scared he’d be like the college boys
that pushed her around.
“Are you okay?” she ventured.
“Fine.” He glanced down at himself, as if to
double check.
Autumn’s gaze swept over him, settling at
the small pool of blood beside him. She looked harder for some sign
of an injury. His hands and clothing were wet with blood.
“It’s not mine,” Decker said, aware of her
gaze.
“Whose is it?” she whispered.
“The bus comes Thursdays. You just got
here?”
She nodded uncertainly.
“Amber showed you the Light orientation.” He
snorted. “You have no clue about the other side of the story.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ll give you the quick version. There’s
Light, and there’s Dark. Beck is Light. I’m Dark. His job is to
protect those in the Light, and mine is to enforce the laws of
both.” He lifted his hands. “This is how I do it.”
A chill went through her. She’d thought him
dangerous, but this was entirely different than what she
expected.
“You … you kill people?” she managed.
“Witchlings that go Dark. Only those who
warrant it. Sometimes those who probably don’t.” He shrugged. “I
don’t believe in second chances.”
Drugged and unguarded,
form disappeared into the forest.
This time, the ghost didn’t wait for her at
the edge of the trail where the forest fell away and the cliff
overlooking Miner’s Drop. As Autumn watched, the ghost approached
the edge of the canyon. She stood still for a long moment.
Fear rose fast and cold within Autumn. She
quickened her pace, uncertain why the idea of a hallucination –
probably brought on by her pain meds – jumping off a cliff affected
her at all.
Don’t. She willed the girl. Just
wait!
If the ghost heard, she gave no indication.
Autumn limped free of the path into the snow. Black fog swirled
around the ghost. She was gazing down into the canyon. Autumn drew
abreast of her, taking in the pale face once more. There was sorrow
in the girl’s dark eyes, and Autumn followed her gaze. For a long
moment, she couldn’t breathe.
On the snow-covered slope far below, the
girl lay unmoving. Her body was bent at angles that told Autumn she
didn’t survive the fall. Blood pooled around her, glimmering
red-black amid the black shadows milling around her form. Both were
a stark contrast to the snow.
A tremor of distress went through Autumn.
She glanced at the girl beside her. The apparition was gone. She
was alone on top of the cliff. Her body shook from something she
couldn’t identify. Emotion? Memory? Whatever it was, it was buried.
The scene before her meant something to the part of her she
couldn’t access. It made her breathing harsh and uneven.
As she watched, the body in the canyon faded
and dissipated like smoke. No sign of what happened remained.
But Autumn knew. She understood why the path
to Miner’s Drop was off limits. The dark-haired ghost haunting her
had showed her. She fought the darkness of her memories, struggling
to recall why the ghost had chosen to follow her from the hospital
to bring her here, tonight, and remind her what happened.
Her head began to pound. The harder she
fought the blocked part of her mind, the sharper the pain grew,
until she was dizzy. She needed to know, but fighting her mind was
a losing battle resulting in a migraine.
She just couldn’t remember.
“You keep following me.”
Decker’s voice made her jump. Autumn winced
and touched her temple. She drew a few deep breaths before turning
to face him. He stood a few feet away, gaze on the sky. She focused
on him, frowning. His words were slightly slurred and his eyes
unfocused. The allure she’d barely escaped by day was intensified
by night. Shadows didn’t just trace his movement, they swirled at
his feet and wrapped him in a cloak.
“I don’t mean to,” she replied.
Her voice drew his attention. His gaze
remained glazed. She wasn’t certain if she was relieved he couldn’t
focus his intensity on her or scared he’d be like the college boys
that pushed her around.
“Are you okay?” she ventured.
“Fine.” He glanced down at himself, as if to
double check.
Autumn’s gaze swept over him, settling at
the small pool of blood beside him. She looked harder for some sign
of an injury. His hands and clothing were wet with blood.
“It’s not mine,” Decker said, aware of her
gaze.
“Whose is it?” she whispered.
“The bus comes Thursdays. You just got
here?”
She nodded uncertainly.
“Amber showed you the Light orientation.” He
snorted. “You have no clue about the other side of the story.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ll give you the quick version. There’s
Light, and there’s Dark. Beck is Light. I’m Dark. His job is to
protect those in the Light, and mine is to enforce the laws of
both.” He lifted his hands. “This is how I do it.”
A chill went through her. She’d thought him
dangerous, but this was entirely different than what she
expected.
“You … you kill people?” she managed.
“Witchlings that go Dark. Only those who
warrant it. Sometimes those who probably don’t.” He shrugged. “I
don’t believe in second chances.”
Drugged and unguarded,
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