Forever and Beyond Read online

  As though she felt my thoughts, the girl’s hazel eyes shifted to me and our gazes connected. Her face remained blank for a second, and then she seemed to understand that I could see her. A tiny gasp escaped her chest, in shock, in surprise, I couldn’t tell but the usual countless questions began to burn in her eyes. She wanted to understand what happened to her so badly, and yet how can you explain Fate?

  “I’m sorry,” I whispered, knowing too well my words wouldn’t be able to offer consolation.

  “You can hear me?” she asked. Her voice was thin and frail.

  I nodded. “Someone will be here soon. They’ll help you,” I said, talking about the reaper. I didn’t tell her the one coming would be a winged demon that would take her to either Heaven or Hell, depending on the kind of physical life she had led.

  She shook her head. “Someone? You mean a demon from the pits of Hell?” She floated closer until she stood inches away from me. So the reaper had been here? Why hadn’t he taken her soul? As if sensing my questions she continued, “Yeah, I nearly fainted when I saw it. The thing said I needed to stay a while longer. That I hadn’t yet fulfilled my purpose. I don’t even know what that means.”

  I blinked several times, confused. “Are you sure? Usually—” My voice trailed off as she nodded. Maybe her purpose was to tell us what happened to her. Even though I knew it was insensitive of me to ask about the last moments before her death, I figured I had no choice if I wanted to find out the truth and maybe even help her fulfill her purpose at the same time so she could move on. “Do you remember what happened to you?” I asked straight-out.

  She seemed to consider my question for a moment, and then shook her head, wide-eyed. “It was night and I went to bed, as usual. Something woke me up, or maybe it was just a dream, I don’t now. The next thing I remember is this room—” she clutched her chest as she took a deep breath “—and a demonic monster with black eyes and huge flapping wings. It commanded me in a deep voice to stay, and then it screeched making the walls vibrate, and it flew down through the stone floor right back into a lake of fire.”

  The lake of fire thing was definitely a figment of her imagination, but I kept quiet because the sight of a reaper would traumatize even the strongest and most boastful out there. It definitely wasn’t for the faint of heart. Mind you, it made me want to run for my life the first time I saw one. “It’s gone now,” I said. “There’s nothing to fear.” She nodded. “Do you remember anything else? Maybe about the night you—”

  “Died?” She shook her head. Her eyes glazed over, as though she was about to cry. “Something felt wrong but it took me a while to realize I was dead. My first impression was that something happened since no one could see me. And then the demon arrived. Trust me, I spent the last hours trying to remember what happened. But it’s all blank. I just don’t understand why it had to happen to me.” It was only natural to ask why she had to leave. They all felt their time had come too soon.

  From what Cass told me, ghosts in the Otherworld recalled each and every gory detail about their death. That the girl didn’t remember anything told me something was going on. I figured she might’ve suffered a concussion or something, so I asked, “What’s your name?”

  She didn’t even blink as she answered. “Juliette Baron. My friends call me Julie.” Her use of the present tense didn’t go unnoticed. Even though she knew she was dead, she had yet to acknowledge the finiteness of it. I swallowed hard to get rid of the sudden lump in my throat.

  “I’m Amber,” I said with a weak smile. “Do you remember anything about your life, Julie?”

  “What do you want to know?”

  I considered my words. “For starters, who are your parents?”

  “Like all the other children in Morganefaire, I’ve been brought up as an orphan and never met them.”

  My heart went out to her. “Maybe you can tell me where you live.”

  “I live in the house with the red brick wall in the south district of the city,” Julie said, “around the corner from Elyssa’s store.” Her tongue flicked over her lips, leaving a sparkling trail of moisture behind. Her eyes narrowed for a brief second, as though lost in thought.

  I wasn’t familiar with the surroundings and made a mental note to ask Aidan who Elyssa was and where the south district was located, then moved on because I needed more clues. “Did you have a job?”

  “Kind of.” Her eyelashes cast a dark shadow on her cheeks as she lowered her gaze so I couldn’t read her expression.

  I raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

  “The Blue Moon is about to hang low over Morganefaire, which happens rarely enough. But this time, it will stand in perfect alignment with four other planets. Because of the prophecy, the Council has decided to recruit for the Night Watch. I was supposed to join them in four days. When they chose me, it was a dream come true.” Her eyes sparkled with passion and her chin tilted up with pride. Anger crossed her features a moment before she said, “I guess that won’t happen now.”

  “I’m sorry.” I averted my gaze and let my thoughts roam free for a moment. Seeing her so helpless made me feel like I had to do something—set her free, or whatever necromancers do. Basically, I had to find out the truth about her death. A concussion was highly unlikely because Julie remembered too much about her life. Besides, I smelled no blood on her head. So something else was the reason why she couldn’t recall anything about the night she died. I needed to talk to Cass. She might know what could possibly be wrong with Julie’s memory.

  I straightened my back. Julie immediately turned to face me and her expression changed from sadness to worry. “Are you leaving? What if that monster comes back?”

  “I need to talk to a friend,” I said. “She might know more.”

  “Can I come with you?” She didn’t wait for an answer, just inched closer, and I realized she was either a head taller than me, or floating above the ground. I peered at where her feet should’ve been and noticed thick, black fog reaching up to her calves, covering her skin.

  “No, you need to stay here,” I said, peeling my eyes from her feet—or lack thereof.

  She frowned. “Why?”

  “To watch the—” I pointed at her body.

  “The table?”

  “The—” Body I wanted to say but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I reconsidered my words. “In case someone pops in. Someone you might recognize.” From the night she was killed, I wanted to add but didn’t. “It might trigger your memory.”

  Julie’s long hair spread around her like a curtain as she shook her head ever so gently. “But I don’t understand. What am I supposed to watch?”

  I sighed. She really didn’t leave me any choice. “The body.” Her confused expression told me she still had no idea what I was talking about. I pointed at the altar again. “Your body.”

  She looked from me to the altar then back to me. “I don’t see a body.” I peered away, uncomfortable. “Am I on the table?” Julie’s ghost rose until she hovered in mid-air over the altar. “I am, aren’t I?”

  Even though Kieran was right in his claim that I was the worst liar ever, I shook my head vehemently. “My eyes are blurry from lack of sleep. Recently I was possessed and didn’t even notice it. I’m new to this. A beginner, actually. Who knows if what I’m seeing is real anymore?”

  “You’re avoiding my answer.” A hint of anger sparkled in Julie’s eyes. “I don’t know what happened to me, but I need your help to find out because you’re the only person who can see me.” There she said it and confirmed my suspicions. All spirits needed help, but I wasn’t capable of helping her the way she imagined: taking her with me, answering her questions, helping understand. I had read about ghosts on the Internet, and how one request leads to another, one plead turns into the next. I wasn’t ready to deal with the high demands of a ghost—not when my bloodlust and sensitivity to light could flare up any second.

  “I can’t,” I said. “The best thing I can do is ask my friend for ad
vice, then return to tell you what she said. I don’t have the answers you seek. I don’t know what purpose you’re supposed to fulfill, and I sure can’t start snooping around this place.”

  “No, you’re the only person who sees me so you need to help me find out.” She shook her head, wide-eyed, adding, “Please?” Her voice sounded whiny, pleading now, reminding me of an upset child.

  I took a deep breath to help me stay resolute. “I want to, but I’m an outsider. Nobody will talk to me or take me seriously. Besides, I have no idea what to do.” All I had wanted was to find some additional clues and then share them with Aidan, who seemed to doubt Blake’s theory of a natural death, so I figured Aidan could take it from there. I never planned on meeting the girl’s ghost. She should’ve been long gone. Having a ghost around me 24/7 wasn’t an option, not least because a ghost’s unpredictable. Julie might be a nice person one minute, and the next she could turn into a raging lunatic. I had seen it all before. Actually, not really, but I had read all about it in various forums and it scared the crap out of me. I didn’t need to see it live to believe it.

  Julie pressed her hands against her hips. “You can’t just leave me here.”

  “Look, I understand you’re upset because you’re—” I stopped, realizing my blunder. Seriously, this tendency to pick all the wrong words was beginning to tick me off. I had to start thinking before I opened my mouth.

  “Dead,” Julie prompted, her eyes sparkling again.

  “I didn’t mean it like that.”

  “I’m not upset,” she said, ignoring me. “I’m fuming mad. How could I have died days before joining the Night Guard?” Uh-uh, there it was: a ghost’s inability to control her temper.

  I sighed, wondering how long I had been in here and whether Aidan might already be looking for me, worrying his head off, as was his style. “Words cannot express how sorry I am, Julie. I promise I’ll ask my friend, Cass, for advice. Until then—” I backed off toward the door, taking one small step at a time. Maybe she wouldn’t notice if I just sneaked through. I felt horrible at the thought, and yet there was no other option. I vowed to ask around, and then come back and share my findings with her, after which I’d leave her to fulfill her purpose. Surely if the reaper wanted me to accompany her all the way, someone might have left me a note? Taking care of a ghost is a full-time job, minus the perks of actually being paid for it. I wasn’t sure I had the time to solve a mystery with the vampires teetering on the brink of a war. Besides, Aidan and I were in a new relationship and a ghost doesn’t exactly know the notion of ‘privacy’.

  The door was only a step or two away now. I eyed the handle, then decided to dash for it when Julie bellowed, “Whoa, what are you doing? You’re not leaving without me. Because I swear I’ll haunt you for the rest of your life.”

  I turned sharply, my gaze throwing daggers. “You wouldn’t!”

  She raised her chin defiantly. “Try me. I might be new to this and not really know what I’m doing, but I’ll figure it out. I mean, how hard can it be to make your neighbors’ dogs howl half the night, slam a few doors and windows, and mess with electricity so you’ll never ever get a good night’s sleep again? I don’t know if I ever told you but I’m a fast learner. Did you know I’m a witch? I could even cast a spell on you.” Now, that was troublesome. She inched closer, and for a moment I thought she only wanted to threaten me or something, until she began blowing out one candle after another, bathing the room in semi-darkness.

  “Enough,” I said irritated as she reached the last two. “I got your point.”

  “Are you sure? Because I think I can do more freaky stuff. Watch my eyes.” She turned to face me. I peered away, though I caught a glimpse of two white spots shining in the darkness from the corner of my eye. “Hey, you’re not watching,” she said, laughing.

  “Creep,” I muttered under my breath. The forum threads I had recently checked out popped back into my head. Sweet Julie was slowly but steadily turning into a poltergeist. Soon I might just have to start explaining to Aidan why we had scary noises inside our home—yet again. I felt like slapping myself for making the beginner’s mistake of talking to her in the first place.

  “I command you to stay here, or I’m calling a pastor to teach you some manners,” I hissed.

  She snorted. “Good luck with that. I know everyone in Morganefaire. Half of them barricade their doors at night in fear of what might be lurking in the shadows. And the other half would kick you out so no one associates them with a necromancer.”

  My jaw dropped. “How do you—”

  “Know what you are?” She rolled her eyes, giving her angelic face a possessed flair. I took a step back, realizing she didn’t look half as cute as I initially thought she did. “Please! I might be living in the Middle Ages, but I’m not stupid,” Julie continued.

  “Yeah,” I muttered, “but I am.” For ever venturing into a morgue and thinking everything would turn out all right. I was the biggest idiot on earth.

  She glided closer, forcing me against the wall. “Where are we going first? Home to investigate whether someone saw something? That might be a good idea.”

  I shook my head. “My boyfriend’s waiting upstairs.”

  “Can he help? Is he cute?” Her pale hand wrapped around the handle and yanked the door open with no effort at all. I gawked, unable to turn away. Blowing out a few candles was one thing; this was a whole new level. I was aware ghosts could do all sorts of things, but I never figured it was that easy. Julie started down the hall, calling over her shoulder, “Are you coming, or what?”

  She took a left turn. Seeing my chance, I turned right and raced down the corridor in the hope I’d shake her off. I didn’t even reach the next corner when she appeared in front of me with a furious glance.

  I raised my hands defiantly. “Okay, got it. You want me to follow, so I’ll just follow.” Lost for words, I trailed after her, up the stairs and past the crowd of people. This time I paid no attention to their curious glances and their whispering. I had more important things on my mind, like my immediate need to get rid of a ghost.

  “Amber!” Julie’s voice echoed through the walls, startling me. My heart hammering hard in my chest, I peeked around the corner where she was standing next to Aidan and Kieran, the black fog around her feet hovering above the ground so she could be the same height as Aidan, her nose pressed against his. “Who is he? I’ve never seen him before, and I know everyone in Morganefaire.”

  “You said that already,” I muttered. “And that would be my boyfriend.”

  She floated back, wide-eyed. “Oops, sorry. My mistake. Didn’t know he was taken.” She made it sound like we were talking about something as trivial as a chair. I sighed, thinking thank God she knew when to back off. And then she turned and her eyes focused on Aidan’s brother. “Oh! I’ve just spotted someone even hotter. And he’s closer to my age, too.”

  “I doubt that,” I said. Kieran was hundreds of years old. The girl couldn’t be older than eighteen, twenty tops.

  “I want details,” she squealed. “Who’s the gorgeous hunk with the dark blue eyes and beautiful black hair standing next to the less hot one? If I was alive, I’d be so all over him.”

  “That’d be Kieran. My boyfriend’s brother,” I said, ignoring the fact she just called my boyfriend ‘less hot.’

  “Kieran.” Her voice turned dreamily. “The name suits him.”

  Before I could answer, Aidan spied me and headed in our direction. “Where have you been?”

  I moistened my lips and wrapped my hand around his upper arm, whispering, “I need to talk to you. Julie’s ghost is here.”

  “Tell him I have the hots for his brother,” Julie said, circling around Kieran as she regarded him up and down like you’d stare at a dress in a shop window.

  “Who’s Julie?” Aidan asked a tad too loudly.

  “The ghost that wants to jump your brother’s bones.”

  He raised his brows. “What?”

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p; I pressed my finger against my lips. “Shhh. It’s the girl that just died and she can hear you.”

  Aidan’s gaze swept over the air and the floor. “Where is she?”

  “Almost snogging Kieran’s face off,” I muttered, pulling him closer to me so no one would hear us. “Something happened to her and she won’t leave me alone until we find out what. We need to talk, but not here.”

  Aidan nodded and motioned Kieran to follow us as we headed home with Julie still hovering in mid-air as she kept staring at her new flame, mesmerized by whatever poor, clueless Kieran seemed to exude.

  Chapter 8

  “A ghost has been bothering you and you haven’t fainted yet?” I gritted my teeth as Kieran’s voice boomed through the room, followed by his irritating laughter.

  It was the same thing every time he remembered I was a necromancer. I was forced to listen to his shameless attempts at making fun of me simply because I had won the Prize of Sight in a crazy demi-goddess’s paranormal race. Whether I wanted it or not, I was stuck with it for the next five hundred years. So, after a long period of denial followed by a longer period of being scared out of my mind at the prospect of ever meeting a ghost, I was struggling to accept my fate now. Kieran sure wasn’t making this easy on me and I had no intention to keep my mouth shut until he’d get bored and leave me alone.

  Grimacing, I punched him in the ribs a bit harder than intended. “I wish we could swap places just for a day. I doubt you’d do better than I did. Mind you, I bet you’d be running around like a headless chicken, screaming like a frightened little girl the way you do whenever you see one of Hell’s gargoyles.”

  “Now you’re being hurtful.” He pressed a hand against his chest, as though my words hurt him indeed, but I knew his seriousness was fake. Kieran was the most easygoing person I had ever known. It usually took more than a lighthearted insult to upset him.

  “Where did you even find her?” Aidan asked from the open backdoor, where he’d been standing for the last ten minutes, massaging his temples the way he always did when he thought it was all my fault.