Chapter 16
Vie
It took me longer to get to Inola’s home than I liked. I didn’t want to be parted from Willow, but Inola’s message was panicked, and I owed her a debt.
When I got there, I found out why she’d sounded so scared.
A hulking man was banging on her front door, swaying, and screaming slurs. Every potted plant on the porch was overturned or broken. Several figurines lay scattered in pieces, and the decorative porch railing had been broken in several places.
I had to circle around to the long driveway that ran the length of the house to the garage in the back before materializing.
In the short time it took me to get back to the front of the house, the man had begun kicking the door.
Its bottom panel was splintering, and I could hear frightened voices from inside.
It was broad daylight, and Inola’s house was off a busy street. I needed to lure him to the side of the house before doing anything.
“Hey!” I yelled. “What are you doing?”
The man turned around, and I recognized him. It was Officer Murphy, the man who treated Willow so badly when she was at her most vulnerable.
Not only was I excited at the prospect of protecting Inola, but I was also going to get to avenge Willow in a small way.
“Who the fuck are you?” Murphy said, stumbling down the three steps of the porch. “I know you. Who are you?”
He stank of alcohol and brutality.
I stepped back, drawing him away from the house. “Don’t you remember?”
His eyes narrowed on me, as if he was having trouble seeing, then they widened with comprehension. “You’re that bitch’s boyfriend. You interrupted my interrogation.”
“You were interrogating a victim,” I said. “You must have the smallest dick on Earth to do something like that.”
With a roar, he charged at me. He was so unsteady it was easy to avoid him by stepping back at a moderate pace. He almost tripped over his own feet as he followed me around the corner of the house and down the driveway.
“I’m going to break every bone in your body,” he thundered. “I’m a fucking cop! You can’t say shit like that to me.”
The moment we were mostly out of sight, I misted and enveloped him. He was full of brutality and cruelty. He’d hurt and even killed people who couldn’t retaliate against him. As I absorbed him, nothing I found out about him was surprising.
He nourished me as people like him always did, and soon there was nothing left of him but clothing, and I took my human form again.
“Vie?”
Inola’s voice came from the front of the house. I gathered the clothing and shoved it in the neighbor's backyard. She didn’t need any investigation focused on her.
After doing that, I rushed to the front of the house to find Inola cautiously looking out from the front door.
“He gave up and went away,” I told her.
“What? He did?” Inola opened the door all the way, looking over at the house next to hers.
I waited until she met my gaze. When I spoke, I emphasized my words. “He went away. Other than that, you don’t know anything.”
Comprehension crossed her face, then her expression tightened with satisfaction. She gave a little nod. “Um, right, he probably went home to sleep it off. Did you come by? I mean, should I say you were here if they ask?”
I was sure some Ring camera somewhere probably saw me, so I nodded. “Sure. You can give my number to anyone who needs it. I’ll explain that he stumbled past me and went home.”
Inola gestured behind her at the open door. “Do you want to come inside?”
“No, I—”
I felt a sudden spike of fear sweep over me, cutting off my words. It was Willow.
Without another word to Inola, I turned and ran until I was hidden enough to mist. I rose into the air and flowed in the direction I sensed Willow.
After the first time we’d had sex, I was able to sense where Willow was. All I had to do was focus on her, and I was drawn to her location. It was how I knew to go to the shop to find her the other day after I’d finished hunting with Vengeance.
Now I raced across the sky, her fear pounding at me.
I was hit by anger, then triumph as I materialized near her. I took in the scene, feeling a moment of relief.
I could tell from his scent that the man on the ground was the same one Vengeance and I were still hunting for. This had to be Alex.
On the other side of Alex stood Jina holding a gun, and next to her was a relieved-looking Willow. When she looked over and saw me, her face filled with happiness.
Everything happened too quickly for even my speed to stop. Alex pulled out a gun and aimed it at Willow. I misted and rushed at him, but he was able to fire moments before I solidified on top of him. I didn’t have time to consume him, so I grabbed his head and slammed it against the ground.
He went still. I kicked the other gun away and rushed to Willow’s side. Jina was standing next to her, shaking her head, and repeating the word no over and over again.
Blood poured from her chest and filled her mouth as I knelt next to her.
“Please don’t leave me,” I begged. Her gaze met mine, then her eyes rolled back.
I could feel her soul detangling from her mortal flesh, ready to go wherever souls went after a human died. I couldn’t let that happen.
Acting on instinct, I turned to mist and sank into her body, desperate to keep her soul caged. Her body responded to my action by also turning to mist and mingling with me.
I felt her confusion, then shock as we both rose into the air, hovering about six feet from the ground.
What’s going on? Her words were as clear to me as if she’d spoken them.
I don’t know. This has never happened before.
I felt her sadness. Am I dead? Are you saying goodbye?
Hope built inside me. No, I can feel your soul. It’s here, attached to you as strongly as if you had a body.
Oh god, I’m a ghost! She cried.
I don’t think so. Ghosts are souls caught in brutal memories, unable to leave the spot of their death. You’re not reliving your last moments, you’re talking to me.
I had an idea, but I was half afraid to try it. If I was wrong, then her soul might flitter away, and she’d really be gone.
If I’m not a ghost, but I don’t have a body, then what the hell am I?
I told her my guess. I think you’re a wraith.
What? How can that be?
I have no idea, but do something for me. Picture your solid form. Build an image of your body from the feet up. Pretend like you're looking at yourself in the mirror and examining every inch of yourself.
What do you think that’ll do?
Bring you back, I said.
I felt her concentrating. Her focus was absolute.
I could even see her picturing her toes and feet as she recreated her body in her mind. As she did it, I felt her mist flowing away from mine, organizing into a solid form.
I was quick to rematerialize and watch as Willow reformed with agonizing slowness.
When she was done, it was as if nothing had happened; her body was without blemish.
Just like when I was wounded and misted. There was no wound in her chest or even blood on her skin. I could easily tell because she was completely naked. Her clothing lay on the ground in the shape of her body.
Blinking, she squinted in the bright sunlight and looked stunned. “It worked.”
I laughed, ecstatic to have her back and whole again! I whipped off my hoodie and stepped close to tug it over her head.
“Oh shit, where are my clothes?” she asked, pushing her arms through the sleeves and tugging the bottom down to cover herself.
“There,” I said, nodding my head to the ground. She looked down at them, her eyes transfixed by the bloody hole near the center of the shirt.
She rubbed a hand over her chest and looked back at me. “How did this happen?”
I shrugged. “I have no answer for you. Nothing like this has ever happened before.”
“Willow, is that really you?”
We both turned to see Jina standing against the building, tears still streaming down her face, but her eyes were wide and scared.
“I think it’s me,” Willow said. “I feel like me.”
“What happened? You were lying there, bleeding, and then your clothes were empty. Vie disappeared too. And now both of you are back, and you’re not hurt.
None of this happened.” She clutched her head.
“I’ve gone insane. None of this is real, and I’m in a psych ward somewhere high as fuck and drooling. ”
I wasn’t sure what to say to convince Jina that all this was real when Willow stepped close to Jina and whispered something in her ear. Jina burst out laughing. I was deeply curious about what Willow said, but there was a groan behind me that drew all our attention.
Alex had recovered from the blow to the head, and was trying to crawl to the gun I’d kicked away from him.
I moved to eat him, but Willow got there before I could. I went still, stunned to feel hunger flare from her. The link we’d shared before was a pale comparison to what was between us now.
I could feel her deep primal craving to eat, almost as if it were my own.
Jina moved close to me as we watched Willow disappear before she reached Alex. Then Alex’s body looked like he was melting. It reminded me of the scene from Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Arc when the Nazis open the Arc.
Their end was as satisfying as Alex’s.
He opened his mouth to scream, but only gurgling came out. Smoke or steam rose from the body as he dissolved. Nothing hit the ground and when Willow was done feasting, all that was left were his clothes.
A new wraith was born.
She re-materialized, this time still wearing my hoodie. She looked shocked and a little disgusted.
She put a hand on her belly and belched. “I can’t believe I just did that.”
Jina made a soft, strangled sound, and I was fast enough to catch her before she hit the ground in a dead faint. I couldn't blame her; it was a lot to take in all at once.
Willow rushed up as I eased Jina to the ground. “Is she okay?”
“I think so,” I said. “But you’re going to have a lot of explaining to do when she comes around.”
The sound of distant sirens rushed toward us. It was inevitable that someone had heard the gunfire and called the cops. By the sound of it, it was too late to run and hide.
“Gather your clothes,” I ordered. “Put your pants back on, but shove everything else in your purse. When the police get here, follow my lead.”
Willow nodded. “I’ll stay quiet and let you do all the talking.”
I snorted and grabbed the front of the hoodie to pull her to me for a quick kiss. “I doubt that, but try your best.”
She slapped my hand away with an annoyed huff and rushed off to do as I asked.
I grabbed Alex’s clothes and both guns, then quickly misted to drop them onto the building's roof.
I wished I could carry a full-sized human when I misted.
Putting us all on the roof would be a quick and easy way to avoid dealing with the human authorities.
When they arrived, I was quick to guide them to Jina. I made sure to push my magic out so everyone around me was uncomfortable and eager to leave. Willow played her part perfectly, clutching Jina’s hand and looking deeply worried.
My conversation with the authorities was predictable, and my answers didn’t give them anything. I could tell they were frustrated but also desperate to get away from me.
Finally, an ambulance arrived. Jina started coming around as she was loaded onto the gurney.
“Wha…” She blinked, saw the cops, and shut her mouth and closed her eyes again.
“Good girl,” Willow whispered, holding Jina’s hand tightly in her own.
The paramedics loaded Jina and let Willow ride with her.
The cops had already wandered away from me to examine the alley.
I was sure they wouldn’t find much except a few drops of blood.
It wouldn't be enough to bother us unless they decided to go up on the building’s roof, which was highly doubtful.
“I’ll see you at the hospital,” I said as the paramedics started closing the door. He paused to tell me which hospital they were taking Jina to, but I didn’t bother to listen.
I didn’t need to. I’d be able to follow Willow anywhere.