Ghost (The Halloween Boys #1) (110)
I spun, pulling his face to mine for a passionate kiss. He obliged without hesitation, cupping my jaw. His honeyed tongue found mine as we pressed our bodies together. Reluctantly, I pulled myself away. “You’re okay,” I breathed. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t save you,” he replied solemnly, his eyes dark and jaw tight.
My fingers tugged around his jacket opening. “I never needed saving.” I looked beyond him to three rogue ghosts, two women and a man, walking through the streets. “They do though. And I can help them.”
His lips curved. “Yes, you can.” His lips brushed my earlobe. “And that is so goddamn sexy.”
My neck tingled as his tone promised to fulfill my every desire later. With another soft kiss, I made my way to the ghosts, freeing them from their purgatory.
When we stood outside of Hell’s Gates, this time I didn’t cower. The gate whispered, master, and opened with reverence. A black cat jumped from a grave and trotted over. It lowered in a bow. “Hello, I’m Cat.”
I smiled. Cat. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Blythe. Are you a . . . familiar?”
Ghost snorted as the cat cleaned its whiskers. “Yes, his.”
A laugh left my chest. “You never told me you had a familiar?” I nudged him.
“It’s not something I brag about.”
The cat hissed but allowed us to pass. I giggled as we walked deeper into the cemetery. No wonder these dark and dreary places always brought me comfort. None of it made sense, but then, it all made sense, too.
Onyx and Wolfgang strode forward, like they’d been waiting, like they knew this is exactly where I’d go next. Wolfgang enveloped me in his big warm hug that felt like home. When I looked up at him, he ran a wide hand over his face, clearing away tears. “Don’t scare me like that again. You can’t get out of our Mario Kart rematch that easily.”
“I wouldn’t dare try.” I grinned, giving him another squeeze.
Onyx stood behind me, arms crossed, eyeing me with a look I couldn’t place. Emotion danced behind his glowing emerald eyes. With his black hair brushed back, and his widow’s peak, along with the dark cape behind him, he looked every bit the classic vampire I knew lurked in his blood. He came closer and wordlessly put a hand on my cheek.
Suddenly, a mirage of images flooded my mind.
A woman with long, wavy blond air and glowing emerald eyes, his glowing emerald eyes, kissed Onyx’s cheek. A man next to her, who was taller, broader, and the quintessential vampire, gave his shoulder a squeeze. “We love you, son. Be safe.”
My vision flashed again, and I saw all three of the guys, younger, throwing rocks into a lake and laughing.
And then I saw me. I looked so sad, my skin pale and lifeless, as I rummaged through my purse at the diner.
It flashed again, and I was tugging on the T-shirt he gave me, giggling, bouncing with excitement. Then something that felt a lot like love and gratitude erupted in my chest.
When I looked at him again, the corner of his mouth quirked in a smile. Had I blacked out, or had I only just blinked? “Was that you?” I whispered.
“Was what me?” he asked, giving me a secretive wink. My heart warmed. Onyx Hart . . .
I shook off my overflowing emotions and dried my palms on the fluffy fabric of my dress, which was somehow still intact. “Are they all here?” I asked Ghost, who’d resumed his position in Archdemon form behind me.
“Yes, quietly waiting for you, Little Reaper.”
I grinned up at him, and the pride and love beaming through his gaze took my breath away. He wasn’t the least bit angered, or intimidated, by my newfound skills. We complimented each other, him and I. Death and the Archdemon. The Reaper and the Ghost.
“I don’t really know what I’m doing,” I admitted, padding over to two large, mossy gravestones.
Wolfgang encouraged, “Just do what feels right. Don’t think too much about it. Let your instincts guide you.”
I nodded, thinking that was what a wise wolf would advise. My eyes fluttered shut as I caressed the fuzzy, damp stones. With a sigh, I felt a rush of wind billow from the ground, lifting my curls and chilling my skin. When I opened my eyes, there they were, all standing and staring at me—hundreds of spirits. Men, women, children, young and old, their need and longing were palpable through the cold Halloween air. The full moon’s glow shimmered across them as they stared at me expectantly. “Rest well, friends,” I whispered.
Their returning smiles and soft nods evaporated as colors of pale blue, purple, and green, shot toward the sky. Maybe those were the auras the witches saw. Relief pooled through me. Peace. They finally had found peace.
Ames gently ran a hand through my hair. “For centuries, they’d paid the price for what we did, how we failed them. For centuries, we searched for a way to relieve them and we fell short.” His jaw tensed with emotion. “They’re finally free . . . because of you.” He sucked in a breath. “Though if my head weren’t so far up my own ass, I could have realized what you were . . . and they could have found death sooner. The first night I brought you here, the cemetery went quiet. Even the fucking damned tried to tell me who you were.”
I placed a single, gloved finger to his lips. “You have given me more than any man, demon or otherwise, ever has, Ames. You’ve helped me see who I am, and not just this.” I gestured around me. “But you helped me learn to chase away my loneliness, my resignation. It was always you fighting for me.”