My Soul to Keep
Page 15
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What if wed discovered the problem too late? What if Dougs dealer had already been peddling his product all over central Texas, or worse, all over the state? Or the entire south? After all, what were the chances that we happened to go to school with the only human in the area who huffed Demons Breath?
No, my inner logic insisted. If people were dropping dead or being admitted to mental hospitals in record numbers, wed have heard about it. This was just starting, which meant it was still fixable. It had to be.
I took a deep breath, then another drink from my can. I think the real question is, what is Everett? If hes human, wheres he getting his supply? And if hes not, what is he doing here?
Nash shrugged. Evil, would be my guess. Thats kind of a Netherworld specialty.
Okay, but as far as diabolical Netherworld schemes go, getting a bunch of human teenagers high, hooked, then dead is kind of lame. I looked at my pizza, but couldnt bring myself to actually eat it. I mean, how good can the repeat business be if the customers are all gonna die?
Nash chewed some more, apparently giving the idea some serious thought. Nobodys dead yet.
But we both knew that was only a matter of time.
Or was it?
I dropped my uneaten slice into the box and grabbed the remote, poking the pause button until the image on the screen froze. Maybe no ones going to die from this. You cant die if its not your time, right? If youre not on the list? The reapers list, which contained the names of everyone whose soul was scheduled to be collected on a given day. Tod talked about the list like it was scribbled by the hand of Fate herself, thus could not be changed.
Of course, being driven insane wasnt much better than death. But at least I wouldnt have to scream for those hauled away in straitjackets.
But Nash didnt look very relieved.
Kay, it doesnt work like that. Demons Breath is a Netherworld element. It trumps the list, just like actually crossing into the Netherworld.
My heart hurt like it was being twisted within my chest, and my throat felt almost too thick to breathe through. So, even if we got in touch with Tod and he got his hands on the master list, he couldnt tell us whos most at risk from this. Or how far its going to spread.
Nash shook his head slowly. Theres no way to track this, and no way to know whos going to die from it. Not until
He didnt have to say it. I knew.
Not until I start screaming.
5
WHATS WRONG WITH YOU two today? Emma speared a cherry tomato in her salad. Which was really just a mountain of iceberg lettuce dotted with croutons and smothered in cheese, ham, and ranch dressing. Emma didnt do health food, and Id alwaysrespected that about her. You look like youre waiting for a bomb to go off.
Not a bomb. A football player. Wed seen Scott Carter in the hall before first period, and his eyes had a familiar fevered look, yet his breath was too-sweet and cold, like hed been chewing ice. He was high. On frost. At school.
Maybe having him bring it with him wasnt such a good idea, after all.
Before I could come up with an answer, Emmas gaze strayed over Nashs shoulder and her eyes flashed with something like desire or anticipation, only stronger. More fervent. I twisted on the bench to see Doug pushing his way through a huddle of freshmen in front of the pizza line.
Emma smiled at him, and I wanted to break my own skull open on the white brick wall behind her.
Around us, the cafeteria buzzed with conversation, individual words and voices muted by the steady swell of sound. Our school was a closed campus for the entire first semester, thanks to a fender bender in the parking lot the second week of school, so nearly a third of the student body was crammed into four rows of indoor picnic-style tables. For most of the year, Em and I ate outside in the quad, but in December, even Texas was too cold for all but the truly hardyand those in desperate need of a secret smoketo brave the winter chill.
So, I take it last night went well? I dipped a corn chip into my cheese sauce, but couldnt bring myself to eat it as I watched her closely for some sign that her attraction to Doug went beyond the usual hormonal tidal wave. But I saw nothing but the hair tosses and challenging eye contact she usually saved for guys old enough to drink. Or at least date her college-age sisters.
Does she really like this ass-wipe? Tod said, appearing suddenly on the bench beside me.
The corn chip in my hand shattered, but for once I managed not to jump and look like an idiot in front of Nash and Em, who clearly couldnt see the reaper this time. Wasnt he supposed to be a virtual prisoner at Arlington Memorial for another day or so?
But I couldnt ask without looking crazy in front of half the varsity football team sitting at the other end of the table.
So well. Emmas voice went deep and throaty, and I glanced briefly at Tod with one raised brow, silently asking if that answered his question.
He scowled, then blinked out, and I wiped cheese sauce from my fingers with a paper napkin. I knew what I had against Doug, but why did Tod care who Emma liked? Id assumed hed let go of his crush on her when Addison had stepped back intothen quickly out ofhis life a month ago.
Evidently, I was wrong, and the implications of that settled into my gut like a brick in a bucket of water. How would a grim reapersomeone no longer bound by the limitations of mortal existencedeal with the potential competition Doug Fuller represented?
No, my inner logic insisted. If people were dropping dead or being admitted to mental hospitals in record numbers, wed have heard about it. This was just starting, which meant it was still fixable. It had to be.
I took a deep breath, then another drink from my can. I think the real question is, what is Everett? If hes human, wheres he getting his supply? And if hes not, what is he doing here?
Nash shrugged. Evil, would be my guess. Thats kind of a Netherworld specialty.
Okay, but as far as diabolical Netherworld schemes go, getting a bunch of human teenagers high, hooked, then dead is kind of lame. I looked at my pizza, but couldnt bring myself to actually eat it. I mean, how good can the repeat business be if the customers are all gonna die?
Nash chewed some more, apparently giving the idea some serious thought. Nobodys dead yet.
But we both knew that was only a matter of time.
Or was it?
I dropped my uneaten slice into the box and grabbed the remote, poking the pause button until the image on the screen froze. Maybe no ones going to die from this. You cant die if its not your time, right? If youre not on the list? The reapers list, which contained the names of everyone whose soul was scheduled to be collected on a given day. Tod talked about the list like it was scribbled by the hand of Fate herself, thus could not be changed.
Of course, being driven insane wasnt much better than death. But at least I wouldnt have to scream for those hauled away in straitjackets.
But Nash didnt look very relieved.
Kay, it doesnt work like that. Demons Breath is a Netherworld element. It trumps the list, just like actually crossing into the Netherworld.
My heart hurt like it was being twisted within my chest, and my throat felt almost too thick to breathe through. So, even if we got in touch with Tod and he got his hands on the master list, he couldnt tell us whos most at risk from this. Or how far its going to spread.
Nash shook his head slowly. Theres no way to track this, and no way to know whos going to die from it. Not until
He didnt have to say it. I knew.
Not until I start screaming.
5
WHATS WRONG WITH YOU two today? Emma speared a cherry tomato in her salad. Which was really just a mountain of iceberg lettuce dotted with croutons and smothered in cheese, ham, and ranch dressing. Emma didnt do health food, and Id alwaysrespected that about her. You look like youre waiting for a bomb to go off.
Not a bomb. A football player. Wed seen Scott Carter in the hall before first period, and his eyes had a familiar fevered look, yet his breath was too-sweet and cold, like hed been chewing ice. He was high. On frost. At school.
Maybe having him bring it with him wasnt such a good idea, after all.
Before I could come up with an answer, Emmas gaze strayed over Nashs shoulder and her eyes flashed with something like desire or anticipation, only stronger. More fervent. I twisted on the bench to see Doug pushing his way through a huddle of freshmen in front of the pizza line.
Emma smiled at him, and I wanted to break my own skull open on the white brick wall behind her.
Around us, the cafeteria buzzed with conversation, individual words and voices muted by the steady swell of sound. Our school was a closed campus for the entire first semester, thanks to a fender bender in the parking lot the second week of school, so nearly a third of the student body was crammed into four rows of indoor picnic-style tables. For most of the year, Em and I ate outside in the quad, but in December, even Texas was too cold for all but the truly hardyand those in desperate need of a secret smoketo brave the winter chill.
So, I take it last night went well? I dipped a corn chip into my cheese sauce, but couldnt bring myself to eat it as I watched her closely for some sign that her attraction to Doug went beyond the usual hormonal tidal wave. But I saw nothing but the hair tosses and challenging eye contact she usually saved for guys old enough to drink. Or at least date her college-age sisters.
Does she really like this ass-wipe? Tod said, appearing suddenly on the bench beside me.
The corn chip in my hand shattered, but for once I managed not to jump and look like an idiot in front of Nash and Em, who clearly couldnt see the reaper this time. Wasnt he supposed to be a virtual prisoner at Arlington Memorial for another day or so?
But I couldnt ask without looking crazy in front of half the varsity football team sitting at the other end of the table.
So well. Emmas voice went deep and throaty, and I glanced briefly at Tod with one raised brow, silently asking if that answered his question.
He scowled, then blinked out, and I wiped cheese sauce from my fingers with a paper napkin. I knew what I had against Doug, but why did Tod care who Emma liked? Id assumed hed let go of his crush on her when Addison had stepped back intothen quickly out ofhis life a month ago.
Evidently, I was wrong, and the implications of that settled into my gut like a brick in a bucket of water. How would a grim reapersomeone no longer bound by the limitations of mortal existencedeal with the potential competition Doug Fuller represented?
