My Soul to Keep
Page 24

For the next three hours, I sat at the rickety kitchen table with my father, talking about the only thingother than our speciesthat we had in common: my mother. Hed always been reluctant to talk about her before; this time he told me everything he could remember about her, probably because, for a few minutes, hed thought hed lost me, too. He even answered my questions as I interrupted with them. The only thing we didnt touch on was my deathfollowed by hers, to save me.
That discussion would have to wait, in spite of the questions I had ready. We were both too tired and distraught from the latest shock to my not-so-human system to handle memories so painful.
But by the time my alarm clock went off, I felt like I truly knew my mother for the first time since my third birthday.
And like I knew my father a little better, too.
8
NASHS ARMS WRAPPED around me from behind as I swung my locker door shut, and his voice relaxed me like little else could. Hey, beautiful, he whispered, dropping a kiss on my neck, just below my ear. Rough night?
Seriously rough. I cant even explain how messed up last night was. I sighed and settled into him, letting the warmth of his chest against my back ease some of the tension left over from my interdimensional field trip. But he couldnt help me fight exhaustion. Fortunately, for that I had two twenty-ounce sodas in my backpack, their condensation probably making a soggy mess out of the chemistry homework Id forgotten to finish.
You really crossed over in your sleep?
I twisted in his arms to face him, laying my cheek against the thick chenille weave of the white letter E on his jacket.
Yeah, it was weird. Scary. I was asleep, dreaming that someone died, and in the dream, I was standing in a bunch of that gray fog you see when you peek into
I lifted my head to make sure no one else was close enough to hear. Across the hall, a small cluster of students was gathered around a girl showing off the answers from her algebra homework, but they hadnt even glanced our way. The mohawked junior with the locker next to mine was rifling through his stuff, but his headphones were playing loud enough for me to recognize the bass line of Korns Evolution, so there was no way he could hear me.
into the Netherworld, I continued, whispering just in case. I couldnt see who was dying, and I couldnt move. Couldnt do anything but scream.
Nashs arms tightened around me and the greens and browns in his eyes swirled rapidly as he listened.
And when I woke up, I was screaming for real, and Id already crossed over. I was standing in a field of razor wheat, barefoot. In my pajamas.
Before Nash could reply, Mohawk man slammed his locker and took off down the hall in the growing stream ofearly-morning students.
Damn, Kaylee. Nash sank onto the cold tile floor in front of the lockers and drew me down with him, brushing aside a crumpled piece of notebook paper. How could that happen?
I shook my head slowly, almost washed away by the wave of fear that crashed over me at the reminder that I still had none of the answers I needed. My dad thinks that because I subconsciously repressed so much of my bean sidhe heritage for so long because no one had told me I wasnt human that now its basically demanding to be recognized. I hesitated, reluctant to mention my fathers other theory. That, or Ive somehow developed too strong a connection with the Netherworld. Or with someoneor somethingin it.
Nash paled, which almost sent me into a tailspin of panic. Id hoped for something more optimistic from him than Id gotten from my father, as grateful as I was for my dads honesty. But Nash had no comfort to give. Thats the scariest thing Ive ever heard.
I rolled my eyes and pulled my backpack onto my lap. Thanks, Nash, I snapped. Youre a huge help. Id just about reached the limit of how much fright and frustration I could take. At least, on so little sleep.
Sorry. He turned so that I could see him. Youre sure you cant remember who died in your dream?
I nodded. Im not sure I knew even during the dream. All I saw was an outline in the fog. I couldnt even tell if it was male or female.
Do you think it was just a normal dream, or could it have been part premonition, too? Maybe the way your brain deals with them when youre asleep?
I shrugged and leaned with my left shoulder against Mohawk mans locker. I dont see how it could have been a premonition. Ive only had them about people Im physically close to at the time, and there was no one else in the house but my
Oh, no Terror lit my nerve endings, which blazed until it felt like my entire body was on fire. I sat up, and when I looked at Nash, I knew from his expression that my irises were swirling madly.
What if its my dad? I demanded in a horrified whisper. Id already lost my mother and had just gotten my father back. I couldnt lose him again so quickly. I couldnt.
No. Nash shook his head calmly, running one hand up my arm, over my sleeve. It cant be. When you have a premonition, someone dies quickly, right?
I nodded, not yet willing to grasp the branch of hope he held out to me. Usually within the hour.
See? And you had that dream in the middle of the night, right?