Date: 2018-04-30 07:00:00+00:00
Description: He is a Keeper of souls and she can see what his future holds. As the oldest of seven siblings, Greg has always been the one to protect his brothers and sisters. He is also a guardian of souls, keeping the spirits safe from the soul-eating Reapers. With so much responsibility, he hasn’t had much time to concentrate on his personal life. But that all changes when Emily knocks on his door and tells him she has to move in with him. Emily is Seer who can see visions of the past and future. After an unexpected flash of what fate holds for Greg, Emily finds herself once again involved with the Estmo

KEEPER OF DESTINIES

(GRAVEYARD GUARDIANS BOOK 5)

by

Jennifer Malone Wright

Copyright 2019 Jennifer Malone Wright

License Notes

This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Visit the website of Jennifer Malone Wright at
www.jennifermalonewright.com

TABLE OF CONTENTS

- Mini Prologue
- Chapter 1
- Chapter 2
- Chapter 3
- Chapter 4
- Chapter 5
- Chapter 6
- Chapter 7
- Chapter 8
- Chapter 9
- Chapter 10
- Chapter 11
- Chapter 12
- Chapter 13
- Chapter 14
- Chapter 15
- Chapter 16
- Chapter 17
- Chapter 18
- Chapter 19
- Chapter 20
- Chapter 21
- Chapter 22
- Chapter 23
- Chapter 24
- Chapter 25

- Excerpt from Summer Hollow (A Graveyard Guardians Prequel)

- Other books by Jennifer Malone Wright

- About the Author

MINI PROLOUGE

GREG

Thanksgiving with the family had always been full of surprises and chaos, but nothing could have shocked him more than when he opened the front door and found Emily on the other side.

Emily the Seer. The young woman had been a locked away at the Reaper compound when his sister Lucy had been kidnapped by the Empress. None of the Estmonds had seen or heard from her since she’d disappeared as they were running through the vineyard after escaping.

At first, he didn’t know what to say. He simply stood there, staring at her.

Emily’s dark eyes bore into his, as if she could see right into his soul. Her charcoal black curls fell down around her shoulders and tumbled down her back. His eyes skimmed over her flowing teal skirt and form-fitting black top. The turquoise jewelry she wore stood out against her dark skin and brought his attention to her smooth, perfect complexion.

“Emily,” he breathed.

“Gregory,” she nodded. “Happy Thanksgiving.”

He shook his head. “Why … how … why are you here? Where did you go after we last saw you in Napa? We were so worried.”

She tilted her head up and her big brown eyes met his. “I have foreseen that I am supposed to be here. You and the others, you need my help and I am a part of your future.”

He couldn’t help it, his lips parted and his mouth fell open. “You what?”

She smiled. “You heard me.”

“Yeah. Yes, I did.” He turned to the side. “Please come in.”

She lifted the suitcase at her feet, which he hadn’t even seen, and crossed into the house. “Thank you.”

“Guys!” he called out in a loud voice. “We’re going to need another plate.” He knew his family had seen the whole thing and Emily had probably seen them hanging out behind him, but he hollered anyway.

“Well Emily, you’re just in time for dinner.” He gestured the way she should go.

“Thank you.” Once again, she looked up at him. “I hope I’m not intruding too much. There was no better way to tell you than to just come here and tell you. After I had the vision, I had to come.”

Though he was a bit skeptical, he didn’t say so. “You’re always welcome here. We were wondering what happened to you.”

She narrowed her eyes as they strode into the dining room. “I think you should be more worried about what will happen to you.” And then, she turned to the group at the table and smiled. “Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.”

CHAPTER ONE

EMILY

Nerves caused her stomach to churn as she stepped into the room where the seven Estmond siblings and their guests sat or stood, gathered around a table filled with a Thanksgiving dinner that had to be enough food to feed an army.

How could she have intruded on their family dinner like this. How could she have interrupted a holiday celebration, especially when it was to deliver news of a vision that was far from anything they would want to be celebrating.

She should never have come.

But, then again, they needed to know what the future held for them and if she didn’t come to them immediately, she would have lost the nerve and the lives of these people would be impacted with great tragedy.

That was something she wouldn’t have been able to live with. If her gift was good for anything, she wanted it to be for saving people.

Having the gift of sight had never been a blessing for her. Life was hard when you could see what it held for those around you. Therefore, she led an isolated and lonely existence. Which was why coming to the Estmond home was totally out of her comfort zone. She wanted to help people, but nine times out of ten she did that without contact because the person at risk usually just thought she was crazy.

Perhaps, after all these years, she was crazy.

Regardless of her sanity, she was here now, facing the people who had saved her and repaying them for what they had done for her in Napa.

“Emily.” Greg’s voice brought her out of her own thoughts and she glanced up at him.

“Yes?”

“Please, sit down. We would like you to join us.” He gestured to the table where the rest of the family was still staring at her.

With a nod, she moved toward the table, even though she wasn’t hungry at all and even if she was, the tightness in her stomach might not allow her to eat anyway. Greg hurried ahead of her and pulled out a chair beside one of the younger Estmond brothers, James.

James smiled wide and nodded when she carefully lowered herself into the chair.

After making sure that she was seated, Greg made his way over to his spot at the head of the table. His dark red hair was longer than the last time she had seen him, but other than that he looked very much the same. He wore a dark blue button up shirt with a collar and a pair of dark-wash blue jeans that fit his figure perfectly. Greg intrigued her. She wasn’t sure exactly what it was about him that made him different than any other guy, but there was definitely something he had that demanded her attention.

And that something had nothing to do with anything she had seen in her vision, it was more of a feeling.

Normally, she forced herself to ignore men completely. It wouldn’t make much sense for her to date since her secret had to remain just that … a secret. The worst part was that she sometimes saw the things that others wanted to keep secret, so how would that ever work with a relationship.

Nope. She’d always known that she was meant to be alone and that she didn’t need a man. There would be no romance or growing old with anyone in her future.

Now, her visions told her otherwise.

“I … I’m so sorry for interrupting on your holiday meal.” Emily inhaled deeply after the words were out, trying to calm her still frazzled nerves.

“Nonsense.” Olivia waved her hand in the air, as if dismissing the notion that she had burdened them at all. “We are always happy to have others join us for the holidays. Now stop apologizing and serve yourself up some food.”

Emily didn’t want to make herself anymore of an inconvenience by eating their food, but she was starting to feel hungry from the trip, so she leaned forward and scooped some mashed potatoes onto her plate.

“Do you want green bean casserole?” James asked from beside her, holding his hand out for her plate. Surprised, Emily mumbled, “Yes, thank you,” and handed her plate over to him.

“There you go.” James seemed content with the amount he put on her plate, but instead of giving her plate back to her, he turned to the other side and handed it off to Steph. James’ twin didn’t even ask, she just reached in and served up a giant spoonful of some sort of fruit salad that looked absolutely wonderful, so she didn’t mind that Steph hadn’t asked if she wanted any. When she was finished with Emily’s plate, she passed it on to the next person who would ask her what she liked. That continued until the plate returned to her, full of the food everyone had dished up for her.

A few more minutes passed and finally, Lucy, the youngest of the Estmonds, asked her, “What did you see in your vision?”

Lucy was the only one of the family that she really knew at all, if you count being kidnapped and locked up with someone as knowing them, that is. She didn’t really want to talk about this now. She didn’t want to ruin their dinner by tainting it with her bad news. “It can wait until tomorrow. I didn’t intend to ruin your meal. I actually forgot it was a holiday until I got here.”

Lucy shook her head, her dark red hair shimmering as she moved it side to side beneath the light. “We don’t mind. If it’s important enough that you felt you needed to come to us right away, then it is important enough to talk about now. We trust you.”

Emily knew that not everyone at the table believed that she was truly a Seer. It wasn’t a big deal. She was used to skeptics, and dealing with people who didn’t believe had simply become part of her life. Lucy believed her, and in this instance, that was enough. If at least one of the family believed, then the rest would eventually follow.

“I just …” Emily stared down at her food. “It … It isn’t good news and I don’t want your holiday meal, that is supposed to be filled with love and laughter, to be suddenly filled with doom and gloom.”

Lucy threw her head back and laughed. “Well, for a Seer, you don’t know much. Doom and gloom is basically how we roll. The love and laughter are always inside this home and with this family, so we are going to love and laugh that doom and gloom right in the face and tell it to get the hell out.”

The rest of the family agreed, and Jack pulled Lucy over to him and planted a kiss on her lips. She flushed, pink rising into her cheeks as she pushed him away. “Stop it. I want to hear what Emily has to say.”

It took another moment for the family to quiet and once again, everyone was staring at her expectantly.

She didn’t want to tell them. She didn’t want to ruin the memory of this Thanksgiving for the entire family. The words wouldn’t come. Try as she might, she couldn’t will herself to open her mouth and just tell them what she saw.

Greg must have sensed her hesitation, because she heard him say her name, his voice soft and firm. “Emily.”

She glanced over at him. He had set his fork down and his head was slightly tilted as his gaze locked with hers. “We need you to tell us. Don’t worry about intruding, don’t worry about ruining anything, just … don’t worry about any of that. We need to know what you saw.”

Oddly, his words did calm her. She still didn’t want to tell any of the family what was going to happen, but she felt more confident in the fact that she had come here to tell them and she had to finish that mission.

The problem was that it wasn’t the end of the mission. She had to stay here with them … with Greg. How would the Estmonds deal with her intrusion when they heard that little gem. ‘Oh hey, by the way, I have to move in with you guys for an unforeseen amount of time. Thanks, now point me in the direction of my room.’

Right, like that was going to go over well.

“Okay.” Emily set her fork down on her plate and straightened her spine so that she was sitting tall when she delivered the news. “When you go to Florida, one of you will not come back.”

A sudden, heavy silence fell upon the room. It seemed like hours as she waited for someone to speak. She intentionally kept her gaze fixed on her lap, not wanting to accidentally give away anything by letting her eyes stray to the one she was talking about.

She would tell them if they wanted to know, but not until then. Sometimes, it was better to leave things in the unknown. It made it easier to let fate control what was to happen. Other times, people wanted to know so that they could try to prevent what was to happen. It was her belief that you shouldn’t try to change what the universe has dealt out for you. But, in this instance, she was willing to make a concession on that. If they wanted to change the series of events leading up to their loved one’s death, then she would help them.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, Lucy spoke up. Her hands rested on the small bump where her son or daughter grew within her. She inhaled deeply and then released a long breath before asking, “Which one of us?”

Emily slowly lifted her head, letting her eyes sway to the youngest Estmond child. Their eyes met and held, then she shifted her gaze and let her eyes settle on Jack.

Jack started and then his eyes widened with understanding, “What … me?”

“No,” Lucy stated firmly. “No.”

The Reaper slid his arm around Lucy and scooted as close as he could to her. “Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere. I’m too stubborn to die.”

“But…”

“Shut it, woman.” Jack whispered in a teasing tone and kissed her on the lips, “I told you I’m not going anywhere. None of us are.”

“But…”

He shook his head vigorously. “But nothing. The whole reason she came here to tell us this is so we can prevent it. So … if what she says is true, we can stop it before it happens. Easy.”

Emily knew first-hand it was absolutely not that easy. Once the universe decided something, it was usually for a reason and trying to prevent it sometimes caused more problems in the long run.

Lucy nodded, lifting a hand to swipe at a tear that had spilled over onto her cheek. “You’re right. This can be fixed. We always fix the problems.”

“That’s right,” Jack assured her, his dark eyes glittering fiercely as he dipped down to drop another kiss on her head.

Emily watched the exchange with fascination. Keepers and Reapers were born enemies and here they were, in love and swearing that they wouldn’t let death separate them. She knew Jack’s mother, and that woman had been the worst thing that had ever happened to her. After her time as the Empress’s prisoner, she didn’t want anything to do with Reapers.

This was different though. She had seen Jack defy his mother at the compound and she knew from her visions that he was a good man. The other Reaper, Aiden, she had memory of him from when she had been a captive. He was the one doing the dirty work for his Reaper queen. He was the one who had bound her, locked her up and treated her like an animal. However, her visions told her that he too had changed, but what she had seen wasn’t enough for her to trust him completely. It would take a lot for him to earn that.

It was Greg who spoke up next. “Is the future set in stone? Is this something that we can change, or is the outcome the same no matter what we do?”

Emily turned her head and met his hard gaze. “The future can always be changed. There are some things that are fated … those are things the universe has decided must remain. Other things are always fluctuating, depending on the decisions and actions of the people involved. We can try to change the course of this vision, but if the universe has decided that is what must be, then there is nothing we can do.”

Greg nodded. “So, we can try to change it and hope for the best?”

“Basically,” she agreed. “If we save him and it has been fated that he must die for one reason or another, death will come for him again and again until it finally takes him.”

A sob escaped from Lucy as she shoved her chair back and jumped up. “I’m sorry, these hormones. I just … I can’t.”

The Chosen One hurried from the room with her Reaper hot on her heels. He didn’t even so much as glance back at the rest of the people in the room. Emily knew he didn’t care what anyone else thought, Lucy was his only concern. Not that anyone else at the table seemed worried. It appeared they all assumed their sister was fine as long as she had her Reaper with her.

Emily cared though. She felt absolutely awful about dumping all of this on them and the last thing she wanted to do was upset a pregnant woman.

Liv lifted her wine glass and swirled it a couple of times before taking a long swallow. She leaned back against her chair and eyed Emily. “This seems easy to me. We just don’t go to Florida.”

The blond Reaper beside her tilted his head and turned toward her, his glittering green eyes resting on her face. “You know that we have to. This has to be done.”

Liv shrugged. “You go and Jack dies. I’m already concerned enough about any of you going there.”

“We have to.”

“No.” She set her wine glass on the table. “You don’t.”

“We have to end this.”

Emily nodded and glanced up as Lucy returned to the room with Jack at her side. Her eyes were red and wet with tears, but she stood in the doorway silently observing the conversation. Emily continued.

“Yes. The journey must be made. The Empress must not be allowed to continue this reign of terror. If she does, she will continue to kill innocent people.” She turned and found Jack’s gaze as she spoke her next words. “Reapers are only able to live in this world if they feed on souls. It is common knowledge to leave the human world out of this. The more innocent humans she kills, the more attention is being drawn to the authorities. It won’t be long before Reapers start being exposed as murderers.”

Jack listened, as did everyone else at the table. He gave her a slight nod of understanding, which gave Emily the courage to continue. “She will attempt to kill the Chosen One’s baby before the newborn is able to breathe its first breath. We must prevent what I saw in this vision, or there will be no fulfilling the prophecy. If the child lives, the child will bring the end of the warring between the Keepers and the Reapers. Your baby, which you will bring forth into the world.”

CHAPTER TWO

GREG

The Seer’s last words rang in his ears and a line from the prophecy flashed before his eyes. ‘The seventh child from one of the seven original Keeper lines, born on the seventh day of the month, would bring forth an end to the warring between the Keepers and the Reapers.’

They had known his sister was the Chosen One, that she was the one to fulfill the prophecy, but it had never clicked into place … until now. The baby was the one who would end it, since Jack and Lucy were bringing forth the child into the world.

His eyes fell on his sister as she glanced down and her hand moved across her slightly swollen belly. “My … my baby. But, how?”

Emily shook her head. “I don’t know,” she admitted. “What I do know is that somehow, your child, the only being in existence to be born with the blood of both a Keeper and a Reaper, is the key to all of this. We must do everything possible to keep you and the child safe.

Finally, Lucy moved into the room and returned to her chair, practically falling into it. “I knew I was the one referred to in the prophecy, but I never thought my baby would be a part of this.”

“It makes sense.” Dan nodded, agreeing with himself and whatever his thought process was. “Bringing forth, that is the key phrase.”

Greg glanced at his sister and Jack again, noticing that the Reaper had his fists clenched at his sides. Lucy turned, raised her hand and set it on his arm. “It’s fine, nothing will happen to our child,” he heard her whisper in a low tone. “I’d never let that happen.”

“None of us would,” Greg told them, directing the comment to both Lucy and Jack. “Family first, always.”

A chorus of ‘that’s rights’ and ‘hell yeahs’ echoed throughout the room and then Jack turned to Emily, his hands still held in fists at his sides. “I don’t care if I have to die. If my sacrifice saves my Lucy and my child, I’m all in.”

Emily averted her gaze, as if she were trying not to look directly at Jack. He got the feeling she was intimidated by the Reapers. It probably had something to do with how the Empress had kidnapped her. He didn’t blame her if that was the reason.

He didn’t have any place to cast judgement either. Up until recently, he’d hated all Reapers. Then Jack came crashing into their lives and connected with his sister. Then Aiden showed up and did the same thing with his other sister.

There was a time he never would have dreamed that he would be associating with Reapers, now he had two of them who were basically a part of the family and he would give his life for them … just as he knew they would for him.

“We need to go sooner than later,” Aiden spoke up. “If we wait too long, the Reaper spies she sends in will know what we are up to. It’s better just to go.”

Greg shook his head. “We need to plan.”

“What’s there to plan? Let’s get on a plane and go.”

Dan leaned back in his chair, a thoughtful look on his face. “We can’t take weapons on a plane and we’re going to need to be armed.”

He had a point, but Greg wasn’t able to say so before Aiden turned to face Dan. “What’s your suggestion, then?”

“Motorhome. Let’s get an RV and travel there. We can all take turns driving and then we will be able to bring our weapons. It will take longer, but if we go straight through it won’t be too bad.”

“And where in the world are we going to get an RV? Steph flipped her dark red hair over her shoulder and stared at their brother with wide eyes. “We’re all broke!”

That statement left everyone at the table silent. It was true, the entire lot of them could barely afford to eat, much less purchase or rent a motorhome. Even Hannah, who had been the only one of them with a really nice paying job, was out of work since she’d manipulated the autopsy of a Reaper she killed.

“I can get us an RV,” Dan said, waving off Steph’s comment. “Don’t worry.”

Greg narrowed his eyes and stared down his brother. “Dude, how do you end up with all this money? It’s totally sketchy that you always come up with a shit ton of bail money or something like an RV when we are in desperate need. I’m going to ask again … are you into drug dealing or something?”

“Seriously. I’ve already told you that I’m not into anything illegal or dangerous. I have … investments.”

Greg didn’t miss the way Reese’s head swiveled toward Dan. Her eyebrows shot up in surprise and her lips parted like she wanted to say something, but then she must have changed her mind because she said nothing. This told him that Dan was definitely hiding something.

“All you need to know is that I can get a motorhome,” Dan finished as he lifted his fork, loaded with mashed potatoes, to his lips.

“Fine.” Greg rolled his eyes and then pointed at his brother. “Whatever you are doing, we will eventually find out. We’re onto you man.”

Dan spread his arms wide and with a mouth full of mashed potatoes said, “Bring it on.”

“Oh, I will,” Greg assured him.

This wasn’t how he envisioned Thanksgiving at all. He had been hoping they could have at least one happy day where they weren’t fighting Reapers or worrying about what was going to happen to them. “Okay, I guess we are planning a trip then. For now, let’s enjoy our meal and the fact that we are all together.”

Everyone agreed and began to eat and converse. James was asking Emily questions and keeping her involved in conversation. On one hand, Greg was glad that his brother was making Emily feel comfortable, but on the other, he felt a small twinge of something that he couldn’t pinpoint. The only thing he was sure of was that he wished he was the one chatting in hushed tones with the Seer.

After the meal was over, everyone helped clear the table, pack away the leftovers and clean up the kitchen. It definitely went fast with everyone helping. As they worked, he kept an eye on Emily. It appeared that James was keeping her more than occupied, chatting her ear off the entire time. Emily would occasionally smile, laugh lightly or respond to him, but it still seemed like she was keeping her distance.

Once the work was done, the entire lot of them gathered in the living room with drinks. Dan, who had quit drinking, held a steaming mug of coffee instead of his usual hard alcohol. He was proud of his brother for finally coming to his senses. He, along with the rest of the family, had been worried about him and his alcoholism. But if he didn’t want to help himself, none of them could have done anything.

It was Reese who finally knocked some sense into him … and it wasn’t when she was chasing him out of the bar with her baseball bat either. His brother had fallen madly in love with the brunette bartender whom they had all known their entire lives.

Now, Dan was finally off the booze and the entire family had Reese to thank for that.

He, on the other hand, sometimes wished he was an alcoholic. He wished that he could slip into a vice and let all his problems float away. There were times that all the fighting and killing and worry was just too much. He was the oldest of the Estmond children and with both of his parents gone now, it made him feel as if taking care of all six of his brothers and sisters was his responsibility.

The reality of it was that they all took care of each other, but that didn’t take away that feeling that he needed to be the one to do it. That was a huge weight to carry and sometimes he just wanted to drop that weight and rest.

But, he never did. Unlike Dan, who had sunk into his depression and washed away the worry with alcohol, he rose up and fought harder with every blow. It was exhausting, but in the end, he knew they would win because of it.

“Greg, where’d you go, man?” He heard his brother’s voice and pulled himself out of the haze of his thoughts to find James waving a hand in front of his face.

“Oh, sorry. I guess I might be tired. I spaced off there for a minute.”

James crinkled his brow. “Yeah, I guess. Well, you aren’t the only one. Emily wants to get some sleep and I don’t know where you want me to put her up.” He gestured at the Seer, who stood near the stairs with her suitcase in hand.

“Oh, um … I guess she can have my room and I’ll bunk with you.”

His brother’s face fell. “Great. You snore worse than anyone I’ve ever met. Looks like I won’t be getting any sleep.”

Emily shook her head. “No, I don’t want to put anyone out.”

Greg waved his hand in dismissal. “Don’t worry. He’s joking. I don’t snore and you aren’t putting anyone out at all. Just let me go up and change the sheets and straighten up a little bit. I wasn’t expecting anyone.”

She nodded and Greg moved past her, jogging up the stairs. If he had known he was going to have a girl sleeping in his room, with or without him, he would have definitely straightened up more. One of their spare rooms was full of more crap than they knew what to do with. Their dad’s room was off limits. None of them wanted to take the room and, on that same note, none of them wanted to change anything in it. So, the room stayed as it was. He definitely wasn’t going to let a stranger go in there if his own family couldn’t bring themselves to deal with it.

Once he made it to his room, he threw open the door and let out a curse when he saw that it was worse than he had thought it was. When the hell had he become such a slob. There were piles of clothes everywhere, books scattered over the desk and nightstand, his guitar was propped against the bed where he had last left it, and several pieces of notebook paper with lyrics were spread over the comforter.

“Shit.” He rushed forward to move his guitar and gather the paper before ripping the blankets and sheets off the queen sized bed. It took him about twenty minutes to change the bedding and pick up the clutter enough that the room wouldn’t be offensive.

He was shoving the last pile of clothes into a hamper by his desk when James and Emily appeared in the doorway. “What the hell is taking you so long?” James leaned into the room, taking a look around.

Greg straightened. “I had to change the sheets, that takes a few minutes.”

“Whatever.” James rolled his eyes and gestured into the room. “You should be comfortable in here. There is a bathroom across the hall if you need it, just make sure to knock because we all share around here.”

“Thank you.” Emily offered James a smile and then proceeded further into the room. “And thank you for offering your room to me. I never intended to intrude.”

“It’s no problem at all. We’re glad you’re here,” he added.

After that there was an awkward silence where the three of them stood there, no one saying anything. Finally, Emily shifted her eyes back and forth, signaling that she was ready for them to leave.

Greg snapped into action, hurrying out of the room and grabbing James by the shoulder as he exited the room. “Good night, sleep well.” He called over his shoulder and shut the door behind him.

“Let go.” James shrugged out of his grip. “What the hell man?”

Greg just shrugged, deciding not to answer.

“You’re acting like a weirdo.” His brother eyed him over and then glanced back at the shut door behind them. “Oh shit.” He slapped his palm against his thigh. “I get it now.”

“Shut up,” Greg hissed, not wanting Emily to overhear anything.

“What?” James grinned. “You don’t want her to hear me say that you want to…”

Greg launched forward and shoved James against the wall. “I said shut it, man!”

“Or what?” James laughed beneath his hold.

“Or I can say just as loudly how you’d like to do the same thing. Don’t think none of us noticed.”

James narrowed his eyes. “I don’t care, I’ll tell her myself.”

Greg rolled his eyes and released his brother. “You’re an asshole.”

“Awww, but I’m your asshole and you love me.”

“Just keep this shit to yourself, okay.” He lowered his voice. “I’m allowed to think she’s attractive, so leave me alone.”

“Dude, she’s more than attractive.”

Greg once again rolled his eyes. “I’m not arguing that point. Let’s go downstairs.”

James nodded and followed him down to join the rest of the family. When they hit the landing, his brother elbowed him and whispered, “Are we allowed to call dibs?”

“Absolutely not.”

“Dammit. Because if we were…”

“No,” Greg cut him off. “If, and I mean if either of us were to … well, she gets to make that decision. It’s not up to us.”

“You suck.” James slapped his brother’s shoulder in a friendly gesture. “But good luck anyway.” With that, he hurried off to join the game of charades that was taking place in the living room.

CHAPTER THREE

EMILY

She could hear their voices on the other side of the bedroom door, but she couldn’t hear what they were saying. She wasn’t blind either, however. She knew they were talking about her. You didn’t have to be a Seer to know that James had been flirting with her. Greg hadn’t been as direct, but she could sense the attraction from him.

She wondered if he could feel that same attraction coming from her. She also really hoped that he couldn’t. The only reason she was here was to tell them about the vision and help them to try and stop it. Then she could return to her own life.

She rolled the suitcase over and then set it on the bed. She hadn’t been joking about being tired, it had been a long day and she was definitely ready to get some sleep. It only took her a few minutes and she had changed into a pair of baggy sweatpants and a loose tee shirt. She closed the suitcase and set it on the floor beside the bed.

Hesitantly, she peeled back the covers that Greg had spread neatly over the bed and then slid underneath. The crisp, clean sheets felt nice against her skin, so she pulled the comforter up to her chin and curled into a ball on her side.

Sleep immediately took her.

When Emily woke the next morning, she had to take a moment to orient herself. She was in a strange bed, with the fall morning sunshine streaming through the windows and into the room.

After remembering where she was and how she got there, she pushed the covers aside and sat up. The day before had been a long day and she was probably still suffering from some jet lag. That was the only explanation for her grogginess. She knew that the day ahead of her was going to be a long one as well, and she had to push back the urge to just pack her stuff and go home. Well, she felt like that on one hand. On the other she knew that she had to see this through to the end.

She would not have been given the vision if she wasn’t meant to help. The destinies of many were now on her hands.

She snuck out into the hallway and crossed over to the bathroom, making sure that no one was in there before she entered. Finding it empty, she proceeded to empty her bladder and then quickly brush her teeth. When she was finished, she crossed back over to the bedroom and pulled a pair of jeans and a purple tee shirt out of her suitcase. She changed clothes quickly, worrying that someone would come in while she was changing. There were just too many people roaming around this house.

Downstairs was calm and quiet, nothing like it had been the night before. But the moment she set foot on the landing, the scent of bacon wafted in from the kitchen and her stomach growled in anticipation. Following the aroma, she made her way through the living room and into the kitchen where she found Jack at the stove, stirring a pan of scrambled eggs and humming. The amount of eggs in the pan looked like enough to feed an army. On the counter beside the stove, a large electric skillet held the sizzling bacon that had drawn her into the kitchen in the first place.

Jack had noticed her enter, turning away from his cooking duties to offer her a friendly smile and said, “Good morning.”

“Morning.” She returned the smile, clasping her hands in front of her.

The Reaper, looking totally out of place manning a stove, waved his plastic spatula toward the coffee pot. “There is pretty much always coffee in there. Help yourself, but never forget to make a new pot if you use the last of it. If you don’t, there will be hell to pay, and I will totally throw you under the bus.”

Emily tilted her head and smiled. “Oh, don’t worry, I won’t forget … and thank you,” she added, moving in the direction Jack had indicated.

“No worries. Mugs are in the cabinet.”

Emily opened the door of the cupboard he had gestured to and chose a large mug that read, ‘could be coffee … could be booze,’ and filled her cup. She eyeballed the liquid in the pot as she slid the carafe back into place. There was still about half a pot, so she didn’t think she needed to make more yet.

She carried her mug over to the table, but before she sat down she asked, “Do you need any help?”

Jack stirred the eggs a bit, shook his head and then turned to her. “Nope. I think I got this covered. I haven’t burned anything yet.”

Emily let out a small laugh and then sat down at the table to drink her coffee. “Where is everyone?”

The Reaper tilted his head as if he were thinking. “Let’s see. Lucy is still sleeping, James is upstairs, Greg is out in the graveyard pulling patrol and everyone else went back to their places last night. Don’t worry, this place will be bursting with people within the hour. It’s like fucking Grand Central around here ninety percent of the time.”

“Oh.” She didn’t know what else to say.

Jack flipped off the burner switch for the eggs and then transferred all the bacon over to a plate. “You want some food?”

“Not quite yet,” she told him. “It’s still a little early for me. But, I definitely will in a little bit.”

“So, tell me.” Jack topped off his own cup of coffee and then pulled out a chair across from hers. “How do I die?”

Emily expected this. Why wouldn’t they want to know how it happened. How else would they prevent it, if they didn’t know how it happened?

“Your mother shoots you.”

He shook his head as if disappointed, but he didn’t appear shocked at all. “Damn. I have to say though, I’m not surprised. I always knew that she hated me.”

“In the vision, it was an accident. She aims for someone else, but you run in and throw that person aside, saving his life and take the bullet.”

Jack sipped his coffee and nodded thoughtfully. “Shit.”

“Yeah,” she agreed, “Definitely shit.”

They sat for a moment in silence, drinking their coffee and staring at the table. Then, Jack glanced up at her and as their gazes locked, appearing very serious he said, “Thank you for coming here. This … it means a lot to me that you would go out of your way to help save my child … and me. This family means everything to me.”

“I couldn’t have it any other way. If I didn’t come, I would have suffered guilt, knowing I let you go to your death. Also, I have a grudge against your mother, so I’d like to see her pay for everything she has done to innocent people. So, the gesture isn’t completely unselfish.”

Jack nodded. “I definitely respect that. And sorry about what she did to you.”

“Nothing we can do about that now.” Emily shrugged. “It’s over. But, I’d like to make sure that doesn’t happen to anyone ever again.”

“I’m with you,” Jack agreed. “All the way.”

Emily blew on her coffee and then took another tentative sip. “Is it hard?”

“Is what hard?” He tilted his head and searched her eyes for the answer.

“Is it hard that your mother is the enemy? I mean, most people would have some serious issues having to work their way around that.” She hoped she wasn’t overstepping boundaries by asking, but the way she figured it. Open and honest was the only way they could all play this out safely.

He shrugged, looking thoughtful as he contemplated his answer. “I suppose it is kind of hard, but I have to put that aside. I know that she never loved me. I know that she only cares about the survival of the Reaper Royalty and Reaper race.” He paused. “She never should have had a child. I’m pretty sure the only reason she did was to ensure that the Walker line would maintain power.”

Emily nodded, but stayed silent, sensing that he wasn’t done.

Sure enough, Jack closed his eyes as if he were gathering strength and then opened them again. “It is hard. Because she is still my mother. She gave birth to me. She is my blood. I wish I could say that didn’t matter at all, but it does.”

“Which is why I am going to be the one to kill her,” Aiden said from the entrance to the kitchen.

A sharp cry escaped her lips before she could stop it. She hadn’t heard him approach and apparently neither had Jack.

“Sorry, Seer, didn’t mean to scare you.” Aiden moved into the kitchen and headed for the coffee pot. “But I overheard what my brother here was saying and that is exactly what I have been telling him. No one should have to kill their own mother. I don’t care how shitty of a parent they were, it’s just not something anyone should have to do.” He said this last part as poured the last bit of coffee into his mug. “Dammit.” He held the carafe up and examined it. Then, he set it aside and began the process of emptying the used grounds and making a fresh pot.

Jack hadn’t turned to look at his friend. His eyes were downcast, staring into his mug. Finally, after a moment, he told him, “You shouldn’t have to do that either.”

“Tough shit, bro. It’s the way it’s going to be.”

“I feel like it’s my responsibility.”

“Get over it.” Aiden filled the empty pot with water and poured it into the back of the coffee pot and then sat down with them at the table.

Emily watched the interactions silently. She knew these two men were close. They were more than friends, they were brothers … bonded by a love that was stronger than blood. Fate had connected them, given them each other to help them survive.

Jack finally just shook his head and gestured to the food on the counter. “I made breakfast, if you’re interested.”

“I’m not ready to die yet. I have things to accomplish before that happens.”

Jack rolled his eyes. “Stubborn moron.”

“Deal with it,” Aiden retorted. “And that is definitely the pot calling the kettle black, bro.”

“Where’s Liv.” Jack changed the subject.

Aiden tested his coffee, then, finding it cool enough to drink, he took a larger swig. “Work. You know she gets up at like four in the morning to go get things started at the bakery. Leaving me all alone to fend for myself.”

“Poor thing,” Jack teased.

“I know, it’s a shame.”

Emily watched, intrigued, as the two Reaper’s bantered back and forth. She had never really experienced anyone making jokes or teasing her, so she found the way that they communicated simply fascinating. From what she had seen, most of the Estmond family was like that as well.

She liked it. She wasn’t entirely sure why she liked it, but she did.

“So, Seer…” Aiden turned toward her. She usually tried to avoid his gaze, since this particular man still made her uncomfortable, but he stared at her until her eyes finally met his and he was sure he had her attention.

He cleared his throat. “I feel like I owe you an apology for what happened back at the compound. I can be an emotionless bastard and I was doing what I was instructed to do.”

“It’s okay,” Emily started to say.

“No.” He shook his head. “It’s not okay. Those are not reasons, they are excuses, and nothing I can say will take away what happened. But know that I regret every part of it and I am sorry.”

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Jack’s jaw drop a little, but ignored it. She kept her gaze on Aiden’s and offered him a nod. “I forgive you.”

She didn’t offer any long drawn out reasons why she forgave him. But mostly, she believed in karma and fate. Harboring harsh feelings for him, after he had truly tried to redeem himself, would only end up causing her more negativity and pain. She believed in forgiveness.

But, then there were those like the Empress, who didn’t even try to do good. She lived and breathed evil, and those were the types of people that Emily would never be able to forgive.

“Thank you,” Aiden told her.

She nodded. “I still…” She didn’t know how to finish her sentence.

“Still see what happened as if it were yesterday, every time you look at me?”

She nodded. “Yes.” He had nailed it.

“Well, I hope that fades in time,” he told her. “I understand why you feel that way, though.”

Emily nodded again, not knowing what else to say on the topic. An awkward silence filled the space in the kitchen for a little bit, though it was quickly broken when James entered the room with Steph and Ethan.

“I don’t care,” Steph was telling the men. “It doesn’t matter what he’s doing. If he says it’s not illegal or like … drugs or anything, then it’s none of our business what he does. He obviously doesn’t want us to know or he would just tell us.”

James headed straight for the coffee pot, which was nearly done perking the fresh coffee. “I can’t handle not knowing. Secrets suck.”

“If he has a secret, he definitely has a reason and he wouldn’t do anything that would put him or the family at risk,” Ethan interjected, following James to the coffee.

“There’s food.” Jack gestured to the bacon and eggs. “Just leave enough for Lucy … like a helping for two people. I want my baby fed good.”

Just then, the door to the kitchen opened again and Lucy appeared. “Don’t do that. I’m not eating that much.” The youngest Keeper looked pale, especially with the contrast of her dark red hair. She had the strands piled into a messy bun on top of her head and wore a pair of purple sweatpants with a little black tank top.

Lucy glanced at Jack and rolled her eyes. “Don’t worry, I am eating, but I’m not that hungry right now.”

“As long as you eat.”

“I want coffee.”

“You get one cup of regular so you don’t kill anyone, after that you get decaf.”

Lucy halted on her way to the coffee pot where the boys were making way for her. “Decaf?” Her voice held an accusatory tone. “Are you kidding me?”

Emily watched as the entire family turned their heads toward Jack to see how he would answer. Aware of the stares, Jack shrugged. “What? I’ve been reading and the books all say that a woman shouldn’t have too much caffeine when she is pregnant.”

“Give me that book.” Lucy glared at him. “I’m burning it.”

Jack widened his eyes and put a hand to his chest. “You can’t burn a book!”

“I agree. But I’m making an exception for any book that tells me I can’t have coffee.” As if to prove her point she poured the brew into her mug and took a sip.

“One cup.” He glared at her.

She lifted her hand and gave him the finger while the mug was still at her lips.

“I love you too, baby.”

Emily couldn’t help but smile. This family had a different way of getting along than she was used to, but she knew without a doubt that they loved each other and would give anything to keep each other safe.

That was something she never had, a family, especially one that would go to these lengths to protect one another.

It was hard not to wish that she had that for herself.

CHAPTER FOUR

GREG

The cemetery was beautiful in the fall. This was the season that Greg loved best. Summer in California was too hot. Yes, he was used to the sweltering summers, but that didn’t mean he liked them. Spring was okay, probably his second favorite, and winter never really lasted long. Winter was generally just an extended fall and spring. Snow was extremely rare, but it did get cold and rainy quite often.

He patrolled the graveyard with only half his attention on the task, the other half of his mind was on the Seer. He had thought they would never see Emily after Napa. Now … she’d burst into their lives again and this time she had dropped a bomb on them. A big bomb.

One of them was going to die. Jack was going to die if they didn’t do something.

This was a serious situation and his mind should be on how they were going to get through it with everyone alive. He should be trying to figure out how they were going to defy death, but no, his thoughts were on Emily.

He couldn’t figure out why it was so hard to get her off his mind. Sure, he loved women. He dated and got as much sex as he wanted, but this girl, he felt like he needed her in his life. He had never felt like that about a woman before. Ever.

Well, that was actually a lie. He felt this way one time before, when he first met Emily during the battle at the Empresses compound. The moment he saw her, the attraction slammed into him like he had run into a brick wall. But then, she was gone and it was senseless to dwell on it. He’d gone this long without a woman, so what use was it to worry about something he couldn’t change.

Now she was here and, from the looks of it, it appeared that they would be spending some time together. He should be happy about it, that she was here to help them, but his mind kept wandering to her … just her.

The kicker here, though, was that James was attracted to her too. This had happened before with all the brothers, so it wasn’t like they hadn’t ever crushed on the same girl. He wished he could just give up and tell his brother to go for it. It would make more sense, since Emily was closer to James’ age anyway.

That didn’t seem to be an option this time, however.

With a sigh, he shoved the thoughts away and tried to concentrate on the task at hand. It was daylight, so the souls were not as visible as they were at night. Here and there he could spot the patches of air that were tinted with blue, but for the most part he couldn’t see them.

Hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans, he trudged slowly up one of the trails to the back side of the cemetery and found a bench where he could sit for a while.

The bench overlooked the farmhouse. He could see the family moving about inside and knew they were all fighting over the coffee pot and eating breakfast.

His stomach rumbled at the thought of food. He typically ate first thing in the morning to fuel his body for the day, but today he’d come right out at five in the morning to relieve Hannah from her patrol. He was regretting the decision now, knowing he should have at least grabbed a snack.

“Good morning, son.”

The air shimmered and the sparkling blue mist of his father began to solidify, forming into the semitransparent image of his father.

“Hi Dad.” Greg drew in a deep breath. It was still weird to see his father in this form. It was hard on him when his father had passed. He had been so sure that he would never see his father again, and had been happy that his dad would cross over to be with his mother once more. But no, he had refused the crossing because of his unfinished business and his need to be there for his kids.

His father had been their only parent for many years and the man, even in death, could not stop protecting them. On one hand, Greg was happy that he could still talk to his father. The man had always been there for heart to hearts, regardless of if they were good heart to hearts or the kind meant to put a child in their place. On the other hand, Greg wanted his father to be free of the heartbreak and pain that the real world drowned them in. He wanted his father to be able to do whatever it was that they did when they finally crossed over, because he knew it had to be better than what went on here on earth.

“Well …” His father crossed his nearly transparent arms over his Hawaiian shirt that his ghostly image still wore. “Looks like there is another addition to the group.”

Greg shrugged. “I don’t know. She showed up last night and told us that Jack is going to die in Florida. She saw it in her visions, and she is here to help us to change the future.”

“It can be changed, though?”

“Possibly. We’re definitely going to try.”

His father nodded, slowly, as if he were still thinking. “So, that’s all that is bothering you?”

“I have a feeling you already know the answer to that.” Greg looked up at his father, who was standing over him, and felt his lip curve into a small smile. Gregory Estmond Sr. knew his kids. If there was anything this man was good at in life, it was reading his children. Not one of the seven of them could ever get a lie past their father.

“The Seer?”

“Yes.”

“Ah, I understand.” His father nodded.

“I don’t know what it is. I’m just having a hard time not thinking about her. Not about why she’s here, but her.”

“I don’t see a problem with that. There isn’t a damn thing wrong with being attracted to someone.”

“James likes her.”

“Well that could be a problem, but you two will have to figure it out. And, it probably boils down to who she likes in return. Could be neither of you.”

Greg shook his head and rolled his eyes a little. “I know that, dad. And that isn’t really the issue. The issue is that I should be more worried about the mission. I need to get my head in the game. Ever since she walked in that door last night I can barely think about anything else except her and that freaks me out.”

“Why does that freak you out?”

“I’m the one everyone depends on now that your gone. I’m the oldest.”

His father scoffed. “Just because you’re the oldest and your siblings look up to you, doesn’t mean that you aren’t allowed to have personal issues. I certainly had my share of issues. Being older doesn’t shield you from life, son.”

Greg was silent for a moment. He moved his gaze from his father and stared at the house. Everyone of those people inside that house depended on him for something. He couldn’t let his concentration stray now.

He glanced away from the house and back up at his dad. “I don’t know, dad. It’s just not that simple.”

“You think I don’t know that the life of a Keeper isn’t simple. Well, buddy, try raising seven kids alone and see how things go. At least the ones who depend on you are grown.”

He had a point. His father was his hero, and was probably seen as that to many of those who lived in Summer Hollow as well. He didn’t know anyone who could raise seven kids all by themselves, not to mention that he helped raise Ethan, too.

“Ah, speaking of your Seer, here she comes.” His father nodded in the direction of the house.

Greg followed his gaze and saw Emily, holding a plate with a paper towel over it in one hand and closing the door with the other. She turned, her eyes drifting over the cemetery until she spotted him and then she began the short walk across the lawn, over into the graveyard.

“You better meet her halfway son, she knows you saw her.”

“Yeah.” Greg answered, still watching Emily as she walked casually up the trail toward him.

His father’s image began to shimmer and slowly disappear. “Remember what I told you, though. Live life kid. Don’t give up your entire life because you feel responsible for them. You will take good care of them no matter what, so it’s okay to let your mind wander a bit. And it’s okay to have some fun too.”

Greg nodded, acknowledging his father’s words. “Thanks dad.”

And with that, his father was gone.

Inhaling deeply, Greg pushed himself up off the bench and headed down the hill to meet Emily.

She wore a thin cardigan and jeans. The light breeze lifted her curly hair off of her shoulders and blew some of the strands across her face as she continued up the trail toward him. He mentally photographed the moment, so that he could remember how she looked marching up the path on a brisk fall morning.

“Good morning.” He called out, just before they finally reached each other.

“Good morning.” She responded, a soft smile playing on her lips. “Jack made breakfast. I thought you might be hungry.”

He looked down and realized that she was holding out the plate to him. “Thank you. My stomach was starting to protest at the lack of food.”

“It’s no problem. I wanted to get a little fresh air as well.”

Greg glanced around the graveyard. “Well, it’s not exactly like a walk in the park, but it gets the job done. I mean, I enjoy the cemetery, but it’s a huge part of my life, so I…” He realized he was rambling and stopped mid-sentence.

She laughed. “It’s all right. I totally understand. I actually rather enjoy the serene peace of a cemetery. I have spent my share of time in them.”

Greg wondered if he should ask why, or if that would be overstepping to ask her something so personal. In the end, he went with changing the subject. “Jack cooked breakfast?” he asked, lifting the paper towel. “And it’s edible?”

He found the eggs were a little dry from sitting, but didn’t look burned. The bacon also looked uncharred. He liked crispy bacon, but not too crispy.

Emily shrugged. “I didn’t eat yet.”

He raised his eyebrow in question.

“Oh, I will, I just wasn’t hungry yet. Plus, I thought I’d let everyone else get something.”

He laughed. “Well, you better get over that quick. There are a lot of people in this family and things go fast.”

“Which is why I brought some out to you,” she responded softly.

“Touché.” He bowed, holding the plate out in front of him. “Would you like some of this?” he offered.

She shook her head. “No, thank you.”

“So…” Emily lowered her eyes, staring at the gravely path beneath her shoes. “You are patrolling? What exactly do you do during patrol.”

He thought for a moment and then said, “As you know, we guard the cemetery from Reapers, so most days and nights we spend walking around, thinking and watching for signs of anything strange. We do have the very occasional Reaper sighting here, but for the most part its quiet. Not as quiet since my father died and this whole prophecy thing is happening, but compared to most cemeteries, ours doesn’t get much action.”

Emily nodded and tilted her head as if she were thinking about what to say next. “You have worked in other cities, yes?”

It wasn’t a question, he could tell she already knew the answer, but was asking him so that he would talk about it. He nodded. “Yes, I took over guardianship as Keeper at one of the San Francisco cemeteries. Now that … is a busy place. I moved there straight from here and I’d never been in a place that had more than one interaction with a Reaper every night.”

“That must have been a difficult change for you.”

He shook his head. “Nah, I actually liked the action. Gave me a reason to feel like I was actually fulfilling my purpose in life. As much as I love this place and the quiet of a small town, it’s hard to feel like you’re doing what you are meant to do when you see like one Reaper a year. Until this last year, that is how it was.”

He watched Emily start to say something and then stop.

“What?”

“What … what?”

Greg smiled. “You were going to ask me something and then you stopped.”

Briefly, an expression of embarrassment flashed in her eyes and then it was gone. “I was going to ask you if you got paid for that. I know it’s strange, but I don’t know how it all works.”

“That is a valid question. We don’t get paid for any Keeper jobs, even ones we are assigned to. Some of the larger cities allow for certain things like housing, but there is no pay involved. In San Francisco, I was provided a small apartment in a complex that is owned by one of the Keepers on the Council for the city. So, I did have to work. I chose to play guitar at live events rather than take a regular job. It didn’t pay much, but it was enough to buy food, which was all I needed.”

“Oh. That explains a lot.”

“Here,” Greg nodded at the house, “we own the house. No one gets paid for anything so most of us have regular jobs and we rotate patrols on the graveyard. The lack of activity that I mentioned before, plus the fact that there are a lot of us, actually make it fairly easy to maintain somewhat of a normal schedule here in Summer Hollow.”

“Well, it seems like you all help each other out as much as you can.”

He nodded. “Yes, we take care of each other.”

“I can see that.” Emily smiled, and then after a moment she turned to look back down the trail. “I should probably go back now.”

He would rather she stayed with him, but he didn’t dare suggest it. “Yeah. I have a couple more hours till Steph comes out to relieve me, then I’ll probably crash for a bit.” He hoped he didn’t sound like he was making the conversation all about him.

“Enjoy your breakfast,” Emily told him. After flashing a small smile, she turned and headed back down the trail toward the house. He watched her the entire time, right up until she disappeared into the house.

This wasn’t good at all. The last thing he needed in the midst of all that was going on was a distraction, and Emily was definitely that. Of all the uncertainties they were up against, one thing was for sure, this girl was going to be around for a while and that was going to make it incredibly hard not to get attached to her.

CHAPTER FIVE

CAMILLE (THE EMPRESS)

Her heels clicked on the marble floors, echoing through the large mansion and making the place seem larger and more sterile than it already felt. She liked the clean, simple feel, though, so it didn’t bother her in the least. She stopped at the end of the hall in the wing where her husband was being kept.

He was still hanging on … by a thread, but hanging on nonetheless. She made time to visit him each day, though he was barely the man she once knew anymore. Only a glimmer of the healthy, strong man she loved remained in the withered shell of a body.

She paused before opening the door and smoothed down her skirt, straightened her spine and inhaled deeply. As she expelled the breath, she reached for the knob, opened the door and stepped inside.

Ephraim Walker lay on a large king size bed with only a sheet covering his body. It was too warm for blankets, even with the air conditioning on. Aside from a comfortable arm chair beside the bed for his visitors, the bed was the only thing in the room that wasn’t some type of medical equipment.

She had spared no expense when it came to Ephraim. Her husband had two live-in nurses, as well as every piece of equipment they had needed or might need in the future. Currently, he was hooked up to an oxygen machine and had an IV to keep him hydrated.

She knew that it wouldn’t be long. It had felt that way for months, though.

“Hello, my love.” She approached his bedside and bent down to kiss his cheek softly.

Ephraim’s eyes opened into slits and then widened a bit when he saw her. “Camille.” His voice was barely audible. “You’re here.”

She reached out and covered his limp hand with hers. “Yes, love. I’m here. I am always here. Even if I’m not in the room, all you need to do is ask Mary to fetch me and I will come to you.”

“Has Jackson come yet.” The words were cracked and forced, as if it took all his effort to utter them.”

Anger surged through her, just as it did every time her husband asked for their son. Their son who betrayed them and took up with the Keepers. Their son who didn’t give a crap about his father enough to come and see him before he passed. Their son … the traitor.

Of course, she hadn’t told Ephraim one word of that. She didn’t want to upset him and over the months she had given the excuse that Jack was on mission to find the Keeper and was deep in some undercover work.

“No dear, he is still out of the state. I have sent word though, and he will be returning as soon as he possibly can without drawing too much attention to himself.”

Sadness filled his eyes and he nodded gently, but didn’t say anything. She didn’t know if he was silent because he didn’t know what to say, or because he physically couldn’t. She knew he was disappointed, and that made her resent her son even more than she already did.

Jack had renounced his family and his place in the Reaper Royalty. He had given up his place as the future leader. She knew she had always been hard and somewhat unloving as far as how a mother should treat a son, but she never thought he would go so far as to renounce them all.

She had never really loved him. She knew that, but would never admit it to anyone. She had a son because she was supposed to bear a child to continue their family reign as the Emperor or Empress of the Reapers. She did not have a child because she wanted one. Sex of the child made no difference, a male or female child could lead just the same. She was given a son, and after her duty of bearing a child was done, she intended to have no more.

She didn’t have it in her to be a good mother, so she hired nannies and let them deal with the boy until he was old enough to start training as part of the Reaper Army, which would in turn prepare him as a leader.

Her son was a defiant one, too. Of all the children she could have brought into the world, she had one who talked back to her, purposely got into trouble at every turn and, when he got older, began drinking and sleeping his way through women as if they were completely dispensable. She could not believe that such a man had been born from the same genes as she and her husband.

Not long after Jack announced that he’d left the family and all that went with it, Aiden followed. Her Aiden, the one who should have been her son. He and Jack had always been close, but it had been Aiden who had shown her he was worthy of leadership.

Well, that is up until he chose Jack over his duty to the Guard. After that, she had punished him and he had defected from the Reapers, joining her son in his betrayal.

No, the last thing she was going to do was tell her husband all that while he was on his death bed. She knew the consequences and that was fine, she didn’t want Ephraim to suffer anymore than he already had.

Ephraim didn’t say anything more during their visit. She sat quietly at his bedside, as she did each day, wondering if this would be the day he finally slipped away from this world. She didn’t want him to die, but she hated that he lay here suffering, stuck in a body that would not cooperate. He always hated being sick, and he hated getting old even more. Unfortunately, the latter was simply a part of life that you couldn’t defy.

Everyone dies in the end. Simple as that.

And now, she had no one to leave her empire to if something should happen to her.

She left the room as quietly as she had when she entered. After clicking the door shut behind her, she leaned against the sturdy wood and let out a long, shaky sigh. None of the guards so much as twitched. No one who worked for her would ever take a chance with their job, or their life by bringing attention to her display of emotion. She was cold and calculating, emotionless … the way she had been raised to be. And it was precisely why those beneath her feared her.

The only reason why she let her wall down for a moment with the guards around, was because these particular men were trusted, having been with her for many years and proven their loyalty.

But then again … so had Aiden, and he had turned on her.

With that thought on her mind, she pushed herself upright and straightened her spine. Then, without saying anything, she continued on, marching briskly back the way she had come.

Several moments later, she arrived at the opposite wing of the mansion. She left the guards out in the hallway without offering them so much as a nod, and slipped quietly through a door that gave no indication of what was on the other side.

The large space she now stood in had been converted into a sort of lab. The project that took place in this room wasn’t something that she would have allowed anywhere but in her own home. This area was where they were running tests on her blood and the blood of the young Keeper. So far, they had found absolutely nothing in any combination that they tried, and she had even gone so far as to take some of Ephraim’s to test.

The prophecy stated that the blood of a Keeper and a Reaper had to be combined for it to be fulfilled. She had thought on this countless times and could think of no other way. This had to be it.

But, why hadn’t she found it yet? Why was it so difficult?

She kept trying, though. Or rather, her team kept trying. Eventually they would figure it out.

CHAPTER SIX

EMILY

The kitchen was now bursting with people. Dan and Reese had shown up while she was out. Even David was there, in uniform, leaning against the counter. The noise level had escalated and Emily was beginning to feel claustrophobic with everyone in close proximity. While she adored the way the family interacted, someone who was used to being alone most of the time could only take so much activity at once.

Liv finally showed up, bursting through the door juggling two flat boxes in her arms.

“Yes! Muffins.” James pumped his fist and headed for his sister.

“Back off you animal.” Liv shouldered him over. “Let me at least get them set out on the counter.” James totally ignored her and plucked one out of the box. “My god. I love chocolate chip.” He bit into the baked good and moaned. “So good.”

Liv shook her head. “I’m pretty sure you would all starve without me.”

With a shrug, James nodded. “That’s probably true.”

Liv deposited the muffin boxes onto the counter and backed away. “Have at it.” She threw her hands up in defeat as everyone else in the kitchen converged on her space.

Emily smiled, but at the same time it was bittersweet. These people. Yes, they knew who she was. They were of the supernatural and the ones who were familiar with it. They knew about her abilities and accepted her, but she would never fit in with them … or anyone for that matter. She was bound to be alone for the rest of her life, she was sure of that much.

No, she couldn’t see her own future, but the fact that she just didn’t fit the mold when it came to people and socializing of any kind, was something she knew she would never grow out of if she hadn’t already.

She sat quietly, letting everyone move about around her. She would wait until a path was clear to get a muffin. She definitely wasn’t going to pass on muffins just because she felt uncomfortable.

Aiden swooped in behind Liv, who had made her way to the refrigerator and slid his hands around her waist, drawing her to him. She straightened and leaned back into him. He dipped his head down and kissed her neck. Liv giggled and then elbowed him. He made an oomph sound as her arm made contact with his abdomen. He chanced it and kissed her once more, but released her before she could nail him again.

Emily watched, fascinated by how this hard, stone cold Reaper could be so soft with anyone. All she had known of him previously was a killer. He was a man who wouldn’t have thought twice if he had been ordered by his Empress to kill. Now, here he was in a kitchen, laughing with a family of Keepers and kissing on a woman he appeared to love very much. It boggled her mind, but as much animosity as he had previously held toward him, she was happy that he had found a place of kindness that was completely opposite of what he had been.

Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder and was startled out of her thoughts. She jerked and looked up to find Lucy standing beside her.

“Sorry,” Lucy told her. “I didn’t mean to scare you. Us girls are going to the grocery store. Would you like to ride along with us?”

“Oh, no.” She shook her head. “I’m fine here.”

Hannah stepped in and leaned over so that she could speak softly. “Stop that. We know that your immediate reaction is to say no. So just get up, grab a sweatshirt and come with us. We need some time away from these guys.” She jerked her head toward the crowd of guys surrounding the muffin boxes. They appeared to be having a serious discussion about the fate of last apple cinnamon.

“I…” Emily tried to turn them down again, but was cut off before she could get any further.

“No.” Lucy held up her hand. “Don’t. You’re coming with us.” She reached down and took Emily’s hand, gently pulling until Emily was forced to stand.

“Let’s go girls.” Liv jiggled her van keys.

“Hey.” James swallowed a mouth full of muffin before continuing. “Don’t forget beer.”

“And the decaf,” Jack added.

“Haha.” Lucy mocked. “I’ll buy that shit when hell freezes over.”

Jack winked and bit his own muffin. “Be good girls out there.”

Liv snorted. “Yeah, because Summer Hollow is full of all kinds of trouble we can get into. Maybe we should go see some strippers over lunch.”

Reese suddenly coughed and choked on the sip of coffee she had been in the middle of. Once she swallowed, she snorted. “Yeah, probably don’t do that.”

“I’ll go see strippers if I want.” Lucy lifted her chin.

“No you won’t,” Jack called out from across the room.

“Try and stop me, Reaper.” She turned to Reese, changing the subject. “You coming with us?”

Reese shook her head. “No, I have to get over to the bar. We open in a couple of hours.”

Lucy nodded. “All right, but your missing out on some serious fun. We might even stop at the ice cream freezers.”

“Damn.” Reese flipped her long dark curls over her shoulder. “To hell with work, I need some grocery store action.”

The girls laughed together easily and waved at the guys as they dragged Emily out of the Kitchen, through the house and out to the van. Lucy pulled open the sliding door and stepped aside so Emily could get in first. She did, sitting down and buckling up. Hannah and Lucy crawled in after her while Steph took the passenger seat.

“Ready.” Liv asked, even though she already had the van in reverse and was turning around in the large gravel driveway.

They cruised into town, but turned off before they got to the grocery store. “Uh…” Emily pointed the other direction. “Isn’t the store that way.”

Liv nodded. “Yeah, but we’re making another stop first.”

In moments, the van slowed and they were pulling off to the side of the road. Through the windows, Emily could see that they were at a stone bridge that looked very, very old. “Why are we here?” she asked no one in particular.

Lucy turned to face her and said softly. “Just a little bit of peace before we head back to the chaos. Quit questioning everything and just go with it.”

They all climbed out of the van and single file, she followed the red headed Keeper women down a short trail until they were standing on some rocks and staring at a fast moving creek. The water was high from the fall rains, and the current flowed over some rocks and crashed up against other larger ones.

From where they stood, they could either go underneath the bridge, where the water ran into the center and then fell down over a short drop and kept moving onward. Or, they could walk up stream, picking their way along the rocks of all different sizes that lined each of the banks.

Liv lead the way, taking them underneath the bridge. Emily, looked around, staring at the graffiti that all but covered the curved stone underbelly of the bridge. Most of it was cursing and inappropriate images, but some of it was rather good.

Steph shook her head. “Every time I come down here I vow to myself to come down and cover up half of this stuff with my own work.”

Hannah nodded. “You should. It would be better than most of this.” She gestured to a depiction of a penis. “I mean, really.”

All the girls were nodding. Steph sat down on the slope of cement beside the water and patted the spot next to her. “Emily. Come sit with us.”

Emily looked at the other girls and realized, with a little bit of shock, that this was some kind of intervention. She wanted to bolt, to run away and be alone where people wouldn’t judge her.

“It’s okay,” Steph told her, almost like she would talk to an animal that she was trying to calm. “We just wanted to get you out of the house. We can all see how stressed you are and how hard you’re trying to act like nothing bothers you, but girl, we can tell. So, come sit by us and just relax. Enjoy the beauty and quiet of this awesome place.”

Right then, as if summoned by Murphy’s law, a car drove by overhead.

Unable to hold it back, she burst into laughter. The other girls were laughing just as hard. It took several minutes for them all to calm down enough to breathe, much less to talk. But, when they finally got it out of their system, Steph shook her head and said, “Well, I think it’s peaceful.”

Lucy stared longingly out at the water. “We used to come here all the time. Sometimes together, sometimes alone. Obviously it’s a common spot for kids to hang out. But we have a lot of memories that were made here under this bridge. And along this creek.

Liv laughed. “Remember when we were little and we used to come down and catch a ton of those little black tadpoles? We’d take them home and put them all in the bathtub.”

“Dad got to a point where he didn’t even yell at us for doing it unless there were frogs involved,” Hannah added. “But oh, did he hate the tadpoles in the bathtub.”

Lucy nodded. “Down a few miles, there is a spot where you can catch fresh water crawdads. Greg would go in with a pair of tongs and pick them out of us. It’s been forever since he’s done that.”

Emily loved their stories. She wished that she had stories like that. Sure, she had some good ones, but their childhood, their family, it was a dynamic that she only read about in books. She wanted that for herself, even though her childhood was long over.

“So listen.” Hannah turned to Emily. “We know that your used to being alone and living in the same house with a huge family, especially a family where none of us have filters and we are loud and at times severely inappropriate, can be rough. So, we wanted to bring you down here and let you know that if your stressed, upset or just lonely, you can talk to us.”

“Any of us,” Lucy added. Steph and Liv both nodded their heads in agreement.

She was unsure of what to say at first. She must not have been doing a very good job of hiding her feelings if the girls were tricking her into coming down here for some ‘much needed peace.’ At the same time, she was touched by their kindness. That they took the time to bring her here and actually cared about how she was feeling.

“I… I don’t really know what to say,” Emily admitted.

Liv curled her lip. “You don’t have to say anything at all. Being a Seer has to be fucking hard. Like, I can’t even imagine having to deal with that gift. But, seriously. If you want to vent, you know, get some shit out and unleash some of that frustration, we’re here for you. Okay, just remember that.”

“Why are you doing this for me? You barely know me.”

There was a moment of silence and then finally it was Lucy who answered. “You’re one of us now. I know that might sound strange. I’m not a Seer or a psychic or anything like that, but I can feel it. You’re family now, and family always comes first. We wanted you to know that.”

Stunned. Emily had no words. Just like that, they had declared her as one of their people. Right when she had felt isolated and alone, knowing that she would never fit in, they were telling her that they accepted her for who she was.

She stared out at the water for a few moments and then said. “Thank you. I have a hard time with social situations, even small groups. It’s … It’s just hard for me. Thank you.”

Hannah leaned back on her hands and crossed her outstretched legs. “No problem. We like you. And we all need these down times to decompress. Being wound tight isn’t good for anyone. I get how you must feel. I’d be a mess in your shoes.”

“Anyone would,” Steph added. “Your special, we all are. And now we have to stick together.”

Surprising even herself, Emily smiled. She had never had anyone say that to her. Not ever. It was going to be damn hard to leave this family when the time came. And the time would definitely come.

CHAPTER SEVEN

GREG

While the girls were in town, Greg finished his shift in the graveyard. He spent the time walking around and thinking. He had another long conversation with his dad, as well. Now that they had gotten used to their father being stuck in the cemetery as a ghost, he rather enjoyed having him accessible to speak with. Although, he did wish his father had chosen to cross over and move on. He wanted peace for him, not to mention the possibility that his parents could be together again.

He hadn’t mentioned that last part to his father. To his knowledge, none of his siblings had either. No one really knew what would happen once a soul crossed over, but he had to hope that his mother was there, wherever it was, waiting for his father.

She was probably pissed it was taking him so long. He also knew she would want him to be here for the children if he could be. Yeah, that was more likely the case than her being upset with him.

When his shift was finished, he dragged his exhausted body up the stairs to James’ room where he fell onto the bed with his clothes on and closed his eyes.

Even though he was tired, it took a while before he could sleep. He had a million thoughts churning through his mind. The impending trip to Florida, Emily … and suddenly remembering that he was supposed to play at Knight’s Bar that night.

Man, he hadn’t even practiced. He was going to wing it for sure. He would likely play cover songs for the most part, but he did have a couple of originals that he had written himself. The ones he had written he had practiced on quite a bit, so he shouldn’t have a problem playing those.

As unprepared as he was, it would be great to play for a crowd again. He loved how he could feel the vibe in the room change when he began to play, and then how it changed again with each song. Playing alone was therapy, but playing for a crowd was a different experience every time and he valued both tremendously.

Eventually, the thoughts began to blur and he drifted off into a dreamless slumber.

It felt like he had barely closed his eyes when he was jolted awake by the sound of a loud engine.

What in the world was that? He knew the sound of most everyone’s vehicles and it definitely wasn’t any of theirs. Curious, he forced himself up off the bed and hurried to the window where he saw a huge motorhome moving slowly up the driveway.

Holy smokes, Dan had actually come through on this. He hadn’t really thought that anyone would actually loan his brother, who until the last couple of months had been a raging alcoholic, a motorhome. But, there it was, pulling into the yard.

He didn’t have to change after his nap, since he had slept in his clothes, so he quickly made his way downstairs. He found most of his family, plus Emily and the Reapers, standing on the porch watching humorously as Dan attempted to back the large vehicle off to the side of the house.

He wasn’t having an easy time of it either. He couldn’t seem to get it straight on and kept directing it one way, almost clipping one of their wooden fences. Then, he would overcorrect and come within inches of the side of the house.

Greg closed his eyes and shook his head, sending up a silent prayer that his brother wouldn’t hit the house. Repairing damage like that was the absolute last thing they needed right now. Their limited funds barely allowed them to eat at this point.

Luckily, another couple of tries and Dan had managed to park the huge vehicle without hitting anything in the process. His brother shut off the engine, swung open the door and jumped down to the ground.

“Nice huh?” Dan patted the side of the RV and grinned. “One of my buddies loaned it to me. He said we can use it for as long as we need as long as we take care of it.”

Lucy raised an eyebrow, a hand resting on her small belly. “Someone just loaned you a motorhome? Really?”

“Yeah.” Dan nodded. “I have friends. I work with this guy and he hasn’t used this thing for years, it just sits in a storage unit for large vehicles. We just need to make sure we return it in good condition.”

“So, no high-speed chases or gun fights on this trip,” James added.

Dan nodded. “Correct.”

Greg stared at the motorhome, doubt clouding his thoughts. He wasn’t sure that borrowing one was the wisest choice. It certainly wasn’t guaranteed that they wouldn’t encounter car chases or gun fights. He would hate for this vehicle to be damaged and his family to be financially responsible for the repairs or, worse, replacement.

“I don’t know if this is a good idea,” he voiced his thoughts.

Dan ran his hand through his dark red hair and then spread his hands wide. “We don’t really have a choice. We needed an RV, I got one. It’s the only way at this point.”

Jack stepped forward and fell in beside Dan. “He’s right. There is no way any of us can afford to rent or buy something like this. We just need to make sure that we’re careful with it.”

Still unsure, Greg turned to go into the house. “I need a cup of coffee.” He just needed to clear his mind a bit before making any decisions. Though, he was fairly sure the decision was already made, now they were just waiting to decide when to leave. But still, he wanted to think about this more before they committed.

Everyone followed him inside and crammed themselves into the tiny kitchen. He grabbed a mug and filled it with coffee from the pot that always had some fresh brew in it. He opted for no cream and drank it black.

For several moments, everyone chatted in low voices amongst themselves. He drank an entire cup and then refilled it before addressing them. “Okay.” He nodded. “You’re right. We have to use the motorhome. Now we need to talk about a plan. About how this is going to go when we get there. We need to move soon, I know that, but we absolutely cannot go into this unprepared.”

Aiden popped the top on a beer that he had just extracted from the fridge. “Agreed. Luckily, Jack and I know the grounds well. So that will be a tremendous help. I have an idea about how to cut power on all the security cameras, too. We should be able to get in no problem if the guards still follow the same schedule.” He shook his head. “So dumb, schedules. Smart people change things up constantly.”

So, they talked it out. They drew diagrams and made plans for how they would infiltrate the mansion in Florida. The entire time, his sister Lucy stood in the doorway of the kitchen. She leaned against the frame and watched her family make plans to change the future … to change fate and save the life of the man she loved.

Greg knew he could not fuck this up. This one had to go right. So far, they had all gotten lucky. This family had faced a ton of danger in the last year, but they had overcome. He had to believe that they would overcome this too.

“All right.” Jack stood and placed his hands on his hips, staring down at one of the drawings that lay flat on the kitchen table. “When do we leave?”

Greg knew it was coming. This was the hardest part, the part that he didn’t want to do. This decision was the one that would cement the date that would separate him from some of his family. This was the decision that would separate Lucy and Jack. If Emily’s vision came true and Jack ended up dying, it would separate Lucy and Jack forever.

Any one of them could end up dying and it would fall on him. He was the one making the call that would bring them to their fate. He just … he didn’t know if he could live with himself if that happened. He considered himself a strong man, but emotionally, that was a lot to unpack.

“Greg?” Liv’s hand was on his shoulder.

He started at the touch that jolted him out of his thoughts.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah.” He nodded. “It’s just…” His voice trailed off.

Liv nodded and patted his shoulder. “I know.”

“This isn’t easy for any of us,” Jack told him. “None of us want to make this shitty trip. But, we have to. If we don’t, then my mother is just going to keep coming after all of you. And who the hell knows what she will do if she finds out about the baby. I’m fucking terrified, man.” The Reaper slapped Greg on the back. “So, we’re going and I actually want to just get it over with. Anticipation isn’t something I deal with well.”

Greg nodded as Jack finished. He was right, the longer they put it off, the harder it would be on everyone. “All right. Two days,” he said. “We leave in two days.”

CHAPTER EIGHT

EMILY

“No.” Emily shook her head. “I’m going to stay here. I need to complete my journaling of the last couple of days.”

Lucy raised an eyebrow. “Journaling?” she asked incredulously. “Seriously, that is what you want to do while the rest of us go out to see Greg play.”

Emily sat down on the neatly made bed and stared up at Lucy. “I … I usually try to avoid being around a lot people. So, I’m not accustomed to large crowds. I’d just prefer to stay here.” It wasn’t a lie. She didn’t like being around people because she had avoided it for so long. She liked the silence and solitude, for the most part. But, she mostly tried to stay away from people because it would be terrible if her gift kicked in and she had a vision. It was bad enough when it happened with a few people around, but a huge bar packed full of people wasn’t a place she wanted that to happen.

“Come on, it will be fun. I promise.”

Emily shook her head. “What if I have a vision in front of all those people?”

“Then we tell them you had a seizure or something.” Lucy strode over to the suitcase that lay open on the bed and began to rummage through it.

“A seizure?”

“Remember what we talked about before. We’re here for you, Emily. I understand why you’re worried, I really do. But, I think maybe you are focusing on it too much. Maybe try and let that go a little bit. We all have the weight of the world on us. We are all worried about what is going to happen. If we never let love and laughter into our lives, then there would be nothing to live for.” Lucy’s hand went to her belly and gently circled the growing child within her. “We need to let the good things in, Emily. You can’t be alone forever.”

“I’m not alone.” Emily forced the words out and they tasted like lies.

“No, you aren’t alone physically. But you keep yourself at a distance. That isn’t the same.” She tossed a silk, burgundy colored top with spaghetti straps into Emily’s lap. “Wear this. You are coming with us. If anything happens, we will take care of it, so don’t worry about any of that. Okay.”

Emily ran her fingers over the fabric of the shirt in her lap. “I…”

“Don’t.” Lucy held up her hands. “It’s going to be okay … and fun, and no one will dare mess with you if you’re with us, trust me.”

Looking down, she shoved back the urge to resist again. She had to take a leap of faith at some point. Lucy had told her to remember what they had talked about earlier. The Estmond sisters had told her that she was one of them now. They liked her … they wanted to be around her, and on top of everything else they knew about her gift. It was the perfect opportunity to finally have some friends. Why shouldn’t she go then? “Okay. Okay, I’ll go.”

“Good.” Lucy smiled. “I’m glad.” And with that, she turned around and strode out of the room, shutting the door softly behind her.

Emily lifted up the burgundy top by its straps and stared at it. Briefly, for one moment, she allowed herself to wonder if Greg would like it on her. It was a loose top that flowed down below her waistline and was one of the only things she owned that could even be considered sexy. Really, she didn’t even know why she brought it, but now she was glad she did.

Later that evening, as she approached Knight’s Bar with the others, her anxiety skyrocketed. The pulse of upbeat country music could be heard all the way into the parking lot and she could even hear loud voices as they strained to be heard over the music. It was going to be a rough night, she thought. But if she could get through this, then it would be easier the next time, she was sure of it.

Before they stepped into the bar, she straightened her spine and mentally prepared for what was inside. She could do this.

As expected, when Steph pulled open the heavy door, the music and voices amplified to a point that Emily had to tell herself not to cover her ears or it would draw even more attention to her.

People were packed into the small establishment so closely that there seemed to be no way to get through to the bar. “Come on,” Lucy leaned over and hollered into Emily’s ear. “Let’s go find a table.” With that, Lucy gave Jack a small shove and her Reaper began to work his way through the crowd with the entire group behind him.

As they wove through the mass of bodies, Emily murmured excuse me and sorry more times than she could count. Though, no one got angry or said much of anything to her in response. It seemed nobody really cared if someone bumped into them.

As the passed the bar, she saw Reese mixing up drinks in martini glasses for a couple of girls who were leaning on the bar and giggling. Reese glanced up, as if she’d felt Emily’s stare, and raised her hand in greeting. Emily waved back and flashed what she hoped was a smile.

Dan was also behind the bar, opening beers and collecting money as he handed them out. Emily marveled at this. She knew Dan had quit drinking, but it was beyond her how an alcoholic could be in bar at all, much less work in one. To her, it seemed dangerous, but it wasn’t unheard of for people who were recovering to be around alcohol. It likely depended on the person and their personality.

She spotted Greg over in the corner of the dance floor, setting up his equipment. He didn’t have much, a couple of amps and cords. He had a stool that sat beside a small round table and a microphone stand with mic in it, bent over so that it was close to his lips. Two guitars, one that she had seen in his room and the other that she hadn’t seen before, leaned in stands beside his stool.

They finally made it to the bar and their little group gathered at the edge of the bar. Reese had finished with the giggling girls and was setting drinks out for some of the Estmond clan, since she already knew what they wanted.

“You want something?” James nudged Emily with his shoulder.

“Just a coke. Thank you.”

James gives her a look of surprise, as did a couple of girls near them that overheard.

“Really, just coke? You don’t want anything stronger?”

Aware that they had an audience, Emily leaned in closer to James so that her lips were a mere inch away from his ear. “I don’t usually drink because it messes with my visions and I don’t like being out of control, especially in public.”

“Ah, gotcha.” James nodded with understanding and patted her on the shoulder. “Hey Reese,” He called out. “How about a Jack and coke for me, and one without the Jack for Emily.”

A nod from Reese signaled she heard him and got to work. Once everyone had their drinks, the crew began moving through the crowd again. This time proved to be more difficult while holding her glass and trying to avoid being bumped into. By the time they made it to an opening in the crowd she definitely had a less than full glass.

The table they arrived at had a hasty hand-written reserved sign sitting in the middle of it. No one was at the table, but it did have beer bottles and some napkins scattered across the surface.

“People have absolutely no respect,” Lucy grumbled, plucking up some of the bottles. “There is a trash can right there.” She moved over to the wall beside their table and dumped the bottles into it.

Jack pulled out a chair beside him for her to sit. Lucy smiled up at the dark haired Reaper, “Why thank you, sir,” she joked with him as she sat down. He returned her smile with a smirk and took a long swig of beer as he sat down.

James pulled out a chair across from Lucy, facing Greg, and signaled for Emily to sit. She did so, noticing that the table was in a place that offered a clear view of Greg. She had to admit, she was glad she wouldn’t have to struggle to see him as he played. She set her coke down in front of her and finally had a chance to really take in her surroundings.

It was hard for her to be here. She hadn’t been around this many people for a very, very long time. Her heart pounded heavily in her chest and it felt a bit difficult to breathe. She knew it was just anxiety, but it still didn’t feel good.

Just have fun, she told herself. Let go of the worry and have a good time.

Just then, the jukebox music cut off mid-song and the actual level of everyone talking could be heard. It was almost comical to hear everyone yelling at each other and then stop or lower their voices as they realized how loud they really were.

Greg strummed the strings of his guitar and tapped the mic. Silence engulfed the entire bar, moving through the place like a wave extinguishing every voice.

“Thanks for coming out everyone.” Greg leaned over and addressed the crowd. “Some of you have seen me play before and I do see some new faces in the crowd.” He strummed again and then began to play while he was still speaking. “So, let’s start this off with something we all know.” With that, he launched into a popular classic rock song.

Emily couldn’t believe it when she heard his voice, he was good … really good. It wasn’t that she thought he didn’t have the ability to sing like that, it was just surprising to hear how amazing his voice was when he sang.

The entire crowd sang along, clapping and swaying to the beat. He played a bunch more cover songs that she knew, and a couple of songs that he announced he had written himself.

When he was finished, he reached over and picked up his beer off the table beside him. After a long swig, he said, “Now, I’m going to play something that I wrote and it’s very special to me. I hope you like it.”

He strummed and then began. His song was about love and loss, about a man who taught him everything about life and gave him more than anyone ever could. He sang about his father.

Emily felt the tears falling and realized that she was crying. It was so beautiful. She actually felt the love and the pain of loss as his voice wedged its way into her very heart. Good grief, she didn’t want to cry in public. She swiped at her cheeks with the back of her hand, smearing the wetness all the way across her cheeks instead of wiping it away.

When Greg finished up the song. She looked around and realized that she was definitely not the only one who had been crying. There was barely a dry eye in the place, every single one of the Estmond siblings appeared to be a heartbeat away from straight up sobbing.

The music faded out and there was a brief, heavy silence. After a moment, the crowd erupted into an applause that resounded through the whole bar. People hooted and shouted things like, ‘Way to go, man.’ It was truly one of the most beautiful moments she had ever experienced.

Greg set his guitar aside and headed toward their table. People stopped him on the way, hugging him and clapping him on the back as he passed by. At the table, Emily watched as he spoke with Aiden and Ethan. He caught her eye and began moving around the table to her.

She hadn’t even realized that she had been staring at him, but she was. Probably just like everyone else in the place was, but that didn’t stop her cheeks from flaming when she realized he’d caught her staring.

And then he was behind her, bending over so close that his lips actually brushed across her ear when he whispered, “Do you want to get out of here?”

She nodded, because she did. More than anything she wanted to get out of there. The close proximity to everyone had only dissipated when Greg played the last song. During that time, she’d felt as if she were the only one in the room.

She scooted her chair back and stood. She glanced down at James, who had his head tilted up toward her. When their eyes met, he gave her an understanding nod and a weak smile. Then, he slapped his brother right on the butt. “Be careful. Call if you need us.”

“Will do.” Greg rubbed his large hand over James’ dark red hair, messing the locks even more than they already were. Then, he leaned over to Emily’s other side and whispered something to Liv, probably letting her know that they were leaving. Liv glanced over at Emily and their eyes met for a moment. Emily nodded and then Liv returned her attention to her brother, giving him a nod of her own.

Then, he reached over and gripped her hand. She almost pulled away on reflex. She didn’t usually let people touch her. But, she caught herself in time and allowed him to tug her through the still crowded bar.

They emerged from the bar and the fresh air hit her hard. It felt like freedom. She pulled her hand away from his and bent over for a moment, breathing in deeply. The crisp fall weather had a chill, but it felt wonderful on her bare shoulders. Absolutely glorious. “Thank you,” she told him, still bent over with her hands planted on her knees.

“Are you okay?” His voice was full of concern.

“I am now.”

She glanced up and saw his eyebrow raised in question.

“I … I just don’t.” She paused and then thought about it for a moment before continuing. “Being in places like this has never been good for my gift. It can cause me to have unexpected visions and sometimes they are convoluted, like a vision could be a combination coming from two people, rather than one, and it becomes confusing. Having a vision in public is horrifying. Plus, I’m just not used to being in close proximity to lots of people.”

Greg nodded, his eyes locking with hers as she straightened to standing. His dark brown eyes glittered with intensity, as if he wanted to dig down and know every single secret she carried. “Do you want to walk?”

CHAPTER NINE

GREG

“I would love to walk,” Emily told him. “That would be really nice, actually.”

He thought about taking her hand again, but he didn’t want to be too forward. He also didn’t want to scare her off. He had felt it earlier when she involuntarily pulled away from him. He couldn’t imagine being afraid of human contact, it was such an essential part of living.

He began to walk and she fell into step beside him. They walked past the post office, the café, the hair salon and the bakery as they strode down the brightly lit sidewalks. “That’s the police station, right there.” Greg pointed across the street. “And this here is the newspaper office. The Summer Hollow Times has been here for over fifty years and surprisingly it’s still in business.”

Emily stopped and stared longingly at the brick building before them. “I would have loved to live in a small town like this when I was growing up.”

“You didn’t live in a small town?” He didn’t mean to sound so shocked, but she seriously didn’t strike him as someone who lived in the big city.

“No.” with a shake of her head, she turned and continued to walk. He followed. “I lived in the city with my mom until I was fifteen. We had a tiny apartment in a horrible part of town. It was all we could afford and close to work for my mother. Eventually, we moved to a little, rundown shack out in the swamp.”

“In the swamp?” Greg asked. Images of stomping through muddy waters to get to and from civilization swirled in his mind. Why would a mother subject her child to that?

She shrugged. “There are lots of homes in the swamp lands. And its not like you might be imagining. It’s beautiful. Our house was built far from the waters. I enjoyed the silence that I couldn’t find in our apartment. Back there, you couldn’t get away from the noise. There were always voices and car engines, sirens and horns. In the swamp, in our little cabin, there was beauty and the only thing to be heard for miles was the sound of nature. I loved it.”

So she’d gone from one extreme to another as far as where she lived. Greg knew a bit about differences between small town and big city, but he couldn’t imagine living in that much solitude. “I can see why you would enjoy the swamps much more than the city.”

“I felt as if I finally found somewhere I could let myself free,” she agreed.

“Does your mother still live there?”

Emily nodded. “Yes. She used to be a nurse at one of the hospitals, but now she has gone back to practicing herbal healing. She has many clients and is well known, so most people come to her now that she is elderly.”

“Does she know you’re here?”

“Yes, she knows that sometimes when I have a vision of what may come, that I can’t help but intervene. Though, I will say she has been less approving of my travels since I was abducted by the Empress. For a while I thought she might find someone who could bind me to the property.” She let out a nervous little laugh. “I finally convinced her that this was my duty and she accepted that.”

“I’m sure she’s worried about you.”

“Yes, she is,” Emily admitted. “I gave her one of those prepaid flip phones and I call to check in with her every day. It helps to keep her informed and let her know I’m okay.”

Greg nodded, but didn’t say anything. He was actually a little concerned for Emily’s mother. It never occurred to him what having a child in this kind of danger would feel like. His father worried about them all the time, and they had grown up facing a fair amount of Reaper fighting. The level of danger they faced now was off the charts compared to that, though. His dad and Emily’s mother must be losing their minds. If he had a child with their gifts and in this kind of danger, he would move Heaven and Earth to make sure that child was safe. He owed his dad a thank you, for sure.

He changed direction of the topic, going back to small towns. “You would have loved growing up here. Small towns aren’t always the best, with everyone knowing everyone and somebody always up in your business, but I love it here.”

“What about when you lived in San Francisco?”

“Believe it or not, I love it there too. But, not as much as I love it here.” He laughed. “You wouldn’t believe how many times I cursed this town and wished I lived somewhere where I didn’t know anyone. Then, when I finally got the graveyard in San Francisco, I lived there and I could literally go days without seeing anyone I knew.”

“I know how that feels.” Emily nodded.

“It was the strangest thing. I have never been in a place where I felt so alone, while surrounded by people. It was good and bad, I can’t really describe it.”

“I know what you mean.” She laughed. “Walking down the street and people actually staring down at the ground or straight ahead, avoiding eye contact.”

“Exactly!” he agreed with a chuckle of his own. “Anyway, yeah, I prefer it here, for sure.”

Emily let out a sigh and they were silent for a moment as they strolled. He glanced over and saw, with a little bit of horror, that she wore only a flowing tank top made of thin fabric that had no sleeves. He wasn’t horrified that she wore it. She actually looked amazing and sexy in it, but he hadn’t asked her if she was cold. Here he was walking around with a flannel shirt over his tee shirt while the girl he was with may as well have been naked. What a shitty excuse for a man he was.

Immediately he began to unbutton the shirt.

Emily stopped walking and gave him a curious stare. “What are you doing? Are you hot?”

He shrugged out of the shirt and gave it to her. “No, but I bet your freezing.” He handed it over to her.

“Oh no, I’m fine.”

He sensed the lie in her voice. “Just take it. I won’t walk around with this on if the girl I’m with is basically wearing nothing.”

She looked down, assessing her clothing and from what he could see, probably trying to figure out if he was criticizing her outfit.

“Are you cold?” he asked her, his voice tight. He tried to remember to be a bit more gentle. He was mad at himself for the oversight, not at her.

She nodded slightly. “Yes. I was fine when we came out of the bar, it actually felt really good after being inside, but now … yes, I’m cold.”

He shoved the shirt at her, forcing it into her arms. “Put this on, it will make us both feel better.”

“I don’t want you to be cold, though.”

He waved her off. “Don’t worry about that. I’m fine.”

He watched as she slid the shirt on over her top. “Also, I wanted to tell you that you look great tonight. That shirt is…” He trailed off, unable to finish.

Emily’s lips tugged up into a small grin and she averted her eyes, apparently embarrassed. “Thank you,” she whispered.

Not wanting to make the moment anymore uncomfortable for her, he began to walk again. They had made it to the end of town where the school was located. He turned toward the 24-hour gas station that they fondly called Store Twenty-Four and asked, “Do you want to get some ice cream?”

“They have ice cream there?” she asked, surprised.

“Yeah, they don’t have anything fancy, but they do have a couple of flavors of soft serve.”

She nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, I’d love that.”

“Great, let’s do it.”

They entered the gas station and walked past the counter. “Hey, Greg.” Loise waved from behind hot case. Loise was around sixty years old and had worked there since he was a kid. Once, he’d stolen a couple of sodas from the cooler, intending to take them to the pool with him. She busted him and called his Dad. He was lucky that Loise hadn’t called Sheriff Davis. Not that he was thinking that when his dad was laying out the punishment at home. There were a few moments he thought he might be better off doing jail time. Of course he was only twelve, so he probably wouldn’t have done jail time for that, but still.

“Hi Loise,” he called out. “We’re just here for some ice cream.”

“Help yourself, you know where it is.” She stacked some mini tacos in little trays in the case and then closed it. “I’m going to be sitting here in the corner finishing my book.”

Greg laughed, Loise was the only employee of any business that he knew who could read more than she worked and not be fired. “What is it this time?” he asked her.

“Oh, it’s a doozy. Super sexy, though, I don’t know if you’d like it?” She narrowed her eyes.

“Hey!” he accused, “I like some sexy in my reading material.”

“I don’t mean that kind of reading material.”

Greg shook his head and looked over at Emily, who stared at him with wide eyes. “Oh, calm down. She knows I like to read, and we swap books all the time. She’s joking.”

“But am I?” Loise interrupted, raising her eyebrows.

“Okay!” Defeated, Greg threw his hands up. “I like some romance books, I admit it! Are you happy now?” He glared at Loise and then turned to Emily, “She didn’t mean, like…”

“Porn.” Louise grinned mischievously from behind the counter.

“Yeah, thanks Loise, I don’t read Pornographic stuff. Just books with a good love story, usually a mystery that needs to be solved or something … and generally those have sex in them. Sue me.”

By the time he finished, Loise was cackling with laughter. “Oh my goodness, boy, you are sooo easy to mess with.”

He shook his head, anxious for the heat flaming in his cheeks to cool down. “Let’s go get that ice cream.” He slid his hand over Emily’s lower back. He expected her to stiffen, but she didn’t, she let him guide her over to the counter in the back where the soft serve machine was located.

“Okay, so they have chocolate, vanilla, or half and half,” he told her.

“I’ll take the half and half,” Emily told him without hesitation.

He nodded. “Good choice. That’s what I usually get as well.”

He got a cone from the holder beside the machine and made her a good sized ice cream. After handing it to her, he did the same for himself. “Okay, let’s go sit over here.” He gestured to the two tables over by the windows. It wasn’t a big store, so they were lucky there were tables in there at all.

Emily led the way and sat on one side. He slid into the other side and licked his cone. “This is so good,” he said. “I haven’t had ice cream in forever.”

“Me either,” Emily told him, working on her own cone. Then, after a brief moment of silence she said, “You play so beautifully. I really enjoyed seeing you perform. I’m glad the girls made me go.”

Greg shook his head. “First of all, thank you, that means a lot to me. Second, they should not have forced you to if you didn’t want to. I’ll talk to them.” He couldn’t believe his sisters had pulled that bullshit. They needed to back off and give Emily some space.

“Oh no, please don’t. I’m actually very glad they did. If I hadn’t, I would have missed out on seeing you play. Also, it’s … it’s good for me to test my comfort levels. I should be able to be around people more.”

“Emily…”

“No, it’s okay. I want to. The more I do something I am uncomfortable with, the easier it gets. I really want to be able to be in crowds, I just … I’m not that good at it yet.”

He was still going to talk to his sisters. “Listen, you tell me if they get too persistent. We are talking about Estmond women. They are pushy, headstrong and hate not getting their way. They will walk all over you if you let them.”

Emily shook her head. “Oh no, they’re great. They didn’t make me feel used or anything, I wouldn’t have gone if I didn’t really want to, deep down. I think your sisters are amazing women who mean well and want the best for me.”

“Well just because they think it’s best doesn’t mean it is. Just tell me if you need me to intervene.”

She tilted her head and met his eyes. “I will. Thank you.”

He knew she was just saying that to placate him. She had zero intention of telling him if the girls pulled anything like this again. “Okay.”

“I loved hearing you sing, though, so I’m glad that I went.”

He couldn’t deny it, the compliment fed his ego. It made him more than happy that he could impress her. “I love that you were there to hear it,” he told her in a soft voice.

For a long moment, they sat there in silence, eating ice cream and staring out the window at the cars that passed by. Then, Emily turned back toward him and said, “Tell me more about growing up as a Keeper here in Summer Hollow.”

He obliged, telling her stories about himself and his siblings. He told her about how Ethan came to be with them and about David and Hannah and how they were high school sweethearts.

She listened and laughed, apparently enjoying spending time with him. They stayed in the store until around 1:00 AM and then headed back to his car that was still parked at Knight’s.

When they got back to the house, he pulled into the drive, his tires crunching over the gravel, and put the car into park next to Jack’s big black truck. Before Emily could get out, he turned to her and said, “I am a pretty forward guy. You’ll probably learn that if you haven’t already. So, I’m going to ask you if it’s all right if I kiss you goodnight before we go in there.” He nodded toward the house.

With every fiber of his being, he feared that she would jump out of the car and run from him. She didn’t like touch, he knew that, but he wanted to kiss her … badly.

Emily’s hand was on the handle and paused at his words. Her eyes widened as she turned toward him. “You … you want to kiss me?”

He smiled and nodded. “Yes. But I won’t without your permission.”

She tilted her head, shifting her body toward him. Right then, with the moonlight shining through the darkness onto her face, she looked more beautiful than he could put to words. Though, he knew he would figure out a way to put it to words, in a song.

“Yes,” she breathed out. “You can kiss me.”

Needing no further permission, he leaned over and cupped her chin, running his thumb over her jaw bone. “I like you Emily.”

“You don’t even know me,” she whispered.

“I want to.” And then, he leaned in further and let his lips lightly graze over hers. She sucked in a breath, as if surprised by the contact. He lingered a moment, then placed another peck on her lips. It took will power, but he forced himself to pull away. He still had his fingers on her chin though, so he let their gazes meet and said, “Thank you for spending the evening with me.”

“I…”

That was all she said, she seemed to be speechless. He laughed, and leaned back into his seat. “I’ll take that as a good thing. Let’s go get some sleep.”

CHAPTER TEN

CAMILLE

Camille could hear the pounding of running footsteps in the hallway outside her bedroom door. She had been sleeping, sort of, but she was a light sleeper anyway and would have heard the sound regardless.

There was only one reason someone would be running through the halls in her wing at this hour of the night.

Ephraim.

She threw aside the covers and bolted from the bed. She grabbed the silk robe that lay draped over a chair near the dresser and slipped it on as she hurried to the bedroom door and flung it open.

The guards had just stopped the nurse and one of them was arguing with her. “Ma’am, you need to step back,” he ordered in a firm voice.

“But… I need … Mr. Walker…” she breathlessly tried to explain.

“Let her be,” Camille ordered her guards. “Mary, what is it?” she addressed the nurse next.

“Oh, thank God, you need to come quickly. I don’t think we have much time.” And with that, the nurse took off running back the way she had come. Camille was right there with her, running barefoot over the cool marble floors, her silk robe billowing out behind her. The whole way, she pushed away the thoughts, but she knew that she might be running toward the final goodbye to her husband.

When she got to the room, she found the other nurse helping Ephraim sit up. He was coughing violently, his frail body wracking with each cough. She could tell it was painful and cringed at the sight, hurting for her husband.

Once his cough calmed, the nurse helped him lay back onto the pillows. Camille immediately went to his side and gripped his hand in hers. “Ephraim,” she whispered. “I’m here.”

He opened his heavy eyelids and stared back up at her. With a gravely voice that seemed to take all of his strength to use, he said, “I know I have not always been a good husband. I am not a nice man, but I do love you, my dear Camille. Thank you … for everything.”

She tightened her grip on his hand and fought the tears that threatened to surface. “And I am not a nice woman. It made us a perfect match, and I do love you Ephraim Walker.”

He nodded that he understood and acknowledged. But then, he drew in a long, ragged breath and after releasing it, asked, “Jackson?”

“He’s not here,” she said simply.

The look on his face was more than she could stand. She hated her son for not being here. She hated him for everything that he had become after she’d worked so hard to train him. He was supposed to lead their Empire. She had thought for sure that he would realize his decision was wrong and come back to them before they lost his father. She had thought that, but she was wrong.

“I’m sorry,” she told him. “I know he would be here if he could.” The lie ate at her, but could not be heard in her voice. She would not let him hear it.

“Tell him … I love him. I did not say it enough … or show it, but I do.” Another coughing spell took him. Camille looked to the nurse, who was already rushing over to help. She lifted him to a sitting position again and when she lay him back down on the pillows, his eyes were closed. He gave Camille one last gentle squeeze on her fingers and then he simply stilled.

She knew he was gone.

Tears silently slipped from the corners of her eyes and spilled down over her cheeks. She didn’t break down into sobs, she was beyond that, having expected this for a long time. But she did allow herself the tears. This man had become part of her life, a life she wouldn’t have had without him. And now he was gone.

She sat there for a long time with him afterward. The nurses let her be, knowing better than to argue with her. It was harder than she thought it would be to let go this final time. Her hand rested over his, and she lay her head down near his on the hospital bed, knowing that after this night, she would never again touch him or be near him.

His words to her were the truth, he had not been an emotional man. He wasn’t the kind to say I love you and sprinkle doting words on anyone, even his wife and child. He was stern, and harsh at times, but she knew that underneath he was more than.

Her words were not a lie either. She was not a good woman. She was like him in all of those same ways, which did, indeed, make them a perfect match. She was not afraid of what would happen without him. She could lead, but she would miss the man that she had spent most of her life with. That kind of time with someone created bonds that only death could break.

Perhaps she waited with him hoping to see his soul, but the glittering blue mist of a soul’s presence did not appear. That meant he had moved on and, she told herself, that was a good thing. She had never lost someone this close to her, so she had never wished to see their soul. She wouldn’t have fed on him of course, not to mention that a Reaper should never feed on the soul of another Reaper, but seeing the soul could mean that she might get to talk to him again if he could solidify.

If he had moved on, she hoped that whatever he had moved on to was better than life and better than being stuck here as a soul. What was beyond death, no one knew, but it had to be better, it just had to.

Eventually, she knew that she had to get up and leave the room. There were preparations to make, people to notify, and plans that Ephraim had made when he got sick that needed to be put into motion.

So, she lifted her head and removed her hand from his cool skin. She rose to stand and then placed one last kiss on his cheek. “I will miss you, dear Ephraim, and I will do right by your Empire.”

Dragging her fingertips over the sheets, she turned away and strode out of the room.

After returning to her wing of the mansion, she stripped out of her robe and nightgown, tossed them onto the bed and pulled a pair of slacks and a loose top out of her closet. After dressing, she slid into a pair of sneakers that were only worn when she needed to feed. She had more sense than to wear heels … or even her flats, into a graveyard. The ground was often too soft for heels and if she needed to run for some reason, she’d prefer to be wearing the sneakers.

“Let’s go,” she muttered to the guards as she exited her room. They followed along, not needing to be told where they were going, they could tell by her choice of shoes alone.

The guards sat in the front of the car, one driving and one as passenger, as they drove her to the cemetery. The parking lot was well lit with a greenish glow emanating from street lamps. Her guards cruised slowly through the lot, circling back to the spot closest to the exit and then combat parked the car.

She could see the souls through the iron gates already and her muscles clenched with hunger. Glittering blue mist traveled in swirling wisps, weaving in and out of the trees. As far as she could see, there were no silver auras, so that meant no Keeper in close proximity.

Though she could leave watching for Keepers to her guards, out of life-long habit she continued to scan the grounds as she moved through the entrance and into the graveyard. The trio moved deeper into the maze of headstones and tombs, into the back where the older mausoleums were found. It was best to be in a place where someone walking or driving by wouldn’t spot what she was doing. Not that they would be able to tell exactly what was happening, but it would still look strange.

She found her target soul and moved toward the shimmering mist. She held out her hand, gracefully stepping closer and suddenly, right before she locked it in, it sensed her. The mist ebbed its light, glowing brighter and then dimmer in fear and warning. The soul was not quick enough to escape her, though. She had it secured in her magnetic grasp and it began to move toward her.

She parted her lips and closed her eyes, ready for the fulfillment of a soul inside her. Her chest heaved, sucking the molecules of the soul into her own body. A soft moan escaped from within her, and while she should have been embarrassed to show emotion in front of her guards, she didn’t care. The soul inside her tasted and felt so good, and she didn’t care about anything else at the moment.

As she finished, she opened her eyes and let her hands fall back to her sides. Her guards were looking away from her, into the distant darkness of the graveyard, in order to give her some privacy while she fed. Now that the soul was fully within her, her skin buzzed with electricity and her blood boiled with newfound energy that she hadn’t felt for quite some time.

She’d needed that. It had been far too long since she’d had a soul, and with all the stress of Ephraim being sick and Jackson betraying her, her body had become weaker than she had ever let it get.

“Feed,” she told the guards, gesturing to the glittering blue clouds of mist in the distance, “Since we are here, you may as well.”

Without a word, both Reapers nodded to her in affirmation and then proceeded to find their own souls to devour. She watched while they did so, and watching gave her almost as much pleasure as taking one herself.

When they were finished, she could tell that they felt much better as well. Her guards obviously fed more than she, since they needed to keep up their strength to protect her, but one could almost tell when a Reaper has consumed a soul recently. Their auras would not only glow brighter, but so would their bodies. She thought the afterglow was akin to the flush and brightness one gets when they drink a little too much. In her eyes, it was basically the same thing.

Wordlessly, the guards led her back to the car. With each step, she found a renewed anger toward her son and that bunch of Keepers he had aligned himself with.

He was going to be sorry he betrayed her and his father.

They were all going to be sorry.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

EMILY

Voices from the hallway woke her. For a moment, she forgot where she was and thought the noise was coming from outside her room of the little cabin in the swamp.

Eyes flying open, she shot straight up into a sitting position and flung the covers aside. Only then did she realize the blankets she threw were not hers. Nothing in the room was hers. Nope, she was in the home of the Estmond Keepers and they were all getting ready to go on a mission to kill the Reaper Empress.

Another shout from the hallway snapped her back into the moment. Curious, she grabbed her worn blue sweatshirt from where it hung over the chair by the door and slipped it over her head. Sufficiently covered, she opened the door and stepped out into the hall.

Steph stormed out of her room at the exact same moment, her hair tangled, wearing a pair of stretch pants and an oversized tee shirt that fell over one shoulder. “What the hell is going on out here? Have some respect people!”

Lucy stood in front of the bathroom door, banging on it with her fist. She ignored her sister and shouted at the closed door, “Open up! I have to pee. It hurts!”

Emily could hear the shower running, so it was obvious what the problem was.

With a shake of her head, Steph shoved Lucy aside and tried the knob.

“Yeah,” Lucy sneered. “It’s locked or I would have just went in.”

“Have you tried downstairs?”

“Yeah, but Ethan is in there and the shower isn’t running so I don’t even want to know what he’s doing in there. Good lord.” She rolled her eyes up at the ceiling. “Why can’t he just use his own house?” She slammed her fist into the door again. “Open up!”

Emily watched the scene go down and couldn’t help but feel awkward. She couldn’t help and she didn’t know what to say, so all she could do was stand there looking like an idiot.

Finally, the water stopped. “Hurry up!” Lucy shouted.

The bathroom door flung inward and a cloud of steam billowed out into the hall. And out of the misty cloud strode James, soaking wet with a towel wrapped loosely around his waist. He glared down at his baby sister. “I’m not done, so make it quick,” he told her and then stepped aside so that she could rush past him and slam the door shut behind her.

Emily found herself unable to take her eyes off of James. Drops of water slid over his muscles, running down his chest and over his abdomen. He reached up and ran his hand through his wet hair, which happened to be a much darker red when it was damp. Her gaze slid over his body. She couldn’t help it. A girl would have to be dead not to appreciate a body like his.

A sigh from Steph had her snapping back to attention. Her eyes lifted, only to be met with the humored gaze of the man she had just been ogling. So yeah, that was great. He was totally aware that she had just been visually eating him up like man candy.

Great.

“I’m going to get coffee,” Steph announced.

Emily turned her way and cleared her throat. It was obvious that Steph had just witnessed her staring at her twin. She wasn’t sure how she felt about that, but embarrassed was at the top of the list, for sure. “I’ll come with you.” She barely managed the words.

“Great. Let’s go see if anyone left some for us.”

Emily let her gaze slip back toward James and found that he was grinning mischievously at her. Heat rose up in her cheeks and spread through her face like molten fire. It was ridiculous that she was this embarrassed. She had men flirt with her before, but she’d never been caught staring at a nearly naked man in his own home. This made her feel like a freaking teenager again, and not in a good ‘I’m young and free’ kind of way.

Steph rolled her eyes and turned to her brother. “Quit acting so smug. You’re a dude version of me so of course you’re good looking. Get over yourself.”

Before he could respond, the door behind him opened and Lucy burst out. She shoved James, causing him to stumble and sidestep a little. “Next time don’t lock the freaking door asshole. I’m pregnant, when I have to go, I have to go, especially in the morning.”

“Aye aye, captain.” James saluted her, then offered Emily a nod, eyes still glimmering with humor as he stepped back into the bathroom and shut the door behind him.

“My God,” Steph shook her head. “He’s so full of himself. Come on, let’s go get that coffee.”

On their way down the stairs, Emily gathered herself. It was normal to look at guys and appreciate their looks. But for some reason, it was more than embarrassment that was clouding her thoughts. Suddenly, a thought hit her and she realized that it was guilt. Just last night she had been out with Greg, actually enjoying herself. It was unusual for her to spend time with men who knew about her gift and accepted it.

She followed Steph into the kitchen and that was where they found most of the family. The room was packed with some sitting at the table, but most were left to stand.

“Morning.” Liv was the first to greet her. “There’s fresh coffee if you need it.

“Thank you.” Emily offered Liv a nod, but Steph practically shoved her out of the way trying to get to the pot first.

“Steph!” Liv hissed, a wide eyed expression of shock on her face.

Steph poured coffee and shrugged. “Sorry. I need it.”

“We all do.” Liv rolled her eyes. “But you don’t have to be rude about it.”

Emily moved in toward the counter and reached up for a mug. “It’s okay,” she insisted. “I’m a patient person.”

“Well that’s good, because apparently no one here has that skill.”

She poured the steaming liquid into her cup and smiled. “Don’t worry, I’m not offended. It shows you guys are comfortable being around me.”

Liv shook her head again. “No, it’s rude. But I’m glad you aren’t offended. Hey!” She turned and pointed at Dan, who appeared to be checking out the box of muffins on the counter. “You already had one. Keep out until everyone else has had a chance.” Dan stiffened at being caught and slowly backed away from the box.

With a roll of her eyes, Liv gestured to the counter where the muffins sat. “Help yourself if you want one.”

“Thank you,” Emily nodded. “I think I will.” She moved away from Liv and wove her way through the crowded and noisy kitchen to the opposite side where the muffins were located. Everyone was chatting, teasing each other and occasionally pushing or shoving. The balance of this family and their loved ones simply enthralled her. She had never wished for a big family, but her life had been a lonely one. Seeing how the Estmonds and their loved ones felt about each other was definitely something to be admired. Sure, they were a bit crass at times, even downright mean to each other, but you couldn’t help but know that this family would go to the ends of the Earth for one of their own. These people were loyal to the core, that much was clear.

“Hey.” Greg appeared next to her.

“Oh, hey. Good morning.”

“I hope you slept well.”

She nodded. “I definitely did. It was so late when we got back.”

He stepped closer to her, forcing her to tilt her head up to look into his eyes. “Thank you for spending some time with me. It was nice to get to know you a little bit better.” His voice was low, meant only for her ears, but she was fully aware that others were likely listening.

“Thank you for taking me.”

“Are you ready for the trip?”

“Yes, except that I need to throw a couple of things into my suitcase. I didn’t pack much to begin with.”

He leaned his hip against the counter. “I meant, like, emotionally are you ready. Sometimes these kind of missions…” he paused, “well, they just aren’t easy. We haven’t had to do anything quite like this before.”

Understanding, she nodded. “Are you ready?” she countered, without answering his question.

“I think so.” He paused for a moment and then shook his head. “Nah, probably not. I’m nervous. I don’t like splitting everyone up, but we have to go and they have to stay here.”

“Yeah. I can only imagine how you’re feeling.” It wasn’t a lie. It had to be hard, splitting everyone up, knowing that one or more of them might not come back.

He shrugged, “It’s just another thing that we have to get through. But, we always get through it in the end.”

Before she could answer, James burst through the kitchen doorway, fully clothed, thank god. “So, when are we leaving big brother?” he asked as he caught sight of Greg, then his gaze drifted to the counter. “Oh, muffins.”

Emily sipped her coffee and watched silently as James squeezed his way through the crowded kitchen. Everyone else had quieted a bit, waiting for Greg’s answer about when they were leaving.

James sidled up next to them and Greg moved another couple inches in her direction, making room in front of the muffin box for James. He waited for James to grab an apple cinnamon and then cleared his throat. “I’d like to leave sometime this afternoon. Originally, I thought we could drive straight though, but thinking about it now, that probably isn’t a good idea. It might get us there faster to take turns driving, but it will likely be better on all of us if we stop and sleep in the evening so we are all in top shape. We can’t afford to be one guy down because they are tired from driving.” Greg paused and glanced around, examining everyone’s faces. “So yeah, this afternoon.”

Man, Emily thought, she would not want to be in his shoes about now.

Lucy had entered shortly after James and stood in the doorway, looking in at the rest of her family. Sadness was embedded into her facial features, but she said nothing. Jack noticed the moment she had appeared and went to her, arm slipping around her waist. She looked up at him and they had a silent conversation of which Emily could clearly see the love they felt for each other.

“All right.” Aiden nodded and shoved his chair out so that he could stand. He polished off the rest of his coffee in one swig and crossed the kitchen to put his mug in the sink. “We have a plan then. I’m going to go finish packing.”

“I’ll come with,” Liv told him. “I have some things I have to finish up with as well.”

Liv and Aiden were the only couple going on the trip. Liv had made arrangements with her employee to help with the bakery so that she could join the rest of the team that would be headed to Florida.

Well. Emily thought, the plan was set. She hadn’t had another vision since the one that had led her to the Estmonds to begin with, so she had no idea if the future and Jack’s death were still set in motion. She wished that something they had done, or will do, would change his destiny, but there would be no way to tell without a vision. So, for now, they would just keep trying their best to change the course of action, and save Jack’s life.

CHAPTER TWELVE

GREG

It was almost time to go. The house was busy with the bustle of people, packing and loading the motorhome. There was also a somber tone that fell over the usually happy home. Instead of laughing and taunting each other, everyone was silent, stuck in their own thoughts. They were separating, leaving each other to go on a dangerous mission and one of them might not come back. The last time Greg had seen his family like this was after their father passed away.

With his dad in mind, he realized that they needed to go tell him that they were leaving and what they were going to do. He may be dead, a soul stuck in a cemetery, but he deserved to know before they headed out on their mission. Besides, he wanted his dad and the souls to be on alert just in case anything happened at the house.

“Hey,” he called out to those who were in the yard. “Come on into the kitchen. We need to have a meeting.” He turned and quietly entered the house. Dan and Reese were sitting on the couch, cuddled up and whispering in each other’s ears. “Meeting in the kitchen, you guys,” Greg told them as he passed through.

“Seriously,” Dan muttered and pulled Reese closer.

She shoved at him. “Stop that. You know it has to be important if he’s calling a meeting now.”

“I guess.” Dan’s irritated voice followed him into the kitchen, where he found the rest of the family. Emily was there, too, and Greg couldn’t help but notice that she was sitting at the table chatting with James. It wasn’t long before everyone from outside had joined them and the entire group was present.

He glanced around the kitchen. Every set of eyes was on him, since he had called the meeting. For one moment, he let himself realize that if this mission went sideways, this was the last time they would all be in a room together.

Nope, dammit. Enough of that shit. They were all going to make it home and they would all be together again … no matter what. He had to think positive and expect the best outcome. Manifest destiny and all that jazz.

He cleared his throat, but there was no need, he already had everyone’s attention. “Okay guys,” he began. “We need to go out and talk with Dad, you know, tell him what’s going on. Plus, I want to say goodbye, and I am pretty sure everyone going with will want to do that as well.”

There were nods of agreement and muttered confirmations. He turned to Emily, who wore a confused expression. “Can you see the souls?”

“I am sensitive to spirits,” she said, loud enough for everyone to hear. “So, sometimes I can see them, but not always. It appears to be a random thing. I don’t know if I am more aware with some or if something is different with the spirit in question.” Emily paused, then realized that everyone in the room was staring at her as she spoke. Her eyes went to her lap where she fiddled with a napkin. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to ramble.”

“It’s okay,” James told her, clapping her on the shoulder. “You weren’t rambling at all. So, you want to meet our dad if you can see him?”

Her eyes widened in surprise. “Your dad is a soul? In your cemetery?” She glanced up at Greg, expecting the answer from him.

“Yeah. He didn’t move on when he passed. He’s stubborn, and protective of us, so the Chosen One prophecy and Lucy kept him from crossing over when the time came. Now, he’s stuck here with us.”

“Well, I … I’d love to meet your father, but it seems like this is more of a private moment for the family. I’m not…”

“Stop that shit.” Lucy held up a hand. “What did we talk about. You are one of us, we have family by blood and we have family by choice. We chose you.”

Emily shook her head. “I told you already, you can’t do that when you barely know me.”

“I do whatever I want,” Lucy told her, a smug grin on her face.

“Well, he’s your dad, you guys should just go. I can wait here,” Emily continued to protest.

“It’s okay,” Greg insisted. “We’re all going. Not everyone here is an Estmond. It’s not a big deal, but if you want to wait here, that’s fine too. But we’re going now.” He didn’t want to waste any more time arguing about if she should come out or not, either she would or she wouldn’t, that was up to her. “Let’s go.”

He led the way and the entire family, including Ethan, Jack, Aiden, David and Emily, trudged their way across the grassy expanse of lawn and over into the cemetery. Their father must have seen them all exit the house and head in this direction, because he stood on the top of the hill, fully formed, waiting for them. His body was formed of the glowing blue mist that are souls, so he appeared as a beacon, showing them the way. The leftover mist that wasn’t formed into his body, swirled and ebbed around him as if it were a moving shield.

The family arrived at the spot where Gregory Sr. waited for them and they encircled his ghostly figure. His father smiled and met his eyes. “Well, to what do I owe this pleasure. It’s rare I get to see all of you at once.”

“It’s time to go, Dad. We’re leaving for Florida in just a little bit.”

Their father nodded, understanding. “I wish that I could hug you right now. When do you think you will return?”

“We don’t know,” Greg told him, “But we will definitely be in touch with those who stay back here. Lucy, Steph, Hannah, Ethan, and David will be staying back.”

“Good. I’ll do my best to help. I’ve been training the other souls to get solid and stay solid, like when they helped with the fight against the Reapers. They like helping you, so we’ll be here if anything happens.”

Greg wasn’t really sure what a bunch of souls would be able to do if someone tried to kidnap Lucy, or attacked the house, since they were stuck on the property of the cemetery. Though, it wasn’t a lie that they would have lost that fight against the Reapers if their dad hadn’t brought the souls and saved the day. They had solidified, and were able to fight the Reapers the same as if they were living.

It had actually been pretty awesome.

“Thanks, Dad. That makes me feel a lot better.” Greg wished he could hug his father. More than anything, he missed those strong arms around him, squeezing him and pounding him on the back. At first, when he found out his father hadn’t moved on, he was angry. His father knew he was dying and he still let this unfinished business and his stubbornness to help his family keep him stuck in their family graveyard. Now, he was resigned to it, and also appreciated that he could still talk to his father. Especially with everything that the Estmond family had been going through. But, man, did he miss those hugs.

He took a second to look away from his dad to check on Emily. She stared in the direction of his father, but he couldn’t tell if she could actually see his father or not.

“Okay,” their father called out, and Greg knew that if he had the ability, he would have clapped his hands together to get their attention. “Listen up gang. This might seem scarier than the other fights. More intimidating than any other encounter you’ve had. But, it’s not, its just like the others.

The only difference is that you won’t be together this time. You all draw power from the love of each other. You are always stronger together than you are apart. This time, you won’t be together and that makes it scary. You still have each other though, they just won’t be with you physically. You need to remember that.” His father paused and scanned the group, his eyes meeting each set of eyes with a loving, yet stern expression. “Don’t let the absence gain control. You will be together in spirit.”

A groan erupted from all of his children at that last part.

“Yeah, I know it’s corny, but you will. The love of this family is why you are fighting and it is the reason you will win. So remember that while you are apart. Remember that you still have each other and that you will be back together soon. This is just another battle in the war that will lead us to victory.”

Wow, Greg thought. His dad always had been good at motivational speeches. You’d have to be to raise seven kids by yourself and keep the bond between them tight. He heard a sob and when he looked in that direction, he found Lucy with tears in her eyes. Steph also appeared to be close to weeping, but the moisture in her eyes hadn’t spilled over yet.

Their dad also saw Lucy struggling to keep it together. “My sweet girl. I know this is hard. Letting everyone go without you. I know you want to go and you want to help, but your number one job is keeping my grandchild safe.”

“I know,” she whispered. “I know.”

“And that is exactly the same reason Jack has to go.” His eyes now moved to the Reaper who had fallen in love with his daughter. “The two of you, this is all about you and the baby. When you met, it set the prophecy into motion. The baby is the one who will change it all.”

“I know,” Lucy said again. “I’m trying. It’s just … this is so hard.”

Their dad looked around the whole group once again. Letting his eyes rest on each of his children and their loved ones. “I know in my heart that everyone will come back home. No matter what the Seer says will happen.” He gave Emily an apologetic look and Emily smiled in return, showing Greg that she could, at the very least, hear their father. “It’s okay kids … everything is going to be okay.”

Greg realized that his father was fresh out of motivational speech, so he turned to his dad and said. “Just in case I don’t come back, I wanted to tell you goodbye, and that I love you. At first, I was angry that you stuck yourself here when you could have crossed over. But, through all of this, I truly appreciate that you have been here for us. For me,” he finished.

He wasn’t embarrassed to express his feelings for his father in front of the others. In fact, they all heartily agreed with confirmations and telling Gregory Sr. that they felt the same way.

If ghosts had beating hearts, the entire family would have seen their fathers heart swell up with pride and love. He sniffled a little bit as if he himself were going to cry invisible tears, and said, “Okay kids, it’s time to go now. You guys go take care of what you need to take care of. Be careful and come home to us. I’ll help watch over the property and those who stay home.”

They obeyed the obvious dismissal and everyone muttered goodbyes and I love yous to him as they turned and made the short trek back to the house.

Greg didn’t turn and look back to see if their father was watching them go, he knew that he would stand there until they all disappeared back into the house. He just hoped that he would be able to see his father again.

His father had one thing right, they all had to come home from this mission. No matter what.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

GREG

Watching the couples say goodbye was hard. In fact, it was probably one of the most difficult things he had ever witnessed.

Reese stood near the RV with Dan, her long dark waves pulled up into a messy bun on top of her head. Her arms were around his neck and his hands gripped her waist, pulling her tightly against him. She appeared to be whispering something into his ear and he was nodding gently. Then, she lay her head down on his shoulder and they stood there in silence for a while.

Greg hoped that Dan didn’t fall off the wagon while they were gone. Reese was the reason his brother had gone off the booze. Because of her, he had seen beyond the depression and loss that had taken over his life and he had found a reason to really live. If they were separated, and with the stress of the mission, he couldn’t help but worry that Dan would have a setback.

Dan’s relationship with Reese had come as a surprise to the whole family. They had all known her their entire lives, and Greg had never once seen any kind of signal that either of them had attraction for the other. It was definitely not a match that he had seen coming, but he was happy they had found each other.

They were going to have to keep an eye on him during this trip, that much was for sure. He wouldn’t let his brother fall back down that black hole of alcoholism, and he knew it would only take one drink for Dan to go spiraling.

Nope. Not gonna happen on his watch.

Lucy was straight up sobbing. His youngest sister clung to Jack, her face buried in the Reaper’s chest. “I’m so sorry,” she kept saying. “I know you have to go. I know this is what needs to be done and I don’t want to make it harder, but I can’t help it. I’m so sorry.”

Jack smoothed his hands over her back and lowered his face into her hair. “I don’t want to go either. Leaving you and our baby is the last thing I want to do. I’m sorry, too.”

She sobbed harder. Jack continued to rub her back and murmur, “Please don’t cry, baby. It’s going to be okay. I’m coming home. I have to come home.”

As he watched them, Greg was thankful that those were the only two couples who were going to be split up for this trip. He seriously didn’t know if he could take anymore of seeing how hurtful it was.

Finally, Steph and Hannah stepped forward and encircled Lucy, embracing both her and Jack. Then, Jack slipped out from the arms of the girls, placing a kiss on Lucy’s head and taking her hand in his. “I have to go. I’m … I’m sorry.” He took a couple of steps backward, letting Lucy’s fingertips fall from his at the last moment. “I love you.”

She stared at him with tears staining her face, and then lowered her head onto her sisters’ shoulders, muffling the sobs that followed. Jack strode off to the RV in an almost angry manner and stepped up inside without looking back at the woman he loved.

Lucy lifted her head and pushed away from Steph and Hannah. She muttered something that Greg couldn’t hear and turned away. After looking up at the clear fall sky for a moment, she began to walk back to the house as if she were in a trance.

David, wearing his SHPD uniform, stepped up next to Hannah and slid his arm around her. They would both be staying. David had responsibilities with the police department and couldn’t leave. Hannah needed to be here to help with Lucy since she was the oldest sister and sort of a mother figure for Lucy, plus she had medical knowledge. If they were attacked or something went wrong with the pregnancy, Hannah could provide needed help until they could get to a hospital.

Steph and Ethan stood right beside Hannah and David. They small group that would be left behind watched somberly as everyone disappeared into the belly of the RV. Greg was the last one to board the motorhome, and he turned at the last minute and waved. He wanted to say another goodbye, but there was nothing more that words could say. They knew he would try his damnedest to get back to them, and he would try just as hard to bring every single person who went with them back as well.

Dan shifted the RV into gear and they pulled out of the driveway. Greg watched the farmhouse grow further and further away as they drove. After turning onto the road, then the highway, the home he had spent his whole life in disappeared from sight.

The first part of the ride was incredibly depressing. Every single one of them simply sat in silence, staring out the windows, watching the scenery roll by. They all appeared to be thinking their own thoughts, stuck in their own minds and happy with it being that way.

Even Emily sat alone on one of the two bench seats that sandwiched a table. He couldn’t see her face, since she was looking out the window like everyone else. He knew that this had to be awkward for her, being around all these people who were so depressed. Hopefully she wasn’t regretting coming to help them at all.

He liked her being here with them, even if it was under terrible circumstances. But, he could understand if she was reconsidering her decision to help them. He hoped she wasn’t. This moment of sadness would pass, especially once they got to Florida and the action began, then they would have a different focus.

Not dying. That was the focus of the whole trip.

Guess a not dying state of mind was better than sad and depressed. But, at this point beggars couldn’t be choosers.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CAMILLE

How could the silence around her be loud?

Her desk had several piles of paperwork on it that needed her attention. Her heart was heavy, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t business as usual. She needed to get herself together. At the moment, however, she just didn’t have the willpower to do it.

Her study was bland. Plain walls, no art or framed pictures. Aside from her desk, there were two large bookshelves and a couple of wooden file cabinets that matched the décor. That was it. She never realized that she hadn’t personalized a place where she spent so much time.

Such was the case for the majority of the home. It was sterile, plain and didn’t give a single hint of the people who lived there. Sure, she had art and sculptures in the main living areas, but those were all chosen by designers.

She had no personality, she realized. Sure, she liked things. Her favorite color was dark red. She enjoyed classical music and the occasional jazz. She did like to be outside because she enjoyed being in the sunlight. But, if someone were to describe her, she didn’t think they would have much to say about her at all.

She liked power most of all. It was the only thing that made her feel truly good. Ephraim had given her power and now that he was gone, he had given her even more power. She was grateful to him for allowing her to lead beside him as an equal and not settling for being the woman behind the man.

These Keepers, they were threatening her reign by fighting back to save the Chosen One. She had to come up with a way to take care of them for good, it had been months now and each time she attempted to eliminate them, they fought back and avoided it. They were going in circles and she was tired of it.

Her phone rang.

She glanced at the display and saw that it was Travis, one of her Reapers who had recently been sent to Summer Hollow. Picking up the phone, she clicked the button to answer. “Travis?”

“Yes, Empress.”

“Do you have news for me?”

“I do.” His voice carried a bit of excitement, but also worry. “The other night, I saw the entire Estmond family going into the town bar. I couldn’t be positive, which is why I didn’t tell you before, but it appears as if the youngest one … the Chosen One … is pregnant.”

Camille straightened her spine. Pregnant. Now that was an interesting development.

“But you aren’t sure?”

“There is a definite growth in her stomach. It doesn’t look like she has simply gained weight. I’m sorry I can’t tell for certain.”

“No, you’ve done well. I’d like to be sure, though. Stay in Summer Hollow and stay on the down low. Don’t engage, just watch them and see what you can find out. Then let me know as soon as possible.”

“Yes, Empress.”

She clicked off the phone call, without offering a thank you or a goodbye, and leaned back in her chair. Now, wasn’t this interesting. Her son was bringing a child into the world with a Keeper. What a disgrace.

Jackson had always been promiscuous, and she had hoped that he was smart enough to avoid impregnating some random girl, at the very least. This, however, was worse. The Keepers were their born and sworn enemies, and now he was off making babies with one. And not just any Keeper, but the god damned Chosen One! The one that was supposed to bring an end to them. How could he?

She stood and began to pace the room, forcing herself to calm down before she stormed out of the room and took it out on one of her guards. A few minutes into the pacing, she had a thought that changed the game.

A baby between a Keeper and a Reaper, that should have been impossible. Because of the burn between the two, she hadn’t ever heard of a Keeper and a Reaper being together until her son and Lucy Estmond, much less the two conceiving a child.

Then there was the small issue of morals. Even as heartless as she was, she didn’t know if she could bring herself to kill the Keeper while she was pregnant. That was just… she didn’t have words for what it was, but she truly didn’t think she could do it.

Well, the child was also her grandchild. Perhaps she could wait for the baby to be born and then do away with the Keeper … and her son … and keep the child for herself. She could raise him or her up to be the one who would eventually rule for her, since her own pathetic son couldn’t do it.

The possibilities of this were immense and she was suddenly very excited over what this could mean. Who knew what the child would turn out like with both the blood of a Keeper and a Reaper running through his or her veins.

And then, it hit her.

The blood of both a Keeper and a Reaper. The blood combined.

Could this be the part of the prophecy that she was missing. Was this child that part of the Keeper’s prophecy? The part that said the Chosen One would bring forth an end to the warring between the Keepers and the Reapers.

It was too much of a coincidence not to be true, it fit both the prophecies perfectly and it made perfect sense. Truthfully, after all the experimenting with blood and the chasing of the Keepers, she had begun to wonder if both prophecies were just made up stories that generations had passed down to each other. It wouldn’t have been the first time myth and legend were touted as truth.

For now, she did know one thing, regardless of if the prophecy was valid, she had to get her hands on this child. No matter what.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

EMILY

The RV sped down the highway, the group inside it still silent and brooding. Dan was driving. Jack, Aiden and Liv were sitting together at one of the little tables. Jack was drinking a beer and they were whispering at a level that she couldn’t hear them. She knew they weren’t intentionally keeping it low because of her, it was just the atmosphere, quiet and calm.

James sat silently in a single chair up behind the driver seat. He had a book in his hand, but he wasn’t reading it. She could see his face enough to know he wasn’t reading, because he was actually staring out the window.

Emily watched everyone, wishing that she could make things better for them. She hated that they had to go on this mission. She knew that they would go with or without her, but she liked to think that she added something to the group. She wasn’t strong, or brave, but she would do what she could to help them.

She sat on the couch, her feet up in front of her and Greg beside her. He had his head tilted back and eyes closed. He wasn’t sleeping, though. Just resting. It was a good opportunity to take a good look at him without out it seeming like she was staring at him like a weirdo.

His hair was dark red. All of the Estmond siblings had red hair, but with a few of them, the shades of red varied a little bit. Most of them were far more on the dark side than the lighter. She liked the color of his hair, it fit him. She hadn’t seen him in only a towel like she had with James, but she could tell that he worked out by the way his clothes fit against his body.

As much as she liked James, and appreciated his attention, there was something about Greg that she was extremely drawn to. She couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was that did it for her, and that was most likely because it didn’t have anything to do with what he looked like or how nice he was to her. It was something inside of her that told her that this man was going to be important to her in some way.

As if he could sense her looking at him, his eyes flickered open and settled on her. Heat flushed her face and she quickly lowered her gaze down to her lap.

“Hey,” he whispered.

She lifted her head back up until her eyes met with his. “Hey.”

And then it hit her. A vision.

She sat up straighter and moaned as the world spun, making her dizzy. The feeling that she might pass out overwhelmed her. Faintly, she heard someone call her name and then there were more voices and some commotion, but then … a darkness washed over her and it was all gone.

When her vision cleared, she was somewhere else. She was in a room with Lucy. Lucy was on a bed, her huge belly exposed and legs bare. She screamed, belly tightening. Her fists clenched the sheets around her. Her dark hair was wet and stringy from sweat, a sheen of it covered her face as well.

A strange woman at the end of the bed, staring between her legs, looked up and said, “It’s time to push.”

And Lucy did. With a roar, her whole body tensed and she bore down. Clenching her teeth and gripping the sheets with all she had, she pushed.

“The head is out,” the stranger said. The contraction let up and Lucy panted with relief as the pain eased. “One more good one and we’re there.” The next contraction began shortly and the woman called out to Lucy, “Here we go, push.”

Lucy screamed again, a sound filled with so much pain, Emily had never heard anything that compared to it. Lucy groaned and buckled down for that one last tremendous push, she clamped her teeth and growled through them. Sweat streamed profusely from her red hair, rolling in beads down her forehead and over her cheeks until it dropped onto her chest, soaking her nightgown. Suddenly the woman said, “We have her, she’s here!”

Exhausted, Lucy fell back onto the pillows. The labor pains had stopped the moment the baby was out and the relief was overwhelming. But, even though she appeared as if she could simply pass out for the next couple of days, Lucy only allowed herself a couple of seconds and then her eyes popped open. “Her? It’s a girl … she’s a girl?”

The woman, who must have been a doctor or midwife, cut the cord and cleared the baby’s nose and mouth with a bulb syringe. She ignored Lucy completely. Carefully, she wrapped the baby in a blanket and stood.

Lucy held out her arms. “I want to hold her.”

Again, she was ignored. The woman strode toward the door and Lucy’s eyes reflected understanding. “No! No … she’s mine. I want to hold her.”

Then, the door to the makeshift hospital room opened and the Empress appeared. The woman handed the swaddled baby over to Camille and turned back to finish things with Lucy. But, Lucy, ready to fight for her child, even after delivering her moments ago, was trying to get off the table. “No, the doctor said. We still have to deliver your placenta. You aren’t done.”

“Give me … give me my baby.”

The Empress shook her head. “This is my child now. My child who is both Reaper and Keeper and will end the warring. Thank you for this wonderful gift.” Camille bowed her head to look down at the newborn, and then turned to leave the room.

Lucy roared. “Noooo! She’s mine.”

“Come and hold her.” The doctor called the guards over and two stone faced guards forced Lucy down, grabbing her by the arms with their iron grip and pinning her to the on the hospital bed. “Give me my baby!” Lucy cried out, struggling against the hold of the guards, even as she delivered the placenta. Her back arched and the thrashed, struggling against the hold of the Reapers.

As the Empress passed a guard at the door, Emily heard Camille whisper to one of them. “She can be disposed of now. We no longer have use for her.”

“Is there anything particular you would like us to do?”

The Empress shook her head. “No, do whatever you like. I don’t care. I have what I need.” She glanced down at the baby one more time, adjusting her blanket around her. Then, without another word, she exited the room, leaving Lucy to the doctor and the guards.

The world came back with a snap. The vision simply vanished and the real world was back in its place.

“Emily …. Emily, are you okay?” someone was asking. “Oh, thank god. She’s back guys!” the voice called out. The world cleared a little bit more and she found Greg hovering over her. “Damn, woman, that scared the hell out of me.”

The RV wasn’t moving, she could tell that they had pulled over somewhere. She turned her head to the side and saw that Greg wasn’t the only one there. Every single person that had come with them was gathered around, watching and waiting for her to come back from the vision.

“I’m okay,” she told them. “I just need a minute.”

“Do you need some water?” He turned to his brother, “Get her some water.”

“It was a vision.”

“I figured that was what was happening, but I’ve never seen you have one, so I wasn’t sure.”

James held out a water bottle. “Here, take this.”

“Thank you.” She offered him a weak smile and accepted the water that was still cool and had some condensation on the outside. She opened it, took a long drink from it and then put the cap back on. “She knows,” Emily stated bluntly. “The Empress knows about the baby.”

She looked to Jack now, who wore a surprised expression. “She knows, and she doesn’t want to kill the child. She wants to keep her because she figure it out about the baby being the Chosen One, not Lucy. And she will kill Lucy after the baby is born.”

“Shit,” Greg muttered. “It’s … we can’t…” He didn’t finish because Jack finished for him.

“Exactly. We can’t let that happen. Over my dead body will I let that happen.”

“Did you see anything else?” Greg asked.

“I saw a lot of things, mostly Lucy in labor and giving birth. What I’ve said already is the most important part.”

“How are you?”

She smiled softly at his concern. It was sweet of him, and definitely a first for her. Generally, she didn’t have someone there for her when she came out of a vision. “I’m all right.” She assured him. “I just need the water and a little bit of rest. The visions do tend to use a great deal of my energy.”

Greg reached over and pushed a lock of hair away from her forehead and tucked it behind her ear. “Take as long as you need. We have a lot of driving ahead of us anyway.”

“Thank you.” She didn’t know what else to say. She had suddenly become very aware of all the rest of the group behind Greg. They were trying to make sure she was okay, she knew that, but she couldn’t help but feel awkward.

On the upside, at least she had gotten past having a vision in front of them. If there was one thing that worried her about being around people, it was having a vision in front of them. Now, that that was out of the way, they would know what to expect if it happened again.

She really hoped it didn’t happen again, though.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

GREG

Greg had never felt so helpless in his life as when Emily was having that vision. One moment she was there and then the next minute she was out. He hadn’t been able to do anything except sit there with her, and each second that she was unconscious felt like an eternity.

The vison only lasted about two minutes, but that was two minutes that he’d had to hold her limp body and stare into her glassy, pupil enlarged eyes, hoping that she wasn’t dead. He had been positive that she was having a vision, but at the same time, he’d really had no idea if that’s what it was.

All in all, it was nerve-racking as hell. When her eyes finally cleared and went back to normal, he felt relief wash over him. She was okay.

She lay back on the couch, sipping on a bottle of water. Even though she looked completely exhausted, she insisted that she would be all right and that she just needed some rest. He wished everyone behind them would stop staring at her and go somewhere else. From the looks of her posture and the expression on her face, he could tell she was uncomfortable with all the attention.

“Jack.” Her gaze drifted to the Reaper and after a quick look behind him, he realized that Jack was pacing back and forth in the small aisle of the RV. “Are you okay?” she asked him.

“I left her. I should go back,” he muttered as he paced. “This isn’t okay. I need to go back.” He turned to Dan. “Take me back home.”

Dan didn’t say anything, but he turned and looked to Greg for how he should answer.

“Don’t look at him,” Jack shoved Dan, causing him to stumble backward a couple of steps. “Give me the keys, I’ll drive.”

“No,” Emily said, her voice firm. “We have to keep going. We need to go and do the job that we intended to do, and then the Empress will never get to her. We have to do this. The vision didn’t tell me Lucy was in danger, just that your mother knows about the baby.”

Jack kept pacing, barely acknowledging Emily’s words.

“Jack!” She raised her voice. “You need to believe me. We have to go.”

Greg watched, surprised, as Jack abruptly halted and spun to face Emily. She didn’t even flinch, simply met his eyes as he asked, “Can you promise me that nothing will happen to her?”

Emily shook her head. “No, I can’t promise you that. As I’ve said before, visions are only true until something happens that changes the course. I don’t know what will happen while we are gone, but I do know that we need to get rid of the Empress or the vision will, indeed, come true.”

“I can’t,” Jack mumbled. “I can’t just keep going, knowing that something could be coming for her, maybe already has.”

“Call her,” Greg suggested. “Call her and tell her what we’ve found out and see what she has to say about it.”

“Yes. That’s a good idea. Lucy has a say in this, too. Call her and see.”

Jack glared and let out a long breath before pulling his phone out of his pocket and turning around as he pressed the speed dial for Lucy. “Hey,” he said when she answered and then strode moved to the back of the RV, into the bedroom area and shut the door.

Greg understood Jack’s frustration. He was feeling it too. What if they were coming for Lucy right now, while they weren’t around to protect her. If someone was in Summer Hollow, spying on them, then they probably knew that a group of them had left.

This would be the perfect opportunity for the Reapers to strike on the Farmhouse. If he was the enemy, he would take advantage of the weakness for sure.

It wasn’t long before Jack returned, shoving the door to the bedroom open and stomping toward them. “Okay. She says they are fine there. They are going to keep on high alert and let us know if anything happens.” He shoved his phone back in his pocket. “And I’m not okay with this, just so you know. Leaving her behind when someone wants to kidnap and or kill her is not fucking all right at all.”

James set his hand on Jack’s shoulder. “We know, man. She’s our sister, we’re with you.”

“Yeah,” Dan added. “Two of our sisters are there, not to mention other people we love. We like this as little as you do. So let’s go get this shit done and get back home.”

Greg nodded. “I agree. The best thing we can do it get it done so that we eliminate the possibility of the Empress getting to her. She can’t abduct her if she’s not here to do it.”

Liv, who had been silent the entire time, leaned forward in her seat. “How did your mother find out about Lucy being pregnant, anyway. We haven’t seen any Reapers around for quite a while.”

“Most likely it was a spy. Just because we didn’t see any Reapers, doesn’t mean they aren’t there. She probably has them just watching, instead of outright attacks,” Greg offered his thoughts. “There had to have been someone there, watching us. And Lucy has been out. We all went to the bar the other night and one of us is always heading to the store or to run some errand.”

A noise that sounded like a growl came from Jack as he clenched his fists. “This is bullshit. When will it end? I need a beer.” He spun and stormed down the tiny aisle toward the small refrigerator.

“Grab me one too,” Aiden hollered at him. Jack didn’t answer, but he returned with two beers and handed one to his best friend.

“Thanks, man.”

Greg caught Dan eyeing the beers for one long moment and then he looked away. “I better get this thing back on the road. We have a long way to go.”

Good. Greg thought. That was good. He was removing himself from a situation with alcohol and that was a huge step. Hopefully, he could keep that up and stay strong.

Dan hurried to the front of the motorhome and Jack plopped down onto the chair opposite them. “Hey,” he said to Emily. “These visions … I’m sorry you have to have them to get us the information. I’m sure it’s not exactly pleasant having to see some of the situations that you do. So, thanks.” He paused and examined the label on his beer for a moment. “Thanks for helping us.”

She offered him a small smile. “I’d have the visions whether or not I was getting useful information. I’m just glad that this gift is helpful in this case. Sometimes they are just random, stemmed from touching someone or being in a certain place and those times, the majority of the time, there is nothing I can do.”

“Well. We all owe you. For all of this.” He gestured around the motorhome with his beer.

“Hopefully we have the outcome we want and it will all be worth it,” Emily responded.

Yeah, Greg thought. Hopefully they would all come out of this alive. If they didn’t, he worried that on top of the grief and everything else his family would go through, that Emily would blame herself for coming to them with the vison in the first place. She didn’t deserve to suffer through that kind of self-torture.

The motor on the motorhome turned over and soon they were moving again.

“Hey Jack.” Greg nudged the Reaper’s black boot with his foot. “Did you notice that Emily said ‘her’ when referring to the baby?”

Jack’s sullen face perked up. “Oh shit, that’s right. A daughter? He directed this last part to Emily.

“That’s what I saw. The doctor, or midwife or whatever she was, said, ‘I’ve got her,’ so I’m assuming your baby is a girl.”

“Fuck.”

Emily tilted her head, confused at Jack’s reaction. But Greg cut in and said, “What, you wanted a boy?”

“No, no it’s not like that.” Jack shook his head. “It’s just … now, if we make it through this, I’m going to have to kick every little boy’s ass who comes near my baby girl.”

Greg smiled and shook his head, laughing along with everyone else. “Isn’t that the worry of every father ever?”

“I don’t know.” Jack glanced at Liv. “Your father raised a bunch of girls that do the ass kicking themselves.”

“Damn Straight.” Liv lifted her hand for a high five. Smiling broadly, Jack slapped her palm. Greg knew that they were both thinking about the first meeting that he and Liv had. Lucy was there too, but the girls had knocked him on his ass while he was in search of a lemon filled doughnut.

“I wouldn’t worry about boys just yet,” Greg told him. “Let’s get you through the diapers stage first.”

“Yeah.” Jack nodded. “That’s probably a good idea.”

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

LUCY

With a sigh, Lucy pressed the button on her phone and disconnected from the call with Jack. What he told her had made her feel so many things at once that she couldn’t even separate the emotions. She was scared, sad, protective and … pissed off.

After slipping her phone into her back pocket, she finished pouring a glass of orange juice into a glass. It wasn’t a steaming mug of coffee, but it would do. She’d given Jack a hard time about keeping her from drinking too much caffeine, but really, she had cut way back and he knew it.  She wouldn’t sacrifice a healthy baby for a few cups of coffee or soda.

When the juice was gone, she rinsed out the glass in the sink, then set it in the drying rack. It was time to go find the others and let them know what Jack had told her.

After a quick search of the house and not finding Hannah and Steph anywhere, she finally located them in the backyard. They were staring at the garden and arguing over what to put in the new plot they had planned for spring, even though it was several months away. She jogged over to the garden fence and joined them.

David and Reese were both at work, so she didn’t worry about filling them in right away, but Ethan was out in the graveyard, pulling patrol. She texted him to come over and meet them by the garden. That way, he could still keep half an eye on the cemetery, but he could also hear what she had to say.

“I want to do corn,” Steph was saying. “We haven’t grown corn for years.”

“But, if we took that whole section over there and planted strawberries, that would be awesome. To have them available here at home.”

Steph shook her head. “No, strawberries are a weed, remember. The whole garden would get taken over by them. That’s why Dad never let us plant them before.”

“Yeah.” A sad expression washed over Hannah’s face. “That’s right, I remember now.”

“So we get to do corn?”

Hannah nodded. “Yeah, why not. Nothing beats home grown corn on the cob, for sure.”

“Hey guys,” Lucy interrupted. “We need to talk.”

Both Hannah and Steph turned to face her, their expressions curious. “Do we need to get Ethan.?” her sister asked.

Lucy shook her head. “I already sent him a text. He’s on his way.” She nodded toward the sloped path where Ethan was already heading toward them.

“What’s up?” he asked once he arrived.

Lucy set her hands on her hips and told them. “Someone has been spying on us and reporting back to the Empress. The Reapers have been here in Summer Hollow, quietly watching and taking information back.”

Ethan shook his head a little bit. “We figured that she would have Reapers out there watching us. Why is this a big deal now?”

“Because,” Lucy told him, her voice flat and serious. “She knows about the baby, that’s why.”

Three different variations of, “Oh shit,” were voiced around her.

“I agree.” Lucy nodded.

“Wait,” Hannah asked. “How do you know the Empress is aware of your pregnancy? How could you possibly know that?”

“Jack called,” Lucy explained. “Emily had a vision. In the vision, she saw me giving birth. After the baby was born, she was handed over to the Empress.”

Her sisters said nothing, but their faces said everything that needed to be said. The short version was, no way in hell would the Empress get her hands on her baby.

“There’s more,” she continued. “Afterward, the Empress gives the order to do away with me, as I am no longer needed. Jack says that Emily thinks this means they want to kidnap me until I give birth, then get rid of me so that she can raise the child as her own.”

She paused to catch her breath, but also to calm herself. The more she spoke, the angrier she got. She’d known that something like this might happen if the Empress were to find out that she was pregnant. The only known child of a Keeper and a Reaper … that was a miracle in itself. But the child of her son, the Reaper prince and a woman from one of the seven original Keeper bloodlines, that was more than a miracle.

“We are going to have to up our security here even more than it is already, someone has obviously been watching us. I don’t want them to get the chance to grab me. Not that I can’t defend myself, I just want to avoid that scenario at all costs,” she added. She was strong, even with the pregnancy, but she had been kidnapped by the Reapers before.

“Absolutely.” Steph nodded her agreement. “You aren’t to be alone at all. Ever.”

Lucy narrowed her eyebrows. “Well maybe just for showers and bathroom time. I get what you’re saying, though.”

“Maybe the vision was wrong,” Ethan finally spoke. He had been listening with silent interest the entire time, as was his usual way.

“Nah,” Lucy shook her head. “I don’t think so. But, even if it is wrong, do we really want to take that chance? That Reaper, or Reapers, whoever is watching us, is likely still here in Summer Hollow. Shit.” She threw up her arms. “They could be in the woods right now, taking in every word we are saying.”

With those words hanging thick in the air as the severity of the situation crashed down on them, they stood silently, scanning the tree line and surrounding areas carefully. How shitty was it if you couldn’t even have a private conversation in your own yard.

“So anyway,” Lucy said, lowering her voice to a whisper. “We are going on high alert. We take no chances. This is my baby we’re talking about.”

“Reese is back at the bar,” Steph told them. “We’re going to need her to help keep an eye out there. She can’t see auras or anything, but she has a good sense for anything weird.”

“Good.” Lucy nodded. “That’s good.”

Hannah rubbed Lucy’s shoulder. “It’s going to be okay. We just need to be diligent. If it comes down to it, I’ll have David bring in the police and post someone here. I don’t give a crap how weird it sounds to whoever he has to explain it to.”

Nodding, Lucy felt her eyes well up. Fucking tears always coming when she didn’t want them to. “I’m not going to argue with that,” she whispered. “I’ll do whatever it takes to keep her safe.”

“You keep saying her,” Ethan pointed out.

“In Emily’s vision, the baby was a girl. I already kind of had a feeling, so this is just one more reason to believe our little one is female. We won’t know for sure, though, until she is born. We could be surprised.”

In her heart, she knew that something was going to happen. That someone was going to come for them and attack her and her family. As the baby grew inside her, the battle between the Keepers and Reapers grew more intense.

“If Emily saw a girl in her vision, then I’d bet that is what you’ll have,” Ethan said thoughtfully. “When is your ultrasound?”

“I already had one, but we asked the tech not to tell us so that we could be surprised. But now, I think I want to know, just out of curiosity.”

“Yeah,” Steph agreed. “Plus, it’s probably a good idea to know so that you can prepare and people getting you gifts can buy accordingly.”

“I figured we could just do yellow or something for colors, but yeah, I get what you’re saying. We just thought it would be cool to be surprised.” Lucy put her hands to the small of her back and stretched. “Speaking of that, I need to get started getting all the stuff we are going to need.”

Hannah’s eyes lit up. “We have to have a baby shower.”

Lucy laughed. Hannah would definitely make sure that a baby shower happened, and she would also invite the whole town. There were women in Summer Hollow who would be terribly disappointed if she didn’t have one. Especially the older women. Those ladies loved a reason to get together with food and gifts.

Though Lucy would have preferred not to have a shower, she knew that she did need to have one because, to be perfectly honest, they were on a serious budget and couldn’t afford to get much of the larger stuff that they needed for the baby. Plus, it would be impossible to talk Hannah out of it. Liv would be on board with the party, too, that was for sure.

“Okay,” Lucy told Hannah. “You’re in charge of planning that. I don’t want to do it.”

Hannah smiled mischievously. “I got this. Don’t worry.”

And she wouldn’t worry about it. She had complete faith that her sister would take care of everything. “Thanks.” She smiled at Hannah. “You guys are the best.”

“Of course we are.” Steph grinned. “Okay, now going back to a Reaper spying on us, what are we going to do about that?”

“Well.” Hannah looked around as if searching for something … or someone. “We should probably start by checking all the windows and doors. Make sure everything that we aren’t using is locked.” She began to look a little stressed, the calm on her face slowly changing to panicked. “I … I’m not sure what else we can do except those things.”

“I know!” Steph agreed. “I hate waiting for them to make a move. I cannot wait for the day that we don’t have to constantly watch our backs. This is such bullshit. I wish we could just catch him, or them. Then we wouldn’t have this uncomfortable feeling that we are being watched.”

Lucy nodded her head but didn’t voice her agreement. She didn’t say anything, but she really hoped that they would catch the Reaper who was spying on them. She didn’t know what they would do with him if that happened, but he definitely wouldn’t be reporting back to the Empress anymore.

“I’m going back into the cemetery,” Ethan told her. “Did you want to come with so you can fill your dad in on this, or do you just want me to do it?”

“Oh.” Lucy realized it would probably be a good idea to tell their father what was going on. “Yes. I’ll come with you.”

“We’re going to finish planning this plot. Let one of us know when you get back here and we’ll go in the house with you.”

Lucy nodded acknowledgement, hating that she had to be babysat, again, by her family. However, unlike last time, she was okay with it because the life of her child was on the line, it wasn’t just her anymore.

She walked with Ethan up the path into the graveyard. He was silent, which wasn’t uncharacteristic for him, but somehow it still seemed uncomfortable ever since she and Jack met. “Are you okay?” she asked.

He nodded. “I’m good.”

“I miss you, you know.”

She could only see the side of his face, but it appeared to remain stoic. “I’m still here. I’m always here,” he told her.

She knew what he meant. He was always there for her, no matter what. He loved her and she didn’t love him back in the way that she loved Jack. Now that there was a baby on the way, everything seemed far more permanent. But no matter what, he would always be there for her. “I know,” she whispered. “I just don’t know how to make things better for you. We can’t go back to how it was before.”

Ethan shrugged. “I know and I’m okay with it. As long as you are happy.”

“But, I want you to be happy, too.”

“It will come. Time heals all, Luce.”

She hated that she broke his heart. It was never her intention, but the moment she met Jack, her own heart belonged to him. That didn’t mean that she didn’t have a connection with Ethan, but he saw that connection in a different way than she did. “I’m sorry.” It was all she could think to say. It wasn’t the first time she told him and she was certain that it wouldn’t be the last.

He halted, coming to a complete stop and almost tripping her in the process. He turned to her, his gaze piercing into hers. “Listen, you don’t need to be sorry. Ever. I love you, Lucy. I will always love you and I am happy that you are in my life. We are connected in ways that most people will never find. I’m family, I’m your friend and we have a relationship that I will cherish forever. It doesn’t matter that we aren’t together romantically. I wish you felt the same way about me as I do about you, but you have a different connection to Jack. You have a fucking storybook love connection that everyone wants and I’m happy that you have that. Of all the people I know, I would wish that for you because all I want is for you to have everything that you want in life. Now, stop telling me you’re sorry. I’m okay. I am still part of your life and you can talk to me whenever you need to. I’m not going anywhere. Got it?”

Shock at his harsh but loving words washed over her and tears stung at the corners of her eyes. “Got it.” She choked out in response, praying that she wouldn’t cry. “I know things will never be the same as they used to be. But I miss my friend.”

For few seconds, he merely stood there, staring down at her with an unreadable expression. “I miss you, too.” And then, he opened his arms and she lunged forward, letting him embrace her while she clung to him. The dam that had held back her tears broke open and she felt the moisture soak into his shirt as her face pressed into his chest.

After a moment, he released her and she stepped backward, wiping her cheeks. “I’m sorry,” she told him.

“I told you to stop saying that,” he said in a gentle voice. “It’s okay. We’re going to be okay.”

“I hope so.”

“I know so,” he responded. “Now let’s find your dad and fill him in on the latest news.”

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

EMILY

Since having the vision, Emily found herself exhausted and she really did not want to be around anyone, so she hid in the bedroom area at the back of the motorhome.

She was embarrassed. She hated having visions in front of others, especially because she didn’t know what happened during or what she looked like when it was happening.

She wanted to sleep and it should have been easy to do, since the rolling motion of the RV would normally have lulled her off into dreamland. But no, she lay there in the darkness, thinking about anything and everything.

As stressful and crazy as things had been ever since her first vision about Jack, she didn’t regret coming to the Estmond family. She was happy to help. If her gift was good for anything, it had to be for helping people. Otherwise, what good was having foresight at all.

A soft knock sounded at the door.

Emily sat up just as Greg opened the thin door and peeked in. “Hey, are you awake?”

She nodded and then realized that he couldn’t see her. “Yes, I am. Please, come in.”

Greg entered the tiny room and sat down on the edge of the bed. “Is it okay if I lay down in here for a little bit? I won’t bother you or anything. I’d just like to get a couple hours of sleep and it’s a pain in the ass sleeping sitting up.”

“Oh, of course.” She agreed before really considering that she could also say no.

“Are you sure? I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

“Yeah, it’s no problem.” Emily scooted over and patted the bed beside her. She had all her clothes on, so it wasn’t inappropriate. Even if she had been wearing less, she trusted Greg enough to know that he wouldn’t try anything she didn’t want him to.

And there was another thing to consider … maybe she wanted him to make some moves on her. She certainly wouldn’t be sad about it.

Greg moved through the small space between the walls and the bed and crawled on top of the covers beside her. He stretched out with his hands behind his head on the pillow. “Ahh,” he moaned. “It feels good to actually lay down.”

Emily relaxed and returned her head to the pillows again. It was too dark to see much, but she stared up at the ceiling of the motorhome, wondering if she should start conversation or if she should be quiet and let him rest.

Why did she have to overthink every single thing she did. She knew full well that this was one of her problems, but it didn’t stop her from doing it.

“You okay?” Greg asked, his voice so low it was almost a whisper.

“Yes.”

“Are your visons always like that?”

She nodded, again forgetting that he couldn’t see her. “Yeah … well, I think so. All I know of it is how I feel afterward and what I saw during.”

“It’s a little scary to watch.”

“I’m sorry for that. I don’t want to scare anyone.”

“I know. We all know that you don’t like to have visions in front of people. We … I, was more worried about your wellbeing than anything else. That was the scary part, not knowing if we should do anything.”

“Yeah. The best thing to do is just let me ride it out. They always come to an end.”

She felt Greg shift and mattress move underneath her. He was silent for a moment and then spoke again. “Thank you.”

She let out a short laugh. What in the world would he be thanking her for? “For what?” She voiced her thought.

“For coming here,” he whispered. “For taking a chance after you had that first vision and coming to help us save Jack. And now, after this vision, we have a look into what the Empress is planning. Without that, we wouldn’t have a clue that she knew about Lucy being pregnant. Now we can protect my sister and her baby better than if we hadn’t known. So … thank you.”

Those words made it all worth it. Just the simple fact that her visions had helped in some way, even the slightest bit, validated her and drove out every negative thought that she had about herself. Even with the doubt that plagued her on a daily basis, she needed to hear that she was needed and her gift appreciated.

Greg made her feel both.

Instead of answering, she reached over in the darkness and her fingers found his. He didn’t pull away or even jerk at the shock of her touch. He simply turned his hand so that his palm could connect with hers and their fingers laced together.

Still silent, Emily closed her eyes and basked in the comfort of the simple act of touch. It was comforting to lay there, holding hands with no expectation and no words. Their breathing and the sound of the traffic outside of the vehicle were the only things she could hear, and even that faded away as she closed her eyes and drifted off into a deep slumber.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

GREG

That first night he slept beside Emily, he didn’t get as much sleep as he would have liked because, like a fucking creeper, he lay there watching her sleep. Yeah, it was super weird, but she was beautiful and while she was sleeping, he could really look at her without making her feel awkward.

He woke in the middle of the night on the third night feeling well rested and also kind of hungry. Beside him, Emily lay as they had that first night, sleeping soundly with her hand clasped in his.

Carefully, so as not to wake her, he slowly slid his fingers away from hers. After pausing a moment to be sure she hadn’t stirred, he rolled the other way and stealthily rose from the bed, then slipped out of the little bedroom.

He moved quietly through the belly of the motorhome. Liv and Aiden were cuddled up on one of the couches. She was asleep, her head resting on his shoulder, but the Reaper was wide awake and gave him a nod as he passed by.

He still wasn’t sure exactly how he felt about Aiden and his sister. It wasn’t because he didn’t trust Aiden. By now, the Reaper had definitely earned his trust. It was more of a, ‘what if things don’t work out between them,’ kind of worry. They were definitely good for each other, but the fact that their skin couldn’t touch concerned him. How long would either of them be able to work through that? For now, they made it work, but touch was such a huge part of relationships. He knew that he couldn’t be with someone if he couldn’t touch her face or hold her hand.

Hopefully they would last. They were a good pair.

Jack was at the little kitchen bar, staring down at a pot of water.

“You know what they say about watching water boil, right?”

Jack glanced up at the sound of his voice. Greg could clearly see distress in his dark eyes. “Yeah, and they can kiss my ass. You want some coffee?” Jack gestured to the French press, already prepared with grounds.

“Please.” Greg nodded. “That would be great right about now.”

Jack reached up and opened the cabinet above him, extracting another mug and setting it beside the one already on the counter. “We’re almost there,” he told Greg, his voice flat and emotionless.

“Nervous?”

“Hell yeah, I’m nervous.” Jack nodded. “If this was me before meeting Lucy, I’d never admit to being nervous about something like this, but now that I have a family to worry about, it’s different. Plus, the fact that this is my mother … this isn’t something I thought I’d ever have to do.”

“I wish I could tell you this is all going to be fine. Even if we make it out with all of us alive, change Emily’s vision and save your life, you are probably going to have to deal with a massive mind fuck because of your mom. I don’t know how you are holding it together, man.”

“I don’t know either,” Jack told him as he poured coffee into the mug and handed it to Greg. “I don’t know.”

“I’ve got your back, no matter what. I don’t know how much consolation that is.”

Jack began to fill his own mug. “Listen, I need you to do me a favor.”

“What’s up?”

He set the carafe on the counter and turned to face Greg. “If Emily’s vision comes true … if I die, I need you to make sure that my baby is taken care of.”

Surprised, Greg nodded. “That is pretty much a given, your child is my niece … or nephew. The whole family would make sure that Lucy and the baby are okay.”

“I know that.” Jack’s eyes glittered intensely. “I just want you to say it. I want to know that you will personally raise my kid if … I don’t know, if something happens to Lucy or … shit I don’t know. I just need to know that they are going to be okay.”

“I think you already know that I’d kill before I let anything happen to Lucy or the baby. We’re doing that for you right now … for you, but mainly for Lucy and the child. Lucy is my sister we are going to fight like hell to save you. But I swear, if anything happens to you, our entire family will protect them.”

Jack said nothing in response, but Greg could see the gratitude reflected in his face. “We got this,” he told him. “We are all going to go home after it’s done.”

The Reaper lifted his mug to his lips and sipped before answering, “Nothing is certain. But I appreciate the positivity.”

“Anytime.” Greg clapped him on the shoulder.

“All right, let’s head up to the front and give Dan directions.” Carrying his coffee with him, Jack moved ahead toward the front.

Before they left Summer Hollow, Jack had made a call to a friend and arranged for a place where they could park the motorhome and lay low. It made sense, being that they had this giant mode of transportation. They stood out like a sore thumb and sneaking up on anyone, not to mention getting away, would be a complete disaster if they showed up in a freaking RV.

That being said, he did have his reservations about trusting anyone who wasn’t in their circle. He could only hope, for the sake of the mission and his family, that this friend was not on the inside with the Empress.

Jack moved into the passenger seat and Greg sat down in the swivel chair behind Dan. “Take the exit after this next one,” Jack instructed.

Dan nodded and did as he was told. Once they made the exit, Jack continued to direct him until eventually they were off the main roads and traveling down a paved, though small and desolate, road that ran along a swampy body of water on one side and a forest of trees on the other.

“Where the hell are we?” Dan mumbled from behind the wheel.

“About thirty minutes from my mother.”

Greg nodded, approving of Jack’s answer. It was far enough away that they could get back here and lay low afterward. It was smart. He really shouldn’t have expected anything less of Jack, especially with Aiden at his back.

“Turn there.” Jack pointed to the left.

“Where?” Dan squinted his eyes, trying to see whatever Jack was seeing beyond the headlights.

“The driveway, dumbass. Right there.”

“Oh shit!” Dan braked and began the turn. “I see it now.”

The drive was barely big enough for the RV. It was dirt and full of deep holes where puddles likely accumulated when it rained. For a moment, Greg wondered if they were actually going to make it or if they would get stuck in the trees.

The bumpy terrain caused the rest of the group to wake. Silently, they wandered up to the front so that they could stand behind them and stare through the massive windshield at what lay in the darkness beyond the headlights.

Finally, the drive opened way and light washed over the front of a small cabin. Admittedly, Greg had been expecting something rundown with tall grass and appliances in the front yard, but the home they were looking at was made of wood siding and had a little wrap-around porch with flower pots on the steps and a couple of rocking chairs to the left of the door.

The yard was well maintained as well. A lawn that appeared freshly mowed spread out in front of the cabin. A fenced area, that looked like it might be a garden, was off to the right of the home and a large shop dominated the left side of the property.

Greg, along with several others, let out a long sigh of relief. Boy, they all must have been expecting something that could have had a banjo soundtrack to accompany it.

“Park there.” Jack pointed to the right where a white pickup truck was parked. “Just don’t block the truck.”

Dan rolled the RV up alongside the truck and shifted into park.

“All right.” Jack turned to face the others. “You guys ready to meet Lou?”

Liv shook her head. “This guys name is Lou? How do you know a guy named Lou who lives in the boonies? I thought you were a spoiled, rich, brat.”

“I was. This place may not be a mansion in the city, but Lou is a genius at brewing his own booze. I like to party … well, I did, so I decided it was a good idea to make this guy my friend. Turns out, I actually like the guy and besides Aiden,” Jack’s eyes slid over his blond Reaper counterpart, “he is one of the only friends I’ve ever had.”

The sound of barking dogs began to echo through the night. When Greg peeked through the window beside the door, he saw two black labs running toward the RV. “And those two,” Jack explained, gripping the door handle, “are Sonny and Cher.” With that, he threw open the door and headed for the dogs who were still barking like crazy.

Liv giggled. “Cute names.”

Aiden raised a brow. “Wait until you meet them. They will make you fall in love with them.” His voice was gruff and sounded almost angry.

“Wow,” Liv shoved his shoulder. “I think you have a thing for cute puppies.”

“Never. I don’t like animals.”

“Liar. Sonny and Cher probably have you in their pocket. I’d bet on it.”

Aiden glared and then turned away from her. “You’d lose.” He said the words, but they had no strength behind them. Without another word from her, he stepped out of the RV and the dogs, who were currently jumping up on Jack and begging for pets, seemed to catch Aiden’s scent and abandoned Jack. The two barreled into Aiden’s legs. To Greg’s, and everyone else’s astonishment, before Sonny and Cher could jump up on him, he knelt down onto the grass so that he was eye level with the two animals.

“Holy shit.” Liv shook her head as if trying to clear her vision. “My stone cold killer has a soft spot for dogs.”

Greg laughed, but he was thinking the same thing. “Everyone has a weakness,” Greg pointed out.

“Well, not to be arrogant but I thought that was me.”

Greg laughed again, this time louder. “Really, Liv.”

“No, seriously, he even said those very words to me. I don’t care, I’m just surprised is all.”

“Let’s go meet Sonny and Cher … and Lou.” Greg held the door open and let Liv out first. Then he turned to find Emily, who had remained so silent that she practically blended into the walls. “Hey. You okay?”

She stood in the shadows but he could see her nod. “I think I’m still pretty tired. I just need to wake up a little bit more.”

He held out his hand. “Well, let’s go meet Lou and the dogs.” Without hesitating, she moved forward and entwined her fingers with his. That made him feel good, that she trusted him, that she didn’t shy away from him anymore. She wasn’t a weak person, but she was definitely not used to touch or much interaction, so it meant a lot that she would not even think twice about taking his hand now.

As they exited the vehicle, they saw a man who looked to be about fifty or so. He was wearing a pair of jeans, a sweatshirt and a green ball cap with a tractor on it. He hurried down the porch steps of the cabin. “Jackson!” the man called out with a slight southern accent. “Hell, it has been too long!”

“Lou.” Jack strode over to greet him. “It definitely has. I’ve been out of state, as you know.” Jack moved to shake hands with Lou, but the older man grabbed his hand and yanked, pulling Jack in for a bear hug.

Greg almost laughed as he watched Jack visibly tense and then relax as Lou released him. “Well, now, let’s get you guys inside. It’s a bit late … or early, but y’all are welcome to a drink. I also have coffee, if that’s what suits you.” He scanned the group of them. “Oh, I see the kids found Aiden.” He nodded at where Aiden was still rolling around on the ground with Sonny and Cher.

Jack rolled his eyes. “Of course. So, Lou, I’d like you to meet the Estmonds.” He pointed as he went along. “Greg, Dan, James and Liv. There are more of them, Lucy, Hannah and Steph are back at their place. And this,” he motioned with his hand, “is Emily. She is a Seer and she is the reason we’re here.”

Lou performed a slight bow. “I’m pleased to meet you all. Now let’s take this inside where we can see each other’s faces.” He whistled for the dogs and both labs immediately abandoned Aiden and bolted toward their master. He led the way into the small home, with everyone following along after him.

Inside, it was bigger than it looked on the outside. An open floor plan and a high ceiling with a loft on one half of the cabin, helped open up the space and give it a bright, airy feel. “All right, let’s settle in the living room where there is enough space for us all to sit.” Lou gestured toward the leather couches and chairs that surrounded an open fireplace.

Greg chose a spot on one of the couches and Emily squeezed in next to him, with James on the other side of her. Aiden stood near the door while Liv chose a chair. Dan took the other recliner while Lou pulled up one of the chairs from the kitchen table. “Jack?”

“No, thanks, I’ll stand.”

Lou shrugged and sat down in the chair himself. The dogs lay down near the door where Aiden was posted.

“So,” Lou took a moment to run his gaze over everyone in the group. “You all are going to go take out the Empress, huh?”

All heads swung toward Jack. He had told this guy what they were doing? How could he just leak that sensitive information? “Jack!” Greg hissed.

Jack held up his hands defensively. “Relax. It’s okay. We can trust Lou and he’s going to help us.”

Liv’s eyes were wide. “Why would he help us?” She turned, her question directed at Lou.

The older man took off his ball cap and smoothed back his dark brown hair that had streaks of gray running through it. He set it on the shiny wooden coffee table and let out a long sigh.

“I have been privy to the existence of Reapers …” he met Liv’s gaze straight on, “and Keepers, for a long time now.” I had a girlfriend, soul sucking bitch, and yeah that isn’t a pun. She was literally a soul sucking bitch. Anyway, she was a Reaper. Of course, I didn’t know it right away. It’s a long and fucked up story, but the gist of it is that she was taking a bit of my soul every day. Like … poisoning me. You ever seen those shows where a spell or something makes someone old or younger than they really are, well here is living proof that shit isn’t limited to fairy tales.”

Greg couldn’t see anything wrong with Lou, except that he had some wrinkles and his skin had taken on that dry appearance that older people sometimes had.

“I don’t know how old you are, but you don’t look old.” James told Lou. “I’m assuming that taking a soul isn’t going to make you younger, so I went with older.”

Lou nodded. “Correct. Taking bits of a soul here and there won’t hurt a human. But if it is done every single day for an extended period of time, that will definitely have repercussions. And you’re looking at mine.” He gestured to his body. “I know I look older, but I am actually twenty-eight.”

Greg sucked in his breath. How in the world could that be? He had never heard of this happening before. Granted, he didn’t have a full education on soul sucking, even though he was a Keeper, but this was crazy.

The rest of the group stared, wide eyed, as Lou finished up his story. “So anyway, I only found out because this guy,” he gestured to Jack, “caught her doing it one day and filled me in on what was happening to me. That was when I found out about Reapers. I learned about the Keepers much later. The reason I am helping you all with the Empress is because Jack told me everything that has happened and that his wife and baby are in danger from his own mother.”

Greg didn’t miss the wife part of that sentence. Although Lucy and Jack weren’t married yet, he still found it hard to believe that someday his baby sister would take Jack’s name and no longer be an Estmond.

“Dang, Lou.” James frowned. “That is a super shitty story. I wish there was a way to like, reverse the effects for you.”

“Eh, don’t worry about me. I’ve gotten used to it now and things could definitely be worse. I’m alive, got my place and my dogs, run my business … I don’t need much more.”

Greg also wished they could do something to help. It was his job, their job, to protect souls from the Reapers. That meant souls of the living as well. Yet, there was nothing that they could do to help him.

Lou took a moment and let his gaze sweep over the group. “In any case, you guys need help and I have the means to provide that. So, let’s go over the plan.”

CHAPTER TWENTY

CAMILLE

Even though it was almost winter, the Florida air was warm. She strode across the concrete surrounding the pool, making her way to the table where she intended to sit and enjoy the sunshine. Her sheer black pantsuit was cool enough for outdoors, and she was glad for the thin fabric that let the breeze touch her skin.

She had nearly made it to the table when the cell phone in her hand buzzed, indicating a call. Glancing at the screen, she saw that it was Travis.

“Travis,” she greeted him. “How are things in Summer Hollow? Do you have any further confirmation on the Keeper’s pregnancy?”

“Yes, Empress.”

“Well…”

“I saw her leaving a doctor’s office with a police officer. Again, she appeared to be pregnant, from the looks of her belly. Other than that, no confirmation, but I believe that we can guess that is why she would be at the doctor.”

“Hmm, yes. That does add to the theory.”

“I haven’t seen all of them. Some of the Keepers went somewhere in an RV.”

“What?” She perked up. “When.”

“I didn’t actually see them leave. I saw the motorhome was there and then when I came back it was gone and since then I have only seen three sisters and the blond one around. Plus that police officer who seems to live there.”

“So, you don’t know for sure when they left, or even if they left at all?”

“No ma’am.”

“There hasn’t been any indication of where they might have gone?”

“No ma’am.”

Camille drew in a deep breath and bit her lip as she tried to hold back her frustration. He was doing his job, even if he seemed incompetent at times, he was doing what he was told and bringing her information. She knew about the Keeper being pregnant now and that was important.

“Do you want me to remain here?” The young Reaper sounded as if he’d rather chew off his own arm than stay in Summer Hollow.

“Yes. Travis, the information you are gathering is important. Let me know immediately if you see the others return or if you see or hear anything you feel might be valuable.

“Yes Empress.”

Camille clicked the button on her phone to end the call and then finally took a seat at the table. She stared out at the still, aqua pool water, thinking. Why would the family separate at a time like this? These Keepers have been on high alert, fighting back and protecting their own, yet they left the Chosen One with only a few others to help guard her.

Perhaps it was time to launch a kidnapping on her again.

She quickly dismissed that idea. She didn’t want to have that sassy mouthed Keeper under her care any longer than needed. The last time they had Lucy Estmond it had been a total fiasco. No, she would wait. She had time and she needed to prepare for when the time came.

Not to mention preparations that needed to be made for the child. She would need to find a midwife and order the necessities for a home delivery. The midwife would need to be one who could properly deliver a baby, yet be easily paid off. Hopefully she wouldn’t have a hard time finding one who needed the money more than she cared about her morals.

Her son was another story. She had to get him out of the picture before she could get her hands on the Keeper.

It was a shame that Jackson hadn’t turned out better, and she wished that she could leave him be to live his life as a drunk man whore. The moment he aligned himself with the Keepers was the moment that she knew he was going to only cause her more problems.

As long as he was one of them, she could not allow him to live.

Sometimes she wondered how she had become so heartless, but that thought never lasted very long. Her heartlessness had gotten her where she was in life. Empress of the Reapers. She had not become so powerful because she was kind and caring.

She lifted her phone and began a web search for local midwives.

Better get started sooner rather than later.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

GREG

Greg rode in the passenger seat in Lou’s beat up old black Jeep. Jack drove, but Dan and Emily had folded themselves up in the back seat. Lou followed behind them in his truck, with Aiden, Liv and James riding with him because there was obviously no room in the Jeep.

They had talked out the plan the night before and as much as Greg, or any of them for that matter, didn’t like it, they figured the best course of action was for Jack to walk right up to the front door.

There was a plan beyond that, but they needed to get Jack inside so that he could distract his mother and whoever else might be there. They could only hope that she didn’t have time to kill him before they were able to set the plan into motion.

The sun was setting and the sky had transformed from a bright blue into a beautiful blanket of orange and pink. He had the window down all the way, letting in the evening breeze and silently thanked the Lord that it was late fall. If it had been summer, he felt certain that he would have died from the humidity. California was hot, but there was a definite difference in the type of hot he was experiencing here.

Jack stayed on the highway, bypassing the busiest parts of the city. Eventually, the terrain around them became less populated and he turned onto a lane where the homes, if you could call big ass mansions homes, were located. Many of them were far off the road and hidden by hedges and gates.

Greg kept expecting Jack to stop anytime, but it didn’t happen. The Reaper stared ahead, his expression stoic. He was amping himself up for what lay ahead. Greg knew this because he was doing the same thing.

The sun had dropped out of sight and full darkness now enveloped them. After a while, Jack pulled into a small, deserted playground and found a spot where headlights from the road would not touch the vehicle. “We walk from here.” He shifted into park and swung the door of the Jeep open. Once he was out, he flipped the seat forward to open the way for those in the back.

Greg got out and looked around. “Hey man, you sure that this is a good place to leave the cars?”

“Yeah,” Jack nodded. “In this neighborhood, the only time the park is used is during the day when parents bring their kids. This isn’t the kind of place where teens hang out all night long doing drugs and partying. Any kids in this area who are into that probably already have their own cars or their friends do, or their parents aren’t home, so the last place they want to hang is a kiddie playground. As long as we keep to the back side away from the road, we should be fine.”

Lou had pulled in next to them and everyone was getting out.

“Besides,” Jack added. “Lou will radio or call if anything looks compromised here.”

“Okay. As long as you’re sure, then I’m good.”

Silently, everyone went about checking their gear. Aiden hefted two large, black backpacks out of the back of the truck and handed one to Greg. Before he slipped his arms into the straps, he said a silent prayer that what was in the bag would not prematurely end his life. But, out of everyone there, he would rather that he carried it instead of one of his family or Emily.

Once it was secure on his back and tightened so it didn’t jiggle too much, he turned to face the group. “Are we ready?”

Everyone nodded and there were some murmured comments in the affirmative.

“Lou, you good?”

“You bet.” Lou adjusted his hat. “I’ll keep you informed.”

After a quick glance at his sister and brothers, he looked to Emily. She had her hair pulled back into a thick braid and wore all black. She didn’t look scared or nervous at all, which surprised him, since he was both and he was sure that he wasn’t hiding it very well.

“Let’s hit it,” Aiden said as indication to get the show on the road.

Jack was the first to start walking, leading the way and taking them through the park instead of out to the sidewalk.

It was night, which they had needed for the cover of darkness to avoid being seen by any humans that might be out and about. But they definitely needed the extra help with getting into the home of the Empress undetected. The problem with that was that their auras were highly visible in the dark.

So, everyone but Emily had on sweatshirts with the hoods up and gloves pulled over their hands. These precautions didn’t completely cover the auras, as their faces were still exposed, but it definitely helped.

Once they cleared the park, they crossed a dark and deserted street, lit only by the halogen street lamps high above them, and walked behind the hedge of a property that appeared to be up for sale.

“That’s it.” Jack halted and pointed.

In the distance was a gated and brightly lit mansion that was easily double the size of the ones they had passed on their way here. The property around it was a huge expanse of lawn with palm trees scattered here and there. The fence that lined the property was about six feet tall, iron, and had those little spikes on the top of each bar.

“I’m going to the front from here,” Jack whispered. “Aiden will lead you guys around back.”

Aiden shoved his way through the group and lunged at Jack. Wrapping his arms around his lifelong friend. “Listen bro. You be careful in there. We have your back, we just need time to get in there. Just be careful.”

Jack returned the hug, taking care to be gentle with Aiden’s backpack. “You too,” Jack growled, his voice sounding as if he were trying to hold back his emotions. “I’ve got this.”

“Seriously man. No funny business and no going off plan unless you have to. By the book okay?”

“I said okay.”

“This would literally be the first time in your life you did what you were told. I don’t believe you.” Aiden laughed a little and released Jack.

“This is the only time that I have a woman I love and a baby to get back to.”

“Good point.” Aiden tilted his head and then slapped Jack on the back. “Okay. Go, we got this covered.”

Jack nodded, then glanced at each of the group in turn, smiling softly as he offered what could be the last shared moment between everyone. Finally, his gaze paused when his eyes met Greg’s. He nodded, closing his eyes slightly and then opening them. “Remember what I told you, Keeper.”

Greg grinned. “Get through this alive and we don’t have to worry about it.”

“You promised, I’ll fucking haunt you if you don’t do it.”

“You know I will.”

“Good.” Jack spun around to face the mansion that used to be his home. “Let’s get this over with.” And off he went, marching silently into the night.

“Come on,” Aiden hissed, not giving any of them a chance to think about Jack walking away. “This way.” The blond Reaper waved them onward.

The night around them was silent, with only the song of crickets and frogs echoing through the night. Even their footsteps were light and practically soundless as they rounded to the back of the property as quickly as they could.

Greg was right behind Aiden and nearly ran him over when he halted abruptly. “Wait here,” Aiden whispered. And then, before anyone had any time to answer, he bolted for the iron fence and heaved himself over without even touching the spikes that protruded dangerously from the top. He had no idea how the Reaper was able to do that with his heavy backpack on without impaling himself.

It wasn’t until Aiden disappeared from sight that he realized that portion of the fence had a lower clearance than the rest of it and, in fact, was actually a gate. He could see where the hinges stood out and the lock in the center had a box with a key code. He would bet his life that there was an alarm inside that would send the entire Reaper Army coming if it was triggered.

It took about half a minute, but he finally spotted Aiden about three feet away, clipping wires on a small box located on a post beside one of the palm trees close to the fence. A minute later he was at the gate, opening it wide so that the group could easily pass through. After that, he shut the gate softly and waved them over.

“This will buy us time. I cut the power to the cameras and the alarms, but it won’t be long before someone realizes that something is wrong out here. So let’s be as quick as we can be.”

Everyone, Greg included, nodded their heads in agreement.

“All right, let’s go.” He hooked his fingers around the straps on his backpack and began to run across the open expanse of lawn, toward the house. Greg did the same, his grip holding the weight on his back steady.

Emily was at his side as they ran. He glanced over and saw that she was easily keeping up with them. He wondered again why she would agree to put herself in this kind of danger, since she had a choice in the matter. The rest of them, yes, they had a choice, but they chose to fight because it was their family at stake. Emily didn’t have a reason that important to be here. She was with them because she was a good person and was choosing to rise up with them.

Well, maybe that wasn’t entirely true. She had told them that she wanted the Empress taken out ever since she had been kidnapped. If the Estmonds hadn’t showed up, she may have been killed.

They hit pavement and circled around to the back of the house. Greg almost stopped in his tracks when he saw this section of the backyard. Twinkle lights were wrapped in some of the palms near the edge of the patio that, along with the porch lamps, lit up the property in a dim glow. The huge pool with its shimmering aqua-colored water was also lit up and stood out invitingly. A hot tub nearby was still and calm, but steam lifted up from the waters, as the warmth hit the cooler air.

Holy shit, what a set up. Not that he didn’t realize that the Empress would definitely have all the bells and whistles with house this size, it just made him realize that Jack was leaving a life of luxury for the poor house. Yes, he had Lucy and the baby, so that was definitely a win over riches any day, but there were a lot of people who wouldn’t dream of leaving their comfortable lives for anything less than.

Jack and Aiden, both of them were good. He knew that sometimes they didn’t see it because they were stubborn, but they had shown that they were true at heart.

They arrived at a back door and Aiden opened it and stepped inside.

Greg removed his gun from his holster and held it at his side, ready to fire at anyone who wasn’t part of their group. Emily didn’t have a gun, but she had dagger sheathed at each of her hips. His brothers and sister had both and they were behind him, but he was sure that they had their weapons out and ready as well.

The moment Aiden stepped inside, he moved toward the box on the wall and disabled any silent alarm that might have been tripped. After that, he moved to another door that was to their left and signaled to the group, who had all piled up right inside the door, to hold for a moment. And then he disappeared inside the small room.

There could only be one thing that Aiden was doing in there … disabling more alarms and cameras. Greg took the time to share a look with his siblings. Dan, who was not wearing his trench coat for once, gave him a nod of reassurance and turned to face the back door that they had just entered. James still had his gun holstered, but his hand rested at his side, hovering above it and ready to draw at any moment. Liv, her hair plaited into two braids and covered by a beanie cap underneath her hoodie, had a dagger gripped in each hand. She also nodded, assuring Greg that she was ready for anything. They all knew that this mission would end in a fight and he wasn’t sure that anyone was ever really ready for that.

Unless, of course, you were like Aiden and trained for that your entire life. The Reaper in question appeared only a moment later, and signaled them to follow again.

He led them down wide halls with white marble floors and pillars that reminded Greg of a house that a Greek God might live in. They hadn’t seen any Reaper guards yet, but he knew that part was coming sooner or later, they just needed to put it off as long as possible. Finally, they entered a kitchen and Aiden signaled to Greg.

It was time for phase one. Greg nodded and crouched behind an island counter. He took off his pack and his back immediately felt the relief as the weight was lifted. He set the bag on the ground and unzipped it, then, he began carefully unpacking the explosives that he had been carrying around.

Aiden silently crouched beside him and began the process of hooking everything up. It wasn’t long at all. He lifted his gaze to meet Greg’s. “Once I set this. We have twenty minutes to be out of here.” His green eyes glittered and Greg saw the spark of excitement. As much as Aiden loved Liv and being with his family in Summer Hollow, he was good at this and he liked it, that much was evident. How in the world would he ever last in a boring small town.

Oh well, that was a thought for another day. “I hope this goes as planned, then,” he whispered back.

Aiden nodded. “It never goes as planned. Just make sure we’re all out in twenty minutes, Jack included.” And with that, he clicked a button and a timer began the countdown. “Let’s move.”

Greg rose, slid the nearly empty pack back over his shoulders and signaled to the others. They moved through the halls as quietly as they could keeping eyes on all the entrances. They needed to get to the other side of the mansion and it was a long freaking way to the other side. The plan was to get explosives set in on each end and one in the middle.

The center of the mansion was their next stop. This time they pulled from both Greg and Aiden’s packs as they hurried into a large, glimmering marble sitting room with black leather furniture and glass décor everywhere. Greg couldn’t help but gawk, it was like a freaking museum. How had Jack grown up in a place like this.

He and Aiden knelt behind a couch and set the next bomb. It took less than a minute and Aiden was up, signaling that they needed to move.

The group complied. None of them wanted to be stuck in there when any of these explosives went off. As they filed back into the hallway, a look to the left had his gut clenching. Reaper guards.

“Stop!” One of the Reapers called out and reached for the gun holstered at his hip.

A shot rang out before the guard could draw though. He turned and found James, his gun still aimed at the Reaper who had crumpled to the ground. The bullet had hit home right in the middle of the Reaper’s forehead.

Greg opened his mouth to say something, but Liv pushed him. “Come on.” She grabbed James by the hoodie. “Come on. You did the right thing. Let’s go. They are going to know we’re here now.”

They ran. Not caring about stealth anymore as the gunshot had given them away already. It wasn’t long and they rounded a corner, where the found another sitting room that was almost identical to the one that they had previously been in. There, they found the Empress … and Jack.

The two were facing each other.

Jack stood with his back to the group as they skidded into the room. He didn’t turn away from his mother, he knew who was behind him and Greg was positive that Jack wouldn’t chance taking his eyes off his mother for even a second.

The Empress was facing them, but her eyes were on Jack. She had a silver revolver clutched in both hands to hold the shot steady when she finally pulled the trigger. Her eyes lifted from her son as the group halted to a stop when they entered.

“Ah. The cavalry. I’m not surprised.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

EMILY

The moment was close.

It was going to happen soon. She knew it as soon as she saw Jack and his mother facing each other.

How would they stop it? Would fate step in and make sure the one who was supposed to die, actually died, no matter what they did.

It was suddenly as if everything were moving in slow motion. She turned to her left, hearing footsteps behind them. Slightly in front of her, Aiden fired his gun.

Bang

One shot. The bullet would have hit home too, but a Reaper guard appeared out of nowhere from behind them and slammed into Aiden’s back. Aiden went down, the Reaper on top of him and the gun fired again. Luckily none of them were in the path of the weapon, but the bullet did hit a glass case near the Empress and shattered, falling to the marble floor in a million glimmering shards.

A sigh escaped from Emily. They likely stopped it, because in the vision, Aiden pushed Jack aside. That one small moment changed the course of the future. Now, she had no idea what would happen. Now, they were on a different course, but they still needed to make sure that they all got out of here alive.

Then suddenly, the movement around her snapped back and things began to move in real time again. Another shot was fired from behind them, causing her cry out in surprise. She side-stepped, and Greg moved past her, going for Aiden and the guard. The second he was near enough, he yanked the Reaper off of Aiden. Aiden was quick to recover and scrambled for his gun, which had slid out of his reach. He looked up at Greg and nodded in thanks before he rose into a standing position.

The Empress let out a sigh. “This is beginning to annoy me. I’m actually glad you are all here. Now I can take care of you myself.” She wiggled the gun. “I have no idea why my guards haven’t been able to get rid of you before now.”

Emily heard more Reaper guards behind them. The Empress jerked her head in a ‘not yet’ signal and the guards behind them ceased their attack, but didn’t move. They stayed behind them, blocking the exit.

The Empress’s gaze drifted back to her son. “And you, Jackson. Your father died. You weren’t here.”

“No. I wasn’t.” Jack didn’t offer any form of explanation.

The Empress shook her head. “You are such a disappointment.”

“Yeah, mom, you tell me that every chance you get. We covered that.”

“You should have been here when your father passed away.”

“Well, whose fault is that? Huh?” Jack spread his hands out.

“I know about your child.” She ignored his question and moved toward him a couple of steps, gun still held tightly in both hands. A small, wicked smile tugged at the corner of her lips. “I do hope you realize that this baby will be mine.”

That was when all hell broke loose.

Anger blazed in Jack’s eyes and he lunged for his mother. A single shot echoed throughout the room as the Empress pulled the trigger. Emily couldn’t tell if it was intentional or a reflex, but that didn’t change the fact that it happened. Jack stumbled backward, clutching his shoulder, but seconds later he righted himself and continued on his original path toward his mother.

At the same time, the Reaper guards attacked. The Estmonds turned, drawing their weapons. More shots cracked around them, hurting her ears. Emily couldn’t see where they were going or who had fired them, so she had no idea where to seek safety. All she could do was hope that she didn’t get shot in a crossfire.

“We have to get out of here soon!” Aiden cried out, slamming his fist into a Reaper guard and stabbing him with a dagger that was clutched in his other hand.

A guard had gotten past the Keepers and was headed straight for Emily. Heart pounding, she reached to her belt and drew the knife out. The double-sided blade glimmered in the dim lighting of the room. She gripped the hilt and held it out in front of her, not sure what she should do, but prepared to stab or slice if she needed to.

She reared back her arm, holding tight to the handle and building momentum to stab at the guard. But, before she had the chance, the guard halted where he was at and his eyes shot open wide in surprise. Then, he crumpled to his knees and fell to the ground, moaning in pain.

Greg stood behind him, his own blade dripping with blood. Before Emily had time to tell him thank you, he spun and headed for another guard who had cornered James.

A quick glance at Jack and she saw that he had finally wrestled the gun from the Empress. She lay on the floor and Jack, on his knees above her, pinning her to the ground with the weapon aimed at her forehead.

“Jack!” Aiden cried out, trying to get to him. Emily also rushed over to them. She tripped over an unconscious, or dead, Reaper. She slid a couple feet and then crawled the rest of the way until she was on her knees at the head of the Empress.

“You will never win this,” Jack’s mother hissed.

Jack shook his head. “That is all you care about. It’s sad, really.”

Aiden appeared, drawing his own weapon and aiming it at the Empress.

“Oh, look here. Both of my disappointments together again.”

Jack’s hand that held the gun shook with anger. “Shut up,” he croaked over his emotion. “Just shut up.”

“Jack,” Aiden told him. “Put the gun down and press your hand against your wound.”

“I’m fine.”

“Put the gun down.”

Emily reached out. “What are you doing?” Aiden snapped at her.

“We need to know what she knows,” Emily whispered as she pressed her palms against Camille’s temples.

The Empress jerked and cried out what sounded like a cross between a moan and a scream as her thoughts and memories were ripped from her head.

Emily kept contact. She saw the phone call about the baby. She saw Jack’s father on his death bed and his last words. Thoughts of how the Empress planned to kill Lucy and Jack, her own son, ran like a voice over in her mind. Then there was what looked like a laboratory, and they were doing something with vials of blood.

And then it was over.

Emily was torn from the thoughts as abruptly as she had been thrust into them. A guard had slammed the handle of his gun into Jack’s head and he had toppled to the side. At that same moment, the Empress shot up into a sitting position and Aiden pulled the trigger.

It happened so fast and Emily was so groggy and tired from the thought transfer that she was unsure if Aiden actually hit the mark. And then, already on her knees, the Empress looked down and saw the flower of blood blooming from the wound in her abdomen. “No,” she whispered softly, her hands going to her belly and covering it.

“Let’s go!” Aiden hollered. “We have to go now!” He turned and fired two shots, each one hitting the two guards that were left. They were head shots, so the guards simply felt to the floor with a thud. Aiden holstered his gun and ran to where Jack lay sprawled on the floor. With ease, he bent and scooped up his friend, holding him in both arms. “I’m leaving,” he told them and began to run.

Jack’s mother held her wound and screamed at them as Aiden passed by her. He didn’t even offer her a second glance, he just kept going, leaving the dead and unconscious behind him with the injured Empress.

The rest of the group was right on his heels. Emily counted to make sure they were all there, as they ran across the lawn and away from the mansion.

Then the first explosion went off.

An involuntary scream escaped from between her lips and she fell to the ground, her knees digging into the soft earth beneath the grass. She wasn’t the only one who had fallen, they all had, Even Aiden who was holding Jack.

She wasn’t sure the force of that blast would have knocked them down, so it had to have been reflex or surprise that caused them to hit the ground. Slower than she would have liked, she pulled herself up and began to run again. She didn’t have time to look behind her as the beautiful mansion crumbled to the ground.

They group had just passed the gate when the second explosion sounded. No one stopped to gawk at the scene behind them. Emergency crews would have been notified of the first blast and already on their way, there was no time.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

GREG

They slowed when they got behind the hedges of the property on the other side of the street.

Hidden from view, the group stopped and turned to watch the destruction that they were leaving behind them.

Smoke and dust hung thick in the air, curling into his nose with every breath. In the distance, fire burned above the rubble of stone that used to be the home of the Reaper Empress and headquarters for the Reaper Army.

Still in Aiden’s arms, Jack moaned. Greg turned away from the apocalyptic scene in front of him to see if Jack was all right.

“Dude. Why am I in your arms like a baby.”

Aiden grinned. “Because you were knocked out dumb ass.” He lowered his arms and let Jack place his feet on the grass. Greg could see the blood still spilling out from Jack’s wound and knew without a doubt that they needed to get it looked at.

Jack swayed as he lifted a hand to his shoulder and felt the moisture. Then, he looked down and saw what was causing it. “Oh fuck.” He frowned. “This is bad. Did it go all the way through?”

Aiden peeked around him and when Greg was able to see his face again he knew that it wasn’t good. “No man, the bullet is still in there.”

“Shit.”

“Yeah.”

Greg knew that they needed to get some medical attention for Jack as soon as possible, but they couldn’t take him to a hospital. Hannah was the only one of them who had any medical training and they had left her back in Summer Hollow. Why hadn’t they thought that they might need her on this mission for that specific purpose.

“Aiden, radio Lou, tell him what’s going on and that we’ll be there shortly.” Greg hurried to Jack’s side. “Let’s get back to the cars and get out of here. We’ll deal with this somehow.”

When they got back to the playground where they had parked the cars, they found Lou waiting for them, leaning against the truck and tapping a foot. Silently, he opened the back door of the truck and Jack crawled up into the seat. “I hope I don’t get any blood on your seats,” Jack told him.

“Don’t worry about that,” Lou told him and slammed the door shut. He turned to Greg and Aiden, who stood beside him. “Look, I know it’s not the same, but I called a friend and he’s coming out to help.”

“You know a doctor?” Greg asked at the same time as Aiden said, “We can’t afford to have anyone know about this.”

Lou held up his hands. “Not a doctor. He’s a veterinarian, but he still has the tools to get that bullet out safely. And,” he looked to Aiden, “he won’t say anything because I have information on him that he wouldn’t want to go public. So he will help us and keep his mouth shut. But, just in case, just tell him that Jack was in a bar fight that went bad. It happens all the time so not too hard to believe.”

Greg nodded, as did Aiden. They weren’t about to pass up medical help for Jack.

“I’ll drive the truck and you drive the Jeep.” Lou directed this to Aiden. “Let’s get out of here.”

They loaded up, Greg choosing to ride passenger with Aiden, with Emily and Dan in the back seat. They pulled out onto the road slowly and drove the speed limit as they made their way out of the neighborhood and back to the freeway.

Greg thought it felt like they were moving at a snails pace. He was sure Aiden was feeling the same thing and fighting the urge to slam his foot down on the gas pedal.

“Do you think she’s going to die?” Greg asked once they were back on the freeway and it felt like they were actually moving at a decent speed.

Aiden shook his head. “I don’t know, but if the wound doesn’t kill her, I’d be shocked if the blast didn’t.”

“I have never wished death on anyone.” Greg stared off into the darkness ahead of them. “But this is one time that I absolutely hope that she dies. If she lives…” Greg let his voice trail off and Aiden nodded in the darkness.

“I know, man. I know.”

Greg twisted in his seat to look into the back. “Are you guys okay … Emily?” His eyes met hers.

“I’m fine. I’m not hurt,” she told him, her tone a little more clipped than he would have liked to hear.

Dan pulled his hood down off of his head and let out a long sigh. Then, he leaned back against the seat and grinned widely. “We made it. We’re all alive.”

“Yeah, but we don’t know if we completed the mission,” Aiden pointed out.

“We did some major damage, either way.”

“That’s true,” Aiden agreed, but his voice sounded far from convinced.

The ride back to Lou’s seemed to take forever. When they pulled into the drive, a tan pickup truck was parked in the drive and the lights were on inside Lou’s little cabin.

Aiden parked behind Lou and before the Jeep had completely stopped, Greg jumped out of the Jeep to go help with Jack. Aiden parked quickly and appeared beside him, leaving Emily and Dan to get themselves out of the back.

“For fucks sake, I can walk. My legs aren’t hurt.”

“Well, he’s not injured enough to affect his sarcasm,” Greg murmured. “That’s a good sign.”

“Yeah, but I would rather have his smart ass around to piss us all off, rather than the alternative.”

Greg didn’t have time to respond. Jack was out of the vehicle and limping toward the cabin while simultaneously swatting Lou away. They followed them inside, as did the rest of the group.

The moment Greg stepped through the door, his eyes went to the kitchen where Lou was directing Jack to lay down on the table. The table in question had what looked like a blue plastic tablecloth draped over it.

A heavyset man with silver hair stood at the counter by the sink. He had a case that looked like a tackle box open and was selecting tools from it and setting them out on a clean white towel.

Jack heaved himself onto the table and lay on his back. He shut his eyes against the glare of the overhead light above him and let out a sigh. “I’m so ready for a nap.”

“Not yet, buddy.” Aiden pushed him over a little so that he was in the center of the table.

‘Hey, everyone,” Lou announced. “This is Dr. Andrews. He has agreed to take a look at Jack and do what he can to fix his shoulder. As I said before, he is a veterinarian, not a people doctor, but he still has the medical knowledge to work on him. I trust him, and wouldn’t have brought him here if I didn’t.”

The silver haired man turned to Lou and smiled. “Thanks for that lengthy intro, Lou.” Then he addressed the rest of the group. “I’ll do what I can to help your friend. Mainly, we need to get the bullet out, see if it damaged any bone, and then get him on some antibiotics to prevent any infection.

Greg nodded along with everyone else.

“I’m going to give you a local anesthetic.” Dr. Andrews told Jack, as he picked up a syringe off of the counter.

“I don’t care what you do, Doc. I’d drink Lou’s moonshine and chew on a stick if that was all that was available.”

“Good to know.”

Greg stayed to watch Dr. Andrews work. Liv and Aiden also stayed, but the others wandered off to take showers and make phone calls to update the family and let them know that they were alive. He noticed that Emily had slipped outside. He wanted to go to her, to see how she was doing after everything. He didn’t, though. It was likely that she just needed a little bit of fresh air and time to herself. She was a solitary person who valued her alone time. Also, he wanted to be in the room while Jack was being worked on.

It didn’t take long. As far as the doctor could see, the bullet had gone into the muscle tissue and barely missed the bone. “It should have gone all the way through. I have no idea why it didn’t.” The doctor told them as he was packing up his bag.

“Good thing I have big muscles,” Jack mumbled, still laying on the table and slightly high from the drugs. “Saved my life.”

Aiden rolled his eyes. “Thanks for taking care of my boy.” He shook hands with the doctor and nodded at Lou. Now that he’s going to be okay, I’m going to clean up and change clothes.”

Aiden left the room with Liv following right behind him.

“Come on Doc.” Lou clapped Dr. Andrews on the shoulder. “I’ll walk you out.”

“Thank you.” Greg moved forward quickly and reached out to shake hands. “Seriously. We all appreciate you coming out here to help.”

“No problem.” The doctor grabbed up his bag. “Keep that clean and change the bandages every day,” he directed. Then he and Lou disappeared through the front door where they were likely going to discuss terms.

Greg moved up next to the table and stared down at the dark-haired Reaper who had so quickly become part of his family. “Well, you’re alive.”

“Yeah. I’m not surprised. I had no intention of dying.”

“I’m not leaving yet. I need to go back and see what happened. See if she lived.”

While he understood exactly why Jack would want to know, he couldn’t help but think that going back there was a very bad idea, and he told him as much.

“Nope.” Jack shook his head from side to side. “I’m going to see for myself.”

“Jack. If the blast didn’t take her out, then the gunshot wound will probably get her.”

“There is always a chance she lived. If she did, then Lucy and the baby are still at risk. We all are.” He slammed his fist down on the table with frustration.

“I know,” Greg agreed. “I just don’t know if we should take the chance of going back there. It’s dangerous. The last thing we need is any of us getting taken to jail.”

Jack slammed his fist again. “Fuck.”

“Let’s see what the others say.”

“I don’t care what they say. I don’t care if any of you go. I’m going.”

Jack was in pain and still a little high, so Greg knew that arguing with him right now wouldn’t do any good. Also, he did want to go back and check things out too. The need to see that they had accomplished the task was hard to resist. He just didn’t want to be caught and do prison time for the many crimes they had committed.

“Let’s get you over to the couch. You will be more comfortable there.” He scooted Jack’s legs off the table so that they hung off the side and then, using his good arm, he wrapped it around his shoulder, and lifted him to a standing position.

As they limped awkwardly into the living room, Jack turned his head toward Greg so their noses were almost touching. “Thanks man. I owe you.”

Greg shook his head and began to slowly move again. “You don’t owe me anything. This is what family does. If anything, I’d owe you. Now lay down and get some sleep.” He helped Jack lower himself onto the couch where he closed his eyes almost immediately.

It wasn’t a surprise he passed out so fast. He had been awake the entire time the doc was working on him and that had to have taken a lot out of him. Between that, the exhaustion from the night and the drugs, he was bound to have crashed soon.

Before leaving him there, he grabbed the blanket that was draped over the back of the couch and spread it out over Jack’s unconscious body. At least they would get to take him back home with them. Everyone was alive and safe … that was all that mattered.

He found Emily outside, sitting on one of the steps and staring out at the sky. She glanced up as he approached. “Hey.”

“Hey. You okay out here.” He took a seat next to her.

She nodded. “Yes. It’s peaceful. I like it.”

“Thank you for coming with us tonight. You were great.”

She huffed a short laugh. “Right. I barely did anything. I was probably more in the way than anything.”

“You weren’t in the way and you did help. What did you see when you took hold of the Empress?”

“It was quick flashes of lots of different things. We know pretty much everything I saw, but it was more about how I felt when I saw them. I saw Jack’s father dying and I felt the pain and sadness that she felt. That surprised me, because when I saw how she found out about the baby and plotted to kill Jack and Lucy, she had no second thoughts. The only hint of remorse was a slight disappointment that Jack hadn’t grown into what she wanted him to be.”

“Damn…” Greg couldn’t fathom feeling that way about anyone he loved, much less his own children.

Emily nodded in agreement. “It was awful being in her head like that.”

They were both silent for a moment and then Emily continued. “They only thing that I saw that I don’t think we know anything about was a bunch of vials of blood. It might have been a lab of some kind. Her feelings during this part of the exchange were more on the frustrated side. I felt that she wanted to know more and was upset because they didn’t have the answers she wanted.”

“What answers?”

“I don’t know.”

Greg thought for a moment and then it hit him. “Remember back when you and Lucy had both been kidnapped.”

Eyes wide, Emily nodded. “Well, the Empress took some of Lucy’s blood and told her that they were trying to mix the Keeper blood with Reaper blood.”

“Why would they do that?”

“In order to fulfil the prophecy,” Greg answered. “But she knows now that it’s Lucy’s baby that is the key, so the whole bit about the blood is probably a non-issue now.”

Silently, he watched Emily as she thought about it and began to nod. “Yes. That makes sense, I was pulling memories and thoughts so it didn’t have to be what she was thinking of right at the moment. But, still, it’s weird that she had a freaking in-house lab for experimenting with blood.”

“Yeah. But honestly, nothing about that woman surprises me anymore.”

Emily slowly bobbed her head in silent agreement.

“I’m exhausted,” Greg finally admitted. “I’m going to go to the RV to lay down for a while if no one has claimed the bed yet. You’re welcome to join me if you want. I know you have to be tired too, now that the adrenaline is starting to wear off.” Even as he said it, Greg regretted it. He desperately hoped that she didn’t think he propositioning her.

She turned, her dark eyes finding his and they locked gazes. “I will, but later. I’d like to sit out here and enjoy the night for a while longer.”

“All right.” He tore his eyes away from hers and stood up on the steps. “I’ll save you a spot then.”

“Goodnight, Greg.”

“See you later.” He started to walk away and then suddenly he turned and faced her again. “You do know that I didn’t mean join me for … I wasn’t asking to…”

She threw her head back and laughed. “Yes … yes, I know that. Now relax and go get some sleep. I’ll be there in a little while.”

Greg felt his face flaming and quickly turned toward where the RV was parked and jogged over to it. Well, that didn’t go exactly like he expected, but at least she didn’t blow him off. He felt so awkward sometimes and wished that he had the self confidence that James and Dan had. Even Jack and Aiden didn’t worry about what anyone thought of them. He had always been more sensitive than the others, but generally, he did a pretty good job hiding it. Well, he thought he did anyway.

He was asleep when Emily slipped beneath the covers and snuggled into him. She wore shorts and a tank top, so he could feel her skin against his. On his side, he groggily lay his arm over her waist and pulled her close, then, burying his face in the wild mass of curls, he fell back to sleep.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

EMILY

She woke with sunlight streaming through the tiny windows of RV and wrapped up in Greg’s arms.

It wasn’t as if she had never woke up in the arms of a man before, but never with a man who knew who she was and what she could do. They hadn’t slept together in a sexual way, but waking up in his arms seemed somehow so much more meaningful than anyone else she had ever been with.

Wanting to savor the moment, she didn’t rush to get up. She couldn’t see his face, since he was spooning her from behind. Her head lay on his right arm and she could feel his breath, hot against the skin of her neck.

The Florida heat had crept into the space of the motorhome and the humidity was so high that even the one thin blanket they had over them was too much. A thin sheen of sweat was starting to form on her skin and she suddenly wondered what time it was.

Her phone was on the table beside the bed and she couldn’t reach it without moving out of Greg’s embrace, so she stayed where she was and closed her eyes, simply enjoying the comfort it brought her.

It wasn’t long before she felt Greg stir. He moved a bit and then gently tightened his grip on her waist, pulling her tighter against him. “Good morning,” he murmured.

“Morning,” she whispered back.

“It’s hot in here.”

“Yes.”

“I’m okay with that.”

“Me too,” she told him, hoping he got the meaning that she was okay with it only because he was with her.

“Did you sleep well?”

She turned over, rolling her body so that she was facing him. Her head still rested on his arm, but now she could look into his eyes while they spoke. His hair was mussed and, like her, sweat was beading up at his hairline. “Yes. Really well, actually. You?”

“Same. We probably slept so hard because we were totally exhausted from last night.” For a moment, it appeared as if he had something else he wanted to say, but then changed his mind at the last second.

“Yeah. Probably.”

Greg glanced down at his arm around her waist and then back up and met her eyes. “I’m sorry if I…” he paused, looking for the words. “If I crossed a line or something. I didn’t mean to invade on your space.”

“It’s okay,” she assured him. And then, after a long, drawn out moment of silence, she decided to just say it. “I like your arms around me. I like waking up with you.”

At her words, his eyes seemed to light up and a slow smile tugged at his lips. “Really?”

“Really.”

“I’m glad.”

She had zero idea where her boldness was coming from, but she inched her face forward, moving slowly, so that he could stop her if he wanted to. But he didn’t stop her. She softly touched her lips to his, a gentle testing kiss.

His response was immediate. He used the arm around her waist and once again pulled her closer so that their bodies were flush against each other. The soft kiss suddenly became deeper, hotter, and unlike any that Emily had ever experienced.

Her body responded to his touch, a warmth spreading over her that felt comforting and exciting at the same time. His hand moved upward from her waist to cup her chin as he continued to kiss her.

She heard a moan escape from beneath her lips and she didn’t even care. She wanted him. Oh god, how she wanted him.

And then, the moment was shattered as the door of the little bedroom area was thrown open and James burst in. “It’s three in the afternoon, are you … oh, shit. Sorry!”

Emily had broken away from Greg the very moment that James entered the room. She shoved Greg backward so hard that he almost fell off the other side of the bed with a look of shock written all over his face.

“Sorry!” James called out again as he backed out of the room and shut the door. “I … shit. Just sorry!” Emily could hear his voice as he moved away from the door and further into the motorhome.

Emily felt her face flaming, embarrassment overthrowing every other feeling. “Oh no,” she breathed out. “Sorry for shoving you. I … he surprised me.”

“You and me both.” He scooted back toward her and leaned in, giving her a light peck on the lips. “But there is absolutely no need to be embarrassed.”

“Well I already am. I can’t help it.”

“It’s cute.”

She crinkled her nose in mock horror. “No. Not cute at all. And to make things worse, you and I are both completely aware that he likes me.”

Greg closed his eyes for a moment and then nodded affirmation. “Yeah, he does. I wouldn’t worry about that, though. He isn’t the type to get all crazy over stuff like that and, take my word for it, finding us kissing isn’t going to stop him from flirting with you. It’s in his nature to be a ladies man.”

“Seriously? He … he would be okay with this … with us?”

Greg leaned up on his elbow, his eyes glimmering mischievously. “That depends, is there an us?”

“I … I don’t know.”

“I would like there to be an us, quite honestly. Even a casual, getting to know each other, dating, type of us, would be fine with me.”

Her heart felt like it was beating a mile a minute. Did he really just say that he wants to date her? “You barely know me,” she answered.

“That is the point of dating. To get to know each other.”

“Um…” Her voice seemed to catch in her throat. “Okay.”

“Okay what? Okay you understand or okay that you will date me.”

Once again, heat flamed up into her cheeks. Why was he putting her on the spot?

“I just want to hear you say it,” he told her softly, as if he had read her mind.

“Okay. I will date you.”

“Good.” He dropped a light kiss onto her forehead. “Now let’s get up and see what’s going on out there.”

Feeling on top of the world, Emily scooted out of the bed. Greg still had his clothes from yesterday on, so he grinned and left her alone in the room. Quickly, she exchanged her shorts for jeans and put her bra back on underneath her tank top. Once she was fully dressed again, she left the RV. It didn’t take long to locate everyone, since they were all sitting around in lawn chairs outside of Lou’s cabin.

Greg stood behind Dan, his arms crossed over his chest. He looked slightly put off and Emily guessed that he probably just heard something he didn’t like. She ignored the curious gazes as she crossed the lawn and found an empty seat next to Liv.

Liv raised her eyebrows questioningly and wore an amused grin, but said nothing. Thank goodness. Emily seriously did not want to be put on the spot.

“What’s going on?” Emily asked.

“We’re going back,” Jack told her. “I can’t leave here until I go back and check it out.”

“Oh.”

“I know I probably won’t get any answers. I want to know if she lived through all of that and, going back … I don’t know.”

Emily nodded. She understood the need to see the destruction for himself. A glance at Greg and she could tell that he wasn’t excited about the situation at all. She, on the other hand, understood why Jack felt the need to go and actually wanted to see it for herself as well.

Greg began to pace. “Any one of us could be sent to prison if we are caught out there. I don’t know about you guys, but I didn’t get through all of this just to end up behind bars.”

“We won’t get caught then,” Jack insisted.

“A nice thought,” Greg retorted. “But there will be police and investigators of all kinds out there picking through the rubble to find out who did this and why. You know that as well as I do.”

“I’m going,” Jack told them. “It’s my mother, so I have a reason to be there.”

Emily nodded. “That’s true. They won’t question him as much. It is his home. I can go with him, I might be able to get a feel for something while we’re there.”

“Shit.” Greg ran a hand through his hair in a frustrated manner. “Fine. But only you two.”

Emily caught his eye and their gazes locked. “You sure you want to?”

“Yes. I’m not worried. As long as I’m with Jack, it should be fine.”

“And you two will make it fast. Like, really fast.”

“They should take a cab or something from downtown.” Liv leaned forward in her seat. “That way we don’t have to take any of our vehicles that might be recognized later.”

Greg nodded. “Good point.”

It wasn’t until later, while sitting in the backseat of a taxi with Jack beside her, that she questioned why she had volunteered to do this. Maybe she had been high on confidence after what happened with Greg earlier.

Everyone else was in the RV, waiting for them at one of the large, local parks in the area. They figured it was best to look like tourists, simply passing through. She and Jack were to take the taxi there, have him wait for them and take no longer than ten minutes before getting back into the taxi and heading back.

As they drew closer, Emily could smell the smoke that still lingered in the air and it wasn’t much longer before she was able to see it as well. She glanced at Jack, but he wasn’t looking at her, his eyes were directed at the houses that lined the beautiful streets.

Finally, the taxi pulled up in front of what was left of the house. The gate was open, which was unusual. But, a closer look told them that there were several vehicles parked in the yard. A couple of police cars and at least one unmarked car. A couple of firetrucks and an ambulance were also present. The destruction of what used to be a home was so far away from the road that they hadn’t even bothered to put up the yellow caution tape that marked most crime scenes.

“Can you wait here, please?” Emily asked as she slipped out of the back seat. “We won’t be any longer than ten minutes. “My friend is just checking on his mother.”

“Sure. No problem,” the cab driver told her. Then, he shifted into park and took out his cell phone. Emily shut the door and prayed that he would do what he said and wouldn’t leave them here.

She turned and Jack held out his hand. “We should probably look like we are a couple. Gives them less questions.”

Emily stared at Jack’s hand and then looked up at him. Was he serious?

“Oh, knock it off, it’s for ten minutes, Seer.”

“Fine.” She took his hand and grasped it firmly in hers. “Ten minutes.”

Then, they turned and strode through the massive iron gate and down the drive. One wing of the mansion still had some of the structure standing, but the rest of it had been reduced to a huge smoking piles of wood, stone and marble. Here and there, a pillar or wall still held strong, but for the most part nothing was left.

As they approached, Emily saw a couple of people in fireman gear poking around. The EMT’s were hanging out by their ambulance, but she couldn’t see anyone else until they had nearly reached the vehicles. Then, a police officer in a black uniform stepped out from behind one of the cars. “I’m sorry, but this is a crime scene. I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”

“I’m sorry.” Jack released Emily’s hand, sounding dramatically emotional. “This … this is my house. My mother’s house anyway. I just arrived with my girlfriend and found … all this.” He spread his hands out, gesturing to the rubble the mansion now was. “I need to find my mother.”

The officer’s green eyes softened and he rubbed his chin. “Oh, I’m so sorry, son. I can’t answer your questions, but Detective Johnson might be able to help you out. She’s over there.” He gestured in the general direction of the left.”

Emily let her eyes drift over the piles of wood and stone. “What happened here?” she asked softly.

“It’s still being investigated to the actual cause, but seems there was an explosion or two. They will rule if it was accidental when the investigation is finished.”

“Oh my goodness. This is awful.” Emily let her hand flutter up to her throat. “Oh, baby…” She reached down and gripped Jack’s hand again. “Let’s go see the Detective. Thank you, Officer.”

She and Jack strode off in the direction that the officer had indicated. Finally, they found a tall woman wearing black slacks, red heels and a fitted jacket, standing underneath a palm tree and staring out at the scene before her. She had her blonde hair twisted into knot at the back of her head, and when she turned toward them, Emily noted that her lips matched her shoes.

“Hello.” Emily called out. “Detective Johnson?”

The detective narrowed her eyes into slits and moved to meet them. “Yes. Can I help you with something?”

Jack gave her the same story they had told the other officer. “I just really need to find out what happened here and where my mother is.”

Detective Johnson let out a long sigh. “I feel awful that you had to come home to find out that this happened. I don’t know yet who all was taken to the hospital, but I know that several were. There may be more under the rubble, it might be a while until we have a better count. I would go check the hospital and see if your mother is there.”

Emily noticed that there were pieces of the home that had been scattered all over the place in the blast. She left Jack to talk with the officer and backed away, making it look as if she were staring at the entire place in awe. Eventually she neared a larger chunk of marble and knelt down to touch it.

She had never intentionally touched something that wasn’t directly correlated with the vision she was seeking, so she had no idea if it would work. Visions rarely worked on command. It was usually a crap shoot on if she got any information or not.

When her fingertips made contact with the warm marble, she closed her eyes and thought of the Empress, demanding information from the material beneath her skin. Nothing happened. Frustrated, because she had really hoped this one time it would work, she removed her hand from the marble and lay it on the ground beside it. Again, nothing happened.

“What is she doing?” Detective Johnson asked.

“Oh. Don’t worry about her. She’s really into energies and herbal tea and shit like that. She’s probably wishing a blessing for those who were injured or perished.”

“Oh.” Detective Johnson wore a look of shock.

Having heard the entire thing, Emily glanced up and threw Jack a glare for his trouble and also for letting a little bit of the real him show. He had been all manners and worry over his mother, he needed to keep that up.

She stood and trekked back to them. Jack slung his arm around her shoulder. “I know it’s hard here, baby. We’re leaving soon.” He nodded to Detective Johnson. “Thank you for your time. We’re going over to the hospital now.”

Emily lowered her eyes to the floor and then looked out over the destruction. “I hope she’s there. This is so awful.”

“I hope so too, for the both of you.” Detective Johnson nodded to them. “If not, here is my card. Give me a call and I will let you know if they have found her or you will get a call anyway, being her next of kin.”

Jack reached out and accepted the card. “Thank you,” he glanced down at the card, “Lana. You’ve been a huge help.” He slipped the card into his pocket and then guided Emily toward the driveway.

Emily had hoped that they would garner more from this visit. They strode past the ambulance and she reached her hand out, skimming her fingertips along the side of the vehicle.

It was as if she tripped and fell into a dark hole where she kept tumbling downward, over and over, with no solid ground in sight. Then, a flash of white light was so bright that she threw her arm up, instinctively covering her eyes.

When she felt the light fade behind her closed lids, she removed her arm and opened them. There, laying unconscious on a hospital bed, was Camille Walker.

The entire room was white. White walls, white sheets, white floors, everything. Emily could see nothing beneath the sheets, with the exception of her pale, expressionless face.

Tubes were connected to her somewhere underneath the thin blankets. And a monitor with red and green graphs beeped silently next to her.

She was alive.

Then, she snapped back into reality and she was standing beside Jack by the ambulance again, her hand no longer on the ambulance, but held between Jack’s larger hands. “Are you okay?” he whispered, his eyes full of concern. “Did you see something?”

Emily nodded, gently pulling her hand away from his. “She met his eyes. “Your mother is alive.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

GREG

Everyone in the RV except Dan, who was driving, had piled up near the door as they turned into the drive of the farmhouse.

The front door flung open wide and Lucy emerged at the front of the pack. She hurried down the steps and was running across the driveway to meet them. Hannah, David, Steph and Ethan were right behind her. Greg smiled through the windshield because it looked like Hannah was chastising Lucy for running out into the driveway with the RV trying to pull in.

Jack opened the door and jumped out before the motorhome was even stopped. His boots hit the ground and he ran for Lucy. They met in the middle and he swept her up into his embrace, lifting her feet off the ground and holding her to him.

“Screw it.” Dan hit the brake and shoved the shifter into park. “This is good enough.”

As soon as his feet hit the gravel, he lifted his eyes to the sky and whispered, “Thank you,” to the heavens. He had never, even with all of the dangerous stuff they had encountered, been so happy to be alive and in his own yard again.

Lucy, her face covered in tears, was sobbing into Jack’s shoulder. “Thank God your home. Thank you for coming home.” She kept repeating the same thing while Jack held her close, his eyes closed while he was likely repeating his own silent thanks to the powers that be.

Greg let Lucy be with Jack, but he hugged Hannah and Steph. Then Liv, Dan and James moved in around them and joined in for a group hug. Even Ethan and David eventually decided to participate and threw their arms around an Estmond.

“Let’s go into the house.” Hannah squeezed out of the hug. “We made a family dinner.”

Greg’s stomach growled. “What did you make?”

“Chicken Alfredo, salad, and garlic bread.”

“I am so hungry,” Greg admitted. They hadn’t stopped much on the return trip, since they all wanted to get home as quickly as they possibly could.

Turning, he located Emily before heading into the house. She stood near the RV, watching the reunions with a gentle smile and eyes glittering with happiness. He loved that about her, that the happiness of others was important to her. He loved that she was selfless in nature and that she would sacrifice so much to help another person. Not that he wanted her to sacrifice anything, he just loved what kind of a person that made her. She was a kind soul.

He strode over to her. “Come on. Let’s go inside.”

She took his hand without hesitation and let him tug her across the driveway and up the stairs into the farmhouse.

Hannah, Steph and Lucy had already set the table and had the food warming in big crockpot-style warmers on the table. Huge bowls of salad were also set out with heaping plates of garlic bread covered with red checkered clothes.

“It’s all ready,” Steph told them. “Come in and sit.”

Once they were all around the table and had their plates loaded with food, they began to discuss what happened with the Empress. Greg had really hoped they would be able to avoid that talk at least until the next day. He had heard enough about that woman to last a lifetime. He just wanted a little bit of normal before they had to go back to worrying.

James and Jack did most of the talking as far as describing what had gone down. But when they got to the end, the part where he and Emily had gone back to the mansion, Jack passed the conversation over to Emily.

“When I touched the ambulance, I saw the Empress in a hospital room. She was unconscious and hooked up to machines. One of those machines regulated her heart beat. So I know, at the time of the vision anyway, that she was still alive.”

“Dammit,” Lucy whispered. “I was really hoping that we could just be done worrying about what she is going to do next.”

“I think she might be in a coma, but I can’t be sure.”

Lucy tilted her head thoughtfully. “Maybe I should go pull the plug.”

“Lucy!” Hannah swatted at her sister.

“I’m serious. Have any of you even considered that.”

Greg nodded. “We have. But, we decided that with all the cameras and records of visitors, doing that wouldn’t be a very good plan. We’re trying to avoid jail time.”

Lucy frowned. “Yeah.”

“And,” Greg added, “From what I understand, they have a pretty deep investigation going on with the mansion and all that happened there. The last thing we need is for any of us to show up at the freaking hospital.”

Lucy nodded that she understood, but Greg knew the look on his sister’s face and decided that he was glad the hospital was all the way across the country. If it was closer, they would have a problem on their hands.”

The rest of the conversation was about what Lucy and the rest were up to while they were gone. There was that at least. Greg didn’t want to have to worry about what they were going to do next as far as the Empress and her Reapers. He just wanted to be home, see his dad, and then fall asleep in his own bed, hopefully with Emily beside him again.

Man, he was tired.

Once his plate was cleared, he shoved his chair back and took it to the sink where he rinsed it off and then placed it in the dishwasher. Emily appeared just as he was shutting the door of the dishwasher.

“Hey.” He reached out his hand for her plate. She handed it over and he repeated the process that he had just finished with his own. “I’m going out to the cemetery to see if my dad is around. Would you like to come with?”

She shook her head and he could tell she was ready to decline. “It will be fine. I’d like you to come with me.”

“I couldn’t see him last time. It was weird. I could feel his presence, and see some shimmers, but I couldn’t actually see him.”

The last thing he wanted was for her to feel uncomfortable. “Okay, I get that. Why don’t you meet me out there in ten minutes and take a walk with me.”

“I can do that,” she told him. “I’m sorry … I.”

“No, don’t be sorry. I totally understand. You don’t have to explain, okay.”

“Thank you. I’m going to go grab a sweater since it’s getting chilly out there.”

Even the very short time that they were in Florida, the temperature difference was insane. Especially at night when the sun went down. It wasn’t cold in Summer Hollow, but compared to Florida, it definitely felt like it.

Emily disappeared up to his room where she had, again, placed her suitcase. He slipped out the side door from the kitchen and hurried across the lawn over to the cemetery. The souls were out and about, their shimmering clouds glowing blue in the growing darkness.

He hurried up the trail, head moving from side to side as he searched for his father. “Dad,” he called out. “We’re back.”

It wasn’t long before one of the glittering orbs pulsed, it’s light growing brighter as it began to pull together into the shape of his father.

“Hey, Dad.”

“Thank goodness, you are all home safe again.”

“Did one of the others tell you we were on our way?”

Greg Sr. nodded. “Yes, Lucy and Steph came to tell me as soon as they knew you had left Florida.”

“It wasn’t pretty … what happened there. And the Empress is still alive, which means we will eventually have to deal with her again.”

“Yes. But, of course, that is to be expected.”

Greg narrowed his eyes, not understanding what his father meant by that. Apparently, seeing his confusion, Greg Sr. elaborated. “The prophecy says that the Chosen One will bring forth an end to the warring between the Keepers and the Reapers. If that is truly Lucy and Jack’s child, then simply killing the Empress will not resolve it. You would still have to fight, even if it wasn’t with her. There would be more threats in store for us in the future.”

“Ah. I see.” Greg nodded and shifted his weight. “It would sure make our lives a little better right now not to have to worry about what she has planned next, though.”

His father laughed. “Oh, I’m not saying otherwise. I have never wished death on anyone, but her attacks on you kids … my kids … one way or another she has to be eliminated.”

“Sometimes I hate what we have become.”

Again, Greg Sr. nodded his understanding, but didn’t say anything. He appeared to be contemplating a response.

“I don’t want to be a killer. I’m a good person, I save souls for crying out loud.”

“You are a protector,” his father said. “You have only killed in defense of your family.”

“Until we went to seek out Jack’s mother and murder her.”

“In defense of your family.”

“I am struggling with this, Dad. Is it terrible that I am almost happy that we failed the mission? I didn’t want that kind of thing looming over me for the rest of my life. And people did die in that blast. We inadvertently killed people who were inside the mansion.”

“I can’t take away the guilt just because I understand it. All I can tell you is you have to live with it now and not to let it eat you from the inside out. Learn from the lessons, but always understand that you were protecting your family and so many of the souls that those Reapers would have fed on. That is your birthright, son, to protect the souls.”

His father was right. He was given this gift through his bloodline, but he was also chosen to be a champion for those who could not protect themselves. And his family, he couldn’t let anyone harm them. “I’ll try,” he promised his father. “This is just a tough one for me.”

His father smiled. “Well, sometimes good comes out of bad things. Right?”

Greg almost asked what the heck his father was talking about when he realized that he was looking past him. He turned and saw that Emily, wearing jeans and wrapped up in an oversized hoodie, was heading up the path toward him. Twisting toward his dad again, he grinned. “Yes, in this case there is definitely something good.”

“Well, son. I am going to head out now so that you and the Seer can have some privacy. Love you, kid. I’m beyond happy that all of you are home safely.”

“No, Dad, it’s okay…” Before he could finish his sentence, his father had already let go of whatever force kept him in solid form and the glowing blue molecules scattered in a glittering burst.

“Hey,” Emily’s voice came from behind him. “Is he still here?”

Greg shook his head, turning to face her. “No, he just disappeared.”

“I bet he’s happy to see that you’re back.”

“Yeah, definitely. It really tears him up that he’s stuck in this graveyard. He would be ghosting along with us everywhere if he wasn’t.”

“I don’t blame him. I would, too.”

Emily stared up at him, her eyes huge and dark, shining in the lamp light. Her long dark curls fell over one shoulder and spilled down her back. He reached out and took a lock between his fingers. “So, are you going to stay with us for a while?”

“I don’t know.”

He appreciated honesty, but that wasn’t the answer that he wanted to hear. He released the lock of her hair and let it fall, then let his thumb brush over her jawline. “I’d love it if you stayed with us through Christmas.”

Her eyes widened. “Oh, I don’t think that’s a…”

“You would not be imposing. You are invited.”

She was silent and he sensed that she wanted to say yes, that she wanted to be with him and the rest of his family, but that her manners were telling her it would be rude. “Don’t make me tell the girls that I invited you to stay and you won’t give me an answer.”

She gasped in mock horror. “You wouldn’t!”

“Oh, I would. And my sisters are relentless when they want to get their way. So, you probably better just agree to stay.”

She grinned. “I’ll think about it. How is that?”

“I’ll take it.” He moved closer, so that their bodies were nearly touching, and gently pushed her jaw upward so that her head tilted at the perfect angle for him to lower his lips to hers. It was a soft brush of a kiss but, nevertheless, little tingles erupted all over him. “Unless of course you really don’t want to stay, I don’t want you to say you will if you don’t really want to.”

“Well…” She reached up and wound her arms around his neck. “How are we supposed to try this dating thing if I’m not even around?”

He nodded. “That is a good point.”

She threw her head back and laughed, then stood up on her toes and kissed him again. Greg tightened his grip around her waist and let all the heat that had been building within him release as they kissed more passionately than they had ever kissed before.

The souls swirled around them in a dance of glowing blue and shimmering orbs. Greg, sighed against Emily’s lips and murmured, “You make me happy. With all the darkness we face, you bring light and make me feel happy. I hope you stay.”

Emily locked gazes with him. “I’ll stay. Because you make me happier than I’ve ever felt before. I don’t want to lose that.”

“Neither do I,” Greg whispered. “Neither do I.”

THE END

Please Read on for an excerpt from, Summer Hollow (A Graveyard Guardians Prequel)

EXCERPT FROM SUMMER HOLLOW

(A Graveyard Guardians Prequel)

This is from the perspective of Gregory Estmond Sr.

(The Estmond siblings’ father)

CHAPTER ONE

GREG

The souls were mingled among the mourners. Some were fully solidified, and the rest were clouds of blue mist that shimmered beautifully, even if the day was cloudy and gray. It hadn’t rained yet, but Greg knew a storm was coming. The sky overhead was dark and ominous, threatening to open up and unleash a torrent of rain at any moment.

This was a sad and emotional day for many. The entire community of Summer Hollow had gathered together, along with the Keepers from all over the state, to mourn the death of his parents.

He was seventeen years old and burying his parents. It just wasn’t right. He had never before felt a sorrow so deep as he had since the night the sheriff pulled into the driveway and told him they were gone.

But, along with the heartache, there was something else. A feeling that wouldn’t go away. A feeling that only grew with each passing moment. He was angry, really angry, and every ounce of that anger was being used to fuel his thoughts of revenge.

Those who knew his parents and were not part of the Keeper world all thought his parents had been shot in a gas station robbery gone wrong. They were told that it was one of those wrong place wrong time things. That was the story the press was reporting. It was the cover up they were instructed to tell.

Everyone else knew what really happened that night.

They were murdered by Reapers.

It wasn’t uncommon for Keepers to lose their lives at the hands of a Reaper, but it was a rare occurrence in his town. Summer Hollow was extremely small. A place where everyone knows everyone. In fact, the town was so small that Reapers rarely even visited their graveyard.

Larger cities had more than one Keeper family to patrol the many cemeteries. This was a necessity since the more populated areas had more traffic. But, Summer Hollow, it didn’t have a high population and it was barely on the map, so those Reapers, they had to have been just passing through and come across his parents by chance.

His mother and father had always fought the Reapers just to keep them away from the souls. They rarely killed, and if they did it was in pure self-defense, not because they were out for Reaper blood.

And likewise, the Reapers they had come across in their graveyard were rarely life threatening. Both factions knew that killing was a last resort. It was an unspoken rule. The task was hard to clean up, hard to cover up, and left you guilt ridden for the rest of your life.

Well, Greg didn’t actually know that it would leave one guilt ridden, he had simply always felt that he could never kill. But once he found out his parents had been murdered, all of that reluctance faded away and was replaced with a smoldering rage that only grew with each passing day.

Furthermore, his parents were gone, and they had to make the world think it was something different than it was. How was he supposed to do that? How could he look his friends and fellow townspeople in the eyes as they told him how sorry they were for his loss, when they didn’t know the truth?

There were many times in his life he disliked being a Keeper, but this was by far the worst of those times.

He was alone. He had no family to stand beside him as both of his parents were lowered into earth. He was only alone in that sense, though. In reality, he was surrounded by those who had loved his mother and father.

The large group of mourners, dressed in black and holding open umbrellas in preparation for the inevitable rain that would come, formed a large circle around the dual plots. The pastor stood at the head of the open graves, speaking in a loud voice that carried over the cemetery for all to hear. He spoke of what great people his parents were and what a value they were to this small community, and everything he said was the truth.

Greg stood to the right of the pastor, head down, staring at the earth beneath his feet instead of the flower covered caskets waiting to be lowered into the ground. Looking at them just made it more real, and he didn’t want it to be true. He had already had a couple of days to let the fact that they were gone sink in, but that didn’t take away the pain … the constant ache to have them back.

“And now, we will hear from some of Lucas and Josephine’s closest friends.” The pastor folded his Bible shut and stepped to the side as Avery Davis strode up and replaced him. Avery, or Coach Davis, as he called the man, was the high school football coach and a whip cracker who didn’t take any crap. He was basically his dad’s best friend, which meant that Greg had been forced to play football since ninth grade.

Coach Davis didn’t know his family secret. It was uncommon for anyone who wasn’t in the Keeper community to know what they were. The best way to keep it a secret was just not to talk about it. But, not knowing that huge part of his father’s life didn’t keep the two men from being close.

He forced himself to lift his eyes so that he could watch Coach Davis talk about his parents.

“Lucas and Josephine Estmond, who were they to you?” Coach Davis began. “Friends, family, valued members of the community? They were all of those, but to me, Lucas was a childhood friend that I grew up with. There wasn’t a thing in our lives that we didn’t know about each other.”

Greg held back a snicker at that last part and caught a few of the Keepers doing the same thing.

“He was a great man who would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it. He was always this way, even when we were kids. After we graduated high school, Lucas decided that he was going to move across the state, and he did. It wasn’t but a year when he returned home with a beautiful, dark-haired woman who was a mystery to everyone in town.

“Aside from Greg,” Coach Davis’s eyes pointedly met his. “Josephine was the best thing to ever happen to Lucas. She was a breath of fresh air in this stuffy town. She was a carefree soul who could find something beautiful in everything. Josephine became a kindergarten teacher and, in turn, taught all the children of this town to do the same thing.”

He paused, inhaling deeply, and then shoved his hand into his pocket. He brought up a rumpled piece of paper and smoothed it out. “Sorry, I’ve got to get my notes. Lucas lived right here in this house, like his father before him, running the very cemetery that he and his wife are being buried in. That wasn’t all he did though, he and Josephine both volunteered at the school, helping guide our children into better citizens. They contributed to community events, they delivered basic necessities and produce to the local food banks to help those in need.”

Coach Davis’s voice caught a little as he spoke his next words. “I just can’t say enough good things about these two amazing people who left this Earth far too soon. There will never be anyone who can take their place in my heart. I know many of you feel the same way, for they meant something to everyone here. We can’t bring them back, but we can celebrate their lives by bringing the values they lived by into our own lives. They are a part of the history of Summer Hollow and we, the citizens of this town, must do what we can to keep their memory alive.”

Coach Davis folded his paper, shoved it back into his pocket and then made his way back to where his wife and son stood waiting for him.

Several people spoke next, but it all became a blur to him. He knew these people loved and cared about his parents, but nothing they said would make the pain go away. Nothing they could do would fill the huge, empty hole that had carved its way through his heart.

A rumble of thunder echoed throughout the graveyard and the clouds finally spilled forth the rain that had been building within them all afternoon. Large, fat drops fell from the sky as if heaven itself was weeping at the loss of these two souls.

Someone beside him offered him an umbrella and he numbly accepted. His suit was already soaked and his hair was plastered down against his face. He wasn’t sure why he hadn’t brought an umbrella to begin with, he just wasn’t thinking about that.

Lacey Matthews, whom he knew from school, stepped up beside the pastor. She clutched an umbrella tightly in both hands to keep her dry. Her blonde hair lay loosely over her shoulders, falling down to cover the top of her modest black dress. She cleared her throat a bit nervously and then parted her lips to sing as the shiny wooden caskets began their descent into the earth.

Greg smiled as Lacey’s voice, powerful and strong, soared over wind and rain. She sang, Blowin’ In The Wind, by Bob Dylan. It was his mother’s favorite song. As the lyrics floated on the breeze, he thought of how many times he had come into the kitchen to find his mom singing that song while making dinner or tidying up.

Each second that passed, his parents were lowered further down. The ache in his heart throbbed like an infected wound, eating away at the flesh and poisoning his blood. The pain and the anger were one and the same. Greg couldn’t tell the difference anymore.

The mourners lined up, gripping their white roses close to them so the delicate petals wouldn’t be ruined by the heavy rain. Greg waited, he would be the last to let his rose drop down into the graves. He would be last to say goodbye, the last to wish his parents peaceful passage.

When his turn finally came, he leaned down over his father first. Holding the rose out, he let it fall.  It fell heavily with the rain, landing on top of the pile of blooms that already covered the top of his casket. Then, he turned to his mother’s plot and repeated the process.

People were beginning to depart, since the funeral was officially over. But he couldn’t bring himself to leave. Slowly, he sank down to the grassy, wet earth between his parents and sat, holding his umbrella above him.

What would he do without them?

He wasn’t sure how long he sat there before he heard a low voice say his name.

“Greg?”

He jumped, startled out of his thoughts. Looking up, he squinted against the rain and found Demetri Dover, one of the Sacramento Keepers, examining him with a concerned expression. “Son, it’s time to come inside.”

“I can’t…”

“What you can’t do is sit out here all day.”

Greg didn’t answer, but he didn’t move to get up either. He didn’t want to be around people and right now his house was full of them. He didn’t want to talk about how sorry they were for his loss. He didn’t want to have people touching and hugging him. He didn’t want any of that, he just wanted to be alone.

“You have to come inside. We have some issues to discuss before Susan and I have to depart.”

Now that got his attention. What kind of issues would they need to discuss with him. Demetri was in charge of assignments and basically made sure that the graveyards throughout the state were appropriately guarded. “What issues?”

“Come inside so we can talk.”

Pushing himself up, he rose to standing and followed Demetri across the graveyard and over the expanse of lawn toward the yellow farmhouse. He could hear the commotion in the house before they even stepped up onto the porch, and it made him cringe to think of all those people milling about in there.

They entered the house through the back door into the kitchen and found the room full of people, mostly women, preparing food trays and chattering.

“Let’s use my parent’s office.” Greg said, moving around Demetri so that he could lead him toward the room his parents used to keep all the important files and other such things. “It should be empty.”

He pushed the door open and found that, indeed, it was vacant. He held the door open for the elder Keeper, who strode directly to the chair across from the desk. Greg closed the door softly behind him and then took the chair on the other side. “What kind of issues do we need to discuss?” He asked, getting straight to the point.

Demetri took a deep breath and then released it. “Greg, you are almost eighteen and when you are, you will gain full control of your graveyard…”

“I am going to be eighteen in four months,” Greg cut him off, knowing where this was going. “I can handle it.”

“I have no doubt that you can, but at this moment you are a minor and the state requires you have a guardian.”

Greg didn’t know what to say. His parents had never spoken with him about what would happen to him in the event of their death. Yes, their jobs had some risk, but he never thought that he would actually lose either of them, never mind both at the same time.

“Both of your parents have it legally documented that in the case that both of them should perish, William Davenport would be left as your guardian.”

Fear suddenly curled its ugly fingers into him. “I can’t leave here. I can’t leave my home.”

Demetri nodded. “Of course. We would never make you leave, especially after the trauma you have already been through. William is set to come here and stay with you until you come of age, and then he will go back to San Francisco.”

“Seriously. It’s only four months!” Greg threw his hands in the air. “I mean, who would know anyway.”

With a shake of his head, sadness was clear across the older man’s face. “I’m sorry, this is how it has to be. We have to make sure that things are done legally. If not, you could end up a ward of the state or … I don’t know. It’s only four months, Greg, just ride it out.”

“I can’t believe this.”

“You might even like William,” Demetri tried. “Give it a chance.”

Closing his eyes, Greg forced the anger back once more. Demetri was only doing his job. He was looking out for him and also abiding by his what his parents asked for. He wasn’t to blame. “Okay, fine,” he nodded. “I’ll give it a chance.”

A sigh of relief practically exploded from Demetri and he leaned back in his chair as if the conversation had tired him out. “Thank you.”

Greg stood and circled the desk. “Thank you for considering my parents’ wishes. That means a lot to me. I may not like it, but I respect loyalty.”

Pushing himself out of the chair, Demetri nodded and extended his hand. Greg accepted and they shook as if they had come to some sort of business agreement. “I am truly sorry for your loss, son.”

He really hated it when people called him son, especially now that his father was gone. “Thank you, sir. I appreciate that.”

“Well, Susan and I have quite a drive so we’re going to be getting on back home.”

Greg nodded. “Drive safely, the storm is looking pretty bad.”

“We will. Please call if you need anything.”

“I will,” Greg assured him as he opened the door.

With a nod, the older man left and instead of going out to join those who had come to mourn and remember his parents, he shut the door softly and went back to the chair behind the desk. The room muffled the voices in the rest of the house, but he could still hear them.

He knew it was horrible, but he just wanted them all to go home and leave him alone. It was a Saturday and he had school on Monday, so there was a lot to get done before then, especially if he had to prepare for company now.

He leaned back in the chair and examined the items on the surface of the desk. A pencil container filled with pens and pencils, a shallow box that held a stack of papers, a few envelopes which were probably bills he was going to have to figure out how to pay, and a framed photo of himself in his football uniform. The photo had a bronze and faded look to it, making the image appear older than it was. The only other picture on the desk was of his mother and father. It was from their wedding. His mother, in her fluffy white dress and long dark hair, had her arms around his father’s neck and stared up at him as if he were the only thing on Earth. His father had the same look in his eyes as he looked down upon his new wife.

Greg felt his heart lurch and forced back the lump in his throat. He could not cry. He would not cry.

When he had found out that they were gone, he shed more tears than he ever had in his entire life. It wasn’t a very manly thing to do, the crying, but when you lose what is most important to you in life, it is all you have.

He had to come up with a plan for how he was going to find the Reaper who took them away from him. With the Keeper coming from the Bay Area to babysit him, he knew the plan would have to be for after he turned eighteen so that no one would stand in his way.

It didn’t matter how long it took. He would find who was responsible for their murder and avenge them. They had given him everything, so he owed them that much.

Other Books by Jennifer Malone Wright

Keeper vs. Reaper (Graveyard Guardians #1)(Always free)

Keeper of the Peace (Graveyard Guardians #2)

Keeper Under Fire (Graveyard Guardians #3)

Keeper of Spirits (Graveyard Guardians #4)

Keeper of Destinies (Graveyard Guardians #5)

Summer Hollow (A Graveyard Guardians Prequel)

BearyTales

Savior (A Higher Collective Novel)

Once Upon a Zombie Apocalypse – Jade (Always free)

Once Upon a Zombie Apocalypse: Episode 2

The Vampire Hunter’s Daughter Part 1 (Always free)

The Vampire Hunter’s Daughter: Part 2

The Vampire Hunter’s Daughter Part 3

The Vampire Hunter’s Daughter: Part 4

The Vampire Hunter’s Daughter: Part 5

The Vampire Hunter’s Daughter: Part 6

The Vampire Hunter’s Daughter: The Complete Collection

(All six parts a total of 72,000 words)

The Arcadia Falls Chronicles is The Vampire Hunter’s Daughter story continued

Love & War (The Arcadia Falls Chronicles 1)

Taking Talon (The Arcadia Falls Chronicles 2)

Vampire Apocalypse (The Arcadia Falls Chronicles 3)

Blood Warrior (The Arcadia Falls Chronicles 4)

Winds of Fire (The Arcadia Falls Chronicles 5)

Innocence and Evil (The Arcadia Falls Chronicles 6)

Origins and Impulse (The Arcadia Falls Chronicles 7)

Mortals and Magic (The Arcadia Falls Chronicles 8)

Sound of Sirens (The Arcadia Falls Chronicles 9)

Heart of the Hurricane (The Arcadia Falls Chronicles 10)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jennifer Malone Wright resides in the beautiful mountains of northern Idaho with her husband and five children where she practices preparing for the zombie apocalypse. Just kidding!

But seriously, between the craziness of taking care of her children, Jennifer has little time left for herself. The time she does have left, usually leading far into the night, is spent working on her beloved fiction or chatting with her equally crazy friends.

Jennifer also loves coffee, has a passionate affair with red bull, wishes the sushi were better where she lives and dances while she cleans.

Please visit Jennifer’s website at
www.jennifermalonewright.com

Follow Jennifer on Twitter

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Table of Contents

- KEEPER OF DESTINIES
- MINI PROLOUGE
- CHAPTER ONE
- CHAPTER TWO
- CHAPTER THREE
- CHAPTER FOUR
- CHAPTER FIVE
- CHAPTER SIX
- CHAPTER SEVEN
- CHAPTER EIGHT
- CHAPTER NINE
- CHAPTER TEN
- CHAPTER ELEVEN
- CHAPTER TWELVE
- CHAPTER THIRTEEN
- CHAPTER FOURTEEN
- CHAPTER FIFTEEN
- CHAPTER SIXTEEN
- CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
- CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
- CHAPTER NINETEEN
- CHAPTER TWENTY
- CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
- CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
- CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
- CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
- CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
- THE END
- EXCERPT FROM SUMMER HOLLOW