Hourglass

“Is that what you saw that day in the cafeteria? A ghost?”

“Yes, but it’s a little more complicated than that.” I smacked my forehead with my hand when I realized I’d just given her Michael’s standard answer to me. “It would take a while to explain, and I’m kind of in a hurry. But am I right? About you?”

“Em, there’s so much tied up in what I can do—what I promised my abuela I would never do. It’s not dowsing. It’s not like I use a divining rod, or even a pendulum, even though I wear this one.” She fingered the tiger’s eye pendant that always hung from a silver chain around her neck. I thought she wore it because it matched her eyes. “The short answer is, yes, I can find things.”

“Why is it such a secret?”

“I don’t know all the reasons.” Lily’s mouth turned down at the corners. “But Abuela has very strict rules about what I can actively look for. Inconsequential things, like my keys or a recipe she’s misplaced, occassionally. But a living, breathing human? Never.”

“But the other day—you knew she was back from the bank before you saw her.”

“I knew the bank bag was back. And I knew Abi had the bank bag. I’ve developed loopholes over the years.”

“Have you ever talked to anyone about it?” I thought of the Hourglass. “Like a professional?”

“A professional what? Abi would kill me if she knew I told you.” She inclined her head toward the front door. “I’m sorry I can’t help you find Michael. I know you’re in a hurry. Go.”

“I’m not if you want to talk—”

She shook her head. “Let me think about everything. Figure out what’s okay to share and what isn’t. Figure out what I want to ask you.”

“I’m glad you told me. After everything I’ve been through, everything you’ve seen … you’re still here. I’m here for you, too.”

Lily reached out to grab my arm and pulled me into a hug. “I should’ve told you earlier. You might not have felt so alone.”

“No. I understand why you couldn’t.” I hugged her back. “Thanks for trusting me. I won’t tell anyone your secret.”

“Ditto.”

We broke the embrace and looked at each other for a long time before I turned to leave. “

“Em? Wait.”

“What?”

She held out her hand, her signature moxie back. “The apron doesn’t go with the outfit.”

Chapter 32

I figured I’d start at the Renegade House. It was almost too easy. His car sat out front. He’d had access to a phone yet failed to call me.

Payback time.

Taking a quick glance in the rearview mirror, I yanked the pencil out of my hair and shook it out. I got out of the car and marched toward the porch. Before my heel hit the top step the door flew open.

“Why is it impossible for you to do what anyone asks you to do?” Michael wore the same clothes he’d had on the last time I saw him. They were wrinkled, as if he slept in them—except he didn’t look like he’d done any sleeping. His eyes were bloodshot, his chin stubbly. I wondered briefly how it would feel against my face if he kissed me.

Then I remembered I was mad.

“Why is it impossible for you to call someone when you’re supposed to?” I reached up with both hands and gave him a good shove to the chest, feeling a jolt of electricity that ran all the way to my toes. “My brother practically handcuffed me to the furniture. I spent all night worried, wondering what was going on.”

“Easy. I need you to stop yelling.” He rubbed his eyes with his fists. “It’s been a long night. I apologize for not calling, but it took us forever to find Kaleb.”

“Us?” I asked, my voice thick with jealousy.

“Us. Me, Dune, Ava, and Nate.” He leaned back, propping one foot against the side of the house. “We had to split up and take it place by place. He went barhopping in downtown Nashville. Luckily, he didn’t drive.”

“Is he even old enough to get into a bar?”

“He’s almost eighteen, but not quite. Fake ID. He uses it to do lots of things he shouldn’t. It’s easy to tell when Kaleb is hell-bent on destruction. A friend called here, and Ava answered. She couldn’t get me on my cell, so she had to come to the loft.”

Had to, my rear end.

“Come inside.” Michael pushed himself away from the wall and gestured to the screen door before pulling it open. “But I’m warning you ahead of time: it’s not very pretty. Kaleb is my best friend. I hope you don’t judge him on what you’re about to see.”

He held the door for me, and I followed him into the living area. The smell hit me first. Part brewery, part gas-station bathroom.

“Whoa.”

Even though the room was dim, from the doorway I could see one foot hanging over the arm of the couch. A big foot, the ankle attached encircled by a tattoo resembling barbed wire. I walked quietly around it to take in a sprawled-out, snoring figure.

One huge bicep featured a tattoo of a dragon’s head; the other bicep, a forked tail. Taller and broader than Michael, Kaleb had the most defined abs I’d ever seen. The flannel blanket wrapped around his waist would’ve been a perfect size for me; on him it looked like a hand towel.

“Why isn’t he wearing clothes?” I whispered the words to Michael.

He grimaced and whispered back. “You don’t want to know.”

I wrinkled my nose and started breathing through my mouth. Taking a step closer, I noticed Kaleb’s face, probably beautiful when he wasn’t hung over. His black hair was cut short, and he had a small hoop earring in each ear, kind of … sexy pirate. I jumped back when he groaned and opened one violet-blue eye.

Kaleb struggled to focus. The circles underneath his eyes were deep, or it could’ve been the shadow of his black eyelashes. “Am I dead? Are you an angel? Damn. You’re smokin’ hot for an angel. Come ’ere,” he slurred.

Not hungover.

Still drunk.

I hurried to stand behind Michael when Kaleb reached out for me. More like swiped at me with a hand the size of a frying pan. He was scary big, mostly naked, and reminiscent of an escaped convict.

“Hey, Mike. I did it again.” Kaleb grinned, and his face lit up. I could see how, clothed and sober, he could possibly be endearing. Right now … not really.

“Yes, Kaleb, you did it again,” Michael said, sounding very much like a tolerant but exasperated kindergarten teacher.

“Who came to get me? I know she wasn’t there.” He pointed to me and smiled wider. “I would have remembered her.”

“I did,” Michael said. “So did Nate and Ava.”

Kaleb put his hands behind his head and closed his eyes. I tried not to stare at his chest. “Ava? Why did you have to bring the Shining?”

“The Shining?” I asked.

“Stephen King reference,” Michael said to me. To Kaleb, he said, “Because Ava’s the one who answered the phone. She came to get me.”

“Came to get you?” Kaleb frowned and opened his eyes to squint at us. “Where were you?”

Michael pulled me forward to stand beside him. “With the angel. This is Emerson.”