The Reckoning (Darkest Powers 3)

“No. ” I knelt beside his body and reached into his pocket.

“Chloe?” Derek moved closer, frowning.

I took out Liam’s cell phone. “Someone called him. Someone who seems to have set the whole thing up, someone who knew me, my name. ” I looked at Liam’s ghost. “Who is it?”

He choked on a laugh. “Seriously? I just died. Your boyfriend there killed me. You really expect me to stick around and chat? Love to, but I’m a little traumatized right now. Maybe later. ”

He turned to leave. I raced into his path.

“You’re about to go to the afterlife,” I said. “This is your last chance to do something good. ”

“Huh, well, since you put it that way…” He rolled his eyes. “I’m not interested in second chances. I didn’t do a thing that I regret. If you want answers…”

He stepped up, towering over me. I resisted the urge to back away, but I must have stiffened, because Derek moved closer and whispered, “Don’t let him harass you. ”

“Harass her?” Liam said. “She’s the one who can’t get enough of my company. ” He looked down at me again. “As I was saying, if you want answers, find them yourself. And try to have some fun while you’re at it, because I have a feeling I’m going to be seeing you again real soon…over on this side. ”

Derek’s hand tightened on my arm. When I tried to pull away, he leaned down and whispered, “Let him go. It’s not worth it. ”

“Listen to your boyfriend, cutie,” Liam called as he strode away.

I pulled myself up straight. “What did you think of my zombies?”

Liam stopped, turned slowly.

I waved at the dead dog. “Do you know how I did it?”

“Do I care?”

“You should. Necromancers raise the dead by sending a spirit-a ghost, like you-back into a corpse, where it’s under my control, as you saw. It works the same for animals and people. So either you answer my questions, or I’m shoving you back in there. ” I pointed at his dead body.

He laughed. “I’d say you’ve got balls, but that’d be kinda inappropriate. ”

“Do you think I’m kidding?”

He answered by turning his back and walking away. I closed my eyes and imagined tugging him toward his corpse, just a little pull.

“Hey,” he said. “Hey!”

I opened my eyes to see him straining against an unseen force.

“Did you think I was bluffing?”

I ramped it up a notch and he stumbled. I gave another tug. His ghost shot a few feet toward his body.

“Okay, fine,” he spat at me. “What do you want to know?”

“Who hired you?”

“You’ve got the phone. Figure it out. ”

I told Derek what Liam said, then asked, “Was it the Edison Group?”

His face screwed up. “The electric company?”

“Was it a man named Marcel Davidoff?”

“Who?”

“Diane Enright?”

“He’s right,” Derek whispered. “You’ve got the phone. Ask something else. ”

“When you found us the first time, in the playground, you said you’d pulled off the road and picked up Derek’s scent. That was a lie, wasn’t it?”

“Everyone lies, sweetheart. Get used to it. ”

“Someone hired you to get rid of Derek. ”

“You’ve figured it out. So you don’t need me-”

“Why?”

“Why what?”

“Why do they want him gone?” I asked.

“Because I’m a werewolf,” Derek said. “Like Andrew said, no one wants us around. ”

“Bingo, pup. It’s a lesson best learned early. They’re all afraid of us. ” He strolled over to Derek. “You’re trying to be a good kid, aren’t you? You think that’ll show them they’re wrong. So, how’s that working out for you? Guess what? They don’t care. To them, you’re a monster, and nothing you do-or don’t do-will change their minds. My advice? Give ’em what they want. It’s a short, brutal life. ” He smiled. “Live it up. ”

Derek stared straight ahead, patiently waiting.

“He can’t hear a word I’m saying, can he?” Liam said.

“Nope. ”

He swore. “Here I try to impart some final pearls of wisdom to the next gener-”

Liam disappeared. I jumped, startled, then looked around.

“Chloe?”

“He’s gone. ”

“Left?”

“No, he just-” I kept looking, but couldn’t see any ghostly shimmer. “He was talking and then he vanished, like someone yanked him over to the other side. ”

“What did he say?” Derek asked.

“Nothing we didn’t already-”

Derek wheeled. A man appeared twenty feet down the path. Ramon. Derek stepped in front of me.

Ramon raised his hand, palm out, showing he wasn’t armed. His broken arm hung at his side. As he walked toward us, I could see bruises on his jaw and blood soaking the side of his shirt. With every step, he winced.

“I’m not here to fight you, kid,” he said. “If you insist, I’ll give it my best, but I’d really rather call it a draw. ”

Noticing Liam’s body, he stopped and shook his head.

“It was an accident,” I said.

“Yeah, well, I’m sure he had it coming. ” Another head shake, but there was genuine grief in his eyes. After a moment, he tore his gaze from the body and looked up at Derek.

“So now what?” Ramon said.

“We call it a draw, like you said. But if you ever come after either of us again…”

Ramon gave a tight laugh. “Do I look like I’m in any shape to hunt you? Nah, this was Liam’s scheme. Crazy son of a-”