Secrets of the Dead Read online

  We would never find out. I would make sure of it.

  I booted up the computer, using the codes posted on the desk, and began the tedious work of hacking into various accounts that might give me the location of my brother’s apartment. It didn’t take me long to find his address, place of work, and other helpful insights.

  Writing down the information, I left the library, nodding to the same librarian who now stood behind the counter. Her shoulders dropped a fraction as she watched me head toward the exit. I hadn’t considered myself to be so intimidating before—at least I hadn’t been to other Mystics. I even dated someone in school who probably could’ve kicked my ass ten ways to Sunday. We didn’t last long.

  Once I got back to the truck, I pulled out the map from the gas station. Eventually I’d need to try to take out money from my bank account. Even staying at Ever’s, I’d need to pay for gas and food. As if to remind me that I hadn’t eaten, my stomach growled, but I needed to get to Ever’s apartment. Then I could use his computer system to start looking up witches.

  The drive through town was a little easier this time, and finding Ever’s apartment was a quick process. He lived on the outskirts of town in a district that seemed to cater to Mystics. It made sense since my brother worked as a bartender and met most of his clients there.

  Everette was the only brother of mine who followed the typical necromancer role, helping other Mystics contact their ancestors or deceased friends to get information from them. It was gothic, a tad creepy, and dark. He played the part because it was what his clients wanted.

  His apartment was in a stout brick building. The outside didn’t look particularly hard to break into, but with people constantly going in and out, I’d have to wait for the opportunity.

  I parked and walked up to the front doors. A shapely wood nymph sauntered out, holding it wide open for me and looking me up and down. The sexual desire in her gaze would’ve normally had my blood heating, and I might’ve flirted for a moment; but instead, I just smiled politely. She didn’t seem to take offense to my less-than-enthusiastic response, winking lazily at me with one more glance.

  I walked down the hall to apartment six. Two spray-painted sixes were added to his door number. Ever’s had a dark sense of humor.

  Shaking my head, I dug out the pocketknife. Rowan had insisted we learn how to pick locks after Indigo left. She still wanted to have the same adventures, as she liked to call them when Indigo was around, but we didn’t have his werewolf strength to knock down doors.

  Kneeling, I got to work on the simple lock on my brother’s door. Thankfully, he didn’t worry about wards or other Mystic ways of keeping people out because I didn’t think I had the power to bring them down in my weakened state. He did have plenty of warding stones and plants for ghosts though.

  The moment I crossed over, I felt my powers drop heavily. I didn’t realize how much it had taken out of me to block out the ghosts in the city; it had become an unconscious thought and second nature to me by that point. My eyelids drooped heavily. Shaking my head, I willed the sleepiness away. I still had a lot of work to do.

  Ever’s place was dark, the curtains pulled over the living room’s window, but I kept them in place, not wanting someone to see in. I did turn on a lamp that sat on an end table, illuminating the dark leather couch in front of a TV and a small coffee table.

  The kitchen sat behind the couch, small but functional. I dropped my bag on the couch and walked into the kitchen, opening the fridge and sighing with relief. At least he left some food behind. I grabbed a bottle of water and pulled out some meat to defrost to fry up later.

  I wanted to get at least some work done before I crashed, but as another wave of exhaustion hit me, I debated if I should rest for a couple of hours.

  I checked out the rest of the apartment. Down one short hallway was a full bathroom with a small closet on the other side. Walking through the living area, I went to the first door to the left of the TV and found my brother’s room. Black silk bedsheets and dark wood furniture. I shook my head and closed the door.

  The other door to the right of the TV led to a smaller bedroom with less furniture. With only a half dresser and a tiny closet, it would work for me. The bed looked more than appealing, even if it was tiny.

  I grabbed my bag from the living room and set it on top of the small dresser. Toeing off my shoes, I climbed into the bed, determined to sleep for only an hour, maybe a couple.

  Chapter 8

  A loud crash woke me from my sleep. Grabbing for my metal knuckles in my pocket, I slipped a silver one on my right hand and the onyx on the left. I glanced over at my bag and debated pulling a dagger. If it was one of my brother’s clients who’d come looking for him, I didn’t want to ruin their relationship. The knuckles would be easier to conceal.

  Stumbling steps sounded, followed by a muffled curse. I crept over to the door and waited for the noises outside to go quiet. Whoever was on the other side of the door stumbled again, their footsteps uneven. Probably drunk.

  I swung the door open, convinced I had overreacted and it was probably just one of my brother’s friends or a girl he’d been seeing.

  A tall blonde, almost as tall as me, stood in the living room, looking a little lost. Her tight black leather outfit accented every curve and sensual dip in her body, the high straight ponytail giving her a sense of violence and danger.

  She turned on her heel and bared her teeth at me. Long fangs dropped from the top row and dimpled her bottom lip.

  Vampire.

  She flung herself forward and I dodged out of the way, swinging out with my silver-clad fist, trying to catch her in the gut. Knocking the wind out of a vampire was semi-useless unless they were just recently changed as then they’d still be used to the idea of breathing. The calm and steady anger on this one made me think she was at least a century or older, but a straight shot to the gut would hurt one way or another.

  The vampire easily twisted away from my blow and danced backward. Before she could get a good look at me and assess her opponent, I rushed forward, silver knuckles raised for her to see. She hissed, backing up a step, and I swung at her side with my onyx knuckles. It wouldn’t cause any damage, but I could buy a minute at least. I needed to get back to the bedroom and snag my daggers. They’d be my best defense against her.

  The vampire recovered quicker than I expected and swung her leg out in a wide sweep. I had to duck to avoid her foot as it rushed toward my face. She growled when she missed her target.

  I leaned forward on my knees and threw my silver-knuckled fist at her thigh. It landed, and the vampire hissed loudly. She brought her leg down quickly, trapping my neck between her thighs. I glared up at her, and she matched my stare as her grip tightened, cutting off a bit more of my air.

  Gritting my teeth, I ran through my options.

  Acting quickly, I wrapped my hands under her shapely thighs where the leather was worn, giving me a better grip. ‘All is fair in love and war,’ they say, and I didn’t have time to be a gentleman. I pushed forward, keeping my grip on her legs so she couldn’t lock them together and stop me.

  Throwing her backward and pushing my weight toward her stomach, I toppled her over. Her grip released, and I rolled away from her, jumping back to my feet at the same time she did. I didn’t know who she worked for. Maybe somehow the vampire coven that wrote the contract with my parents sent her. Maybe she just knew a necromancer lived there and came to attack my brother.

  Even with the treaty in place, vampires and necromancers still had their feuds. It could’ve been that Ever pissed off the wrong person. Vampires seemed like the perfect option to hire as a hit-person. Or I could be paranoid because of my ancestor’s Tome. The possibilities were endless, but one thing was for sure… this vamp wouldn’t kill me.

  As I rolled away, I moved into a better position. The bedroom was closer now, which meant so were my weapons. I needed to get back inside and grab my daggers.

  The vampire watched me closel
y, waiting for me to make my next move. Whatever she wanted, she was holding back.

  I ran for the bedroom, seeing Horace’s faint outline in front of the dresser blocking the spot where my dagger lay. The chill in the air stopped me, and I tried to ramp up my powers so he’d appear more clearly. Our connection was shockingly weak, but he’d still managed to get past Ever’s ghost-warded apartment.

  I stopped and looked behind me. The vampire stood exactly where I’d left her, watching me.

  “Who are you?” I asked, shifting so I faced her. The ghostly chill of my deceased uncle grew stronger as he moved closer to me.

  “The question is who are you? What happened to Everette?” the vampire asked.

  “Answer my question.” My theory that she belonged to the coven that held the contract with my family faded. She wouldn’t need to ask who I was if that were the case. I didn’t doubt that the vampire coven had kept a close eye on our family, but if they did, why hadn’t they sent someone after me? Then again, I wasn’t the twin they wanted.

  “Acacia.”

  “That doesn’t tell me who you are.”

  “I could be asking the same questions.”

  “Ever is my brother. I have every right to be here. Do you?”

  “Where is he? Ask him. He’ll tell you I’m right where I’m supposed to be.”

  “I highly doubt my brother would let you stay here.”

  “Then you don’t know your brother very well,” Acacia replied, sizing me up. My uncle’s ghost brushed against my back, causing a full-body shiver that I hid the best I could from the vamp. I hated the sensation of a ghost moving through me. Not only could I feel it on a spiritual level, I felt it physically. Usually, the sensation would be followed by a parade of information and knowledge from their lives, but the visions stayed away this time.

  “Trrrust.” The whispered word sounded like static. I could remove some of the warding rocks and plants to help my connection with Horace, but I didn’t know what else it would invite.

  “Why are you here?”

  “Your brother Everette said I could crash here when I needed a place to lie low. We helped each other out once, formed a sort of friendship. Now tell me where he is.”

  “He went home for a couple of days.”

  “Perfect, then you go home too.” She placed one hand on her hip, jerking her chin toward the door.

  “And why should I leave?”

  “I have business to attend to, and I don’t need a snooping necromancer around.” She bared her fangs at me, her light brown eyes sparking with a hint of danger and anger. Long blonde strands sat over her shoulder, escaping the tight line I’d first encountered. Her features were sharp and almost like a fey’s—sharp angles, dangerous edges. She was enchanting and alluring.

  Did she look like this when she was human, or did the change happen after she became a vampire?

  “And I should just let you continue to do it in my brother’s apartment?”

  “He and I have a deal. I don’t know why you’re here, but you’re going to have to leave.”

  “Not until you do.”

  “I can make you leave.” Her eyes flashed a dangerous gold color. There were rumors that some vampires could compel other Mystics like they did humans though I didn’t want to find out firsthand if it was true.

  I managed to stand my ground, my uncle’s familiar presence at my back. She had to be bluffing. I needed this place as much as it seemed she did.

  Horace’s whispered word echoed in my head once more. Perhaps I could get more information from him before I forced the vampire out.

  “I need a place to stay, and obviously you do as well,” I told her. “If you stay out of my business, I’ll stay out of yours.”

  The vampire didn’t move for a minute as she mulled over the deal. It would be my only option. A fair fight between the two of us would result in her winning. How far we were both willing to go wasn’t something I wanted to test.

  “You didn’t say which brother you were.”

  “No, I didn’t.”

  “Least you could do is give me a name. I gave you mine,” Acacia said, annoyance creasing her features. The slight wrinkle in her brow and the tightness of her lips made mine twitch upward.

  “I never asked for your name, just who you were.”

  “Fine. Are you Kent?”

  How much has my brother told this vampire? Does she know he has a pair of twins as siblings? Does she know about Rowan and me being Curse Breakers? I didn’t think my brother would be so foolish, but I also hadn’t expected to find a vampire hanging out in his apartment. What secrets has Ever been keeping?

  “Trrrruussst,” Horace whispered once again. That time he refrained from touching me.

  “Abel.”

  “Haven’t heard of you.”

  “Guess you don’t know Ever very well.”

  “Oh, sweetie, Ever doesn’t know me very well.” Acacia sauntered past me into Ever’s master bedroom and closed the door behind her. The whole thing left me uneasy, and I wondered what my brother was doing. And what my uncle was up to.

  I walked over to Ever’s small library that contained a few Tomes specializing in his chosen craft.

  After flipping through a couple of the Tomes, I found one that would help me contact a distant connection. Whatever blocked Horace from contacting me was an issue. I needed to know why he wanted me to trust this vampire.

  Taking the Tome with me to study, I set it on my bed then headed back into the kitchen. The two steaks I’d set out earlier stared back at me. While I could eat both, my parents raised me better than that. I cooked one and left the other rarer, only searing the outside. Paired with garlic butter and steamed vegetables from a bag, I set the small two-person table.

  I walked over to Ever’s room and knocked on the door. It was silent inside, and I briefly wondered if she’d snuck out through the window.

  After a moment, Acacia opened the door a crack and glared at me. She’d taken her hair down, which softened her features.

  “What?”

  “Made steak if you want one.”

  “Don’t spend a lot of time with vampires, do you?”

  “I left yours bloody rare. Did you want it blackened?”

  Pursing her lips, she pushed past me to get to the table, and I turned on my heel and followed. She didn’t wait for me to sit before she dug into the food. The moment her lips closed around the prongs of the fork, she moaned, closing her eyes in delight.

  “So, truce? We’ll stay out of each other’s business?” I asked as I sat down, cutting into my steak.

  “Truce for now. Just keep your business yours, and I’ll keep mine mine,” Acacia replied.

  We finished our meal in silence. The cold presence of my uncle never left, and I wondered if I’d ever be able to get the answers I sought. He obviously wanted me to know something about this vampire, but I didn’t know what. I didn’t think she’d be able to tell me how to break a contract without seeing the rest of it, which I still needed, and it was too risky to show her and have her know about Rowan and me.

  Instead, I would share the same roof as my ancient enemy.

  Chapter 9

  After preparing the room and using the runes I found in the Tome I borrowed from Ever, I chanted quietly, setting the Tome down. The spell I prepared would hopefully help me cross closer to the land of the dead, which in turn would allow me to communicate with my uncle.

  Why hadn’t my father tried to contact his brother? Why had Horace stayed away all this time? The dead had no qualms about the past. They sought out people who kept them tethered here to be released into the great beyond. At least that’s what I was raised to believe.

  The moment I closed my eyes, something wrapped me in its frosty grip. Horace began to whisper frantically in my ear.

  “You cannot be here. Not yet. You aren’t strong enough. Don’t open your eyes. You’re not ready.”

  Doing as he asked, I kept my eyes closed though cur
iosity plucked at my nerves. Whatever he meant, I’d have to trust him.

  “Why did you come?” Horace asked. His voice sounded so familiar. I thought back to the memory he’d shared with me as if to pass off information. He and my father sounded remarkably alike.

  “I need answers.”

  “We don’t have much time. The longer you’re here, the more you deplete what little power you do have. The weeks before your birthday, you’re weakened.”

  That was information I already knew; our other ancestors had warned me. His voice carried as if he was pacing. Some ghosts remained here too long and lost their minds. Sometimes it took months, and others it took centuries. Had he been saying it for his own benefit?

  “Why are you telling me to trust the vampire?”

  “She’ll help. You must trust her. Don’t set out without her.” As his voice faded, the chilling grip that iced my veins started to warm. The prickling sensation of blood rushing through my body flowed to my fingers and toes.

  I gasped for air, my eyes bulging open as my lungs started to work again, my heart beating a second after. I swallowed after calming my breathing to a normal rate, clenching and unclenching my fists, the warmth returning to my body. As I sat up, my muscles ached like I’d sprinted ten miles. My joints were stiff, and I cringed as I moved around, finally managing to peel myself from the floor.

  The idea of a warm shower sounded nice since the chill of death still clung to me. A very quiet part of my mind screamed how that had been a terrible idea. Something went wrong with what should’ve been just a simple contact.

  The quick shower was enough to ease of the ache in my muscles and return some more of my heat. I glanced at the clock on my way back to my room. I hadn’t spent a whole lot of time in that place, but it’d been enough to weaken me. Horace was right. I was using too much energy.