Kate Evangelista - Til Death

I blinked away sudden tears of joy. Penny, thank God, remembered nothing. Sebastian made sure of it. Or so I’d been told. I hadn’t seen the hellhound since that night at Greenwood. Penny stayed good-old-gossipy Penny, and I loved her like I loved Kyle and Grams and Gramps and life. I overflowed with love today. Better than any drug.

“Can’t a friend hug a friend?” I asked through the lump in my throat.

“So long as you’re not in your experimenting with girls phase. You’re pretty and all, but I don’t dance on that floor.”

I gave her a big smooch on the cheek.

Kyle coughed to get our attention. “We’re being called over.”

…

Whoever planned Bowen’s memorial should do it for a living. If the whole resurrection thing didn’t work out, I would have wanted the same kind. Okay, morbid, but I did just die. He would have loved his gravesite—on a hill, overlooking a stretch of pine. Stands of white roses flanked a blown up picture of him from when he won State. His parents sat at the front row of wooden folding chairs, holding hands. His mother wore a black veil, while his father remained politely attentive of the proceedings, his other hand on Bowen’s sobbing younger sister.

After a few words from Pastor Tanner, the eleventh grade gathered around the hole where the casket had been lowered. Instead of flowers being thrown in, someone decided on water balloons. I grinned. He would have enjoyed the gesture. He practically lived in the pool. It was a fitting farewell to a swimming star and a one-time ex. A few tears escaped when I dropped my balloon and it popped on the coffin, causing a splash.

“Rest in peace,” I said softly.

When I turned to walk away, Bowen’s mother stepped in front of me.

“May I have a moment, my dear?” she asked in a voice just as smooth as Bowen’s.

I bobbed my head once, only seeing her red lips below the veil. “I’m so sorry, Mrs. Gage.”

She shook her head and gathered me into a hug. We stood in silence for a while, sharing the comfort being in each other’s company brought.

“My son didn’t know any better,” she said after a while. “It is we who owe you an apology for not taking better precautions against threats like the Maestro.”

“You couldn’t have known. No one knew until the very end.” I pulled back and looked straight at the other woman’s veil. “I don’t blame anyone.”

A fragile smile played on her lips. “A gracious girl,” she whispered. “Take care not to fall into the wrong hands.”

Her warning stuck with me long after she had left. I stood alone near Bowen’s grave, thinking of my future. Of what happens next.

“You okay?” Dillan came to my side and took my hand.

I linked my fingers with his, letting the warmth of his touch reassure me. “Just thinking.”

“That’s never good.”

I punched his shoulder. “Well, live with it.”

“Ready to go home?”

I gave Bowen’s grave one last goodbye smile then nodded at Dillan.

We made our way to the entrance. At about fifty yards from the gate, he stopped—his spine stiff as a rod. His face paled, lips set.

“What is it?” I asked, my heart in my throat. Please don’t tell me something was already up. We just survived The Night of the Living Greenwood . I wasn’t ready for the sequel. I swallowed and followed his gaze.

At the cemetery entrance, Mr. Sloan bent over the half open window of a stretch limo. Some people gathered around to gawk at the expensive car. Not many of those rolled into a town like Newcastle.

Just as I faced Dillan again, his grip tightened around my hand.

“What is it?”

“Holy shit.” He paled even more.

Too worried to think straight, I followed his gaze back to the limo. Rainer opened the door and let out a girl wearing oversized sunglasses and a long black coat with a fur collar. Her wavy hair spilled down her shoulders. She turned to look straight at us and her lips twitched into a small smile. I squeezed Dillan’s hand back, about to ask him what was wrong, but the next word out of his mouth froze my insides.

“Katarina,” he said.

My gaze shifted from the girl to the black mass forming in the distance. It was as small as a puff of smoke, but it grew bigger the closer it got to us. It seemed to move fast. Like a tidal wave in the sky.

“What’s that?” I asked, pointing toward the writhing dark cloud.

Curses so foul they made my skin crawl came from Dillan the second he followed my line of sight. His grip on my hand tightened to the point where I couldn’t feel my fingers anymore. I tore my gaze from the cloud to look at him. He didn’t meet my gaze, too focused on what was coming.

“Selena,” he said, still not looking at me. “You’re going to need to run.”

I squeezed his hand as hard as he squeezed mine. “Why?” I barely got the question out. I knew enough of the world I lived in now not to dismiss anything as normal anymore. “What is that?”

Slowly, he turned his head to face me. Fear crossed his eyes. “Please, Selena. You need to find a safe place to hide.”

From his clipped tone, I knew he was trying really hard to stay calm. I wasn’t buying it. I could feel the sweat gathering between our palms. Something was up and I wasn’t leaving until I found out what. No more secrets. No matter the threat, we’d face it together. We’d been through too much already.

“Not until you tell me what that cloud is.” My voice hardened. He needed to know I meant business.

“That isn’t a cloud.” A muscle ticked along his jaw from clenching his teeth too hard. “That’s a horde of banshees.”

I always begin this section of the novel by thanking the one constant in my life: family. Thank you for the unfailing love and belief. I cannot live my life to the fullest without you.

Dad, thank you for never giving up on my dream. For letting me run with my passion and never judging me. You were always there to drive me to my classes, waiting at McDo for hours until I got out, and accidentally mixing tea with coffee.

Mom, thank you for always having my back. You know more than anyone what’s best for me. I didn’t get that when I was younger, but I get it now. You are a force to be reckoned with. You never let anyone get you down. I want to be you when I grow up.

Bromonster, thank you for letting things slide. You’ve seen me at my worse, but you never let it affect you. Here’s to many more years of hanging in there. I promise I will be better.

Liz, thank you for believing in the stories in my head and welcoming me into the Entangled family. I couldn’t have asked for a better home for Til Death and the rest of the books to come in the series.

Stacy, thank you so much for the yummy last minute notes. They helped put things into perspective for me. Thanks for making sure we get this one right. I owe you a beverage when we see each other again.

Heather, Morgan, and Katie, I couldn’t have asked for a more amazing publicity team. You ladies kick ass. Your enthusiasm impresses me to the ends of the universe and back. Free chocolates for everyone!

Leia, Meann, and Ronald, thank you for asking all the right questions. Thank you for letting me into your world even just a little. And thank you for all the LoLs in and out of Twitter. You three crack me up. We have to meet for lunch again.

To Southville, for sharing with me such a proud moment. Thank you for letting me speak to your next generation of high school students. I forever hold the purple, pink, and green in my heart.

Angie, thank you for being the best Sis ever. You hold me up when I freak out. You get angry a hundred times more for me than I do. Your presence in my life, even a thousand miles away, means a lot to me. Your dream is just around the corner, Sis.