I stayed with Tinlorray the entire time she was at the hospital, even though it made me feel icky. I tracked her to their apartment and watched her crash onto the bed, crying. I patted her back, fingers disappearing into her.
Tinlorray shivered, then paused, head lifting. “Yolkeltod?”
I yanked back. “Shit.”
“Yolkeltod, that’s you, isn’t it?”
“No. No, it’s not.”
Tears slipped down her cheeks. “I knew you wouldn’t leave me.”
“Double shit. The worse shit in the entire fucking world.”
A shaking hand stretched in my direction as if Tinlorray sensed me. I scrambled back. This was bad. Like really bad. I hadn’t thought about the fact I often made people shiver. No one had ever noticed before. But, of course, she would think it was her brother, not some random ghost hanging around her like a creeper.
“Yolkeltod,” she cried. “Don’t leave me. Please. I need you.”
“Fuck.” I placed my hand on hers.
Her breathing quickened. “Yolkeltod.”
“This is bad. Really fucking bad,” I said, but I didn’t draw away.
I paced the shared space of my quarters, wings out. I’d tried to keep them tucked against my back, but they slipped out without my permission. My eyes flicked around for the hundredth time, searching for Caleb. The hour was late, and he hadn’t returned yet. I needed him to come back.
My tail lashed as I swiveled around again. I should go to bed, but sleep wouldn’t come even if I tried. Worry pulsed with each beat of my soul. Where was Caleb? Was he safe? Had he moved on?
The very thought of never hearing his exuberant voice or seeing his beaming smile made ice course through my veins. Life without Caleb would be very dull.
When I turned yet again, I paused. Caleb stood near the door without his usual smile. In three steps, I stood in front of him. My hand lifted of its own accord before I stopped the movement, my fingers curling into a fist and falling to my side.
“Caleb, what’s wrong?”
“I made a mistake.”
“What?” I asked, tail twitching, and stepped even closer. I shouldn’t. Just because he was dead didn’t mean I had the right to invade his space. We hadn’t discussed permissions. Not friendship… or other ones.
He peered up at me, chewing on his bottom lip. I swallowed at the sight of his blunt, white teeth digging into the plump pink skin. Caleb shouldn’t be allowed to do that.
“What?” I asked again, my voice deeper.
“I went to see Tinlorray again, the older sister of the ghost,” he explained.
“I remember.”
Caleb’s shoulders hunched. “I…” he trailed off, then shook his head. “I patted her. I was trying to help, I swear, but she shivered and thought it was her brother. I couldn’t leave her, and she kept reaching for me, crying. I-I touched her again. She thought it was Yolkeltod.”
My mouth fell open before I snapped it shut. “That is not ideal.”
“What do I do?”
I froze under the weight of his large, hopeful eyes. I had no idea what he should do. I hadn’t helped many spirits cross over, and none of them had been complicated like this. I swallowed the self-loathing swelling in my chest, growing like a weed. This was my gift. I was supposed to help, and I couldn’t do anything. I wasn’t worthy of this gift or Caleb or anything else.
Chapter 15
Maybe Wyn can do the impossible?
A few days ago, Sunshine had said he would come up with a plan for the Tinlorray situation, but he’d said nothing about a plan since. In fact, he’d been quiet, sad even, as he stayed in his greenhouse, missing combat classes and any other activities with his brothers.
