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Most important, we needed to know what Mrs. Bethany’s plans were, not only for the sake of the wraiths, but also to be sure whether or not she could be trusted.
None of the vampires I knew and trusted had that information or could! get it. That meant that if I wanted those answers — I was going to have to confront my fears.
I would have to go to the wraiths.
Determined, I straightened from my corner — to see half the class staring at me.
Oh, crap, am I visible?! realized that I wasn’t, but that in my deep concentration on my new plan, I’d allowed a deep lacing of frost to cover the wall and the windows. To anybody in the know, that was as good as a huge blinking neon sign that said WRAITH FOUND HERE.
“Mr. Yee!” someone yelped.
“Everyone remain calm,” Mr. Yee said, though his normally unshakable mood was slipping into a full — on freakout. “We’ll summon Mrs. Bethany right away.”
Get out of here! I started thinking of the different places I felt connected to, all the “subway stations” that I was capable of traveling to in an instant. Something far away would be ideal right around now — and just as fast, I realized there was a way to get out of here and pursue my latest idea.
Philadelphia. Vic’s house, where Lucas and I lived together. The attic room — Instantly, Evernight Academy disappeared around me, swirling around like so much fog. The vapor took new shape quickly and outlined the attic of Vic’s home, with its comfortable clutter.
And Vic’s mom, who was holding a couple bags of old clothes and staring right at me.
“Jerry!” she screamed, dropping the bags and scurrying for the stairs. “It’s the ghost again! We have to call those people on cable TV!”
As the attic door shut, a voice behind me said, “Great, thanks. Now I’m going to have camera crews running around up here, and a bunch of nerds pretending they know how I died.”
“Hi, Maxie,” I said, turning to smile at her. She didn’t look thrilled to see me, at least not until I said what I’d come for. “I’m ready to meet Christopher.”
Her entire face lit up. “You’re really doing it,” Maxie said. “You’re joining the wraiths.”
Chapter Thirteen
“EVERYTHING WILL BE DIFFERENT, NOWTHATYou’re one of us.” Maxie was aglow — literally — in a golden haze of joy. “Wait and see.”
“I’ve been one of you ever since I died.”
“Not for reaL Not while you were hanging — out with the vampires. This is going to be so much better.”
I didn’t tell Maxie that I had no intention of abandoning Lucas or anybody else. It felt uncomfortably like lying, and I was beyond tired of lies. But I wasn’t ready to fully trust the wraiths just yet.
“So,” I began. “How do we do this? Finding Christopher, I mean.” I glanced around. “I don’t guess he hangs out in this attic with you.”
“Of course not,” she scoffed. “Like Christopher spends any time on the mortal plane.” Then she paused. “I take that back, actually. He comes here every once in a while.”
“To the attic?”
“To the mortal plane, dumbass. But he comes here only when he has a purpose. Like trying to help a lost wraith find his way. Stuff like that.
Christopher doesn’t haunt.”
“Like you, you mean?”
I intended that to be a jab at Maxie, to point out that she hadn’t surrendered the mortal world entirely either. But she nodded, solemn and sweet. “If I know you’re coming with us, then I can let this place go at last. Even — even Vic.” She gazed down at the spot on the carpet where Vic had once sat to summon her. “That’s going to be hard, but I can do it.”
“Why me? You and I know each other, I guess, but we’re hardly best friends — ”
““ll let Christopher explain.” Maxie practically sparkled with anticipation. “Ready?”
I couldn’t answer that question without knowing what I was supposed to be ready for. “Maybe?”
“Fade out with me. Come on.”
