Page 100 of Divine Oaths

Angelica hadn’t told him yet. Still. After all this time.

But neither had I.

“You’re a wraith, Kasem.” I pressed my eyes shut, gathering myself before meeting his burning gaze with my own.

“The night in the alleyway, you died. My CPR didn’t work. But my powers, they rewound your injuries and brought you back as a wraith. Half human. Half spirit. Separate.”

I knew I should tell him what it would mean to be a wraith; that his soul was at the brink of corruption. That if he stayed this way, he’d become like Danny and Nathan, one moment at peace with his death, the next vengeful, seeking to kill humans, even if at one time, he’d known them or loved them.

“What are you thinking?”

“I don’t know,” he admitted shakily. “I guess I’m just taking it all in.” He swallowed, forcing a weak smile. “All of this, is it connected to the curse?”

“I don’t know. Angelica thinks the curse might explain how you could even be tethered to both the realms of the living and the dead. You hadn’t completely crossed over when I brought your body and spirit back. But we need to bind your soul to your body. And we have to do it on your birthday, at midnight, when the veil between realms is thinnest.” I strung off the bracelet, taking his hand and slipping it on his wrist. “You need to be wearing the bracelet when we do the binding ceremony—the ritual of revenant, Angelica called it. And we need Jojo’s help, either a lock of his hair or his blood for the incantation.”

He took the bracelet off.

“No, Sianna.”

“You need this more than me.”

“No,” he repeated. “I don’t. You saw what happened earlier. If Pete had his way, if he had drowned me, at least you’d have had the bracelet. Better to keep it with you,” he said, taking my hand and slipping it back on my wrist. “When the ritual happens, I’ll wear it. I promise.”

We were still holding hands, but I couldn’t see into his past, not against the cool touch of his palms and his fingers laced in mine. I remembered Angelica’s words, about how the more time passed, the more his soul and body separated. Dread fell over me. My powers weren’t picking up his lifeline, even though I could feel the flicker of one burning within him.

“Nathan saved us,” Kasem said. “I wonder if him doing that, even as a wraith—or whatever he was—helped free his spirit from the curse?”

His guess was as good as mine, but I was sure Vivian being with Nathan might have helped wake him from his vengeful form in some way. Cecilia had said ghosts could turn into wraiths through hate, so maybe Nathan had somehow managed to come to terms with his death and regained some part of his humanity.

The night grew quiet. Even as Kasem and I were reeling from all we’d seen, we found ourselves settling into silence.

He brought me to the floor, placing the mat beneath us. We lay there, back to back, constrained by its confines. But our fingers were touching, and I was acutely aware of him, from the curve of his back, muscled and lean as he was, to the small of mine against his broad frame.

He turned, and I did too.

From the waistband of my skirt, I pulled out the mechanical switchblade.

Surprise settled over Kasem, but he took it, examined its fixture.

“Honey used it to cut us out of the rope. Have you seen it before?”

He nodded. “There are some displays around campus with artifacts the school keeps of Westfield’s history.”

“Honey said she snuck it from Alaster. And, well, I looked into its past and it was used in your stabbing. Kasem, I think Alaster was the third person.”

Kasem swallowed. “And Honey’s covering for him?”

“I don’t think she knows either. Otherwise, she probably wouldn’t be so flippant about bringing the switchblade and telling me it was his.”

“I never thought he’d go so far,” Kasem said. He laughed. “I was so thoroughly dense that I blamed Ojore for it.”

“That’s probably what he wanted. For you and Jojo to keep fighting while he found a way to get rid of you and keep Jojo under his thumb.”

“We need to tell the president.”

“You’re joking.”

“There’s no point in going to the police,” Kasem said. “When I was in a coma, Alaster said he and the board of trustees handled everything related to the stabbing, and I’m sure they bribed them too. Pete and Jay as well. I bet you they paid their bail. My uncle is the only one with actual power who could help us.”