Page 148 of Axis of Fire

But keeping this from her would've meant I didn't trust her.

And I did.

Not only with my secrets.

I trusted her to protect herself, too.

“It just didn't occur to me right away,” I admitted.

“It's actually a good idea,” Gwen said. “Considering you can see all spirits at night.”

That part was true.

For some reason, my gift always sharpened after dark.

During the day, I could only see a handful of spirits.

At night, the world belonged to them.

Rinar—an old spirit acquaintance I hadn't spoken to in years—once explained that souls connected to the cycle of life could sometimes be seen during daylight if they remained trapped in the astral world.

The rest emerged only after sunset.

And there were far more of them than most people could ever imagine.

As we turned into the neighborhood where my parents' house stood, I spotted it immediately.

The Greynori estate had always been famous for its garden.

Three gardeners maintained it year-round so the entire neighborhood would envy it.

Tonight, tiny flashes of light flickered among the trees.

Momos.

Of course.

They were drawn to places overflowing with abundance.

In my parents' case, that abundance had always been money.

Gwen parked Dwayne's car at the curb, and we headed toward the backyard.

The closer we got, the more Momos appeared among the hedges and flowerbeds.

Little glowing shapes drifted through the darkness.

Watching.

Waiting.

Momos couldn't speak.

They communicated through expressions made of light—large glowing eyes and curved smiles that appeared and vanished across their featureless bodies.

Most people would've found them adorable.

I knew better.