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Noah’s mouth snapped shut. His eyes were wide, blazing. An unnamed emotion was piercing him. It was there, on the surface. “I didn’t mean to set the fire, but I don’t regret dying. You should’ve let me be where I was.”

A tormented expression flared over Lee’s face. He closed his eyes slowly. The agony came over him like a blanket. His words came out in a whisper. “I didn’t know.”

“Exactly.” Noah glared at him with such hate. “You didn’t know and you have to know everything. You’re not God, Lee.”

Lee’s head dropped.

“You brought me back and now I’m in this purgatory. I’m a ghost, but I’m not even a normal ghost. I’m not living, but I’m not dead either. I’m air. I’m nothing.”

“I’m sorry,” Lee said so quietly.

Noah stared at him for another moment. The hate shone so bright on his face until he swallowed it. Somehow. It was there, then it was gone. As if remembering they weren’t alone in the room, Noah looked around. Saw me and grimaced. And saw the door closing. He cursed. “She’s gone.”

Lee’s head whipped up. He saw me first, relaxed, but remembered Sabine.

I pointed at the door. “She’s going to the school.” I hated being whatever I was. Those words came out like a mouse’s squeak.

“I’ll go after her.” Noah was gone in an instant.

Then Lee was in front of me. Staring at me. His eyes were full of sorrow. He lifted up a hand.

I held my breath—now I got it. It’s just an instinctual thing to do—and his hand touched the side of my face.

He could touch me? Even like this?

“I’m sorry you found out this way.” He rested his forehead against mine.

I reached for him. I could grab onto him, hold him. My fingers fisted the front of his shirt, pushing through the dark robe that was still settled over him.

This. At least I still had this. I could still touch him, feel him. I could talk to him.

He could see me.

I wouldn’t be a nothing.

I asked, “What are you?”

“Baby.” He held me to him, his arm wrapping around my back.

The door burst open. Cassian ran inside, his gaze skirting around the room. Frantic. “Where is she? Where is…” He saw Lee. Saw how he was standing there. His voice trailed off before a bleakness came over him. His lips thinned. “Lee? You’re standing how…” He had to swallow. “You’re standing how Cole does when she’s talking to ghosts.” His voice rose, starting to shake. “What the fuck is going on?”

Cassian couldn’t see me.

Lee’s hand gripped tighter around me before his head rested on my shoulder. Briefly before he pulled back. He looked right at me.

“I’m a necromancer.”

33

“Uh. Cool.” Cassian’s phone buzzed. He looked at the screen and cursed. He walked through me, grabbing Lee by the arm. “I have no idea what that is and I’ll Google how to spell that later. We have bigger issues at hand, like where the hell our girlfriend is going looking like the Walking Dead.” He shoved the screen in front of Lee.

I popped around him to see the screen, then screamed. He was totally right. “I look horrible.”

Lee ground to a halt. “You don’t.”

“Don’t what?” Cassian snapped, impatient. “We don’t have time for this.”

Lee looked at him and pointedly turned so he was facing me. “That’s not you. That’s Sabine.”