Evanescent (29 page)

Laken wraps her ankle over mine. I’ve
resorted to wearing socks that barely crest the top of my sneakers
allowing for some skin on skin.

I lie my backpack down, and she does the
same, creating a barrier for our intimate display.

Anything new?
I ask, drinking down
her warm skin against mine. Laken feels like heaven. I’d pay in
limbs to have her lay over me with that body.

Hattie is psyched about tonight
. She
rubs her leg over mine in one long stroke that makes me sit up and
take a deep breath.
And exactly what limbs are you willing to
give up?
She teases.

I turn my head just slightly.
Every
single one
.

She gives a little laugh.
I would hate to
see you sacrifice on such a permanent level. How about you save
that rock hard body, and we see what happens after we get our
families back
. It comes from her soft—almost embarrassed she
even went there.

The only thing I want after we get our
families back is to see you happy—however that may be.
I
swallow hard, trying to put up a mental barrier long enough to
wonder if what I just said was the truth.
What about you?
I
ask, getting the conversation back on track.
Are you psyched
about tonight?
Tonight is the night of Wesley’s big surprise.
Laken seems to think they’re going all the way—as in the
tunnels.

Yes, I’m excited. I’m thrilled to think I
might see my sister and my mom—maybe yours, too
.
Anything’s
possible, right?

I don’t doubt it.
A horrible feeling
comes over me at the thought of Wes taking her down to that den of
horror.
I’d do anything to go with you—to protect you from it
all
.

I know you would, Coop.
She rides her
bare foot up my pant leg, and I electrify from her touch.
Don’t
worry. I can handle whatever’s down there. I kicked Asterion’s ass
remember? And we’re going to kick the Counts’ asses, too. We’re a
team Coop—you and me.

Makes me wonder where Wes fits in all
this.

“Isn’t that right, Mr. Flanders?” Edinger’s
voice comes through in perfect clarity, and I expand my chest as if
I’ve been paying attention the entire time.

“Yeah, that’s right,” I say, trying to save
face.

A round of titters circles the room.

Edinger gives a mock bow. “So you agree that
the government would be better off if it were run by one drunken
farmer rather than a band of power hungry pigs.”

Shit.

“Right, I mean no. I don’t know which one
would work best. I guess it would be like choosing the lesser of
two evils.”

Laken warms my ankle once again.
What are
you wearing tonight?

What would you like me to wear?
If
she says “nothing,” I might be tempted to comply.

I heard that, and you know it.

“The lesser of two evils?” Edinger nods into
my conclusion. “Indeed. Sometimes, Mr. Flanders, there is no other
way.”

I’m going to be a cheerleader
. She
goes on.
Original, right?
Maybe you should be a football
player, and we could have secret themed costumes like Marc Antony
and Cleopatra.

I like the idea of having a secret with
Laken—something private just between the two of us. Sort of like my
bed was for a while.

By the way, my mattress misses you
, I
say.
And, yeah, I’ll be your football player.

Wes can be the ball. I’ll be sure to throw
him into the bushes and lose him. Maybe Asterion can wake up and
find him
.

Cool it, Flanders. Wes happens to be the
only portal we have to help our families. Besides, the longer we
screw around with getting me inside those tunnels, the longer I’ll
be away from your mattress.
She rakes her leg over mine like a
firebrand before disconnecting.

The idea of Laken wanting to be on my
mattress sets my entire body blazing with heat.

Edinger drones on for the next hour
regarding power and the common man, how dangerous it is when it
falls in the wrong hands—but I keep reverting back to my mattress,
and Laken lying over it with nothing but a smile. Laken already has
all the power she needs over me, and I can’t wait until she
uses—
abuses
it.

The bell rings, and we rise trying to shake
off the mind-numbing boredom we were just subjected to. Laken
stretches her limbs as if she had hibernated for years.

“You coming to the party tonight?” She bites
her lip, still blushing from the memory of my bed—or at least I
hope.

“I don’t know. It’s at Henderson, right?
About ten?”

“Yes.” Laken presses her lips together until
they’re paper white. “Please come. I’m terrified of wherever the
hell he’s taking me, and I’ll feel better just knowing I can see
you before and after.”

“I’m taking Marky trick-or-treating.” I
strum my fingers along the desk. Marky begged me to ask her to come
with us. Marky said she’d die if Laken didn’t help her get ready
tonight, but I can’t stand the thought of sucking Laken into my
family if she doesn’t want to be there.

“And you think you’re doing this without
me?” Her mouth opens, and her pink tongue glistens in the light. It
makes me want to cover her lips with mine and dive into that
precious window.

“Marky was hoping you’d say that.” My entire
body sags with relief.

“And what about you?” She takes a step in
until our shoulders touch. Her lids hang low and seductive. Laken
has the hottest damn bedroom eyes I have ever seen. “Were you
hoping I’d say that? Do you want me there, Coop?”

Her breath rakes against my chin, hot and
searing like a nuclear blast.

“I want you with me every second of the day,
Laken. And then that will never be enough.”

A loud bang emits from the front as Edinger
slaps a stack of papers over his desk.

“Pardon me,” he growls with a manufactured
grin. “May I speak with you alone a moment, Mr. Flanders?”

Laken makes a face before turning to me.
“I’ll be at your truck right after practice.” She takes off and
leaves the two of us in the room alone.

“What’s up?” I make my way over to the
demonic Fem donning his human costume.

He steps forward with his malevolent grin,
his larger than life darkness—an evil you can feel, straight to the
bone.

“My dear, Mr. Flanders.” His features
sharpen. His brows dip into a dramatic V. “I have a serious
proposition for you.”

Shit. If he asks me to indulge in janitorial
services in exchange for class credit, I’ll vomit on his shoes. I’m
sick of being treated like an underling just because it’s a known
fact I’m broke and live off campus. Although, if there were a cash
exchange, and the price were right, I might accept. I want to buy
Laken something nice for Christmas, and the way finances drip
through my fingers, I’d better start saving my pennies.

His features blur, they morph into another
face entirely, my football coach, then Mr. Stevens who runs the
gym, Ms. Paxton.

Fuck. I jump back as his size nearly
doubles. Edinger swells into the all-familiar bronze statue of
Asterion and bellows out a roar before his flesh and body restore
to their original size. Then, to my ultimate disappointment, his
face magically morphs back into the most hideous creature of
all—
himself
.

My heart thumps through my ears as I try to
get a grip.

“You’re a Fem—big fucking whoop.” I try not
to let on that I’m impressed as hell by what just happened.

“I figured you knew.” He gives a quick wink.
“I showed you these things for a reason.”

“You need help deciding which entity to be
tonight?” If only. I’m pretty sure his sinister intent is going to
haunt me long after Halloween.

“No, Mr. Flanders.” He takes a slow step in
my direction. “It’s
my
help I’m offering to
you
—for a
price, of course.”

“Of course.”

“My yoke is easy, my burden is light.” He
gleams as if he were about to offer me the world. “I need you to be
a permanent obstruction between Wesley and Laken.”

A solid minute beats by, and I forget to
breathe.

“Excuse me?” How the hell does this benefit
him?

“If you succeed in maneuvering Laken from
Wesley”—he connects the tips of his fingers as he reveals the
underpinnings of his scheme—“you win a supervising spirit for
life.” His smile widens, and I think I know who the supervising
spirit is. “If Laken chooses Wesley, then you’ll spend the rest of
your days in the tunnels.”

“No thanks.” I start to walk away. I’m sure
I’ll analyze this conversation to the hilt until the day I die.

“You’ll change your mind,” he says as I
stride right out the door. “And I’ll be right here, waiting. Oh,
and Mr. Flanders?”

I stop midflight but refuse him the honor of
turning around.

“You’d be remise to mention this to another
living soul.”

That part, I already knew.

Dark clouds roll in overhead like
mildew-ridden barrels.

“It’ll be a miracle if doesn’t rain,” I say
as Laken carefully paints whiskers on Marky’s pale face. She’s
already dusted her with powder and glitter. Marky drips from head
to foot with enough sparkles to make a supernova jealous, but she’s
not going as a terrestrial sphere—tonight she’s a common
housecat.

“Don’t you curse us, Flanders,” Laken says,
drawing in the last line across my sister’s cheek. She’s got her
cheer uniform on, her hair up in a high ponytail with a bright red
bow. She’s so fucking hot, I feel the need to grab the fire hydrant
from the kitchen in the event she spontaneously combusts.

It’s nice having Laken in the house. It’s
more than just the estrogen level rising that makes it feel like a
genuine home, it’s Laken herself. When she leaves, the entire house
feels hollow. She has the power to shift the family dynamics
without even trying.

“Yeah,
Flanders
.” Marky rolls her
eyes. She’ll take Laken’s side over mine, ten times out of ten, and
I secretly love it. “I’ve got six blocks to cover.” She holds out
her hands. “How do I look?” she asks, spinning in her black spandex
suit and striped pin on tail.

“
Puuur
fect.” Laken lets out a
bubbling laugh. “But you need these.” She plucks a headband, with a
pair of ears, off the counter and attaches it to Marky’s head.
“There,” she says carefully letting go. “I think we’re ready!”

Laken bends over to pick up her pom poms off
the floor, and I catch a glimpse of the kick pants under her
skirt.

“You’re such a perv!” Marky smacks me in the
stomach before picking up my phone.

“What?” I tease as Laken shoots me a playful
look. “I was making sure you didn’t fall.”

“Oh,” she balks, shoving a pom pom in my
face. “Supervising me from behind?”

“Exactly,” I say, circling an arm around her
waist like it were the most natural thing in the world, and I wish
it were.

“Smile!” Marky holds up my phone and takes a
picture. “Oh,
come on
. You look like you’re afraid of each
other. Pretend like you’re madly in love—kiss her or something you
goof—nothing gross, or I’ll puke.”

Laken hikes her leg in the air and puckers
up, so I give her a quick peck on the lips. I’ll be the last fool
on earth to turn down a kiss from Laken Stewart.

“Thanks guys.” Marky’s fingers go into speed
dial mode and jangle my nerves.

“What are you doing?” I snatch the phone
back in the event she decides to get creative.

“Emailed it to myself.” She snatches her
pillowcase off the table and makes a run for the door.

“Let’s see it.” Laken gets in close as she
inspects my phone. Her perfume twirls through the air like an
acrobat, and it takes everything in me not to replicate that kiss
with a real one—with a deeper, more meaningful exchange.

“Here.” The image pops back on the screen,
and I hold it between us.

“
Gosh
”—she over exaggerates—“we’re
sure cute together.” She winks as she tugs me toward the door.

I think so too, only I’m dead serious.

A low rumble of thunder greets us as we
start down the sidewalk. Marky runs next door to collect her buddy
from school, and they scoot on ahead, trotting from house to house
while Laken and I lag behind.

“You look really scary by the way,” Laken
says as her hand rubs up against mine, and we interlace fingers.
I’m in my football jersey and Levis. That’s about as much effort as
I’m willing to put into the occasion.

“Boo.” It comes out dull. Mostly because my
mind keeps drifting to what might happen later tonight.

“Hey, Coop?”

“What’s that?”

A crowd of expertly costumed children stream
past us on either side.