All The Pretty Ghosts (The Never Series Book 1) by Jamie Campbell (my miracle luna book free read .TXT) 📕

But everything was expensive looking, it wouldn’t have been a neighborhood I frequented a lot before the Event. Which meant it could be only one district. “We’re in Copperwood.”

Oliver nodded. “That’s what I was thinking, too. Most of these buildings were commercial offices. We should be able to find a place for the night.”

I shook my head, that wasn’t going to happen. “No, I want to go home. I’m not going to spend another night in this city.”

A sheer look of panic crossed his face. “It’s going to be dark soon. Do I need to remind you what can be lurking in the dark?” He paused, waiting for the warning to sink in.

I was stubborn though. Oliver knew that better than anyone. “I’m not staying.”

“They’re going to be looking for you, Everly. Their pride is not going to let you get away with escaping. They will all be out tonight, hunting like a pack of rabid dogs.” There was pleading as well as steel in his voice.

Perhaps he was right. If I left, he would follow me. It was the way Oliver was, he had to protect everyone else before himself. I would be putting him in danger if I was too pig-headed to stick around for one night.

I would do it for him. But, come morning, I was going to be out of here. “Fine. One night.”

“Good, now let’s find somewhere.” He didn’t gloat over the triumph, another one of the reasons why we were such good friends. “And then we can get you cleaned up.”

I didn’t realize I needed cleaning up. I walked beside Oliver anyway, trying to find a place that looked like it might be safe for one night’s stay.

Just the thought of Taz and his friends out searching for me was enough to make my skin crawl. I had been lucky to escape with the few injuries I had. Everything would heal, but I doubted I would have ever recovered if he managed to succeed in what he had planned for me.

A woman caught my attention out of the corner of my eye. She had to be in her thirties, which meant she was a spirit. She was beckoning me closer, more insistent than they usually were.

“Can we stop here for a moment,” I said, coming to a halt. “There’s a woman trying to get my attention.”

“Of course, I’ll wait here,” Oliver replied respectfully. He waited in the middle of the road, trying to look like he wasn’t killing time while I spoke with a ghost.

I approached the woman as her excitement grew. “You can see me? They said you could but I didn’t believe it until now.”

“I can see you,” I conceded, wondering who they were and what they were doing talking about me. It couldn’t be a good thing having the word spread about my abilities.

She smiled kindly. “This building is safe and it has some supplies. You can stay here the night.”

What kind of game was she playing? Spirits didn’t talk to me like that. They begged and pleaded for me to pass on messages or explain what had happened to them. They weren’t helpful like this woman was pretending to be.

It had to be a trap.

“Thanks, but I’ll keep looking,” I murmured in reply and turned to leave.

She put out her hand, reaching for me to stop. “No, please. It’s getting late and you need to seek refuge before it’s dark. They won’t find you here. It’s safe, I promise.”

I needed some more answers before I was going to believe anything she said. “How do you know who I am?”

“I was told of you by… others like me.”

“Why do you want to help me?”

If she was fazed by the interrogation, she didn’t let it show on her shadowy face. “Because I don’t want to see you hurt. If those boys find you, they will hurt you again.”

Perhaps I was softening, letting my guard down and being a fool. Maybe I was merely exhausted. But I really did want to believe her. I sighed, hoping I wasn’t signing my own death certificate.

I called Oliver over and we followed the woman inside the building. She led us to the second floor where there was a room with a door that locked. It had a bathroom too, with running water. I could have cried it was such a wonderful thing to find.

“I will keep watch outside and alert you to any intruders,” the woman said. “I will make sure you are safe, just like I promised.”

I managed to stammer out a ‘thank you’ before she disappeared through the wall. Oliver and I were alone. And, it appeared, safe. For now. I wasn’t going to take even a minute of it for granted.

“There appears to be some food here,” Oliver said as he surveyed the room. I hurried over, finding a table with a few containers spread across it. The food was only some stale cookies but it was like finding a gourmet meal.

“I’ll clean up first and then eat.” I made the decision and headed into the bathroom.

Oliver wasn’t kidding when he said I needed to clean up. For the first time I caught a look at what Taz had done to me. My entire body was covered in bruises, my arms and abdomen taking the brunt of the beatings.

On my left temple was a cut so deep it probably needed stitches. The blood had caked into my hair, matting it to my head. Once I started cleaning it up, it would start bleeding again. I knew it was inevitable.

I peeked back into the room again. “Have you seen a rag or anything I can use to clean up with?”

Oliver looked around. As he did, I spotted a piece of material on the food table.