Betrayal - By Lee Nichols Page 0,48

after it, speaking again, though his words were lost in the surf.

He looked almost comical, walking fully dressed into the waves—but that water was freezing. I felt a deep stirring of unease. Something wasn’t right. I looked back at the kids around the bonfire. Nobody seemed worried. Where were Natalie and Lukas?

I called to Sara: “Tell him to come back.”

A girl I didn’t know said, “Shut up, QBK.”

“Don’t be mean to Emma,” Sara croaked in her deep voice. “She only wantsh to help.”

Then she laughed hysterically. If possible, she was even more wasted than Harry.

“Sara,” I said, trying to rub the tingle of impending disaster from my arms. “He’s going to drown.”

“Shtop whining.” She threw an empty beer bottle at me, though she was so drunk she missed by twenty feet. “And start beering.”

She found that hilarious, and the other kids around the bonfire laughed with her. I trotted into the darkness toward the water’s edge, yelling for Harry, who was wading deeper and still reciting an inaudible monologue.

My shoes sank into the wet sand. I followed him along the shore as the tide dragged him further down the beach, calling for him and for help.

And I finally heard someone say my name: Emma.

“Natalie!” I said. “Harry’s drunk, we need to—”

I’m here. I’ll help you.

“Thank God! Go tell—”

And I realized I’d been hearing the voice inside my head. That it wasn’t Natalie. The voice continued, Don’t worry. There’s nothing to fear. You’re fine, Emma—you’re more than fine.

For a moment, I thought it was my mother’s voice—then Martha’s. It was kind, with an undertone of strength, gentle and soothing as a lullaby.

“Where are you?” I peered down the beach, but couldn’t see anything in the darkness under the dim sky.

I’m here. I’m here with you. Your family and friends, they’re all gone, they left you, but I’m here. I’m always here for you.

The bitter wind stirred, and pretty lights shimmered beside me. The voice took on a girl’s form. She was a few years older than me, with short dark hair, wide eyes, and scarlet lips. The girl from my dream. She smiled at me with even, white teeth, and I felt I knew her. She was like an older sister, who understood everything about me. She could take all my pain, my failures and responsibilities, and make them disappear.

That’s right, Emma, she said. You don’t need anything except me.

“We need to help Harry.”

I’ll take care of everything.

I smiled as my worries drifted away. For the first time in a long time, I felt at peace. I didn’t know what I’d been worried about. She’d take care of me; she’d take care of everything.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Natalie approaching. “Emma?” she said, slightly breathless. “Are you okay?”

“I’m great.”

“Do you feel that? There’s a wraith nearby.”

“That’s no wraith.” I smiled.

Save him! the ghost woman said. Harry’s in trouble.

“We need to save Harry.” I stared into the waves and didn’t see him. “Oh God—where is he?”

He’s drowning, Emma—he’s sinking under the waves.

“Harry’s fine,” Natalie said. “He’s back at the bonfire. It’s you I’m worried about.”

She’s lying. She tempted Harry into the water. She won’t let you save him; she’s drowning him. It’s her fault Coby’s dead. She’s trying to kill Harry, too. Stop her, Emma—stop her!

Omigod, she was right. Simon had warned me about a traitor—how could I have been so blind? It was Natalie. I’d thought she was my friend in California, but it was all just a setup to lure me to Echo Point. She betrayed me once. How could I not think she’d do it again? Was she still working with Bennett? Were they in this together?

“I was so stupid. I never should have trusted you. You set that trap with Neos,” I snarled at her. “You’re the one who called the wraiths to the mausoleum. I tried to stop you, but … what else have you done? Betrayed Martha and Coby? How could you?”

“Emma!” She reached for my arm.

I grabbed her wrist and flipped her onto her back in the sand. She gasped as the fall knocked the wind out of her, and tried to push me away.

Get her, I told the ghost woman.

She clamped her hand on Natalie’s shoulder and dragged her into the oncoming waves. Natalie struggled as the cold water touched her. Her eyes widened as the ghost woman made herself visible to her.

“Hey!” Lukas yelled, sprinting closer. “Stop her.”

With his fists balled, he summoned his compelling powers—and if he’d been a