The Whispering Dead (Gravekeeper #1) - Darcy Coates Page 0,78

and mouth would be under too. A life for a life. Justice. At least a form of it.

In an instant, the anger and pain vanished. She’d told Gavin she’d been sent to Blighty with a purpose, but that had been a lie designed to intimidate. She didn’t know why she was there, or who she had been before, or how many sins she herself had committed in her previous life. It wasn’t her job to punish Gavin, no matter how greatly he deserved it. Knowing how quickly she had jumped to that solution left her clammy and sick.

Keira pulled his head up just enough to clear his ears, then spoke carefully to make sure he didn’t miss a word.

“I’ll be watching you from now on. You can’t hide anything from me, and this will be your only warning. You’re going to leave me alone. You won’t bother Zoe or Mason again. No more traps, and no more picking fights. You’re not going to cause trouble for this town.”

Her hand was shaking. A bead of blood appeared at the knife’s edge, and he squeezed his eyes closed.

“Because if you become a problem for me or my friends, I will come for you.” She placed heavy emphasis on the words. “Don’t you dare think I won’t.”

“Please,” he begged again.

Keira held him there for a beat, watching the flowing stream dance around his head and pull at his hair, then she withdrew the knife and shifted away from him. His hands were still gripping her jacket, but he released her quickly and scrambled back to shore.

“Remember how much I know,” she said. “Now get out of here.”

He stared at her, his eyes huge and confused, his legs shaking in the mud, then he staggered to his feet and dashed into the forest.

Keira listened to him crash through the plants until his panicked, uncoordinated escape became inaudible, then she slumped against the closest tree. She tucked the knife into her pocket and pressed her hands over her face.

I wanted to kill him. Tears came, and they were very, very hard to stop. I thought it would be a good idea to kill him.

She dropped her hands and gazed at them. Their fingers had held the knife confidently. They’d been ready, almost expectant, of drawing the blade across Gavin’s throat.

Just who am I?

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Keira wasn’t sure how long she leaned against the tree and watched the raindrops fall from her fingertips. She was vaguely aware that time was passing. She just didn’t have enough mental space to care. Eventually, the cold made its presence felt, and she looked up. Although it was still drizzling, the sun had started to rise behind heavy cloud cover. It offered enough light to see but did nothing to warm her.

Keira slipped her jacket off. Gavin’s blade had sliced through both the leather and the cotton shirt underneath. The jacket could be stitched back together, but the shirt was ruined, so she tore the rest of the sleeve off and tied it around the cut. Gavin’s blade had marked her just a few inches below Mason’s careful dressing of her earlier injury, which struck her as remarkably convenient; it would be easy to clean and dress both at the same time. She didn’t know how much blood she’d lost, but she was only moderately dizzy, so it couldn’t be too bad.

The walk up the second half of the driveway felt as though it was the longest of her life. She considered stopping by Adage’s parsonage as she passed, but he wouldn’t be able to do much except worry, so she decided to let him sleep.

As she crossed the boundary into her graveyard, the familiar chill drew about her. The mist was thick that morning, and the space felt almost unnaturally quiet. Keira kept moving past the cottage and sought out the now-familiar row of gravestones by the forest. She stopped in front of the one that read Emma Carthage 1955–1981.

“Emma?” Her voice was raw and raspy. Standing took up more energy than she was comfortable with, so she let her legs buckle and dropped to her knees. Then she reached for her second sight.

An ethereal, transparent shape emerged from the mist. Emma stood behind her grave marker, her long fingers braced on the stone top, as she watched Keira. Gentle concern creased her bloody face.

“You won’t believe the night I’ve had.” Keira managed a dry chuckle. Her smile faltered. “I think I finally understand. I ended up back at the