(3) Painstaker

Twenty-Two: The Amulet

I don't believe her. I don't believe her. I can't. He wouldn't. He wouldn't have killed him. It wouldn't make any sense.

"Wouldn't it?" Another voice in the room startled me from my spot, causing my head to snap up.

My throat closed up. Tears, ever strong, built up in my eyes. "Donovan?"

He was standing against the wall with his hands shoved into jean pockets. His dirty blond hair swept just above his eyebrow, except for a stubborn piece that always seemed to grow faster than the rest. Those blue eyes, bright like mine, were staring at me. Donovan's eyes were where he hid his emotions.

"H-how?"

"Don't do it, Crystal. Don't bring me back."

Stumbling, I managed to stand. I ran toward him, expecting to throw my arms around him, but I only ran through instead. Pulling back, his image was disturbed before settling again. "What the hell?"

"I don't know why I'm here. I don't know why you can see me. I heard everything Mel said and you have to listen to me. Do not bring me back."

My eyes drank him up, eager to piece together every inch of him. He had on the same clothes he wore when he died. "So it's true? The amulet can bring you back?"

His hesitation was answer enough.

"I would do anything for you, Donovan. I would drink a litre of wolfsbane, I would swim in an ocean of lava, I would carve my heart straight out of my chest. You have a wife and daughter who need you."

"You have a mate who needs you."

My bottom lip quivered. "He'll be fine without me."

Donovan cocked his head to the side. "How do you know that?"

"I just do." More tears gathered in my eyes. "I can't believe I'm seeing you right now."

He blew out a frustrated breath. "You don't understand the consequences of the procedure, Crystal. They're dire."

"Did he do it?" When he didn't answer, I let out a low growl. "Answer me, dammit! Did Zeke kill you?"

Donovan's eyes flickered away from mine. "Crystal..."

"Did he kill you?"

Finally, his eyes found mine again. There, the truth was apparent. So apparent, it felt as though my heart beat straight from my chest. "He did. But Crystal, you have to listen to me..." His image was starting to fade.

"What? Wait! Don't go!"

"It wasn't supposed to..." Then he was gone.

Desperate, I pressed my hands against the wall, trying to find a sign of him. No matter how loud I yelled or how much I searched, there was no trace of him. After the tears subsided and the pain in my chest lessened, I was left with one last feeling. A feeling so strong it lit my entire body alight.

Determination.

*

It was all too easy. There was so much commotion, I was beginning to realize it was probably set up by Mel and whoever was impersonating Quinn. I snuck back into the room where everyone was fussing over CC. My wolf instincts wanted me to attack Zeke then and there, but that wasn't the plan.

Instead, I walked up beside him and told him that I was going to look for Flower and Sam. Since his full attention was on his sickly friend, he didn't notice the way my fists were clenched so tightly, they were nearly white, or the way my jaw tightened at the sight of him.