Page 7

Story: Dancing With Death

“I’m Audrey, and this is Donovan. We’re going to be your guides,” I tell her with a soft smile.

“I just don’t understand.” She shakes her head. “Why do I have two guides when everyone else is going in groups with just one guide per group? And why do you look so familiar?”

I force myself to keep smiling as my eyes flash to Donovan. I don’t know what the hell to tell her. Does her question mean she doesn’t remember what she looks like? Because if she did, wouldn’t her question have been something about us sharing a face?

I’m totally going to fuck this up.

“Well, Wren, you’re a special case.” Donovan links our hands together, giving it a squeeze as he starts toward the exit. Luckily, Wren trails behind us. “Wraith, the man who spoke to you a few minutes ago, needs to speak with you personally. Both Audrey and I work for the academy, so he asked us to escort you to his home. He’ll be meeting us there as soon as he can so he can talk to you.”

She seems to accept his answer as she shrugs. Her mouth falls open as we step outside, and I bite back a laugh. I guess I’ve gotten used to the underworld since I’ve been living here for the last six months, but Wren hasn’t been. I remember how surprised I was by the academy’s appearance that first night. This is probably blowing her mind right now. No one expects the underworld to be green and lush.

“You’ll get a tour of campus tomorrow,” I tell her. “You’ll have orientation first.”

That’s as much as I feel comfortable telling her since we don’t know what’s going to happen after Wraith returns her memories. Hell, maybe she won’t have to attend orientation.

“Oh, okay,” she says quietly, still following us down the path.

It takes us a bit to reach the house, and Wren blinks up at it for a moment. “Why does Wraith live in the middle of the woods?”

Donovan chuckles. “It’s not just Wraith who lives here. He’s our mate, and Audrey has one other mate who lives here. We’re in the middle of the woods for privacy. Since Wraith runs the school, he needs to be on campus, but that doesn’t mean we want people just walking up to our house.”

She hums, nodding. “That makes sense.”

That’s my logical sister right there. Even without her memories, she can understand the logic behind that. The two of us have always been two very different people. I was always the one who would fly off the handle—quick to both anger and to calm down. I reacted immediately to a situation while she would take the time to think it out. Wren rarely loses her temper, but when she does? You should run because it’s going to be nuclear.

“So, are we waiting out here or inside?” she asks, eyes on Donovan.

It’s not until that moment that I realize she hasn’t looked at me since asking why I looked so familiar—not even when I spoke to her. Even now, she’s avoiding my gaze.

I wonder what that’s about.

“We can wait inside. He shouldn’t be long—if he hasn’t arrived before us.” Donovan leads us inside to the living room, where Wraith and Brenden are both waiting for us. He scoffs. “Of course you beat us here. Come on in, Wren, and have a seat.”

My sister chooses one of the armchairs as Wraith and Brenden come over to kiss me—as if they hadn’t seen me less than an hour ago.

I settle onto the couch with Brenden and Donovan sitting on either side of me while Wraith remains standing. Wren’s eyes rove over the room, taking in every detail before returning to Wraith. “Donovan and Audrey said you wanted to speak with me?”

“I did.” He clears his throat before glancing over his shoulder at me. I can see the question in his eyes—am I sure?

“Do it,” I mouth, already anxious for my sister’s memories to return. I don’t like how she won’t look at me, almost pretending as if I don’t exist.

I hate it.

Wraith sighs as he turns back to Wren. “As I mentioned in my speech, you don’t have your memories of your life. I’d like to return those to you.”

“Are you returning everyone else’s?” she asks, frowning when he shakes his head. “Then why me?”

It’s Donovan who answers. “Like I told you on the way here, you’re special. You have memories we need to access.”

She considers him for a moment before her gaze returns to Wraith, hurrying past me as if I’m not there. “Okay, if that’s what you need. I don’t know what memories you might be after, but I feel like remembering everything can only aid me.”

Wraith moves toward her, laying his hand on her forehead and murmuring under his breath.

Wren’s eyes go wide, flashing to me as she grasps at her chest. “Audrey?”

Wraith steps back as I launch myself across the room and into my sister’s arms. Tears stream down my cheeks as she hugs me close.

“Holy shit. You’re here.” Wren is crying just as hard as I am. “I never thought I’d get to see you again.”