Page 38 of Ride or Die (The Body Shop #5)

A few months later…

Christmas music poured through the wireless speakers placed atop random tombstones throughout Bonaventure. Even the dead enjoyed a good singalong with the classics. And I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate the holiday than with our annual movie marathon at the cemetery.

“Ugly sweaters were a terrible idea.” Matty wiped his brow on his sleeve. “It’s got to be eighty degrees, and it’s almost midnight.”

We all matched, as was tradition. This year we chose Rudolph sweaters with glowing red noses powered by LEDs.

Very cute, but very hot. December might toss us a few cool days, but it was a far cry from cold.

I pitied our significant others the most. Marys traditions must seem odd to them, but they were game to try.

“Eighty-five,” Keisha said from beside him, her forehead dotted with sweat. “It feels like one hundred.”

With rich-brown skin and dark-brown eyes, Keisha was the girl Matty had regretted letting go the most. I didn’t know her well yet, but I liked her already and was glad they had given a relationship a real chance.

All thanks to a happy accident I was glad to take credit for.

As it turned out, I had been so paranoid Matty’s soul would float free of his body after his escape from the Midnight Parade, I bound the two together.

For good. An unintended side effect of using my demi-whatever powers with a dash of panic.

There would forever be a part of him that drifted on the dream plane, but now he would always come back to us, and that made the terror of those days he spent unconscious seem like a small price to pay in hindsight.

As for Vi and Rollo, well, we were monitoring them for signs I might have altered them too. Nothing yet, but it was still early days. I was crossing my fingers for a few extra years tacked on to their lives myself.

“We need to get a picture.” Josie arranged our massive pallet of quilts and pillows on the ground beside the largest mausoleum, which had been draped with a king-sized white sheet. “Then we can get comfy.”

“Unless we heatstroke before then,” Carter grumbled, carrying a cooler full of iced drinks.

“You’re so cute I could eat you up.” Josie kissed the tip of her nose. “Aww. Rudolph isn’t glowing. Looks like your battery is dead.”

“No.” Carter set down her burden then slid an arm around Josie’s waist. “I took them out.”

“Meanie.” Grinning, she spun out of her grasp. “You’re lucky I love you so much.”

Cheeks brighter than her sweater, Carter mumbled, “I love you too.”

From the smile that broke across Josie’s face, you would think the redcap had shouted it from the tip of Rauers Obelisk for all the world to hear.

“Let’s hurry so we can get to the good part.” Josie winked at her. “Making out under the stars.”

As Josie dragged her away by the wrist, they almost collided with Harrow and Aretha, who were carrying the sandwich, fruit, and veggie trays along with the sweet treats.

“You made it,” I greeted them. “I’m glad you guys could join us.”

“We wouldn’t miss it.” Aretha set down her portion then came in for a hug. “Thanks for inviting us.”

“You’re honorary Talbots,” Matty told them. “Of course we saved room for you.”

Once Harrow unloaded his arms, Aretha slid into them, burrowing against his chest.

As the newest couple in our group, they were the mushiest, and that was saying something.

“Almost forgot.” Harrow pried his gaze from Aretha and snapped his fingers. “Let there be light.”

Floating candles flickered into existence in a ring around our viewing area, bathing it in a warm glow.

“Fancy.” I couldn’t tell if they were real or illusion. “The coven teach you that?”

“Yeah.” He shared a shy glance with Aretha. “The mothers are putting me through my paces.”

Since hooking up with Aretha, he had started hanging around with her coven.

They were teaching him the small magics he should have learned as a child to give him a foundation to build on, if he chose to continue his education in magic.

He wouldn’t be a healer, like them, but they could help him figure out what he wanted to do, once he discovered the limits of his power and his affinities.

A caw from overhead set my heart racing, and I spun to find Kierce walking toward me from a different direction than the others had come.

“I issued the invitation.” He stopped when the toe of his shoe tapped mine. “What else do you need?”

“Just you.” I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him down to me. “Are you ready?”

“Yes.” His lips brushed mine, warm and soft, and he smiled against my mouth. “As ready as I can be.”

As far as our family gatherings went, he wasn’t wrong in taking the cautiously optimistic route.

“What’ll it be this year?” Johnny, the eldest of the Buckley Boys, swaggered over to me. “Horror? Action? Adventure?” He wrinkled his nose at the abundance of couples. “Romance?”

“Not that three-ghosts one again,” Timmy, the youngest, begged. “It’s boring, it is.”

“Ghosts’re boring,” Bannon agreed. “Moving pictures never get us right.”

“It’s a surprise.” I shooed them on. “Go find your seats.”

Slowly, other spirits interested in the night’s festivities filtered in and took their places. A few sat on the grass, couples mostly, but the majority floated or perched on tombstones in singles or small groups. The space filled quickly, leaving only our mound of blankets for the living.

Most of the spirits remained wary of Kierce, but the more I nudged him to interact with them, the less they shied away from small asks. Like his invitation to join us.

Within ten minutes, everyone with a pulse had returned from their last supply trip and had chosen a position on the pallet.

Josie rested her head on Carter’s lap while Carter ran her fingers through my sister’s hair. And if she left a trace of orange dust behind, well, Josie had made peace with her girlfriend’s snacking habits.

Harrow and Aretha sat shoulder to shoulder, their hands linked on her lap.

Matty and Keisha bent their heads together as they fine-tuned the projector.

To no one’s surprise, Badb had stolen an entire tray of cheese and flown it to a stone bench to gorge.

Buttons, who we rescued from Dis Pater’s house, was quick to join her.

The real shocker was how tolerant Badb was of our new pet, but it helped that Buttons had decided on life as an outdoor cat, preferring to sleep in the garage rather than attempting to stake a claim on one person or place.

I got the impression Dis Pater had smothered the cat with love, and Buttons was enjoying the freedom to come and go and do as he pleased for a change.

Had Dis Pater known his pampered pet had gone feral, he would have pitched a conniption fit.

Then again, if he knew Matty had taken over his pen name in an effort to destroy his literary legacy, Dis Pater might have chewed through the vines to come after us.

His readers weren’t amused at the dip in the quality of writing, which only spurred my brother on to outdo himself with even more nonsensical plot twists.

After the last book flopped, we had placed our bets on how long it would take Dis Pater’s agent to drop him.

So far, Carter was in the lead if the last email from the frazzled agent was any indication.

“Sorry we’re late.” Pascal blurred toward me. “There was a commotion at the gate.”

A sour taste coated the back of my throat, and I stepped away from Kierce to greet him.

“You have a guest, mija .” Pedro jerked his chin over his shoulder. “Don’t keep her waiting.”

“She?” I reached for Kierce’s hand, my palm damp. “She came?”

“Of course she did.” Paco chucked me on the chin. “Now go welcome her.”

“Yeah.” I dragged Kierce a step. “I’ll do that.”

“Should I go,” he asked, slowing me down, “or would you prefer a private greeting?”

“Good question.” I massaged the base of my neck. “I should probably go alone, huh?”

“You’re never alone.” He kissed my forehead. “I’ll always be right here.”

“I’ll babysit him.” Josie bounded up and looped an arm through his. “I swear on my life, he’ll be safe until you return.”

A faint warmth spread through his cheeks, joy at belonging bright in his eyes, and he nodded to me.

With a lump in my throat, I walked the familiar path to the front gate and found my mother, Lucia Silva, standing on the other side. She wore her matching sweater, and she carried an ornate box tucked under one arm.

“Hey.” I opened the gate, grateful Harrow had thought to pop the lock earlier to make it easier on guests to enter without making my usual climb. “You’re here.”

“You invited me.” She shuffled in through the gap. “You did want me to come, right? It wasn’t a polite gesture you hoped I wouldn’t accept?” She rocked back on her heel. “I can go, if you and your family?—”

“You’re family too.” I gripped her wrist and hauled her in, closing the latch behind her. “Come on.”

We made it to the viewing area before she threw on the brakes again, pulling against me.

“There are a lot of people here.” She anchored her feet. “I don’t want to intrude…”

“Lucia.” Josie ditched Kierce, launching herself at her. “You’re going to have a blast.”

“Ain’t no Christmas party like a Marys Christmas party,” Matty agreed, waving at Lucia. “You’ll love it.”

After my mother was stolen away, Kierce drifted over to me and took my hand. “Are you ready?”

“As ready as I can be,” I fed his words back to him then whistled loud enough to draw their attention. “Everyone line up in front of the mausoleum. Let’s get our picture before any alcohol gets involved.”

I had learned that lesson the hard way, and I wasn’t about to repeat it any time soon.

Everyone shuffled in place, and I set the timer on my phone’s camera before rushing to join the huddle.

Kierce waited for me in the center of the group, and once I took up my place beside him, Lucia was nudged into position next to me. I looped my arm through hers and leaned into Kierce’s hold as the flash went off three times in rapid succession.

The second I verified every eye was open and all heads faced forward, I gave the thumbs-up.

Sweaters flew over heads, revealing tees and tank tops, and everyone groaned a collective sigh of relief.

Gathering the sweaters to donate later, I called out, “To your places, everyone.”

“Hey.” Lucia appeared beside me. “I wanted to give you this now, since I’ll be off realm tomorrow.”

The reminder Kierce’s first Christmas was hours away made me giddy with excitement to give him his gift.

A stained-glass suncatcher shaped like a crow in flight that I bought from an artist in Jackson Square while we were in New Orleans.

I couldn’t wait to see his face when he recognized it as the piece he had been admiring.

“Oh.” I accepted the box, grunting at the weight. “Can I open it now, or do you want me to wait?”

“Either way.” Her shoulder hitched when she shrugged. “It’s your gift.”

Taking that as permission, I lifted the lid and let out a gasp. “It’s beautiful.”

A silver hand mirror glinted up at me from its velvet nest, its glass swirling with rainbow colors.

“Hold it and think of me, and it will show you where I am.” She flushed a soft pink. “It’ll work on your siblings too. And your friends. It’s not like I thought you would want a way to track me personally.”

“Thank you, Lucia.” I marveled at it, excited to give it a try later. “It’s straight out of a fairy tale.”

“Myths and legends are more tangible than you might think, kid.” She angled her head away from me. “And you’re welcome.” She fidgeted for a moment before sniffing the air. “Do I smell chocolate?”

“There’s a cookie tray.” I cradled my giftbox close. “Go fix yourself a plate and get comfy.”

As soon as she left, Kierce was at my side, examining the mirror with keen interest.

“I should have gotten her more than just the leather jacket.”

“The jacket is spelled to repel harm and has infinity pockets, and it’s from you. Lucia will love it.”

Infinity pockets for all the stolen loot she hauled around with her. She was like a squirrel with cheeks full of nuts, except her hoard contained weapons and relics. “I hope you’re right.”

Since I had left her gift in the wagon, uncertain she would come, I would have to fetch it after the festivities.

“I know I am,” he said without a doubt and secured the mirror before we resumed our hosting duties.

All that was left to do was urge everyone to fill a plate and pour themselves a drink. Then it was down to Matty to queue up this year’s pick. Chosen at random, Home Alone won this round. A solid choice for our diverse crowd, and the Buckley Boys would find the shenanigans hilarious.

While the opening credits rolled, Kierce sat on our designated spot and opened his arms to me. I took my place on his lap, leaning my back against his chest, and couldn’t fight the lump in my throat as I paid more attention to the viewers than the movie.

We had been through so much. All of us had suffered at the hands of the gods, and Titan.

But we had survived their petty rivalries and their childish jealousies.

We had come out the other side stronger for what we had endured.

Not that I wanted a repeat anytime soon, but if it meant I got to sit here, surrounded by my family and friends, both alive and dead, with Kierce’s warm lips pressed against my nape, I would do it over again in a heartbeat.

“Look what you did, you little jerk.”

Yanked from my thoughts, I couldn’t tell if the quote was a Josie original or one stolen from Uncle Frank in the movie.

Based on the barrage of finger foods flying at her face seconds later, neither could Matty.

Carter joined in after a brownie hit her in the eye, and Keisha started flinging celery sticks after a devilled egg smacked her in the chin and stuck.

Harrow abstained until Aretha selected a cupcake and smashed it on his forehead.

Then he gathered cheese cubes, pelting her while she tried to catch them in her mouth.

Lucia had the good sense to set a circle, allowing her to enjoy the battle without becoming a casualty.

The spirits, likewise, were cheering on their favorites.

The Suarezes, in particular, rallied behind Matty.

No surprise there, since he was their weekday host while they worked at the shop.

The Buckley Boys whooped at the general chaos, and even a few spectral dogs bounded across the pallet, chasing food they couldn’t eat.

“So.” I tipped my head back to see Kierce better. “How’s the quiet life working out for you?”

A hamburger slider thumped against his temple, staining his cheek with ketchup, and I laughed at his tolerant expression.

“It’s heaven.” He smeared mustard down my cheek with his fingertips. “Just like I knew it would be.”