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    The Awakening
    The Awakening
    The Awakening
    Ebook306 pages4 hours

    The Awakening

    By Kelley Armstrong

    3.5/5

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    About this ebook

    If you had met me a few weeks ago, you probably would have described me as an average teenage girl—someone normal. Now my life has changed forever and I'm as far away from normal as it gets. A living science experiment—not only can I see ghosts, but I was genetically altered by a sinister organization called the Edison Group. What does that mean? For starters, I'm a teenage necromancer whose powers are out of control; I raise the dead without even trying. Trust me, that is not a power you want to have. Ever.

    Now I'm running for my life with three of my supernatural friends—a charming sorcerer, a cynical werewolf, and a disgruntled witch—and we have to find someone who can help us before the Edison Group finds us first. Or die trying.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateApr 28, 2009
    ISBN9780061857829
    Author

    Kelley Armstrong

    Kelley Armstrong is the author of over fifty novels, including the Rip Through Time mysteries and the horror novel, Hemlock Island. She lives with her family in Canada.

    Read more from Kelley Armstrong

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    Reviews for The Awakening

    3.5/5

    770 ratings119 reviews

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    • 1/5
      Couldn’t bring myself to finish the book. I became more and more annoyed with the characters the more I read. I was really looking forward to this book after watching the TV series but was kind of let down.
    • 3/5
      Find this review and more at On The Shelf!Well, this wasn’t exactly what I was expecting it to be. I watched the first 3 seasons before I read this book. I love the TV series, but I wasn’t in love with the book. At least not this first one. It is quite different from the show!Elena was very different between the book and the show. In the show she is a caring person who puts others before herself, but in the book she was the queen bee at school and manipulated people to get whatever she wanted. I just didn’t like her very much.And this book was the worst I have read on insta-love. It was unreal how fast the insta-love was. There was no real connection between Elena and Stefan for me. I understand why Stefan would want Elena, but I don’t know why she wants Stefan other than she feels the need to take whatever she wants. There was no relationship development.Stefan on the other hand I actually did like. He is very mysterious and wants to protect Elena. We get a good history on him and he is a deeper character than Elena and has a better attitude.There was soooo many things that were different between this book and the show, I really wouldn’t know where to start with it. There are characters in the book not in the show and vice versa, characters who have totally different personalities and names where changed and mixed around. Gotta say I like the TV show better than what I have read so far. I will keep reading however because I want to see more of Damon (I’m Team Damon all the way) and hopefully I won’t be so annoyed with Elena past the first book.Annoying main female character, good writing, major insta-love, enjoyed the TV show better.
    • 4/5
      A very enjoyable read. The plot had enough of a difference to keep me enthralled and the multilayer characters were exciting to get to know. Can't wait to read the rest of the series.
    • 2/5
      The only reason I picked up this book was because I LOVE The Vampire Diaries TV show. I cannot believe that the book like this could give an inspiration to create such a great show... But I am glad that the show is based on this book very loosely. I am not sure if the book is worth even two stars, it's cheesy and annoying, and I finished it just because I didn't have to read it, I got it as an audiobook. Since I don't have anything better to listen right now and I really enjoy listening to the audiobooks (even as lame as this one), I am planning to continue with the book series. Hopefully it will get better.
    • 1/5
      When I finished reading this book I thought two things:

      1. This is the book that Kevin Williamson read that convinced him to turned it into a show?

      2. Stephenie Meyer is a clever plagiarist!

      Ladies and gentleman, this is where the horrible series known now as "The Twilight Saga" got its beginnings. This book was horrendous. I couldn't believe it because I once loved the show. Terrible characterization and plots.

      Basically, I blame this book for starting Twilight. Read The Awakening and then read Twilight. The similarities are uncanny!

      But there is good news, it does get better in the next three books.
    • 3/5
      Ok, so I started watching the Vampire Diaries TV series for a few friends and my sister, and I really liked it! So I got really excited when I found out that they were a book series before they were a TV show, and of course I hunted them down. I was pretty disappointed because this book was by far different from show and not in a good way. I found Elena irritating, self centered, selfish, and annoying. I couldn't get into the book.
    • 2/5
      I started reading this series because I enjoyed the show so much I just had to read the books. What a disappointment. I know these were written pre-Twilight, but while reading this I felt like I was reading Twilight. It’s basically the same story, but the characters are not as likeable. Clearly Meyer ripped this one off but somehow she made the story more interesting, for me at least.

      The main problem I had with this story was that Elena was a hard character for me to like. She came off very bratty and selfish. Stephan never became a crush for me. He was way too aloof. The romance scene where both characters decide they like each other was not well developed. All of a sudden they went from avoiding each other to “I’ll die for you”…bleh! I just couldn’t help rolling my eyes as I got to the end of the story. Thankfully, the show made some changes to make the characters more likeable.
    • 3/5
      This was pretty unimpressive. It wasn't awful but it didn't really have a whole lot of substance. It started off pretty good- I quite liked the beginning. However, Elena and Stefan were declaring their love for each other after literally one conversation and it all got a bit silly after that and I found myself rolling my eyes a few times. One minute they had never spoken two words to each other and the next minute they were 'in love'. It was just kind of silly. The writing was easy and light and it was a quick enough read which made up for the lack of everything else.
    • 3/5
      16 years before Twilight, there were the Vampire Diaries! Seriously, they are SO much alike. I still prefer Twilight though, and it wasn't really my own choice to reread this so shortly after my first read of it, but it's being translated to Danish, so I was asked to review it for my publisher. Thankfully it's a quick read! It's not bad - just nothing special either.
    • 3/5
      I approached this book primarily from two perspectives: a more generic point of view that judges this book stacked up alongside every other book I have ever read and one that judges it primarily within the genre that it was written in and the audience its meant to serve. I think the second perspective is probably the one that is the most fair to criticize it through, and from that perspective it is at least an average-to-fair quality book, but it's very hard to look past the glaring faults and nonsense that litters the pages. Then again, I'm not coming, perhaps, from the audience that the author intended to market to.If you're looking for an easy teen paranormal romance I can see how this would be incredibly satisfying. The characters, while not immediately likeable, do grow and change significantly considering the short word count, and yet not so much that it is hard to get a grip on. Elena, the main character, begins the book somewhat selfish and spoiled, and while she has begun to develop a sense of empathy and concern for others by the end of the story, she is STILL a very self-centered and egotistical person. Stefan, the obligatory reluctant vampire, seems to move through waves rather than undergo actual changes as he fluctuates between being cold and emotional responsive to Elena despite feelings for her that apparently drive him to uncharacteristic behaviors. He was perhaps the least likeable character in the story.The side characters are more charming than the protagonists. Elena's friends are kind and have distinct interests and personalities that I would like to see developed further. Damon, though his appearances are brief and he only receives any real attention in the last 10% of the book, hints at a depth of character that Stefan, so far, touches only superficially. The romance scenes are forced and quick to the point of embarrassment, quaint enough to carry a reader that doesn't expect much more than a suggestion of emotional weight but not capable of eliciting much more excitement than that. Smith is good, however, at creating a sense of mood and atmosphere. This slim book abounds with fantastic, melodramatic descriptions of scenery and Fell's Church begins to acquire a characterhood that is not often attained by the settings of most YA romance novels. This book is worth a read for those that are interested in getting a grip on this past decade's fascination with vampire romance or YA supernatural romance in general. If you're able to put aside your harshest expectations it may even provide some occasional moments of legitimate enjoyment.
    • 4/5
      High school queen falls for Mr Tall Dark and Mysterious and vows to get him, not realizing he's a 600 year old vampire and she's the perfect likeness of his long lost love.
    • 1/5
      This was easily the worst book I have ever read in my life. Just like with the Sookie Stackhouse novels, I watched True Blood first. This have me unrealistic expectations, and left me very disappointed with the book. The same applies here. I've been watching Vampire Diaries since it first started. I found the first book on my nook on sale so I figured I would read it. Well that was the worst decision I've ever made. The entire first part of this book is dedicated to making the reader understand just how popular, and perfect Elena is. It just continuously reiterates that she can have every boy in the entire school, her life is amazing, she gets whatever she wants, oh but of course she's vulnerable because her parents are dead. I completely understand this is a YA novel, but this book is so high school it pained me to read it. I had to force myself to read the last 60 pages. I will never ever ever read this again. I don't even want to remember I ever read it.
    • 3/5
      I have to admit I didn't finish this book which is a rarity. I just was hung up on how self absorbed Elena's character was in the book vs the series. The show's writers have done a good job softening up her character.

      Book starts out with her coming back from a stay in France to start school back at her old high school. She hasn't even officially met Stefan but is already telling her friends that "I will have him" sooo yeah not interested. Sorry everyone I wish I could give it more.
    • 1/5
      Decided that I can't *stand* the character of Elena in the book and therefore this series is not worth finishing.
    • 5/5
      this book was slow in the beginning, but in the end i loved it. i thought it was wayy better than twilight. i like it better because i think this book has more action. this is definetly one of my favorite books.
    • 3/5
      Fairly typical beginning of a vampire saga although with the love triangle element. The downside of this volume is the high school atmosphere (although admittedly the youthfulness of the characters is necessary to carry the passion). I am the wrong gender and age to enjoy accounts that include the pettiness of girls' rivalry and the fluttery expressions of feeling.
    • 4/5
      vampire falls in love with human. love can come over everything such as dead and enemy. it's a romantic and adventurous story..
    • 3/5
      I loved this book when I was about 13 and it actually holds up surprisingly well. It's not as dated as I thought it would be, more sensual than I remembered, and I think the TV show's doing a nice job of adapting the plot and characters for today's teens.
    • 3/5
      Usually I say that the book is better than the movie/TV show but not in this case: the TV show is actually one of my favorites, but this was disappointing. Good, but Elena was really shallow, and I couldn't believe that for someone who had just lost her parents.......still good though.
    • 3/5
      This was a good read, but I thought is was nothing like the TV show. I mean I know that book and their TV shows will be different but there was a lot of differences that I notices from the books and the TV shows. No offense to the author, but I kind of liked the TV show better. In the book, I believe Elena is a blonde and I don't picture her at a blonde. In the TV show she had dark hair. I think that Elena looks better in the show. Same with some of the other characters: Bonnie, Caroline, etc. I enjoyed reading this book though, because I love vampire stories. I would recommend this to anyone who likes vampire stories but just be aware of the changes if you have read the books AND watched the TV show.
    • 4/5
      Wonderful fluff. Series that the Vampire Diaries TV show is based on. I enjoyed the novel but it's VERY high in teenage girl drama.
    • 5/5
      This first one takes a short while to get going as it gives some necessary introductions, but as YA fiction goes, it's good, and by the far the best I've read that deals with Vampires. The series as a whole is strong, and this book sets a good tone for it with believable characters and an engaging story.
    • 4/5
       Not great literature, but the story moves along nicely. I kept waiting for the plotlines of the TV series to show up. And Elena has blond hair in the book. Same self-sacrificing love of a vampire for a human as in the Eclipse series leading to the same doubting by the woman that she is worthy of him.
    • 3/5
      Actually, the Vampire Diaries is kind of a nice series. Elena is definitely nicer than Bella for one thing. The story is more or less the same and that's because there is only a limited amount of things that can be told about vampires at high school. The comparison with Twilight is therefore inevitable.Twilight is defnitely the better, more romantic series. LJ Smith does not hook me as much. That being said, LJ Smith dares to go a bit further and makes the story more gruesome, and is not as goodygoody as Stephenie Meyer.
    • 3/5
      I appreciate that L.J. Smith was writing young adult vampire novels twenty years before it became over-popular and overdone. This book started out like addictive candy that I couldn't get enough of, but quickly became less and less interesting. Stock characters, flat plot, and the whole thing felt inevitably dated. I had to force myself to finish, and now I'm done . . . I'll still finish out the trilogy, though. I'm that dedicated.
    • 4/5
      I was pleasantly surprised with how quickly I blazed through this book. I didn't realize it was an almost-20 year old book, but I think that the story, as well as the characters, have stood the test of time. The story didn't seem "dated" like some other books I've read. The plot is somewhat predictable, but that doesn't make it any less enjoyable as mind candy. I read loads of YA lit, much of it pretty intense and serious, and it is nice to take a break from the serious, and move into a story you can just enjoy for what it is: a suspenseful fantasy. No having to read between the lines and try to figure out character's motives and pasts, it's all laid out for you. There are a few slightly steamy scenes between Stefan and Elena, but they are tasteful and nothing more happens that making out, although you can definitely feel their passion/desire for one another. This is one of those paranormal romances that I don't have to worry about recommending to younger teens because there is very little swearing, and no sex at all. Overall, I'm giving the book 4 stars for getting me out of reality and into a fantasy for a bit.
    • 1/5
      I hated this, didn't even finish it. I really like the TV show, though.
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed this book reading about the relationship between Elena and Stefan and Damon. Unlike the tv show which I am a fan of Tyler, in the book not so much he really plays the bratty card well. I liked how Damon kept the mysteriousness of himself. Definitely a great teenage read!
    • 2/5
      Elena, the most beautiful and popular girl in high school, becomes fascinated by the new and mysterious Italian boy in school, Stefan; however, she can’t believe that Stefan isn’t interested in her. What Elena doesn’t know is that Stefan is trying to protect her from what he is—a vampire. The two fall in love anyway, but problems arise when Stefan’s dangerously attractive brother, Damon, arrives in town and decides he wants Elena for himself. The book has numerous similarities to the Twilight series, which readers might enjoy. The author does not seem to develop the characters well and most of them seem shallow, selfish, and weak, even the heroine. That makes it difficult for the readers to sympathize with the characters and engage with the plot. The Awakening is only book one in the Vampire Diaries, therefore, the storyline and characters might develop more as the series progress. Young adult readers might be drawn the darkness, mystery, and suspense if they like vampires-themed literature; however, there are better vampires books out there. Additional Selection.
    • 3/5
      I started watching the series before reading the books. I think I prefer the series to the books, only because they picked some pretty delectable vampire men to star in it.

    Book preview

    The Awakening - Kelley Armstrong

    One

    WHEN THE DOOR TO my cell clicked open, the first thought that flitted through my doped-up brain was that Liz had changed her mind and come back. But ghosts don’t open doors. They will, on occasion, ask me to open one, so I can raise and interrogate the zombies of supernaturals killed by a mad scientist, but they never need one opened for themselves.

    I sat up in bed and rubbed my bleary eyes, blinking away the lingering fog of the sedative. For a moment, the door stayed open only a crack. I slid from the bed, tiptoeing across the thick carpet of my fake hotel room, praying the person on the other side had been called away and I could escape before these people started whatever experiments they’d brought me here to—

    Hello, Chloe. Dr. Davidoff beamed his best kindly-old-man smile as he pushed the door wide. He wasn’t that old—maybe fifty—but in a movie, I’d cast him as the doddering absentminded scientist. It was an act I’m sure he’d worked on until he got it just right.

    The woman behind him had chic blond hair and a New York suit. I’d cast her as the mother of the nastiest girl in class. Which was cheating, because that’s exactly who she was. Mother of Victoria—Tori—Enright, the one housemate we’d left out of our plans when we’d escaped from Lyle House, and for good cause, considering she was one of the reasons I’d needed to escape.

    Tori’s mom carried a Macy’s bag, like she’d just been out shopping and popped in to conduct a few horrific experiments before heading to lunch.

    I know you have a lot of questions, Chloe, Dr. Davidoff said as I sat on the edge of the bed. We’re here to answer them for you. We just need a little help from you first.

    Simon and Derek, Mrs. Enright said. Where are they?

    I looked from her to Dr. Davidoff, who smiled and nodded encouragingly, like he fully expected me to turn in my friends.

    I’d never been an angry kid. I’d never run away from home. Never stamped my feet and screamed that life was unfair and I wished I’d never been born. Whenever my dad told me we were moving again and I needed to transfer schools, I’d swallowed a whiny but I just made new friends, nod, and tell him I understood.

    Accept your lot. Count your blessings. Be a big girl.

    Now, looking back at a life of doing what I was told, I realized I’d bought into the game. When adults patted me on the head and told me I was so grown-up, what they really meant was that they were glad I wasn’t grown-up enough yet to question, to fight back.

    Looking at Dr. Davidoff and Mrs. Enright, I thought of what they’d done to me—lying to me, locking me up—and I wanted to stamp my feet. Wanted to scream. But I wasn’t going to give them that satisfaction.

    I widened my eyes as I met Mrs. Enright’s gaze. You mean you haven’t found them yet?

    I think she would have slapped me if Dr. Davidoff hadn’t lifted his hand.

    No, Chloe, we haven’t found the boys, he said. We’re very concerned for Simon’s safety.

    Because you think Derek might hurt him?

    Not intentionally, of course. I know Derek’s fond of Simon.

    Fond? What a strange word to use. Derek and Simon were foster brothers, tighter than any blood brothers I knew. Sure, Derek was a werewolf, but that wolf part of him was what would stop him from ever hurting Simon. He’d protect him at all costs—I’d already seen that.

    My skepticism must have shown on my face, because Dr. Davidoff shook his head, as if disappointed in me. All right, Chloe. If you can’t spare any concern for Simon’s safety, maybe you can for his health.

    W-what ab-bou— My stutter cropped up most when I was nervous, and I couldn’t let them know they’d struck a nerve. So I tried again, slower now. What about his health?

    His condition.

    Apparently I wasn’t the only one who watched too many movies. Now they would tell me that Simon had some rare medical condition and if he didn’t get his medicine within twelve hours, he’d spontaneously combust.

    What condition?

    He has diabetes, Dr. Davidoff said. His blood sugar levels need to be monitored and regulated.

    With one of those blood testing things? I said slowly, thinking back. Simon had always disappeared into the bathroom before meals. I’d thought he just liked to wash up. I’d bumped into him once coming out as he’d been shoving a small black case into his pocket.

    That’s right, Dr. Davidoff said. With proper care, diabetes is easily managed. You weren’t aware of it because you didn’t need to be. Simon leads a normal life.

    Except for one thing, Tori’s mom said.

    She reached into the Macy’s bag and took out a backpack. It looked like Simon’s, but I wasn’t falling for that—they’d probably bought a matching one. Sure, she pulled out a hoodie I recognized as Simon’s, but he’d left behind a whole closet of clothing at Lyle House. Easy enough to grab stuff from there.

    Next came a pad of paper and pouch of colored pencils. Simon’s room was filled with his comic book sketches. Again, easy enough to—

    Mrs. Enright flipped through the sketch pad, holding up pages. Simon’s work in progress. He’d never have left that behind.

    Finally, she laid a flashlight on the table. The flashlight from Lyle House—the one I’d watched him put into his bag.

    Simon slipped going over the fence, she said. He had his backpack over one shoulder. It fell. Our people were right behind him so he had to leave it. There’s something in here that Simon needs much more than clothing and art supplies.

    She opened a navy nylon pouch. Inside were two pen-like vials, one filled with cloudy liquid, the other clear. The insulin to replace what Simon’s body can’t produce. He injects himself with these three times a day.

    What happens if he doesn’t?

    Dr. Davidoff took over. We aren’t going to scare you and say that if Simon skips a single shot, he’ll die. He’s already missed his morning one, and I’m sure he only feels a bit out of sorts. But by tomorrow, he’ll be vomiting. In about three days, he’ll lapse into a diabetic coma. He took the pouch from Tori’s mom and set it in front of me. We need to get this to Simon. To do that, you need to tell us where he is.

    I agreed to try.

    Two

    IN A GOOD DRAMA, the protagonist never takes the straight line to the prize. She must set out, hit an obstacle, detour around it, hit another, take a longer detour, another obstacle, another detour…. Only when she has built up the strength of character to deserve the prize does she finally succeed.

    My story was already fitting the time-honored pattern. Fitting, I guess, for a film student. Or, I should say, former film student. Chloe Saunders, fifteen-year-old Steven Spielberg wannabe, her dreams of writing and directing Hollywood blockbusters shattered on the day she got her first period and started living the kind of life she’d once imagined putting on the screen.

    That’s when I started seeing ghosts. After freaking out at school, I was taken away by the men in the white jackets and shipped off to a group home for mentally disturbed teens. Problem is, I really did see ghosts. And I wasn’t the only kid at Lyle House with supernatural powers.

    Simon could cast spells. Rae could burn people with her bare fingers. Derek had superhuman strength and senses and, apparently, soon would be able to change into a wolf. Tori…well, I didn’t know what Tori was—maybe just a screwed-up kid put in Lyle House because her mom helped run it.

    Simon, Derek, Rae, and I realized it was no coincidence we were in the same place, and we escaped. Rae and I got separated from the guys and, after running to my aunt Lauren—the person I had trusted most in the world—I ended up here, in some kind of laboratory run by the same people who owned Lyle House.

    Now they expected me to help them bring in Simon and Derek?

    Well, it was time to introduce a few obstacles of my own. So, in the spirit of proper storytelling, I told Dr. Davidoff where to find Simon and Derek.

    Step one: establish the goal. Rae and I were supposed to hide while the guys stayed behind to distract you with Simon’s magic, I told Dr. Davidoff. Rae ran on ahead so she didn’t hear, but at the last second Simon pulled me back and said, if we got separated, we’d meet at the rendezvous point.

    Step two: introduce the obstacle. "Where is the rendezvous point? That’s the problem. I don’t know where it is. We talked about needing one, but everything was so crazy that day. We’d only just decided to escape, and then Derek was saying it had to be that night. The guys must have picked a rendezvous point, and forgot they never told me where it was."

    Step three: map out the detour. But I do have some ideas—places we talked about. One of them must be the rendezvous point. I could help you find it. They’ll be looking for me, so they might hide until they see me.

    Rather than escape this place, I’d let them take me out by using me as bait. I’d list places I’d never discussed with Simon or Derek, and there would be no chance they’d get captured. A brilliant plan.

    The response?

    We’ll keep that in mind, Chloe. But for now, just tell us the locations. We have ways to find the boys once we get there.

    Obstacles. An essential part of the storytelling process. But in real life? They suck.

    After Dr. Davidoff and Tori’s mom had gotten my list of fake rendezvous points, they left, giving me nothing in return—no answers, no clues about why I was here or what would happen to me.

    I sat cross-legged on my bed, staring down at the necklace in my hands as if it were a crystal ball that could provide all those answers. My mom had given it to me back when I was seeing bogeymen—ghosts, as I now knew. She said the necklace would stop them from coming, and it did. I’d always figured, like my dad said, that it was psychological. I believed in it, so it worked. Now, I wasn’t so sure.

    Had my mom known I was a necromancer? She must have, if the blood ran in her family. Was the necklace supposed to ward off ghosts? If so, its power must have faded. It even looked faded—I swore the bright red jewel had gone a purplish color. One thing it didn’t do, though, was answer my questions. That I had to do for myself.

    I put the necklace back on. Whatever Dr. Davidoff and the others wanted from me, it wasn’t good. You don’t lock up kids you want to help.

    I certainly wasn’t going to tell them how to find Simon. If he needed insulin, Derek would get it, even if it meant breaking into a drugstore.

    I had to concentrate on getting Rae and me out. But this wasn’t Lyle House, where the only thing standing between us and freedom was an alarm system. This room might look like it belonged in a nice hotel—with a double bed, a carpeted floor, an armchair, desk, and private bathroom—but there were no windows and no knob on the inside of the door.

    I’d hoped to get Liz’s help escaping. My roommate at Lyle House, Liz hadn’t made it out alive, so when I first got here, I’d summoned her ghost, hoping she could help me find a way out. Only problem? Liz didn’t realize she was dead. As gently as I could, I’d broken the news. She’d flipped out, accusing me of lying, and disappeared.

    Maybe she’d had enough time to cool off. I doubted it, but I couldn’t wait. I had to try summoning her again.

    Three

    I PREPARED FOR A séance. As set pieces went, this one was so lame I’d never put it in a movie. No sputtering candles to cast eerie shadows on the walls, no moldy skulls forming a ritual circle, no chalices filled with what the audience would suppose was red wine but secretly hope was blood.

    Did experienced necromancers use stuff like candles and incense? From the little I’d learned about the supernatural world, I knew some of what we see in movies is true. Maybe, way back in history, people had known about necromancers and witches and werewolves, and those stories are based, if very loosely, on old truths.

    My method—if I can call it a method since I’ve only used it twice—came from trial and error and a few grudging tips from Derek. As a guy who was taking college-level courses at sixteen, being confident of his facts is important to Derek. If he isn’t sure, he’d rather keep his mouth shut. But when I’d pushed him, he’d told me that he’d heard that necromancers summoned ghosts either by being at a graveside or by using a personal effect, like Liz’s hoodie, so I was sitting cross-legged on the carpet, clutching it.

    I pictured Liz and imagined myself pulling her out of limbo. At first, I didn’t try very hard. The last time I’d focused all my power into summoning a ghost, I’d summoned two right back into their buried corpses. I wasn’t near a grave this time, but that didn’t mean there weren’t bodies around somewhere. So I kept the voltage low at first, gradually ramping it up, focusing harder and harder until…

    What the—? Hey, who are you?

    My eyes flew open. There stood a dark-haired boy about my age with the build, looks, and arrogant chin tilt of a star quarterback. Finding the ghost of another teenager in this place wasn’t a coincidence. A name popped into my head—that of another Lyle House resident who’d been taken away before I arrived, supposedly transferred to a mental hospital, like Liz.

    Brady? I said tentatively.

    Yeah, but I don’t know you. Or this place.

    He pivoted, scanning the room, then rubbed the back of his neck. I stopped myself before asking if he was okay. Of course he wasn’t okay. He was dead. Like Liz. I swallowed.

    What happened to you? I asked softly.

    He jumped, as if startled by my voice.

    Is someone else here? I asked, hoping he sensed Liz, beyond the pale where I couldn’t see her.

    I thought I heard… He studied me, frowning. You brought me here?

    "I—I didn’t mean to. But…since you are here, can you tell me—?"

    Nothing. I can’t tell you anything. He squared his shoulders. Whatever you want to talk about, I’m not interested.

    He looked away, determined not to be interested. When he started to fade, I was ready to let him go. Rest in peace. Then I thought about Rae and Simon and Derek. If I didn’t get some answers, we might all join Brady in the afterlife.

    My name’s Chloe, I said quickly. I’m a friend of Rae’s. From Lyle House. I was there with her, after you—

    He kept fading.

    Wait! I said. I c-can prove it. Back at Lyle House. You tried getting into a fight with Derek, and Simon shoved you away. Only he didn’t touch you. He used magic.

    Magic?

    It was a spell that knocks people back. Simon’s a sorcerer. All the kids in Lyle House—

    "I knew it. I knew it. He swore under his breath as he rematerialized. All that time, they kept trying to shove their diagnosis down my throat, and I told them where else they could shove it, but I couldn’t prove anything."

    You told the nurses what happened with Simon, didn’t you?

    Nurses? He snorted. Glorified security guards. I wanted to speak to the real boss: Davidoff. They took me to see him at this other place, looked like a warehouse.

    I described what I’d seen of this building when we’d arrived.

    Yeah, that’s it. They took me inside and… His face screwed up in thought. A woman came to talk to me. A blonde. Said she was a doctor. Bellows? Fellows?

    Aunt Lauren. My heart battered my rib cage. So this woman, Dr. Fellows…

    She wanted me to say Derek started the fight. That he threatened me, punched me, shoved me, whatever. I considered it. A little payback for all the attitude I had to put up with from that jerk. I’d just been goofing around with him when Simon got all up in my face and smacked me with that spell.

    In the version I’d heard, Brady had been the one getting in Derek’s face. Simon had a good reason for interfering, too—the last time Derek took a swing, he’d broken a kid’s back.

    So Dr. Fellows wanted you to say Derek started the fight….

    I wouldn’t. I’d have to deal with the fallout when I went back to Lyle House and I didn’t need that grief. That’s when Davidoff came in. He hauled her out of the room, but I could still hear him chewing her out in the hall. She kept saying Derek was a menace and the only reason Davidoff kept him was because he couldn’t admit he made a mistake by including Derek’s type.

    Type?

    In the experiment.

    A chill settled in my gut. Ex-experiment?

    Brady shrugged. That’s all she said. Davidoff told her to shove off. He said he made a mistake with the others, but Derek was different.

    Others? Did he mean other werewolves? Or other subjects in this experiment? Was I a subject in this experiment?

    Did they say any—? I began.

    His head whipped to the side, as if seeing something out of the corner of his eye.

    What is it? I asked.

    Don’t you hear that?

    I listened. What is it?

    Whispering.

    It could be Liz. She—

    Brady went rigid. His eyes rolled. Then his head flew back, the tendons in his neck popping out, bones crackling. His throat convulsed and he gurgled. Instinctively I reached out to help. My hands passed through him, but I could feel the heat of his body, a scorching heat that made me fall back in surprise.

    As I recovered, Brady went still again. His chin lowered and he rolled his shoulders, as if working out the kinks. Then he looked down at me. His dark eyes were now a glowing yellowish-orange. The chill in my gut slunk up my spine.

    Frightened, child? The voice coming out of Brady’s mouth was a woman’s, so high and light it was almost girlish. Your instincts are excellent, but you have nothing to fear from me.

    W-where’s Brady?

    She looked down at the body she was possessing. "Do you like him? He is pretty, isn’t he? All of dear Dr. Lyle’s creations are so very pretty. Perfect balls of perfect energy, waiting to explode."

    In a blink, Brady was in front of me, his face coming down to mine, bathing me in scorching hot breath that smelled strangely sweet. Those orange eyes met mine, the pupils slitted like a cat’s.

    The boy can’t help you, child. But I can. You just need to—

    Her eyes rolled back, darkening to Brady’s brown, then back to orange as she snarled.

    They’re pulling him back to the other side. Call me, child. Quickly.

    C-call—

    Call me forth. I can—

    Her eyes rolled again, her snarl deepening into something inhuman, a sound that made the chill in my veins harden to ice. I stepped back and smacked into the wall.

    Call me forth, she said, voice going ragged, deepening into Brady’s. I can answer all your questions. Call me—

    Brady’s image wavered, then popped, like a TV screen after the power cord is pulled. One flash of white light and he was gone. I thought I heard a knock at the door but couldn’t move, just stared at the spot where Brady had been.

    The door opened, and Dr. Davidoff stepped in to find me plastered to the wall.

    Chloe?

    I staggered forward, rubbing my arms.

    Chloe?

    S-spider, I said, pointing to the bed. It r-ran under there.

    Dr. Davidoff struggled against a smile. Don’t worry. I’ll get someone to take care of it, while we’re gone. We’re going to go for a walk. It’s time you got a proper tour and a proper explanation.

    Four

    AS I FOLLOWED DR. Davidoff down the hall, I tried to shake off thoughts of whatever had been in my room. I was a necromancer: ghosts were my one and only specialty. So it had to be a ghost, no matter how strongly every instinct in me insisted it wasn’t. All I knew for sure was that I was in no hurry to go back in there.

    Now, Chloe— Dr. Davidoff stopped, noticing me rubbing the lingering goose bumps on my arms. Cold? I’ll have them turn up the heat in your room. Your comfort is important to us.

    We started walking again.

    But comfort isn’t just physical, is it? he continued. Equally important, perhaps even more, is mental comfort. A sense of security. I know you’re upset and confused, and it didn’t help when we refused to answer your questions. We were eager to start checking those places you listed.

    He hadn’t been gone long enough to visit spots miles away. I knew what he’d really been checking: whether Rae corroborated my story. She would. She didn’t know the real rendezvous point, only that I’d said the guys would meet up with us.

    Dr. Davidoff opened a door at the end of the hall. It was a security station, the wall lined with flat-screen monitors. Inside, a young man

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