All The Pretty Ghosts (The Never Series Book 1) Jamie Campbell (best life changing books .TXT) 📖

I had to run to catch up with him. There were still things we needed to discuss. “Tell me what you know, then. Why are the adults here? Why didn’t they die with the rest of them?”

Jet kept walking, not even slowing down to listen. He led me up the ramp, the pathway a sheer drop down the side into the cavern. One wrong step and it would be all over.

“Jet, will you just slow down?” I pleaded.

He ignored me.

“Jet, please.”

We left the cavern, turning into the dark tunnel and starting down the labyrinth. He remained silent, refusing to say another word. I pushed him too far. I made too many demands. Any kindness he might have had for me had vanished into thin air.

But I was still angry. I still needed answers. There was no point in beating around the bush when there were children dying above ground. It wasn’t a trivial matter.

And it wasn’t only a few children.

The death toll would continue to rise during the winter. Whoever wasn’t taken at the hands of others would be snapped up by the ice and snow. It wasn’t a matter of if, but when.

“Jet, I need to know what’s going on,” I started again. We had walked so far we were almost outside his room again. “Please tell me. So many are dying.”

He suddenly stopped without warning, pushing me against the wall. Both his hands were leaning behind me, boxing me in so I couldn’t do anything except look at him.

My heart instantly started racing. It wasn’t his close proximity, but the fear of what he might do to me. Clearly, I had made him angry.

“It’s not my secret to tell, princess,” he said, his breath running over my skin.

For a few moments, we did nothing but stare at each other. I was certain he could hear my heart pounding. That, combined with his sharp breathing, was all that filled my ears.

My mouth was dry, I had to lick my lips just to get them to work and form words again. “Whose secret is it then?”

Jet dropped his arms and stepped back, releasing me from his hold. The relief was instant and I couldn’t help but sigh from the action. I could breathe again now.

“I’m telling you now, just drop it,” he said evenly. Whatever had caused his outburst had subsided. “There are some things you don’t want to know. This is one of them.”

“I should be the judge of that. I don’t need you telling me what I should and shouldn’t know.”

He balled his right hand into a fist and hit the wall. The dull thud echoed down the tunnel, making me flinch. I didn’t want my face to be next. “You’re not listening to me. Walk away and don’t come back. Okay? Forget about the adults, I shouldn’t have shown them to you in the first place.”

“But you did. For some reason, you trusted me with that knowledge and now I don’t have the option of walking away. I have to stay and I have to know why,” I replied, trying to keep the quiver out of my voice. I had no idea why he was reacting this way or what he was trying to tell me. Everything was just so… wrong.

“I was stupid to show you.”

“But not stupid enough to trust me with the rest of your secrets.” I started walking. If we were at Jet’s room, I could probably make my way back up without him. It would take me much longer, and I’d probably get lost more than once, but I would be able to do it.

I didn’t need Jet.

I didn’t need anyone.

My feet made it about ten paces before Jet spoke again. “I know what happened to your sister.”

I froze. Either I was dreaming, or he was just saying anything to keep me here. Or perhaps he was trying to get rid of me and knew the mention of my sister would have that affect on me.

But how did he even know I had a sister?

I hadn’t told him. I didn’t let anyone know about her if I could avoid it. Only Oliver knew of Faith and her connection to me. Nobody else.

I turned around. “What did you say?”

He hadn’t moved from his position by the wall. “I said I know what happened to your sister. I take it you would probably like to know, too.”

“You’re lying. You know nothing about her,” I called out, my voice rising with panic I couldn’t hide.

“There isn’t anything I don’t know about in this city.”

He was lying.

I was a toy he enjoyed playing with. Nothing more and nothing less. He could not have known anything about Faith. I was her sister and hadn’t managed to find her in over a year. It was ludicrous to think Jet, a stranger, could have any answers.

“You know nothing,” I muttered, shaking my head and turning. I couldn’t look at him anymore. Keeping some dark secret about the remaining adults was one thing. Lying to me about my sister was something else entirely.

It was cruel.

Inhumane.

I wound my way through the tunnels with stomping feet and fuming anger. I let the darkness swallow me whole, glad for the deprivation of my senses. I had failed in getting the information I came for. The information I needed. I deserved the darkness, it matched my mood.

Jet didn’t follow me.

If I ran into one of the mole people, they would probably have taken the opportunity to kill me while nobody was watching. My heartbeat sounded like footsteps on so many occasions my nerves were shot by the time I saw daylight again.

The sun was on its way down already, refusing to linger in the cold weather. Strong winds whipped around my thin clothes, sending the