My Tethered Soul: Volume 2 (Reaper's Rite) Read Online Free PDF Page B

good.” Mara stepped over a patch of mud by my door. “Maybe Chase has some kind of anti-sleepwalking remedy in that alchemist kit of his.”
    I felt filthy. I had to get into the shower. “Maybe.”
    After grabbing some clothes from my drawer, I walked on mud-caked tiptoes to the bathroom. Making a note to clean up all the muck once I washed myself, I slipped into the hot shower. Grimy streams of brown washed off of me and swirled down the drain. I scrubbed my skin twice just to be sure I got all the dirt off. I had been concentrating so much on my legs and feet that I didn’t notice the scratches on my arms until I was almost done with my shower.
    The cuts weren’t deep. More like I had been walking through a thick forest or doing extreme garden work with thorny rose bushes. But where did they come from?
    I quickly got dressed and ran to Mara’s room. She was laying out two different outfits on her bed, staring at them as if trying to decide which to wear. As soon as I stepped through her doorway, she turned to me.
    “Mara.” I didn’t say another word, but simply showed her the scratches.
    She lowered her brows and then closed in on me. I felt a little like a rag doll as she grabbed my arms and twisted them around to examine the cuts.
    “What the —?”
    My breath shuddered. “Let’s go to Lilura’s. Maybe she can help.”
    “I have a final today.” Mara’s eyes look apologetic. “I can’t skip.”
    “After?” My voice was a pleading whisper.
    Mara held my cheek in her hand. “Of course.”
    I put my hand over hers and nodded in thanks. I turned to get ready for school, but Mara grabbed my arm.
    “Zadie, do you think it’s somehow connected?”
    “What?”
    “My powers coming back and your sleepwalking episodes?”
    I swallowed back the dryness that crept into my throat. “Do you mean, Reaper-wise? You think there’s a Reaper near?”
    She didn’t answer. We were both thinking the same thing. Bitter fear coated my tongue as we held each other tight.

Chapter Five
     
    I searched for the bracelet Gavin had given me, but couldn’t find it anywhere. I checked under my bed, just to be sure, but nothing. Great. The washing machine was probably tearing it apart with my bed sheets. Or, with my luck, I had it with me when I was sleepwalking. It could be anywhere now.
    I wasn’t looking forward to school, but the thought of surrounding myself with normalcy gave me a sense of calm. As I gathered my first period books from my locker, I wondered what Lilura would say about me walking in my sleep. All signs pointed to nothing good.
    I jumped when a finger poked me in the shoulder.
    “Jesus, Naomi, you know I hate when you do that.”
    She leaned against the locker next to mine. “Sorry, Zade. Um, did you get my text last night? You didn’t write back.”
    “My phone died, and I forgot to recharge it.” I bit my lip. Would I have heard the phone if it was charged? Or would I have been in an unbreakable trance at the time? I cleared my throat. “Was it something important?”
    “Well, socially important, I guess.” She pulled her bangs across her forehead. “Danny and I decided to go to prom together. Just as friends of course, obviously.”
    I smiled, glad that I could indulge in a topic that was not Reaper related. “That’s cool.”
    “You really think so? It’s not lame?”
    “No, I think it’s nice. We’ll all be together; it’ll be fun.”
    Naomi shrugged and pulled at the ends of her hair. “I just hope I didn’t scare off any boy who might potentially have asked me out.”
    “Are you kidding? Guys love competition. It might get more guys interested in you.”
    “Oh. Well in that case, I should have gone with Danny to the Winter Ball to grease the wheels of my social life.”
    “Yeah, maybe.”
    She hooked her arm through mine as we walked to class. “So we’re going dress shopping after school, right?”
    I grimaced. “I have training.”
    She rested a hand on her hip. “And