Chapter 7

Piper squeezed my hand back, and for a second I saw hesitation flicker across her face. Then, Corey's voice came from behind us.

"Piper."

Her whole expression changed. Her attention locked on him instantly, and her grip on my hand loosened.

Corey flashed a bright smile. "We're heading out to see Grandma and Grandpa. Logan doesn't want to come for some reason."

Piper sighed and pushed me away. "Logan, I thought being grounded all those days might've knocked some sense into you. Why are you picking fights with your family again?"

I looked into her familiar eyes and couldn't get a single word out. That night in the pouring rain, I'd thought this girl was my lifeline.

Now I understood that she was nothing but a dream I'd been too desperate to wake up from. She was never going to lead me out of this storm.

I let go of her hand and stood there, frozen. Dad caught up, grabbed me, and shoved me into the car.

Piper didn't look at me again. She smiled and waved goodbye to Corey, telling him to have fun out in the country.

The car pulled away, and all I could do was pray silently. I wanted time to move faster, just a little faster. Once I got on that plane, all of this would be behind me for good.

A few hours later, we pulled up to the old family farmhouse. My grandparents had set up a big outdoor feast.

Half the county had turned up, and every last person was crowded around Corey. They were telling him how handsome he was, how impressive he was, and how he was destined for great things. Mom and Dad beamed with pride.

I sat in the corner like a spectator, watching their happy little family from the outside. The table was loaded with food, but I couldn't taste any of it. I picked at a few bites and eventually drifted back inside to lie down on the couch in the living room, and nobody cared.

I didn't know how much time had passed when the noise outside finally died down, and the sky turned dark. I heard a car engine start. I walked outside and saw that Mom and Dad had already left with Sabrina and Corey.

A sick feeling crawled up the back of my neck.

"Dad! Mom!" I ran after them, but I barely made it to the front gate before my grandparents stepped in to block my path.

"Where do you think you're going?"

My heart was hammering. "Why did Mom and Dad leave? Why didn't they take me?"

Grandpa scoffed. "Take you? You're old enough to start pulling your weight for this family."

A chill sank through me. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Grandma smiled, and the look on her face made my skin crawl. "The mayor's daughter passed away a few years back, and the family's been looking for the right person to take part in a spirit marriage.

"Your birth chart is a match, and they're willing to pay handsomely."

She named a figure, and her cloudy eyes gleamed. "Your brother's going to art school. That's expensive. It's time you did your part for the family."

I thought I'd heard her wrong. "A spirit marriage? You want me to marry a dead girl?

"I already got into college. My life is just starting."

Grandpa's face hardened. "Your grades are nothing special. What's the point of all that schooling?

"The mayor only had the one daughter. You marry into that family, carry on their name, and they'll take good care of you."

I stumbled back, and my whole body went cold. These people were my own flesh and blood, and they were plotting to sell me off to a corpse.

I spun around to run, but the second I took a step, my legs buckled. I tried to scream, but nothing came out.

My arms and legs went numb, one by one, and the next thing I knew, everything went black, and I hit the ground.