City Of Ghosts Book 2 Novelas e Histórias

The neutral-zone apartment smelled of damp concrete, antiseptic, and the cheap copper tang of old pipes. It was a far cry from the marble-floored corridors of the Syndicate or the oppressive luxury of the Blackridge estate. Here, in the gray belly of the city where neither North nor South dared to claim jurisdiction, Anya was just another ghost in a city of strays. She lay on a threadbare sofa, her skin pale and clammy. Every breath felt like inhaling shards of glass. The rejection of Giovanni's roar of "Get out" hadn't just bruised her heart; it had fractured the very foundation of her soul.

Brixtius releases my arm and turns towards the door. Once at the double doors, he pushes on the dense wood, letting in the blinding light of the afternoon sun. Stopping to stare at me because I haven't moved a muscle, he quirks a brow eyebrow in my direction. "Are you coming?" his voice impatient. Not needing a further reason to stay in Madame Corydon's presence, I walk outside and take in the surrounding landscape. I am in an ancient Roman city because I am in a narrow cobblestone street with buildings lining the road on either side, built in the antique Roman style. Many smells are filling my nose, a mixture only made in a major city.

He drove with purpose, and I, like a phantom shadow, drifted along in his wake. I followed him as he made his rounds in a department store, buying things he had never once considered buying for me. It wasn't hard to see the distinction between love and indifference. My ghostly form seemed to grow heavier with every step, weighted down by the bitterness of seeing the man I had loved so deeply pamper another woman so thoroughly.

I whisper, mostly to the wine in my bloodstream. But sleep wins. Somewhere between the fire scene and the big unmasking, my eyelids get too heavy. My body sinks, soft and still, and the last thing I remember is Ghostface swinging that damn knife again. The alarm screams at me hours later like it wants beef. I groan, reach to smack my phone off the nightstand, but I can’t move. Like… I physically cannot move. I’m being held hostage by body heat. My eyes blink open. It’s still kinda dark, but that early morning gray is starting to creep in through the blinds. And I feel him.

The air shifts. Ashen just lost ground in this district. I sip my champagne and let myself smirk. They think they’re clever. They think they’re building something I can’t see. But this is still my city. My ground. My game. Every inch I lose, I’ll take back twice over. Kaia doesn’t know who she’s playing with. She thinks her little ghost, her little secrets, make her untouchable. But ghosts can be hunted. And I’ve been hunting longer than she’s been alive.

Toward the heirs and toward the bloodlines they once served. The sight sent a wave of unease through me. Thousands of silver eyes stared from below. Watching, waiting and judging. Then one by one, the spirits lowered their heads. The gesture rippled through the city. A silent bow from an entire kingdom. The mountain trembled again. A powerful shockwave surged through the cavern. Several towers cracked. The stone collapsed into darkness. The ghosts vanished instantly. Every spirit disappeared. The city returned to silence. Then a distant scream echoed from somewhere far below.

The 'Deceased' file is still open in my mind's eye. If the world thinks I am dead, I will be the most dangerous ghost this city has ever hosted. I push open the glass doors to the balcony. The night air hits me, smelling of rain and ozone. Below, Rebirth City is a grid of glowing lights, flickering as the system struggles to maintain the illusion of stability. I see a shadow standing by the railing. He looks exhausted, his shoulders slumped, his dark hair messy. He doesn't turn around, but I know he feels the shift in the air.

Asher got out of the driver’s seat and climbed beside Logan, who was dialing to their HQ. “Neil, it's Logan. We need backup in the city graveyard. The suspect is moving quickly,” Logan informed their director as Asher’s eyes followed the green dot that was moving at an inhuman speed. It stopped in the middle of the forest and stayed there. “It’s not moving anymore. Come, let’s go.”

At the name Ghost, which sounded like something out of a nightmare. "No," I said. "Tomorrow. Tonight, I need to think." --- We didn't go inside. Instead, we walked. Through the city. Past the coffee shop where I'd met Maya. Past the hotel where we'd hidden from Daniel. Past the alley where Viktor had nearly killed me. Every street held a memory. Every corner held a ghost. "Where are we going?" Lucien asked. "I don't know." "You always know." "Not tonight." I stopped at a bridge overlooking the river. The water was black. The sky was blacker. Somewhere across the water, lights flickered. Boats. Buildings. Lives being lived by people who had no idea that a war was being fought in their midst.