Soul Screamers, Volume 1

“I know.” He exhaled heavily. “But you’re still grounded. For coming home late—not for hurting my feelings.”


Great. I closed my eyes, trying to think quickly. I knew how to deal with my aunt and uncle, but with my dad, I was in mostly unexplored territory. “Okay, but this is really kind of a disastrous time for me to be grounded.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “Can’t we work something else out? I’ll do the dishes all week. And the laundry.” Of course, I already did most of the clothes, anyway, because he kind of sucked at sorting.

“Did Bren and Val really go for that?” Anger edged his voice now. I was nearing some kind of boundary, and I really had no desire to cross it. My dad was actually pretty laid-back for the most part, and I didn’t want to trigger whatever auto-lockdown mechanism most parents have hardwired into their brains. Even recently returned itinerant parents.

“No.” They’d rarely actually grounded me; Sophie was usually the one in trouble. Though, I couldn’t remember them actually grounding her, either, come to think of it.... “But I have something important to do this week.”

“What?”

My entire body felt heavy with guilt. “I can’t tell you.”

“Like you can’t tell me where you were tonight?”

“Kind of.” I exhaled heavily and met his gaze. “Dad, I need you to trust me. This is really important.”

He held out one hand, palm up. “Give me your phone.”

My hand snuck into my pocket, curling protectively around my cell. “Seriously?” He couldn’t mean that.

“Yes. One week, no phone.”

“No!” Spikes of righteous anger shot up my spine, tingling all the way into my fingers. I was trying to help someone! If he’d been around long enough to get to know me, he’d know that, even without the details. “It’s not safe to run around without a phone!” Especially for someone so deep in hellion business she’d have to look up to wave to the devil.

“Well, that won’t be a problem, because you’re not going anywhere. Give me your keys. You can take the bus to school tomorrow.”

“This is ridiculous!” I shouted, reluctantly digging my phone from one pocket, my keys from the other. “And completely unwarranted. It’s not like I was out drinking and sleeping around.”

My dad rubbed his forehead and sank back into the armchair, looking as weary as I’d ever seen him. “Kaylee, I don’t know what you were doing, because you won’t tell me!”

“Fine.” I slapped my phone into his waiting palm. “But my reasons for not telling you everything now are just as important as your reasons for not telling me anything over the past thirteen years. And it’s completely messed up that you expect me to trust you when you’re not willing to return the favor.”

My jab found its mark and my father flinched again. “I’m tired, Kaylee, and I don’t have the energy for this.” He set my phone on an end table and rubbed his face with both hands. “Give me your keys and go to bed. Please.”

And what was I supposed to say to Addy and Regan? Sorry, I can’t save your immortal souls, because I’m grounded?

I dropped my keys on the kitchen counter, then plodded down the hall to my room, sorting through possible ways around this new complication. How were we supposed to find the hellion without a car? Walk all over the Metroplex?

With my bedroom door open, I sank cross-legged onto my bed and listened as my father locked up, then plodded down the hall to his own room. Fifteen minutes later, his snores echoed in the hall and a bolt of irritation lanced me. Our first real fight hadn’t interrupted his sleep in the least.

Still irritated, I crossed the hall to use the bathroom and brush my teeth, then changed into a halter top and baggy pajama pants before collapsing onto my bed again. I had chemistry homework to do, and I was too mad to sleep, but I’d left my books in my car and couldn’t get to them without my keys.

“You okay?” Tod asked from the wing chair by my headboard, and I almost jumped off the bed in surprise. “Sorry.” He grabbed my arm to steady me.

I was tempted to yell at him, but resisted because for once his intrusion might actually come in handy. And because I didn’t want to wake my dad up. “How much of that did you hear?” I waved one arm in the direction of the living room to indicate my fight with my dad.

“Just the last bit. Nash asked me to check on you.” He waggled both eyebrows and donned a mischievous grin. “Don’t worry, I turned around when you changed.”

I couldn’t help a laugh. Tod might flirt with me to bug Nash, but he obviously really cared about Addy, beyond whatever crush they’d shared in school. “I’m glad to hear you’ve retained at least a little moral fortitude since your unfortunate demise.”

“I reserve it for special occasions. And people I like.”

I threw my pillow at him.

“So is this all because you’re late?”

“That, and because I wouldn’t tell him where I’d been. I’m grounded for a week.”