Lila pulled into the gas station with a sigh of relief. Her stomach was aching with hunger and she had to pee so badly she was sure her back teeth were beginning to float. Ethan shimmered slightly in the bright afternoon sunlight pouring through the windshield, but she could see how his eyes roved over the scene.

Of all the modern advances the world had seen, cars enthralled Ethan the most.

He was still a little angry with her, even though they had managed to reconcile last night. She knew that because the mask was still in place, though he was more prone to offer a smile every now and then. The first signs of the thaw. Lila pulled up to the pump and killed the engine. Ethan was sitting forward in the seat, staring avidly at a cherry-red Mustang parked in front of the convenience store.

"Go look," Lila said with an amused smile. "I know you want to."

Ethan's face darkened with a faint blush, like he'd been caught doing something embarrassing. When he hesitated, Lila said, "I'm gonna use the bathroom and get something to eat. Do you want anything?"

"To eat?" he asked dryly. Teasing was also a good sign of the thaw.

Lila rolled her eyes. "Like a magazine or something."

She hid another smile when his gaze drifted back to the Mustang. "Perhaps a new issue of Motor Trend?" Then he made a face. "Though I suppose I might just wait until later tonight to read it."

"Why?" Lila opened the door, stepping out and stretching. Ethan flickered into view beside her, his hands going into the pockets of his coat. He shivered slightly in spite of the hot Missouri sun. He always seemed cold and Lila had always wondered if that was just a leftover from when he'd died.

Of course, she didn't really know when he'd died. His wounds only gave her the faintest clues of how. Ethan didn't ever speak of it. He rarely ever spoke of when he was alive, either. Lila had tried exactly once to push him into telling her. He'd stayed in the Between for an entire month. It had been the loneliest of Lila's life and she hadn't dared to risk it again.

"You spend too much concentration when you drive," he said. "I end up dropping the magazine more than reading it."

Lila laughed, pushing her sunglasses up on her nose. "I'd say I'm sorry, but I think I prefer not wrecking the car."

"As do I," Ethan said with a graceful nod. "Still, if you do not mind sparing the energy tonight?"

"I never mind," she said, then winced as the mask suddenly slammed into place. She had minded the other night, when she'd walled off her energy, leaving him to siphon power from the air and electricity, something he hated doing. Judging by the sudden chill coming off of him, Ethan hadn't forgotten that as easily as she had.

She shook her head, grimacing in apology. "I'll get the magazine," she murmured, retreating across the parking lot toward the convenience store. 

Ethan just nodded, leaning back against the Fairlane, his eyes closed.

Cursing at herself, Lila shoved her hands into the pockets of her shorts. A bell jingled merrily as she pulled the door open. The aisles were mostly empty, except for an older man with a trucker cap over by the coffee and a woman grabbing a soda. The clerk shook his long hair back from his face, glancing up from the magazine he was looking through.

Lila pushed her sunglasses up onto her head and made a beeline toward the bathroom tucked into the back. It was cleaner than she'd expected. She used the toilet then went to the sink, trying not to look at either the stream of water running over her hands or the spotted mirror in front of her.

Judging by what had just happened, Ethan hadn't forgiven her as easily as she'd thought. Then again, it was probably getting harder and harder to forgive her. Lila sighed and turned off the water before drying her hands. She closed her eyes, remembering what she'd told him last night—that she'd really think about what he'd said concerning her visions. 

Carefully, she looked at herself in the mirror, making sure to focus on the image of herself rather than the glass. She had shadows under her eyes, their jade color dulled to something muddier by the dim lighting of the bathroom. When had she started to look so tired?

Maybe Ethan was right. Maybe she should face this head on instead of running like she always did.

Lila swallowed hard against her dry mouth, taking a deep breath as she continued to stare into the mirror. She allowed her gaze to grow unfocused, the bathroom growing fuzzy around her until the only clear thing was the soft gleam of the light on the mirror's glass.

She let out a slow breath, cautiously reaching out with her mind.

The light went out, plunging Lila into darkness. She would have screamed, but she was already falling.

A snow-covered cemetery. Wind-blown pines. A tile floor slick with blood. A man sitting in a church, his head bowed. A woman in a white coat holding a small silver knife. A street washed red and blue by the lights from a police car.

Something changed. Lila felt herself whimper but couldn't hear it as a scream filled her head.

Dark clouds swirled above snow-capped mountains. Smoky grey figures standing in front of a tall building crowned with a golden dome. The pungent smell of decay filled her nose swiftly followed by the stench of a rotted body. People screaming and running through streets lit by fires billowing from surrounding buildings.

"Lila," a voice called from far away. "Lila, please! Lila!"

With a gasp, her eyes flew open. Her vision was blurred and darkened, but she could see Ethan's terrified face hovering over her. She was slumped against the wall, the back of her head throbbing where it had collided with the tile. She felt featherlight hands cupping her face, a thumb skidding over her cheek.

"Lila?" he said again, more softly.

"'Mm okay," she mumbled, again opening her eyes. The light was back on. Her entire body felt like overheated rubber and a coppery stench filled her nose. 

"No," Ethan said grimly, "you are not."

Lila frowned at him, noticing how sticky her lashes felt as she blinked. Swallowing against the sudden nausea pressing on her throat, she used the sink to haul herself up to her feet. Ethan hovered close, his fingers gripping her elbow. She had no control over the flow of her energy and Ethan was using that to make sure she didn't collapse.

"Oh God," she said faintly when she saw herself. Her face was painted with crimson streaks, the whites of her eyes stained a ghoulish scarlet. Blood pooled in the corners of her eyes, catching in her lashes.

Ethan quickly yanked a few paper towels from the dispenser and turned on the tap. Lila leaned against the wall before sliding down it, sure her legs wouldn't support her for much longer.

"What happened?" he asked as he crouched in front of her. She closed her eyes as he used the wet towels to clean the blood away.

"I...I just looked at the mirror," she whispered. "The light caught and..."

"And you had another vision," he finished for her.

She swallowed and nodded, not about to tell him she'd done it on purpose, like he'd suggested. With the state he'd found her in, that would destroy him. The one thing worse than an angry Ethan was a guilty one.

Ethan carefully wiped the towel along the edge of first one eye, then the other. Opening her eyes, Lila watched as he threw the bloody towels into the toilet. Then he turned to her and offered his hand. His eyes were dark and worried as he helped her to her feet.

"It would seem we're seeing Mrs. Keller not a moment too soon," he murmured, his arm a comforting pressure around her waist as she leaned carefully against his mostly solid body. They took a step, Lila's vision tunneling as pain lashed through her head. She buried her face against the side of his chest and he immediately stopped. Energy crackled, making the light flicker and frost form on the tile as Ethan's fear got the better of him.

Fighting against another wave of nausea, she whispered, "I think you might have to drive."

"Do you have the energy to make that safe?" he asked.

Lila risked a nod. "Just as long as I don't have to move."

It was something they'd tried when Lila was still a teenager and Ethan had finally let slip his obsession with cars. He knew how to drive, but it took some concentration on her part to keep him solid enough so he could actually do it. It was risky, especially with the state she was in, but probably not any more dangerous than if she drove right now.

"We have to get through the store," Ethan said. "Most of them will see me like this."

"I can make it," Lila said, gritting her teeth as she pulled away. "But I can't keep you solid while I do it."

"I'll be here," he said, voice fading as he did. Lila sighed as energy rushed back into her without Ethan siphoning it away.

She lowered her sunglasses to hide her eyes and pushed the bathroom door open. She thanked God that the other customers had left and the cashier was still more interested in his magazine than her. She used the shelves to help her move down the candy aisle, her knees wobbling with every step. Lila managed to stumble her way toward the door, nearly falling when it flew open under her touch.

"Hey, lady, you okay?"

She ignored the clerk's question, forcing her feet to carry her across the parking lot. Breathing ragged, she aimed toward the blue blob near the gas pumps. The pavement caught at her feet and she pitched forward. Lila closed her eyes, waiting for the pain, but the only thing she felt was an arm catching around her waist.

"Come," Ethan murmured in her ear. 

She threaded an arm around him, leaning on him hard as he all but carried her toward the car. At this point, all she could do was hope no one saw them. Or thought that they were going to a costume party. It was October after all.

The creak of a car door being opened met her ears, and Ethan helped her into the passenger seat. Lila laid her head back, still trying hard not to throw up. The door shut, the sound echoing painfully in her head. Then Ethan was in the driver's seat and cranking the engine.

Trying to make her breathing steady, Lila concentrated on keeping Ethan as solid as possible as he pulled out of the gas station and onto the main road. She had to fight to stay awake as they drove.

After the pain in her head had subsided to a dull throb, Lila opened her eyes and looked over at Ethan. He drove with one hand, his gaze darting back and forth between the road and her. When he noticed her facing him, he lightly touched her hand where it was resting on the seat. "How are you feeling?"

"My head doesn't hurt so much," she murmured. Her stomach growled, showing that her bout of nausea had also run itself out. "Do you mind driving?"

Ethan raised an eyebrow. "Never." He cast a worried glance at her. "Are you well enough to help me maintain my body?"

Lila just smiled and nodded, closing her eyes again. It wasn't really that hard to share her energy with Ethan. Her gifts had always come easily where the dead were concerned. It was time—looking into the past or future—that kicked her ass.

After a long time, Ethan asked, "What did you see?"

Lila cracked her eyes open, frowning lightly. "It wasn't the same this time." She sat up a little straighter, her body groaning at the movement. Ethan listened carefully as she listed out the scenes she had been shown. When she finished, she sighed. "I still have no idea what any of it means."

Ethan chewed thoughtfully on his lip as he merged onto the highway. The sun was beginning to move toward the west. Lila hoped Tamara wouldn't mind a few extra guests for dinner.

"The shadows you saw," Ethan said, "could they be spirits?"

She blinked once. "What?" 

"The things you're seeing... The cemetery. The blood. The smell of rotted bodies. Perhaps the reason you're seeing these visions lately is because of your connection to the dead?"

Lila opened her mouth, then fell silent, eyebrows furrowing. "That...actually makes more sense than I'd like it to."

This earned her a dry look from Ethan.

"Not because I didn't come up with it," she said, knocking her hand gently against his shoulder. It startled her when her fist went right through him, turning her fingers icy cold. The car swerved toward the lane on their right and Lila lunged forward, grabbing the wheel. Swearing, she pushed more energy toward Ethan until he could take control of the car again.

When the car was back under his control, Lila slumped back in her seat with a sigh of relief. "Sorry," she said. "Maybe we shouldn't talk about this while you drive."

Ethan nodded, his jaw working as he clenched his teeth. "I think that might be best."

"It'll be better if we can talk about it with Tamara anyway." Lila took another deep breath. "But I think you might be onto something."

They exchanged a glance before Ethan turned his attention back to the road and Lila made sure he stayed solid.

Ethan might be onto something, but Lila still didn't know what any of it might mean.