“I’ve heard whispers,” Sam continued, and then he blinked out and returned in a more transparent form. “And yes, I’m being literal. I hear whispers when I’m here—about it not being much longer and that something is coming. I’ve tried to find the source but when I saw them, I knew I couldn’t get any closer. I can’t keep going back there. I want to, I want to keep her safe, but I’m... I’m afraid if I keep going back, they’ll see me and they’ll know I’m not like the others.”

A chill swept down my spine.

“What is he saying?” Zayne asked, pulling his hand away from Stacey’s. “Trin?”

“Who are they?” I swallowed. “Do you know who is whispering?”

Sam’s hazy form twisted toward me. “Shadow People.”

27

Shadow People.

Two words in the English language I’d never hoped to hear spoken out loud. Goose bumps spread across my arms.

“Oh, man,” I whispered.

“What?” Zayne touched my arm, and this time I didn’t pull away. “What’s going on?”

Pulse pounding, I gave a short shake of my head and focused on Sam. I needed to get as much information as possible out of him before he poofed into oblivion. “Have you heard them say what’s coming?”

“No.”

Even though he couldn’t confirm it, I had a feeling I knew. And there was something else I needed to know. I tipped forward. “How did you know what I was?”

“Because there’s someone there, at the school, who can do what you can,” Sam said, and another chill powered down my spine. “I’ve seen him talking to—Oh, man. It’s happening.”

I blinked, knowing what he meant. He was being pulled back. “Can you tell me what he looks like, Sam? I need—”

“I’ll try to come back as soon as I can.” He turned to Stacey, and for what I could see of his face, my heart cracked a little. “I wish I’d had the guts to tell you how I felt about you. I wish... I wish we had more time. Tell her that. Please? Tell her I did love her.” He lifted an arm that was more see-through than solid and touched her cheek. Stacey sucked in a sharp breath. “She felt that. Tell her it was me. And tell her I want her to be happy. That she needs to be happy.”

Without warning, the space beside Stacey was empty. He was gone, and I had a feeling he wasn’t coming right back.

“Dammit,” I muttered.

“What?” Stacey placed her fingers over the spot on her cheek. “What just happened?”