Song for the Dead An Ada Palomino Novel Karina Halle Copyright © 2021 by Karina Halle All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. Cover Design: Hang Le Designs Edited by: Laura Helseth Proofed by: Kara Malinczak Contents Author’s Note Playlist Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Afterword & Acknowledgments About the Author Also by Karina Halle For Scott Always, evermore, and on and on “It is not the end, it ain’t if you fall, but how you rise that says who you really are. So get up and go through.” – Fortress, Queens of the Stone Age Author’s Note Song for the Dead is an urban fantasy/paranormal romance that follows Veiled in the Ada Palomino series. This series also intertwines with Experiment in Terror (which tells the ongoing saga of Perry & Dex). They compliment each other. You don’t need to read EIT to enjoy or understand Veiled, but it does help add to the worldbuilding. You can get started on the series easily, with the first book, Darkhouse, free at all retailers, and the second book, Red Fox, just $0.99. And if you HAVE already read EIT, you must then read Ghosted and Came Back Haunted before reading this book. Trust me. One last thing: Enter this book with an open-mind and enjoy the ride until that very last page. Playlist Queens of the Stone Age completely fueled this book (if you can’t tell by the title of the book, which makes it the third book I have with the name of a QOTSA song), so it makes sense to include my playlist along with it. Also, anytime there’s some car chasing and demon fighting going on, just know that “Feet Don’t Fail Me Now” was always playing in my head. Also, I didn’t want to keep repeating myself, so all the songs for each chapter are also QOTSA, just so you know. Song for the Dead Fortress You Can’t Quit Me Baby Feet Don’t Fail Me Now The Vampyre of Time and Memory Into the Hollow The Lost Art of Keeping a Secret In the Fade Better Living Through Chemistry The Evil Has Landed No One Knows Everybody Knows That You’re Insane Head Like a Haunted House Feel Good Hit of the Summer Hideaway I Appear Missing Sick, Sick, Sick Skin on Skin I Sat By the Ocean Un-Reborn Again Go With the Flow Villains of Circumstance Prologue A few days after Halloween “Life is a trip when you’re psycho in love.” – You Can’t Quit Me Baby, Queens of the Stone Age It’s the middle of the night when I wake up, unable to breathe. I sit straight up in bed, hand at my chest, wondering why I’m suddenly underwater. I know I’m not. I’m in my bedroom, it’s quiet and dark. I should be safe. But inside it feels like I’m coming apart at the seams, my chest heavy, waterlogged, like I’ve just lost everything I care about. I bring my knees up to my chest, hugging them, holding tight, like I’m about to float away. What’s happening? No, that’s not quite right. What’s going to happen? Suddenly the air in my room begins to warp and shimmer and I feel Jay’s presence before he steps through. It should make me feel rooted, grounded, but it doesn’t. Then he appears. Looking beautiful. As always. Though, surprisingly, he’s wearing jeans and a hoodie. Usually when he visits me in the middle of the night, he’s wearing his boxers and a T-shirt or sometimes nothing at all. “Where have you been?” I ask him, eying his clothes, as the Veil behind him fades away. He doesn’t move. Stands where he is. The sick feeling in my chest gets worse. What’s happening? Why does this feel weird? “I was out,” he says. Jaw stern, clenched. Like he’s holding something back. Is that why I’m feeling so much? Is there something wrong with him? “Are you okay? Why are you out in the middle of the night?” “I had some business to attend to.” “Demon business?” He shakes his head. Why are his eyes so cold? “Jacob,” he says. “Ah,” I say with a nod. “And what did the All-Powerful Oz say?” A pained look comes across his face for a moment. Jay doesn’t show a lot of emotion. He doesn’t really have a lot of emotion, to be honest. So this crack in his façade has my chest feeling tighter. I sit up straighter and swing my legs over the side of the bed, walking over to him. “Stay right there,” he says, holding out his palm. “What? Why?” “You’re going to make this more difficult.” I stare at him, so fucking tired and not understanding any of this. “What the hell are you talking about? Make what more difficult?” You know, something whispers inside me. You know that lately he’s been distant. That he’s not over much. That he never invites you over anymore. That he hasn’t said he loves you in a while. You know all this. Stop pretending. I nearly choke on those thoughts, shoving them into the back of my brain. He runs his hand over his jaw, and in the dim light I can see his fingers are trembling. Jay, usually as steady as anything, nothing ever gets to him. And yet… “I had a talk with Jacob,” he goes on. “He thinks it’s best if I move on. Stop training you. Go help someone else.” His words fall in the room like lead. I open my mouth, but no words come out. This isn’t happening. He didn’t really say that. He’s talking shit. “I don’t understand,” I tell him. “You can’t just…stop.” “I can,” he says. “I have to. It’s the only way.” “The only way?!” I explode. “What the fuck Jay? You’re not considering this, are you? You’re supposed to be with me until I’m ready, and all I hear from you and Jacob is that I’m not ready.” “I know,” he says, running his hand down his
