House of Chaos

by K. R. Alexander

  This time, my heart wasn’t in it. I kept thinking about them and us and who to trust and who to love and who not to and my parents and ghosts and should I have left out more food for the cats? What if we didn’t make it home? I had a couple friends in the community in Atlanta who knew what I was up to and would at least expect me to text now and then. If Mackenzie didn’t hear from me in a couple days, she’d get worried enough to check on the place. She’d known my parents and the cats. Pretty thin safety net, though. I should have made real arrangements. Like, If you haven’t heard from me by this time, here’s how to get into the house and this is out-of-state family to contact.

  Better do that tomorrow, before another house. So that was the sort of thing I was thinking about, plus these guys around me, and I was totally half-assing the magic this time, making me more resentful of Wade again. I knew the guy had skills. Did I have to throw a rock or a vampire at him to see any action?

  I did it all again, asking for any presence to come forward and communicate their needs so we could help.

  Nothing happened. I wasn’t expecting it to—couldn’t focus.

  Herbs? The little folding mirror? Relight the candles? Or just go?

  With white light glowing in the air above and before us like a dome on top of our circle, I turned to Wade. I paused with my mouth already open.

  Wade stood staring into the light, eyes narrowed, intently focused as if to detect some clue on surveillance footage. The glow turned his whole face and hair bright white, so he looked like a Halloween ghost. Even his eyes showed only the palest blue.

  I also looked into the light. Was a message appearing there? Turning into words? I saw nothing but the fuzzy glow. Then…

  I had to squint as well, pouring attention into that bright haze. Bit by bit, it formed itself into shapes and patterns. A rectangle, a long pipe—rifle?—a puff of smoke, movement suggestive of great commotion, maybe a swarm of ants or running feet. All the time, the rectangle stayed, shimmered, and seemed to split in two, fan out, then return to an almost solid form.

  “It’s a book,” Wade whispered into the hush broken only by Vel catching his breath where he’d crawled over to lean his back into the archway.

  “Are you sure?” I wouldn’t leap to conclusions. The whole thing looked like finding meaning in cloud shapes.

  “Positive. It’s the answer, isn’t it? Find the book and it will explain what we can do to help.”

  I felt a chill, another prickle on my neck. “We’re not in this place for a treasure hunt.”

  “Hardly anything here,” Gideon said, watching us rather than the light, which didn’t seem to be revealing any patterns from where he stood. “Wouldn’t take much bother to see what all books have been left behind.”

  “Civil War history?” Adam asked while we kept squinting. “Most likely sort to be left behind here, right?”

  “Definitely,” I said. “But I’ve never heard of anyone having to read a history book to soothe a spirit here and now.”

  “I don’t think it’s that sort of book,” Wade said, still fixated. “See the quill? It’s a diary. It’s something they want found before they can cross over and be at rest.”

  “Return it to family?” Gideon asked. “Whoever is the descendant?”

  “Or some clue in there for how to help the spirit now who’s all tangled up in this place?” Adam asked.

  “Or just not wanting to be forgotten,” Wade said. “It’s got to be a diary. It’s right there.”

  “I’ll take your word for it.” It still looked like blobs of light to me.

  “We can sniff for that,” Gideon said. “Now you’ve made friends with it maybe it’ll understand we’re trying to help—no more tricks.”

  “Yeah…” I mumbled. “Right…”

  7

  Everyone had calmed by the time the light was fading and Vel was on his feet. So why was I even more disturbed by agreeable treatment? I’d thought this was a demon house. I longed to ask Fulco what he knew yet didn’t want to say anything in front of the house.

  I had to play along. How could I communicate to the guys that I didn’t believe for a second they were right—that sending us on a treasure hunt sounded more like a trap than a solution—without speaking aloud? It felt like being a hostage with a group of people who you need to talk to but the guards are right there. And none of your friends realize they’ve been taken hostage.

  Or was there no demon? That was the other possibility. That we’d upset the local spirits and they’d tried the noise and blown out the candles, but once I’d made the offer they really did want to work with us and this really was the right path?

  My mind hit a wall while the rest of them decided to start searching. Wade in particular struck me as being unnaturally calm, even happy at the prospect of being able to find this Holy Grail and solve the problem.

  I tried to catch Fulco’s eye as the light faded. He was unaffected, also giving no hint that he thought there was any issue with searching the place.

  Vel wasn’t even paying attention, moving to put me between him and the wolf buddies, rubbing his shoulder. Gideon and Adam were ready for the hunt, discussing whether one should change to fur for sniffing out books. Gideon said if it was old, been here before recent owners, it would be hidden. Under a floorboard, in the basement, something like that.

  “Better check the attic also,” Wade said. “Good storage in some attics in these old places.”

  “And check plain sight,” Adam said. “Could be under our whiskers.”

  Gideon nodded, looking around to the china cabinet with his flashlight. He walked over. “Just because there’s a mess of old war stiffs still hunting in these parts doesn’t mean this couldn’t be something fresher, does it?”

  “No…” I shrugged. “No reason. Midway City is known for Civil War holdovers, and that’s when those old vampires are from, but that doesn’t mean anything here has to be that old.”

  “So we can’t assume one way or another.” Gideon flung open the lower doors. Something burst out, dark blurs shooting across his boot in a scramble.

  I jumped, throwing up my hands. Wade spun, yelled, and pow!

  One of the darting figures exploded as if it had hit a mine. Tiny fragments of blood, fur, and bone splattered the hardwood, cabinet, Gideon, and the wall as the rest vanished into darkness. Gideon shouted and jumped back. I screamed. Vel dodged. Adam growled and ran forward as if to help his friend. Gideon, however, wasn’t in any danger, and the tiny army was already gone.

  “What’s your problem?” I rounded on Wade. “That was a rat!”

  “It was coming right at us!” The flashlight trembled in his hand as he scanned the room.

  “A poor, innocent, minding-its-own-business rat! With a family to look after! You can’t just blow up everything that startles you!”

  “I don’t do that!” He’d rallied enough to shout back but moved away from me. “I didn’t mean to. It shouldn’t have—”

  “It could be one of us next time that scares you. Is that how you’ll respond?”

  “It was an accident, Ripley. Sorry—aahhh!” He sprang into the air and again spun around.

  “Vel!” I yelled, even angrier. “Get out!”

  Vel had circled behind Wade’s flashlight and apparently given him a quick poke in the back. Wade almost fell, stumbling from him, seeming to think he’d been poked by a demon and ready again to blow something up. I grabbed his arm as he fell into me. Vel was laughing.

  “Christ,” Wade gasped. “Don’t do that to me.”

  “Out!” I shouted. “You obviously can’t work with people! Get out of here and leave us alone!”

  Gideon growled at him, stepping in as backup.

  Vel was still chuckling. “You’d be lost without me. How do you plan to sniff through cellars and along attic beams without a fox?”

  “Then go search! But stay away from us!”

  “You said stay together,” he reminded me silkily.

&nb
sp; Yes, I’d said that when we’d been coming in. But that was before all of this uncertainty and anger and being reminded of what an asshole he could be.

  “I misspoke. The rest of us stay together. You go away.”

  Wade shook his head. He squeezed my shoulder. “It’s fine, Ripley. Let’s just find that book. The sooner we do that the sooner we can get out of here.”

  “Let him do fur then,” Adam said. “Even if he doesn’t have as good a nose.”

  “You’re joking.” Vel arched a brow. “Think you have the king of noses?”

  Adam snorted. He elbowed Gideon. “Now they even reckon they’ve sharp sniffers, Gid. What’ll they think of next?”

  “That he’ll outrun a wolf?” Gideon said. “Like to see him put that one to the test in front of my teeth.”

  “Easy as outrunning buckshot,” Adam scoffed. “Only way a fox dodges a wolf is tricks and climbing—and holes too small for a weasel to run through.”

  “I don’t mind a dig.” Gideon grinned.

  “I can taste a scent and tell you the makeup of every molecule before your nose even finds it.” Vel remained contemptuous. “You need fried chicken before you know lunch is around the corner.”

  “Shut up,” I said. “If someone wants to change, go ahead. Wade, where do you think this book is? You’re the one who saw it the best.”

  “Oh … I don’t know. Hidden… Let’s just go through the rooms again, check every book. There were a few in that front room. Then head upstairs. Someone in fur might help?”

  “Okay, so go on. Whoever. Fulco, you don’t seem to be affected by the mental stuff. If you see anyone behaving strangely, will you say something? Break the spell?”

  Fulco stared at me from the archway, speaking only after a pause. “How, exactly, will I know if any one of your crew are behaving ‘strangely’?”

  “Take a guess.”

  “Then I would have to say you are all possessed, Miss Ahearne.”

  “Well, no, I mean, we’re fine right now. You’ll have to guess later if needed. I just… Whatever. You know what I mean.”

  “Is that so?”

  “Vel—?”

  He was suddenly in my face and I stepped back, away from Wade. How did the fox seem to be everywhere? No space between, simply show up?

  “Stop it,” I said. “You can put your stuff in the pack. Just roll it up. We’ll leave your shoes here. If you can really sniff out paper?”

  “What has happened to you, señorita? We were so close and now you would believe these barbarians over me?”

  “We’re not close. And I’m not taking sides. If you say you can smell an old book through the floor or whatever, go ahead.” I stepped back again while he followed, hands on my upper arms, nose almost touching mine.

  Gideon growled.

  “It won’t be the same—you with them, me with whiskers—”

  “Just change!”

  He pressed his mouth to mine, making me stumble back another step as he leaned in. Gideon, who was not the jealous sort, and so good with people, etc., punched him on the side of the head with a jab as Wade yelled, “Hey!” and started forward, hands glowing gold.

  Kissing someone whose head is suddenly punched away from yours is disconcerting. The blow was sideways but that didn’t mean I didn’t feel impact as Vel crashed to his right and also slightly into me with a shock that threw me back, painful to mouth and jaw. I staggered, grabbing my face, head ringing a bit, while Vel crashed into the wall with a very foxy yelp.

  “What—?” I gasped as they plowed past me, Wade and Gideon towering over Vel.

  “Keep your paws to yourself if you don’t want them rammed down your throat, you sniveling little maggot,” Gideon snarled at the same time Wade was telling the fox to keep his hands off me. Wade didn’t know what had already happened between Vel and me, but the wolves did.

  Vel swore in an undertone and held his jaw.

  Adam was there too, stepping up beside me and growling, which surprised me. I hadn’t thought Adam was interested in me the way Gideon was. Maybe Adam was only irritated with Vel on principle.

  “Quit it!” I raised my voice when they ignored me and kept snapping at Vel. “What the fuck, you guys? Act like I’m your property again and I’ll blast you both through the wall—not him.”

  Gideon kept growling, only gradually backing off as he glared at Vel, but Wade was startled, turning to me.

  “Just looking out for you, Ripley. You don’t need to take crap from a guy like that. It’s your right to tell him no—not ours—but we’re here to defend that right for you.”

  I just looked at him for a second. “I didn’t say no.”

  Wade laughed, pushing a head through his hair as the tension broke. “Well yeah, because you couldn’t, could you? That’s the other reason you need someone on your team.”

  More standing there. Adam had relaxed and was chuckling a little. Gideon glanced at me. Vel muttered about how he was treated around here.

  Finally, I looked into the mage’s smiling face and said, “Thanks, Wade.” When I turned away, it was to see Fulco in the archway, arms crossed.

  “Should I take it that I am still waiting for any one of you to do something strange, Miss Ahearne?”

  I bent to return things to the daypack. “Let’s find that book.”

  8

  We found a few old hardcovers, mostly about gardening, then explored the rest of the first floor. More rodents in the kitchen but the whole place was eerily quiet and unresponsive. Waiting for us to help them? Or waiting to lure us into a false sense of security?

  I didn’t voice my doubts, going along with the rest and keeping an eye on Vel while he sniffed about in his little gray fox form, ignored by everyone else. I’d have liked the comfort of one of the wolves changing. With spirits, though, there was nothing they could do in a fight. Best to have Vel and his sharp senses that way. If a demon did get into his head and he did something crazy like turn on us, better a fox than a wolf.

  All the time we searched downstairs—finding no entrance to a basement—I did not see, hear, smell, taste, or touch anything that shouldn’t have been there. Just a very old, quiet, hot, stuffy house in the middle of the night.

  Then we had to go upstairs.

  We climbed slowly, Gideon and I in the lead, watching for irregularities in the old stairs, brushing back webs, listening and looking all the time. Nothing amiss, only creaking and groaning from old wood as if in protest.

  We paused in the wide hall.

  Vel scampered ahead, then froze, ears pricked, one paw lifted like a pointer. I held my breath. Gideon walked on, unmoved.

  In the next second, Vel was skipping along, sniffing into the first room. False alarm. I breathed again. Still, I wished I knew what he could sense that we couldn’t. Fulco might know. There had been a moment when I was sure they’d communicated, even if crudely, by telepathy while Vel was in this form and Fulco had looked him in the eye. That had been last night, when they’d still been friends.

  The first room was small, square, empty. No closet, just a door and window. Not even a packrat’s nest or plastic bottle left behind. Vel barely wandered in and out. No way he’d really sniffed through the place.

  “What about scrying for it?” I asked Wade, again whispering.

  “Good idea. We’ll wait a minute.”

  We looked at each other. Everyone waited—besides Vel, who had already moved on.

  “I thought you might try,” I said.

  “Oh…” With a smile. “I’m no good at scrying.”

  “Me neither.”

  Adam sighed. I could practically hear him roll his eyes in the gloom. “Why bring it up then?”

  I glared at Wade, but he still smiled, reassuring as he took my hand. “We’ll find it. They obviously want us to. No more trouble once we offered to help.”

  “Yeah…” I pulled my hand free, stepping back through the doorway.

  Vel was already leaving the next room by the
time we reached it. Again, empty. Fulco trailed, uninterested. Adam plowed a spider web in the doorway and swore at it under his breath, waving his hands. Gideon studied the odd pieces of furniture in the hall. Like the grouping downstairs, it was as if it had been prepped to be loaded on the moving van, then simply left. A heavy dresser, an end table, a trunk, and a small bookshelf. All antiques, going with the house.

  “We should look through those,” Wade whispered. “Just in case.” He set his flashlight on top, aimed down the hall, and started pulling open each drawer. Gideon checked in the trunk.

  Vel was already in the third room and I followed.

  Here was something to sort through again: a plastic bag of papers and sweepings, a floor lamp with no shade or bulb, and a few cardboard boxes still open at the top, ready for the last things to be packed. I stepped over to shine the flashlight into them.

  Vel sniffed and this time pointed deliberately, nose out, paw up, bushy tail straight out behind him.

  I sighed. “Thank you, Captain Obvious.”

  Two of the three boxes were partly full of books. The other with objects wrapped in old, disintegrating newsprint.

  Job done, Vel started to leave.

  “Hey?”

  He looked back at me.

  “Aren’t you at least going to pretend to search? I don’t think any book we’re after will be of the sort that’s chucked in a box with all the others.”

  He gave me a blank look, nose twitching, then walked around the room in a semicircle, fuzzy paws silent since the gray fox has partly retracting claws, then walked out, passing Adam in the doorway.

  “Put my foot in that one…” I looked sadly down at the books. “He did ‘pretend’ to search.”

  “Closest you can hope for in regard to an honest day’s work out of a fox,” Adam said. He walked over, still holding his little bundle of stakes in one hand, including the one he’d taken from Vel. Just in case. “Hankering to sniff through those?”