by Mac Flynn
I arched an eyebrow. "So I was right when I guessed medium?"
He shook his head. "Wrong again."
I glared at him. "Then what is she?"
There was that shake of his head again. "You don't want to know."
I wagged a chip at him. It was extra long and dangerous. "If I didn't want to know I wouldn't be asking, and if I wasn't asking I wouldn't be the first-rate reporter that I am."
"And modest. It's one of your best traits," he teased.
I crunched on the chip. "So what is she?"
He sighed and shrugged. "I'm not really sure myself, and she won't tell me."
My eyes narrowed. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means she can do a lot of crazy things that nobody else can do like-" he nodded at the basket in my lap, "-knowing what you want to eat. It makes her diner the best place in town to eat because she has the fastest service."
"And?" I persisted.
He shrugged. "You've seen the evidence. She told us to come here, and she's never wrong on these kinds of hunches."
I slid down in my seat and raised my hand where all five of my fingers were spread. I counted them down. "So she can tell the food future, lead us to horrible deaths, have her cat annoy customers-"
"That's not her cat," he spoke up.
I glanced at him. "Then what is it? A customer?"
He shook his head. "That's cat's Mab."
I dropped my hand into my lap and rolled my eyes. "I know it has the same name as her, but-" He shook his head.
"You don't understand. That cat is Mab."
I blinked at him. "You're joking."
"I kid about a lot of stuff, but I never joke about the paranormal abilities of others," he told me.
I furrowed my brow. "So she's a were-sort of. A mini-were?"
He shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine, and we could guess all night if you-" A coughing fit overtook him.
I lunged for the wheel as we swerved left and right. Fortunately, the road was deserted at that time of the morning. His fit lasted so long I scooted my foot over to the brake pedal. We coasted to a stop a mile down and I put the car into park.
Orion was bent over. His face was a grisly shade of white and red. I leaned forward and patted his back. "Are you going to be okay?"
He straightened and nodded. A few shuddered gasps escaped his lips before his shoulders relaxed. "It. . .it felt like something tried to get out of me through my mouth."
I frowned. "Like a ghost?"
He nodded his head. "Probably. It felt like a cold fog was climbing up my throat, but it couldn't quite reach my tongue."
I stuck out my tongue. "That's one description I'd rather not put into print." He grabbed a hold of the steering wheel. I set my hand atop one of his and looked at him. "You sure you should drive?"
He smiled and put the car into drive. "I'm fine. A little ghost isn't going to get the better of this werewolf."
Famous last words. We drove along the winding road for a couple of miles until we reached a dirt road. A steel archway at the entrance was a calling card for trouble. Beyond the arched entrance branches of the pine trees hung over the narrow road. A black, wrought-iron picket fence ran fifty feet along either side of the arch. Dead ivy hung from the arch and fence, and scraggly bushes lined the ground behind the fence.
Beyond the ironworks was a small hill. The foot of the hill started about fifty fee from the entrance and made a gentle climb to the top. The road meandered its way through a forest of gray headstones that haphazardly lined the slope. Here and there stood a small stone building that indicated a family tomb. A few large maple and willow trees rose up from the ground and covered the tombstones in deep shadow. Around three-quarters of the foot of the hill stood the tree line, an imposing wall of ancient pines and firs that heralded a thick stretch of the woods.
I glanced at Orion. "Let me guess, this is the cemetery."
He nodded. "Yep."
"So is there some sort of a rule where cemeteries have to be scary as heck?" I asked him.
He shrugged and opened his door. "We're an old-fashioned community."
We stepped out and I walked around to his side. Orion stepped toward the arch, but gasped and clutched his chest.
"Orion!" I shouted as he fell to his knees and struggled for air. I set my hand on his shoulder and looked at his face. It was as pale as death. "I don't think your spirit squatter likes the cemetery."
"T-that's fine," he murmured as he struggled to his feet. "That might mean we're on the right track."
I grasped his shoulders and steadied him as he swayed side-to-side. "So do you want a plot in the back or the front?"
He looked to me and blinked. "What's that?"
I nodded at the cemetery. "If you keep pushing yourself like this you're going to be pushing up daisies. Now just let me-"
"No." He shrugged off my hands and walked over to the arch where he half-turned to face me. "I'm not leaving you alone here. Who knows what's waiting in there."
I glanced at one of the mausoleums. "Hopefully not my mummy, and I don't want you to end up here for a long stay."
He smiled and crossed his finger over his heart. "I promise as a loyal sidekick that I won't kick the bucket here."
I frowned, but stalked past him into the graveyard. "Do that and I'll promote you back to junior reporter."
Orion moved to stand beside me as we looked over the eerie cemetery. Nothing stirred, not even the yellow leaves on the maple trees. When he spoke his voice was a whisper. "Kind of spooky here, isn't it?"
I nodded. "Yeah. I wish Mab would've given us a better clue than find dead people."
He stepped forward and lifted his nose to the air. "Maybe she didn't have to. You smell that?"
I took a sniff and wrinkled my nose. "Lilacs."
"Come on." Orion took my hand and led me around the left-hand side of the hill.
The dark side of the hill was spookier than the front. The shadowed trees of the forest loomed over the decaying headstones. Partially-hidden crypts stuck out of the ground and steps led down to their ivy-covered stone doors. The stairs and landing in front of the doors were piled high with dead leaves and dirt.
Orion stopped and yanked me into one of those alcoves. I tripped down the stairs and nearly broke my neck at the bottom. "What the hell hmhm-" He'd put his hand over my mouth.
"Someone's there," he whispered.
Orion peeked over the top that was level with the ground. I yanked off his hand and stood on my tiptoes. My small height prevented me from looking over. I slipped a foot onto the mossy bottom step and peeked over the top.
The edge of the forest was some hundred feet from us. At the edge, nestled among the tall, uncut grass, was hunched a small figure. They were partially turned toward us, and I could see there was a lit candle on the ground in front of them. The person was small and clothed in a thick cloak and hood that covered most of their face.
"Another witch?" I whispered.
He shook his head. "I don't think so. Lilac isn't that popular a scent for spell-casting."
"Doesn't quite have the same flare as dead rat, does it?" I mused.
Orion put his finger to his lips and nodded at the figure. The person tilted their head back to look at the clear sky. Their hood slid back and draped over their shoulders. My jaw dropped open when I recognized the wizened old woman from the drug store.
I looked to Orion. "I saw-" My words stuck in my throat when I noticed his eyes were that strange bluish color. He stared intensely at the rock wall in front of him. His teeth were ground together and his hands clutched at the ground above us. I grabbed his shoulder and gave him a shake. "Orion? Are you-"
Orion's head whipped back and he gave a strangled cry. He collapsed onto the stairs writhing in pain. His hands clutched at his chest as he tilted his head back. He opened his mouth wide, and deep down in his throat I saw the same bluish light as his eyes. The bluish light was pushing another, smaller orb of yellowish li
ght from deep inside his body.
I rushed to his side and snapped his mouth shut. He whipped his head left and right as light shone through his teeth. I straddled him and pinned him to the ground with my girth.
"Fight it, Orion! You have to fight it!" I ordered him. He squeezed his eyes shut. His body arched. I closed my hand over his mouth. "Swallow, damn it!"
He forced a large gulp. The light inside his mouth disappeared into his throat. His body slumped over and his head lolled to one side.
My eyes widened. I shook one of his shoulders. My voice was a strangled whisper. "Orion?" He didn't reply.
I fumbled for his arm and checked for a pulse at the wrist. I gave a deep sigh when I found some life in his body. I dropped his arm and stood. My eyes chanced on the spot where the woman had knelt. She was gone.
I ran a dirty hand through my hair and shook my head. "Great. Just great." I glanced down at Orion. A tap with my foot didn't do anything. There was only one thing to do.
I slipped my hands beneath his arms and pulled him up the stairs. His feet left drag marks in the piles of leaves and dirt. "You. . .still need. . .to lose. . .weight."
CHAPTER 11
I dragged him to the car and propped him in the passenger seat. A quick drive to town and I pulled into the parking lot of Troy's motel. Troy stepped out of his office and wasn't surprised to see me when I came in backward dragging Orion behind me.
"Some. . .help," I wheezed.
"Of course," Troy agreed as he helped me lift Orion and heft him inside.
We tossed him onto a small couch beside the door, a new furnishing after last time's ordeal on the floor. Orion's feet stuck out one end.
I turned to Troy who knelt beside Orion. "I would've taken him to the hospital, but I'm a little paranoid about that place now and your place has nicer slabs than Mab's."
Troy smiled as he opened Orion's eyes one at a time. They both held a faint bluish light in their dark depths. "That's quite all right. Her medicines would be ill-equipped to deal with-" Orion's hand snapped up and grabbed Troy's wrist.
His eyes flew open and glared at Troy. His voice sounded like it came from the other side of a long, echoing tunnel. "No medicines. No medicines!" Each word was punctuated by his louder voice. He raised himself to a seated position and kept his hand wrapped around Troy's wrist as he stuck his face into that of the old man. "No medicine! No medicine!"
Troy pursed his lips and pressed the palm of his free hand over Orion's eyes. I saw his eyelids shut and Orion fell back onto the couch. His hand slid off Troy's wrist and dropped over the side of the furniture.
I glanced at Troy. The old man stood and rubbed his wrist as he looked down at Orion. There were red marks that marked the placement of Orion's fingers. "This is more grave than I suspected."
"What the hell's going on? What'd you do to him, and what's that spirit doing to him?" I questioned him.
Troy sighed. "I placed him into a deep sleep, but it appears the spirit within Orion is not compatible with him."
I arched an eyebrow. "Come again?"
Troy dropped his hand and turned to me. "For a spirit to possess a human for any length of time there must be some compatibility, some common connection such as blood relationship or common living experiences. It appears the young man who possesses Orion is not similar in character to him."
"Sooo that means we do what?" I asked him.
He shook his head. "We can do nothing, but there is one who may." Troy walked over to his desk and picked up the land line phone. He dialed a number and waited.
The phone rang ten times before a groggy voice on the other end answered it. "What do you want?"
Troy smiled. "I'm sorry to disturb you at such a late hour, Madam Bentley, but this is Troy down-"
"Troy!" Bentley yelled loud enough that Troy winced and pulled the phone away from his ear. "My goodness, what a pleasant surprise! What can I do for you?"
Troy risked putting the phone back to his ear. "I know the hour's late, but I was wondering if you could come down to my motel right now. I'd like to ask you some questions about a recent possession."
"Of course! Of course! I'll be right there!" Click.
Troy put down the receiver and turned to me with a smile. "She means well."
I leaned my shoulder against the wall between the foot of the couch and the door and arched an eyebrow. "This may be a long-shot guess, but I'm thinking you and Mab have a lot of clout in this town."
He shrugged. "We merely have a close relationship with many in the town."
I swept my eyes up and down him in close study. "Uh-huh, and I'm a vampire."
He chuckled. "Have you become one of those now, too? I wasn't aware they could cross their kinds."
I frowned. "I can't tell if you're joking or not."
Troy glanced at his clock and then Orion. "Species discussions aside, we should put Orion in a more comfortable bed. He may be unconscious for quite some time."
"Like how long?" I asked him.
He shook his head. "I can't say for certain, but the sun will damper the energy of the spirit. Unfortunately, that is quite a few hours away, and that is why I have called Madam Bentley. She will help contain the spirit."
"You can't just keep dragging your hand over his eyes?" I wondered.
He positioned himself behind Orion's head. "I would rather not. Arthritis, you know. Would you please handle the feet?"
We hefted Orion off the couch and out the front door. The spacious suite next door was available, and the short haul to the soft bed in the motel room was accomplished in a few minutes. I had just dropped his feet when I heard the crunch of car tires in the parking lot.
"That would be our friend, Madam Bentley," Troy commented.
He hurried out to greet her. I walked around the bed and knelt beside Orion. His expression was tense and his eyes were shut tight.
"Orion?" I whispered. No response. I pursed my lips. "I don't know if you can hear me, but I want you to keep fighting this thing. You can't let it win." A lump stuck in my throat. I swallowed, but that didn't stop a few tears from welling in my eyes. "What would I do without my junior reporter, huh? Don't you know a big-time reporter's gotta have a tag-along?"
Troy's voice in the front room warned me of their coming. I jumped to my feet and wiped away the tears a moment before Troy ushered Madam Bentley into the bedroom. She was all smiles and I even detected a hint of flirtation in her voice.
"It really was no bother. I'm always eager to help a friend," she commented.
"If you could examine him and give your expert prognosis, it would be a very great help to us," Troy told her.
Her eyes fell on Orion. Their eager look vanished and was replaced with a sharp touch. "Him, is it?" Her narrowed eyes flickered to me. "What's happened?" I opened my mouth, but she waved me off. "Never mind. I'll see for myself." She strode to the side of the bed and pinched his arm. Her frown deepened. "This is very serious. The spirit has grown much stronger since the seance."
"What'd be great to know is how to get it out," I pointed out.
She raised her gaze to me and her eyebrows crashed down. "As I told Mr. Ambigo, I don't have the strength to exorcise a spirit until at least tomorrow night."
"Then is there any way to get it out without an exorcism?" I asked her.
She dropped her hold on him and nodded. "There is. You'd have to find out why the spirit returned to this plane of existence. If it finds peace then it will leave him."
I folded my arms and furrowed my brow. "The ghost freaked out in the cemetery right when we saw that woman."
Bentley frowned. "What was she doing?"
I dropped my arms and shrugged. "I don't know. We didn't get a chance to look before Orion dropped to the ground and these two balls of light tried to climb out of his mouth."
Madam Bentley's eyes widened. "Two balls? Not one?"
I arched an eyebrow. "There was one the first time it happened, but this time there was two." She turned awa
y and clasped her hands together. "Why? What does that mean?"
She shook her head. "It means nothing good. Were they the same color?"
"No, one was yellow and the other was blue like the first time it happened." I stepped closer to her and tried to catch her eye. "What does that mean? What are they?"
Bentley paced the room and shook her head. "This is terrible. Very, very terrible."
I lunged forward and grabbed her shoulders. I turned her toward me so she could witness my furious impatience. "What does it mean?"
She shrank beneath my gaze. "I-it means the soul that inhabits his body is trying to escape, and in doing so it threatens to push his soul from his body. The-"
"Yellow soul is Orion's?" I whispered.
She nodded. "I believe so."
I dropped my arms and turned away from her. My eyes fell on Orion's stiff form. Waves of remorse, depression, and sadness swept over me.
Fortunately, I wasn't one to wallow in those emotions. I straightened and spun around to face Bentley and Troy. "Can you two take care of Orion for me until I get back?"
Bentley frowned. "That would depend on where you're going."
"Back to the cemetery. I want to know what that woman was doing and why the ghost freaked out when he saw her," I explained.
Troy smiled and nodded. "And I will accompany you."
I shook my head. "I need you to watch over Orion."
He turned to Bentley. "Would you be kind enough to care for him in our absence?"
Madam Bentley straightened and bowed her head to him. "It would be my pleasure."
Troy returned his attention to me and swept his hand to the door. "Please lead the way."
I shrugged and strode past him. "It's your funeral."
Troy followed me and we stepped out of the motel suite. I paused when I caught sight of a familiar figure. Detective Ambigo leaned his back against Orion's car.
He pushed off the driver's door and bowed his head to us. "Good morning."
I checked the clock. Four in the morning. "Morning, yes, good, no."
Ambigo chuckled. "Even a jug of Mab's coffee wouldn't help one shine this early, and it wouldn't explain what you were doing in the cemetery."
"We had an interview with a spook, but it turned out to be a dead end," I quipped.
He glanced from Troy to me. "Are you going back for a second try?"
I sighed and shook my head. "No, we're going back to try to catch something a little more solid. Orion and I saw a woman in the cemetery, and I thought I'd see if I could find where she went."
