White Spirit

by Amy Ravenel

  She jerked away. His eyes were feverish, too bright. He licked his lips.

  “Well, thank you.” It took all of her effort to keep her voice steady. “I have homework to do so I’ll see you around.” She headed back the way she had come.

  He grabbed her arm, squeezing it. She yelped in pain as she dropped her flashlight. “How can you love him, Lily? How can you love him and not me?” he asked.

  Lily struggled against his hold. “Let me go.” She kicked his legs, hit his arm with her free hand. He caught her other arm. Her leg swung out, kicking him in the groin. His hold loosened as he swore.

  She ran through the dark woods. Branches scratched her face and arms. She ran blindly, unable to find the path back to campus. She ran until her muscles throbbed and her lungs threatened to burst open.

  “Lily!” The man’s voice boomed behind her.

  She pressed on, her heart in her throat. Why hadn’t she told Sarah where she was? Stupid, stupid, stupid. Tears pricked at her eyes. If only Ian hadn’t let her go, she wouldn’t be running from a strange man in the woods. Her chest heaved as she tried to catch her breath.

  “Lily, don’t run from me. We can be together.”

  She glanced behind her to see the light from his flashlight bobbing closer to her. He could see her, but she couldn’t see him. She screamed as loud as she could.

  “Someone help me, please!”

  The frame of the new apartment building appeared through the trees. Lights lit the area. It was a skeleton of a building, but maybe it had places to hide. With a renewed burst of energy, she ran for it.

  Hope blossomed in her chest when she saw a lone worker driving a nail into one of the frames.

  “Help me! Please!”

  He turned at her voice. Dark curls spilled out from under his hat. He dropped the hammer and ran to her.

  “What is it?” he asked, his dark eyes filled with concern.

  Lily tried to catch her breath. “Please, you’ve got to help me. This guy is chasing me.”

  The man looked over her shoulder. “What guy?”

  “Paul, you really shouldn’t be here at night.” Lily’s eyes widened when she saw the young professor standing behind the construction worker. He hit Paul in the back of the legs with a beam. Paul crumbled to the ground.

  Lily screamed. Paul struggled to get up, but the professor hit him on the head with the beam. He was out cold.

  Lily ran. The campus’s lights poured through the trees. She was so close.

  The man yanked her hair, pulling her to the ground. They rolled and tumbled into the open foundation.

  “Oh, Lily, can’t you see we’re meant to be? Ian broke your heart, didn’t he?” the man growled. Light glinted off his blond hair, making him look like a demented angel. He climbed on top of her. His big hands held down her shoulders. “He tossed you aside like tissue paper. He’s already moved on to the next girl.”

  Lily struggled against him. Fear knotted in her stomach, her heart banging in her ears. His heft settled on her chest. Her breath came in shallow gasps as she pushed against him. She panted, begged for air. He was an immoveable rock. “You’re lying. I don’t even know who you are.”

  His eyes darkened. “But you do know who I am. We saw each other every day last year.” He gritted his teeth. “You have to know me.”

  Tears streamed down her face. “I don’t. Please, let me go.”

  He let go of one of her arms and slapped her. “If you’d love me, I wouldn’t have to hurt you.” Her cheek stung.

  Lily bucked underneath him. She had to get away, get help. She heard a groan above her. Paul! He had to help. She breathed in, preparing to scream. She didn’t get the chance. Big hands wrapped around her throat and squeezed.

  Lily scratched and clawed at his hands, trying to get air. Her sight dimmed. Breathe! She had to breathe! Paul’s head appeared at the edge of the foundation. He watched, not making a move to help her. She fought until she had no energy left. She needed energy to fight. She had to fight. The world went dark.

  “Breathe! Breathe, Tristan!” Cool hands touched his head. He fought against them, shoving against the weight on his chest. Blue eyes swam into view, but these weren’t hard and full of anger. These eyes were soft and worried. McKenna, not Lily’s killer. He wasn’t Lily, and he wasn’t dying.

  Tristan panted as the vision broke apart. Sunlight, not a harsh artificial light, gave McKenna a soft halo. He blinked against the sudden illumination. The panic receded as he lay still. One deep breath, and another. He pictured his shields sliding back into place, pushing out Lily’s past.

  McKenna brushed damp curls off his forehead. “That’s it, breathe. You’re okay, Tristan. You’re okay.” The calm he felt came from her. He hung on to it until he was breathing normally again.

  McKenna closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She focused on staying relaxed, sending all that energy to Tristan. But a corner of her mind panicked. For a long moment, she almost couldn’t pull him out of the vision. When he stopped breathing, she thought she had lost him.

  Tristan seemed fine through most of the vision. He circled the edge of the clearing, the bow clutched in his hand. His jaw had clenched and his eyes darted back and forth under his eyelids. Almost as if he were dreaming. Suddenly, he had dropped to his knees, the bow flying away from him.

  “No!” It was the first sound he made.

  McKenna ran to his side in a flash. She crouched next to him and grabbed each shoulder. She shook him as hard as she could. “Tristan!” His eyes flew open, but he didn’t see her. They were completely lost in whatever movie was playing out in his mind. She tried calling his name again. “Tristan!”

  She forced down her panic and touched his head like she did last time. She calmed herself down before sending it to him. She held on through the thrashing. She wasn’t going to lose him, not to this vision. When he finally saw her, she started to shake.

  “What did you see?” she asked.

  “I saw…” Tristan shook his head as he sat up. “I felt her die.” He gripped her hands. “Her killer grabbed her throat and squeezed. His eyes were empty the whole time.” He breathed in the sweet, cool air. “Paul, Mr. Martin, was there. He looked about my age. He tried to help her, but the killer knocked him out.”

  “Did you recognize her killer?”

  Tristan scratched his chin. “I’m not sure. She didn’t know his name, but I think I’ve seen him before.” He tried to stand.

  McKenna laid a hand on his arm. “Don’t move. Give it a minute.”

  “Did I hurt you?” Worried green eyes cut through her heart.

  “No. I’m fine. You held on this time.”

  “Help me up.”

  McKenna helped Tristan stand. She shouldered some of his weight while he found his balance. Tucking her hand in his, she followed him through the woods. “Where are we going?”

  “I have to see something.”

  The midmorning sun warmed her face as leaves crunched under foot. Tristan’s determination was light, but strong. McKenna reveled in it, enjoying this emotion better than the panic he had felt earlier.

  Hidden Forest appeared through the trees, its large presence looming before them. They walked around behind it to the right back corner. Tristan crouched and touched the brick.

  “Here,” he mumbled. “She died here.”

  “No wonder she haunts the building.” McKenna hunkered down next to him. She rested her hand on her heart, her throat closing up. “Tell me all of it, Tristan.”

  He did. He described how Lily thought she was meeting Dr. Cameron, her elation over the idea. He told her how that elation died when she realized the note was from a stranger, a man obsessed with her. She ran for her life, fought with everything she had inside, before she tumbled into the unfinished foundation of the building. He told her how it felt when Lily’s life left her body.

  McKenna’s breath shuddered, warm tears streaking down her face. So many emotions filled her, the heaviest bein
g pain for the girl who lost everything. The poor girl had tried to save herself. Even Mr. Martin had tried to help her. But she must have thought he hadn’t done enough. She reached out for help. No wonder she pulled all the available energy she could.

  Even though she had taken McKenna’s brother from her, Lily wasn’t the only monster in this situation. Someone had done this to her, killed her and left only rage behind.

  “Lily blames all three of them. Dr. Cameron broke her heart, Mr. Martin stood helplessly by, and then there’s her killer.” She sat back on her heels digesting the information. “We have to let her finish.”

  “What?” Tristan’s head whipped up.

  “Seeing Dr. Cameron only made her angry, but I think if she can confront the man who killed her, she might be able to move on.” She wiped the corner of her eyes. “God, I can’t imagine being that terrified.”

  “I’ll never forget it as long as I live.”

  She caught his arm. “How are you? Really?”

  “My head is killing me, but I was able to hold it together longer. Thank you.”

  “No, thank you…for looking.” She embraced him, pressing her lips to his.

  His lips parted as he kissed her back. The forest around McKenna seemed to disappear. All she touched, saw, or heard was Tristan. Her heart fluttered, excitement building in her core. Tightening her hold, she melted into him.

  Tristan broke the kiss. McKenna opened her eyes to see the weary look in his. She traced his jaw, stubble prickling her fingers.

  “We should end the ghost before we do anything else.” It was hard for her to say that with all of the energy coursing through her.

  Tristan swallowed. “You’re right.” His voice was strained. “But I’ve got to rest first, maybe get a shower.”

  “I’ll take you to my place.”

  He shook his head, his gaze going to the large brick building. “No, I need to reclaim my apartment.”

  She stepped back, but left her hands in his. “Okay. I’ll go back to the hospital and check on Drew. Come by after you’ve rested.”

  “I will.” He grinned.

  They walked out of the woods together and parted in the parking lot. McKenna picked up on Tristan’s concern and nervousness, but she let him go. He was trying to hold all of those emotions down and face whatever lay ahead. Watching him walk away hurt, especially since she wanted to protect him.

  Once he was inside the building, she drove out of the parking lot. Her mind raced as she headed back to the hospital. All of the new information she had about Lily shook her to her core. Tristan had said he might know the killer, but he hadn’t said who it could be. He hadn’t even bothered describing the man to her. Maybe he was waiting to tell the whole group later. Tristan had been through a lot in the past two weeks; she needed to give him time.

  When she reached the hospital, McKenna found Aaron sitting outside with a Styrofoam cup in his hand. He slumped forward on a bench, his elbows resting on his knees. He wasn’t guarding his emotions and guilt poured out of him. Dark stubble covered his jaw, and dark circles were under his eyes. He looked lost, not like the usual confident man she knew.

  Stuffing her hands in her pockets, she sat down next to him and filled him in on everything from Tristan’s vision.

  “How is he doing?” Aaron asked, his voice even. He sipped at the warm, black coffee in the cup. McKenna inhaled the scent and wished for her own cup of the caffeinated liquid.

  “He’s okay,” McKenna answered, her mind back on Tristan. “He’s frustrated that he couldn’t name the killer, but he thinks he might know who it is.”

  Aaron took another sip. “Where is he right now? Looking for the guy?” He rested his elbows on his knees.

  “He’s at his apartment right now, probably sleeping. He said he’ll meet us here later.”

  Aaron finished his coffee and tossed the cup into the nearest trash can. “I don’t like the idea of him alone in that apartment.” Worry spiked.

  “I know, but he really does need the rest. He used a lot of energy reading Lily’s hair bow.”

  Aaron stared down the walkway to the parking garage. The muscle in his jaw twitched, his mind probably going a mile a minute. McKenna stayed quiet, wondering what her boss was thinking about. In moments like this, she wished she could read minds instead of emotions.

  When he didn’t speak again, McKenna changed the subject. “How’s Drew?”

  Brown eyes turned back in her direction. “Resting. Tabby is sitting with him right now.” He let out a long breath. “I should have been prepared. Should have studied this ghost better.”

  The guilt he bore made sense. “Aaron, it’s not your fault. We all thought Dr. Cameron could calm her down and send her on.” She laid a hand on his shoulder. Her heart broke for him.

  “I’m the one who’s worked with ghosts and psychics the longest. I should’ve taken more precautions. Hell, Tristan and Kayla shouldn’t have been there in the first place. It wasn’t safe.” Aaron’s features hardened. McKenna knew that look. He wanted to punch something. She wrapped her calm into a little mental ball and sent it his way. It bounced right off him. “Don’t, Mac. Let me feel this.”

  “Okay.” She dropped her hand into her lap. “Besides, that’s a lot of should-haves. You’re good, Aaron, but you can’t see the future.”

  “There are days I wish I could.” He climbed to his feet, stretched, and helped McKenna stand. He raked a hand through his short hair.

  “Did Drew’s mom make it down?”

  “Yeah. She’s with him now. His sister and her family live out west so she couldn’t make it.” Aaron’s expression hardened. “The hospital couldn’t find Drew’s father.”

  McKenna blinked at the revelation. “I knew they weren’t close, but I thought they’d be able to track him down.” She sighed. “At least he’s not alone.”

  Aaron started for the hospital door and McKenna fell into step beside him. “He’s never been alone.” Determination shoved all the other emotions aside. “He’s got us.”

  24

  Drops of hot water pelted Tristan’s back. He closed his eyes, the water running over his skin. The killer’s face from his vision swam into view. He knew the man. Every instinct in his body said he had seen him before. Blue eyes, round face, stocky build. His eyes flew open. Dr. Smith’s picture, the one that sat on his desk. The one that was taken years ago. But which one of the men in the picture was the killer. He had to see it again.

  Tristan climbed out of the shower and got dressed. Picking up his phone, his hand hesitated over the call button. McKenna deserved to know. She wanted justice for her brother. But what if she got hurt like Drew had? He shoved the phone into his pocket.

  He bit into an apple, his brain running through the plan he had already formed. He wasn’t going back to the hospital to get the rest of the team. Too many people had gotten hurt because of him. He wasn’t going to let that happen again. McKenna was going to be mad at him, but he decided he could live with that.

  He grabbed his jacket and walked to the college.

  The history building buzzed with students walking to their afternoon classes. He felt guilty not being there for his, but he had other things on his mind. He stopped by Dr. Cameron’s office to find it locked. He didn’t blame the head of the history department, not after last night. He made a mental note to call Cameron later and see how he was doing.

  He stuffed his hands into his jacket pockets and continued on to Dr. Smith’s office. No matter how crazy the whole thing sounded, he planned to tell the whole story to Smith. Maybe he remembered the professor and could help Tristan find him?

  “Tristan!”

  He jumped at the sound of his name. Jaime jogged over to him, her dark ponytail swinging behind her.

  “Where have you been all morning?” she asked when she reached him. Her eyes widened when she saw his face. “Jesus, you’re pale. What happened?”

  He shrugged. “You wouldn’t believe me.”

&nbs
p; “Like I wouldn’t believe you’re psychic?”

  “Good point. I promise I’ll explain later. Is Dr. Smith in his office?”

  Jaime shook her head. “I think he left his door unlocked, though.”

  “Thanks.” He walked away.

  “I want to know everything when you get back!” she called after him.

  He waved at her as he made his way to the office. Jaime was right, the door was unlocked. He slipped in and reached the desk in three strides. The picture sat on the edge, like it had the last time. He picked it up.

  Scanning it, he found Dr. Cameron proudly holding his fish and Mr. Martin waving to the camera. Dr. Cameron’s hair was indeed blondish-brown, matching with The White Lady’s first victim. Mr. Martin looked like he had in the vision with his unruly dark hair.

  “No wonder you set your sights on me,” he muttered to no one in particular.

  In the left bottom corner, a familiar face with blue eyes and blond hair smiled for the camera. He was medium height, short compared to Dr. Cameron. His genuine enthusiasm for the trip showed through, meaning he wasn’t Dr. Knight. No, Knight was in the back, scowling at the camera. Which one was Dr. Smith again?

  “Can I do something for you, son?”

  “Yes, sir.” Tristan turned. His reply died on his lips. The blue eyes he’d been trying to match were staring right at him.

  Dr. Smith stood next to him. “Well, son. What’s your question?”

  Tristan swallowed his nerves. He pointed to the man in the picture. “Who is that man, again?”

  Smith chuckled. “That’s me. I thought I told you that last time.” He walked around his desk. “Did you really come in here to just look at that picture?”

  Tristan set the picture down and took a step back from the desk. His palms were sweating. Dr. Smith was a killer? He tried to match the cold man he saw take Lily’s life to the boisterous professor who loved to talk and constantly check up on Jaime and him. It didn’t make any sense. He regretted not bringing McKenna.

  Dr. Smith wrinkled his brow. “Mr. Johnson, are you all right?”