by Patti Larsen
“There's still time,” Gram said. “To stop them.”
Pender hesitated one last moment before shedding his cloak in a rush, letting it fall to the floor, striding over to join Gram. He towered over her, though his lean body was as slim as a young tree.
“I will act,” he said. “If it's the last thing I do for my people.”
Big relief. I turned to Gram feeling better, only to have goosebumps flare up all over me.
He'd just agreed to raise the dead. What did I have to be happy about again?
“This is nuts,” I said while Charlotte paced to the door to stand guard, clearly upset she'd failed to notice the Enforcer's approach.
I looked back at the bag and wished I hadn't. Pender was shuffling around in it, rattling the skulls together with hollow, knocking sounds.
Ew.
“You've done well,” Pender said, placing the skulls in a row on the stone podium. A couple still had flesh clinging to them and two were charred black. The sight of them made my heart plummet right to my feet.
Tell me that wasn't the Vegas.
Guilt gnawed at my insides.
No. Freaking. Way. I couldn't face them. Not after I'd gotten them killed.
But Gram wasn't waiting. “The grave robbing is the easy part,” she cackled. “Finding the bits I needed. The rest will be the worst of it. But it must be done.”
It was fair to say I was now totally freaked out, all the hair on my body standing at attention.
“How do you plan to do this?” My voice squeaked with fright. They were only ghosts, I'd seen ghosts before.
But this was different. These were people I knew.
Dead people.
It was suddenly very hard to breathe.
Gram didn't make it any easier. “Simple,” she said, “or at least, it is now.” She pointed at my chest, at the jewel pressed to my skin beneath my shirt. “I'd intended to try to wrangle your demon power to do it, fed through the maji. But I worried it would alert Batsheva someone else was tapping into the power she's using. Lucky for us, the vampire virus you carry offers us a unique opportunity.”
I pressed both hands over the place where the glowing stone lay, feeling it hot under my clothes.
“What if you let it loose?” I wanted to scratch my scalp to get rid of the itching from the endless waves of heebie jeebies.
Gram pinned me with a glare telling me I'd better freaking not let that happen.
“Come here,” she growled. “We have work to do.”
I didn't move.
“Sydlynn,” she said. “For your mother.”
Oh she did not play the Mom card. But she did. Because she was right.
For Mom.
I moved forward, reluctantly. Gram grasped one of my hands in hers. “Your spirit will keep it stable,” she said. “Just focus on what I told you, and you'll be fine.”
She was guessing. I knew it. There was no way she had any clue if this would work. But she was my grandmother and I had to trust her.
“Who are we raising?” I gripped her hand tightly, more out of fear than anything.
“Naudia, of course,” she said, shaking the skull so one of the teeth fell out and rattled to the ground.
Pender's skin paled. “She's been dead a very long time.” He swallowed hard. “What you're suggesting... it's not possible.”
Gram grinned evilly. “Just watch.” She refocused on me. “I can pull Naudia's soul echo here,” she said, “but I need you to cooperate fully and focus.”
All in. Without any other choice, I nodded.
***
Chapter Thirty Four
Pender's breath whooshed out as he nodded slowly, though he looked afraid now.
“Very well,” he said. “She will be our anchor.”
I knew the gist of what they were doing. Necromancy at least had been creepily fascinating enough I paid attention when Mom tried to teach me. Drawing out the soul echoes of the dead was only possible with a minimum of two people—one to do the searching and the other to act as an anchor to the real world. It wasn't the full soul they brought back, only a glimmer of who the person had been in life. The best part, the ghost was unable to lie, as though whatever they did in their time alive was imprinted permanently on the echo.
But it had been a creepy lesson in my family basement. This was the real thing in the bowels of a mansion obviously built by those of power, whoever the maji were. Gram didn't give me time to think about it much longer, but wrapped her energy around me and, digging in her mental hooks, flung herself into the dark place between life and death.
I felt the pull of the virus again, the whisper of it, though it was easily controlled. I made myself focus on that detail, on keeping it under control. It was easier to do than think about what my grandmother was doing.
Who she was looking for.
The evil witch, sister of Odette and leader of the ill-fated Purity coven, was the reason Gram spent seventeen years buried in insanity and why I spent my entire life hating magic.
The old bitch had a lot to answer for.
Getting mad helped too.
Gram breathed a sigh, as though from a great distance before her eyes snapped open and met mine.
“Perfect,” she smiled, “it's working after all.”
So not helpful. “You had doubts?”
She shrugged, but didn't answer.
Lovely.
I didn't have time to be angry. The next moment the air next to Gram rippled and we were no longer alone.
Naudia Purity wasn't as evil looking as I expected. She just seemed petulant, like a little girl who hadn't gotten her own way. She glanced around, saw Gram, scowled.
“Why have you brought me here?” Her voice was as much an echo as her image, but she was clearly conscious of us.
“You are here for my benefit,” Gram laughed. “Finally.”
The ghost wailed in anger. “Never!”
But she was already compressing, folding in on herself, turning to a mist before being sucked into Gram's mouth almost as if she'd swallowed the old Purity.
Gram staggered, leaning against the podium. Pender reached for her, but she shook him off. When she straightened she wiped her mouth with her sleeve, a grim look on her face.
“Next,” she growled.
He handed her a skull, horror on his face. “You can't carry two.”
“I can,” she snapped. “And more.” The grinning face looked back at Gram as she went after the next echo.
I'd never seen him before, but his face was as familiar to me as my own. It hurt to look at Grandfather Ivan, to know he'd betrayed us all. But worse, because I now knew where my looks came from, where Mom's beauty was born.
He was so handsome, breathtaking really. When he met Gram's eyes, he didn't say anything, his echo simply watching her with great sadness. Gram grunted and inhaled his essence, her body shuddering as if the two ghosts inside her jockeyed for some kind of position.
“Next.” Her voice was hoarse.
“Gram.” I glanced at Pender who looked very concerned. “That's enough.”
She grabbed my arm, squeezing so hard I cried out, her face a mask of rage. “It will never be enough,” she hissed. “Now, give me the next skull!”
“Ethpeal.” Pender handed her one. “You can't continue like this.”
Her cackling laugh sent shudders through me, as much as the look in her eyes. “Why?” She grated. “Because it will drive me crazy?” She hummed softly to herself for a moment. “I've been there, done that, worn the straightjacket.” One faded blue eye winked at me suddenly. “I think I can handle it.”
I felt better all of a sudden, though I had no idea why. She was doing the impossible, but my faith was restored with her one wink.
“Just shut up and help her,” I said. “No one underestimates my grandmother.”
She grinned at me like it was funny.
I just wished it was.
Gram grunted when Pender set the skull in her h
and. “There are a pair.”
He sighed and nodded, handed her the second. Within moments, a handsome couple wavered before us, their echoes achingly familiar.
I'd seen a picture of them before, a long time ago. Clutched in Quaid's hand.
David’s frown looked just like his son’s. “Why are we here?”
“Your children are in danger,” Ethpeal said. “Quaid and Mia need you.”
Clare cried out softly, reaching for Gram. “We'll do anything you say,” she said.
They didn't have to be ingested, but went willingly into Gram.
This time it took her longer to recover.
“That will have to be enough.” She was breathless, clutching her chest. “I can't hold any more.”
Pender shook his head, easing her gently aside, taking my hand. “You have shamed me, Ethpeal Hayle,” he said. “I will do what I can to complete this for you.”
Sandra Crossman wept openly and went to him willingly. Martin and Louisa just smiled at me and told me they loved me before Pender took their fresh echoes into his body. His pale skin looked translucent for a moment, eyes flaring with white fire. But he recovered after a moment, though he had acquired a tremor in his right hand.
“I don't know how long I can hold them inside,” he said. “But I will follow your lead.”
Gram grunted.
“Now what?” I sealed off the vampire virus with more of my family's spirit magic and sighed in relief when it fell silent again. “We just let the ghosts go and sic them on the Council?”
“No,” Gram said. “Not tonight.”
Pender groaned softly, but nodded.
“You need to go back.” Gram shoved me toward Charlotte. “We will remain until it is time.”
“Gram, I won't just leave you here.” Not looking like death warmed over, no pun intended.
“I will send my people to her,” Charlotte said. “We will guard over them, I swear it.”
Gram bobbed her head. “Syd, you have to go. You must be there when Council reconvenes.”
It could have already. But no, I'd signed the paperwork. If it was starting again, I'd have felt the pull.
There was still time.
I forced myself to turn away, felt the vampire virus pulse once, heard someone breathe in my ear as the place between life and death gaped, still open. Pender had failed to close it. I reached out, using my power to seal it.
Only to feel someone latch onto me, pulling herself across, sobbing and clinging as if I could save her.
Oh no.
Alison.
***
Chapter Thirty Five
“Syd!” Alison's echo wavered before me, her blue eyes only a mirage of their old vibrancy. “Oh my God, Syd! You can see me!”
I glanced at Gram, unable to speak, unable to move, my entire body frozen in grief.
This could not be happening.
Gram waved at the echo. “You must go back,” she said. “We did not summon you, ghost.”
Alison ignored her. “I don't know what happened,” she said, speaking rapidly, shooting off her narrative like machine gun fire, “I was driving, then there was water everywhere, Syd, it was dark and then I saw this light, but it was so bright and I was afraid. Then I saw Mom.” She sobbed once. “She was crying! Syd, everyone was crying and my car, what happened to my car?” Alison spun around in a circle before returning her attention to me. “Where are we? You can see me!” She tried to hug me, but her echo only had enough substance there was soft resistance before she went right through me.
My blood ran cold as the vampire virus pulsed when she passed over it.
She turned around, shock on her face to find herself on the other side of me. “Syd?” She whispered my name though she suddenly looked more tangible. Had the jewel done something to her? “What's going on?”
“You already know,” Gram said. “You're—”
I cut her off before she could finish. Gram scowled at me.
“You can't keep her like some sort of pet.” My grandmother's lips pulled tight. “You have to send her back.”
I looked in Alison's pleading eyes as Gram went on.
“This isn't your friend, girl,” she said with a sigh as she sank to the floor, arms around her skinny knees. “Remember that. This is the echo of who she used to be. Just a sliver of her. And she will remain just a sliver of herself for as long as she is here. She will never change, never learn, never grow.” Gram's voice was very sad. She wasn't really helping. “The Alison you knew has already gone on."
I knew without a doubt Gram was right. I was staring in the eyes of the last gasp of my friend, the part of her that wasn't eternal, the mortal bits carrying the weight of her existence. And yet, looking at her, seeing her again, knowing her death had been my fault, it was so hard to turn my back on her, to stuff her into the darkness again.
“Syd,” Alison said, ghostly fingers on my cheek. “Please. Save me.”
What could I say to that?
Gram shrugged though I could tell she was unhappy. “The echo won't last long outside a body without something to feed it. She'll fade away eventually, if you're willing to watch your friend go through that.”
I couldn't meet her eyes. Instead, I turned my back on Gram and left, the weeping and thankful spirit trying to cling to my arm, Charlotte striding along beside me with a disapproving look on her face.
Charlotte was obviously watching what Gram had done and had the wall open before I had time to puzzle out how I was going to get out of there. Alison stayed quiet at least, all the way up and into the main part of the mansion. I let the weregirl handle the stones again and waited for her by the door, not wanting another chewing out over taking off without her.
It wasn't until I approached the main foyer I stopped cold.
Charlotte's rueful smile told me she knew what I was thinking.
What was I thinking? I couldn't just walk out there into a room full of witches with a ghost hanging from me. While normals wouldn't see her, witches certainly would.
“Al,” I said. “You have to make yourself invisible.”
She shook her head, pouty, no meeting my eyes. “That doesn't make sense,” she said.
I sighed and relented. Fine. Let her pretend she didn’t know she was dead.
I wound some spirit magic around her, drawing her to me. Instead of swallowing her like Gram had done, I pulled her in to share my space. I heard her gasp, the tension in her echo, but she didn't fight me. In fact, she was suddenly so taken by the glowing gem now also in the middle of her she stayed quiet until I reached my room.
Charlotte closed the door behind me before speaking. “Remain here,” she said. “I must speak with the others.”
She was taking the whole bodywere thing kind of seriously, but I was happy to stay put for the time being and didn't give her a hard time.
Not yet.
She left, though I knew she hated to go. It wasn't until the wood thudded shut that Alison peeked out. Talk about freaky. She peered over my shoulder, from my shoulder, and shuddered just enough I felt it.
“I don't like her,” she whispered. “She scares me.” She pulled free of me, though I felt the vampire virus hesitate to let her go. Did she seem even more solid now?
This could be a problem. What did Gram say about a something feeding her?
Alison looked around before turning to me, hugging herself. I'm not sure why I found it funny she was dressed in jeans and a sweater, hair in a ponytail just like always. What was I expecting? Wings and a harp?
“Syd, what is this place? What is going on?”
I sighed and sank into a chair and watched her do the same. She didn't fall through it at least. So no additional creep factor there.
“I have a lot to tell you,” I said. “But not much time.”
Alison wrung her hands, crying, ghostly tears glinting on her cheeks. “I don't understand,” she wailed. “Mom was there, I tried to talk to her. She was crying so hard, Syd.” Alison
stood and paced. “No one would talk to me.” She stopped, caught my eyes. “But I felt you, somehow.” She frowned. “I knew it was you. It was dark where you were, but I went anyway. The light.” She shuddered. “Syd, please tell me what happened.”
“Al,” I whispered, “I'm so sorry. The reason no one could see you, would talk to you... you're dead.”
Alison froze, shaking her head a little. But she didn't run away, didn't scream. And after a moment she nodded.
“I know,” she whispered. Looked up and met my eyes at last. “I think I knew then, Syd.”
“Al,” I said, “I'm so sorry.” My guilt rose up again. “I wanted to talk to you, but there was so much going on and I just didn't... this is my fault.”
Alison sat down again, arms wrapped around herself. “I remember water,” she said. “So cold.”
I nodded heavily. “Your car was in the lake.” I hesitated, reached for her. “Al... was it... an accident?”
I might as well have slapped her. She surged back to her feet and stumbled away. She was definitely more solid. When she ran into the end table in her effort to get away from me, it rocked ever so gently.
Damn. What had I done?
“Of course it was an accident!” Alison's anger actually made me feel better. “What, did you think I killed myself?” She snorted and turned away, her old bitch persona shining through. “Over you? Don't flatter yourself.”
“Then what, Al?” Maybe if I made her face her death, she'd be able to move on. As much as I wanted to keep her with me, this was no time to have a ghostly girl with a damaged essence hanging around me. The best thing I could do for her was get her to cross back through to the light.
Tears welled in my eyes as she shook her head, anger gone. “I don't remember. I was just driving, you know?” She smiled at me then. “Listening to that band, you know. We love them.”
I just nodded, no idea which of the dozens of bands she adored she was talking about.
The air in the room grew cold, as if someone sucked out all the heat. I stood up, drew my power around me even as Alison once again sank down.
