by Deanna Chase
I stared at Jade, silently imploring her to do something. Anything. But deep down I knew she couldn’t. Separating souls wasn’t one of her talents. Only the angels could separate souls. And even then it wasn’t guaranteed which soul remained in the body. The angels always chose the soul that would do the most good for their purposes. If we took Julius to them, they could very well decide to let him go and give his body to the invader. There was often nothing angelic about the angels who watched over our souls. Their world was very black and white.
She stood there, her head tilted to the side, a contemplative expression on her face.
Kane glanced from her to me. When our eyes met, his lips pressed into a thin grim line. “Jade?”
“Yeah?” she answered, still staring at Julius.
“What are you thinking?” he asked softly.
“There’s something different about this. Different from when Pyper and the others had been compromised. I can’t quite put my finger on it though.”
Julius turned his attention to her. “What do you mean?”
My fingers ached with the urge to caress him, to soothe the tension lines around his temples. But I held still, waiting for Jade’s explanation.
She sat on the bed, tucking one leg underneath her. “When this happened to Pyper, Kat, and Charlie, I didn’t pick up on the second soul. Lailah tipped us off. I would’ve never known. But you”—she waved at Julius—“I can clearly distinguish the two souls. In the previous case it was as if only one soul could be in charge at once. What’s happening here seems to be more of a partnership, more like a guest and less like a takeover.”
“A guest?” I blurted, knowing all too well how awful and invasive it was to have someone make themselves at home in your body. “You’ve got to be joking. Julius didn’t just open himself up to some random soul and welcome them with open arms.”
“Of course he didn’t,” she said, frowning at me. “That’s not what I meant.”
Julius looked at me then, his expression resigned. Reaching for my hand, he tucked it between both of his. “It’s okay, Pyper. She’s only trying to help.”
My righteous indignation fled and guilt streamed in. Jade was one of my best friends, but I was letting fear take over. Fear for what had happened to me in the past and fear for what this meant for Julius’s future. The angels, despite their name, weren’t to be trusted. They’d proved that one too many times while touting that their decisions were for the greater good. Except when they weren’t. Like when the high angel made decisions to protect her secret son.
I squeezed Julius’s fingers, comforted to be touching him again and then turned my attention to Jade. “I’m sorry. You know I didn’t mean to lash out at you. I’m just frustrated.”
“And worried,” she said gently. “We all are.” She turned to Kane. “I think we better stick close to them for the time being.”
He nodded, a lock of dark hair falling over one eye.
A tiny bit of the pressure in my chest eased. They were the two most powerful people I knew. If anything went haywire, I wanted them in the mix.
Julius sat completely still with his gaze aimed straight ahead, his eyes slightly glazed.
“Hey…” I ran my hand up his arm.
He didn’t move. He didn’t even flinch like he had the time before.
“Julius?” I said, raising my voice.
He turned his head to me, a flicker of recognition registering in his gaze.
“There you are. Where’d you go?” My heart was thundering again. Checking out like that couldn’t be a good sign.
Jade leaned forward, studying him. No doubt she was still reading him and the other soul, but she wasn’t talking. Not yet.
“He’s upset.” Julius’s voice seemed far away, as if we were hearing his words carried through an open window.
“He?” Jade asked.
Julius nodded. “He. But he’s not communicating with me. I don’t know if he even can. He’s full of turmoil, and I’m pretty certain he’s not going anywhere until whatever it is he’s upset about is resolved.”
“It has something to do with that room,” I guessed. “You said it happened there. But why?”
Jade stood and started pacing. “I’m guessing he was trapped there somehow, and when we cleansed the room, he was freed but needed a vessel. Wielding magic can leave us vulnerable to outside sources because our defenses are down. My guess is that since Julius has a history with the other world, he was probably easier to infiltrate.”
Not that Jade didn’t have plenty of her own experiences, but Julius had been a ghost for almost a century before he’d been brought back from the dead. That kind of thing left a mark no matter how you sliced it.
“Okay.” I stood. “So what do we do to get rid of the body snatcher?”
Julius shook his head, his lips curling into the faintest hint of a smile. The expression soothed the ache that had formed in my gut.
“That’s a very good question—” Jade started.
But Julius cut her off. “He doesn’t want to be here. With me, I mean. That much I can tell.”
“How?” I asked.
He shrugged. “A feeling.”
On impulse, I turned and said, “Let me try something. Remember what I told you about how Bootlegger invaded Cal last night and how I was able to extract him?”
Julius stared at me, then recognition lit his green eyes as he nodded.
“Let me at least try that. It certainly couldn’t hurt.”
Julius nodded, his expression contemplative. “You’re right. It’s worth a try.”
I smiled and moved in as if I were going to kiss him.
But Jade spoke up, interrupting. “What are you talking about?”
Right. I hadn’t exactly filled her in on all the details of the night before. Trying for a shortened version, I explained Bootlegger’s goal, what happened with Cal, and how I’d extracted the ghost.
“So you’re saying you can suck ghosts out of people?” There was awe in her tone.
“It appears so. At least it worked with Bootlegger.”
“Whoa. That’s interesting.” Then she peered at Julius. “Do you think you’re harboring a ghost? It would explain why your situation feels different than Pyper’s, Kat’s, and Charlie’s. There was no ghost, just lost souls.”
He shrugged. “I can’t be sure, but it seems unlikely there was just a soul trapped in that room, right?”
“Yeah. It does.” Jade stepped back, taking her place next to Kane. “All right. I’ll be here in case anything goes haywire.”
That was a small comfort. I still didn’t have much of a handle on my new ability, and having her near, knowing how powerful she was, certainly helped me feel more at ease. “Ready?” I asked Julius.
He turned into me, meeting my gaze. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
I reached up, placing both hands on his cheeks, and then covered his mouth with mine. A tingle of electric energy crawled over my skin. And as I inhaled, the room turned a pale shade of gray, blocking out everything except for Julius and the strange clove taste of his lips. He was both familiar and strange at the same time. Julius never tasted like cloves. Usually just a hint of vanilla.
Relax, Tru, my other guide, whispered in my mind. You can do this.
Only I couldn’t. A stabbing pain shot down my throat, followed by a burning sensation that made my eyes water. My throat was closing and I couldn’t breathe. Pulling away, I gasped for air, clutching at my throat.
“What happened?” Julius grabbed my arms, panic and worry lining his face.
I glanced up at him through watery eyes and shook my head. “Didn’t work.”
“She was sabotaged,” Jade said, ice radiating from her tone. “Someone cast a spell, and I don’t think it was Julius.”
“What the… a spell?” Julius asked. Then he sobered, and his body went rigid as he nodded. “Yes, I feel it now. The ghost living inside me used to be a witch.”
“You’re su
re?” Jade asked while I rubbed at my raw throat.
“I’m sure. It’s normally used as a defensive spell when being attacked. Like pepper spray.”
I wiped at my watering eyes and sucked in a gulp of clean air. “That’s what that feels like? Holy hell. I guess he didn’t want to leave.”
Julius wrapped an arm around me. “I’m sorry, Pyper. That must’ve been awful.”
“It was. But it wasn’t your fault, and there doesn’t appear to be any lasting damage. I’m just not sure what to do now.”
“Well,” Jade said, “he must be sticking around for a reason. The only thing we can do is try to figure out who he is and why he might be here, at least until we can get off this ship and either call Lailah or fly back to New Orleans.”
We were scheduled to dock in Montego Bay the day after tomorrow. At that time, we could fly back to New Orleans if need be. Until then, we had two days to try to figure out what was going on with Julius and his onboard passenger.
“Where do we start?” I asked.
Kane cleared his throat. “I think the best thing to do is to talk to someone about the history of that room. The ship management and staff. See if we can get anything more than what’s in the dossier. Rumors and hearsay often are rooted in truth.”
“That sounds like a plan.” Jade stood. “How about we split up? Kane and I will talk to the management while you two work on the staff?”
I glanced at Julius. “Are you up for that?”
He nodded. “It’s better than sitting here doing nothing.”
“Good.” Jade glanced at the clock. “It’s just past one now. How about we spend the rest of the afternoon investigating and then meet up for dinner and share anything we’ve learned?”
We agreed, said our good-byes, and left.
“Where to first?” I asked Julius, forcing a chipper tone. If this was the only thing we could do at this point, then I was damn sure going to give it my full attention even if it did feel like we’d be looking for a needle in a haystack. Anyone could’ve cursed that room at any time. And that included passengers. Not to mention, I’d be surprised if the ship didn’t have a fairly high turnover rate with staff. Keeping everything going smoothly sounded daunting.
“It doesn’t matter.” He sounded exhausted and looked even worse with his pale skin and dark smudges under his eyes. “Anywhere.”
“Okay. This way then.” I tugged him down the hallway, passing an elderly couple and someone I recognized. Cal. A tall blond woman stood in front of him, her face scrunched up in anger. Beth. His would-be fiancée.
“Don’t talk to me right now.” She placed her hands on her hips. “I already told you I need time. If you think your half-assed apology is going to make everything better, you’ve lost your mind. Now leave me alone before I decide to dump your two-timing butt.”
He opened his mouth to speak, but she raised her hand in a stop motion and then stalked off down the hallway.
His shoulders slumped as he leaned against the wall, defeated.
“She’s not taking the news very well, is she?” I asked gently.
“Nope.” He closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh. “She didn’t want to hear about the ghost invasion. Said I sounded desperate and juvenile.”
Julius glanced at me, his eyebrows raised in question.
“Julius, this is Cal. Cal, Julius.” I waved my hand between them for the introduction.
Julius gave the man a short nod. “Rough trip?”
Cal let out a humorless huff of laughter. “You could say that.”
“You’re not the only one.” Julius eyed the man for a moment. Then he pulled out a card and handed it to him. “Our room number is on the back. If you need us to talk to her, we can help with that.”
“I don’t think anything anyone says is going to convince her. She doesn’t believe in ghosts.”
The misery on Cal’s face nearly broke my heart. “Listen,” I said. “We’ve seen more than the average Joe, a lot more. And I still have trouble believing half the crap that goes down. But when you see it with your own two eyes, it’s hard to deny. If she’s willing to even entertain the idea that you’re telling the truth, bring her by and we’ll see if we can’t show her something that will turn her into a believer. Or at least get her to believe your story might be possible.”
“Show?” he asked, alarm filling his tone.
I chuckled while Julius just stared at me, a slight frown tugging at his lips.
“Don’t worry. It wouldn’t be anything bad. Just a small spell or illusion is all it would take.” I nudged Julius’s shoulder, hoping my suggestion wasn’t too far over the line. I’d basically offered for Julius to put himself on display while working a spell.
His lack of reaction was better than an outraged one.
“Seriously?” Cal asked, straightening. “You’d do that for me?”
I nodded, not waiting for Julius to respond.
“But why? You don’t even know me.” He glanced up and down the now empty hallway. Leaning in, he lowered his voice, “And to be honest, I really don’t want to see or meet any ghosts ever again.”
“First of all, I’m a closet romantic. So the fact that she’s barely speaking to you over something you had no control over breaks my heart. Second, most ghosts aren’t so bad. And although it’s unlikely, if we could get one to appear, maybe even Bootlegger, you’d have all the proof you needed.” I placed a light hand on Julius’s arm. “But if that fails, this guy right here has a few tricks up his sleeve that might convince her.”
Julius’s expression turned into one of resigned indifference.
“I knew you’d get on board,” I whispered to him, then turned to Cal. “Remember, if you need us for anything, call or pound on our door. We can help.”
Cal stared at the back of the card for a long moment, then stuffed it into his back pocket. “I will.”
“Good.” I grinned. “We’ll talk to you later. Right now Julius and I have somewhere important to be.”
15
The open-air bar set beside the deep blue-lagoon pool buzzed with energy. People smelling of coconut oil, decked out in swimwear, large-brimmed hats, and sunglasses milled around with tropical drinks garnished with pineapples and cherries.
Julius frowned as I led him up to the bar. “I thought we were supposed to be interviewing the staff?”
“Sit,” I said, gently nudging him toward a barstool. Then I turned to the middle-aged surfer dude behind the counter. “Two bourbons, neat. Make one a double.”
“You got it.” He turned, reaching for the shot glasses.
“The good stuff if you have it.”
He nodded once, his bleached-blond locks falling into his eyes.
“I’m not sure this is the best idea,” Julius said but made no move to leave his stool.
I patted his leg. “I’m pretty sure it’s what we both need. One drink isn’t going to do any harm. Besides, we can question Moon Doggie here. Kill two birds with one stone.”
“Moon Doggie?” The bartender gave me a what-the-hell look as he finished pouring our drinks.
I smiled at him. “You just look so California beach bum. No offense.”
He chuckled. “None taken.” He pushed the drinks toward us. “Want to start a tab?”
“No,” Julius said at the same time I said, “Yes.”
Smirking at Julius, I passed my keycard to the bartender. “Charge it to this room.”
“Got it.” He turned and did something at the register. A second later he was back, handing me my key. “Now, what is it you want to question me about?”
“Two seconds,” I said, handing Julius the double shot of bourbon. I clinked my glass to his and raised it in a salute. “Bottoms up.”
Julius didn’t hesitate. In once swift motion, he tilted the glass and downed the liquid. Instantly the color came back into his cheeks and his eyes brightened.
“That’s better,” I said and turned back to Surfer Dude. “Can I get a t
op-shelf margarita, salt, on the rocks? And Julius will have…?”
“A beer. Whatever craft you have on tap. The darker the better.”
The bartender went to work, and Julius turned to scan the ship deck. “It must be nice to be on vacation and the only thing to worry about is what to have for dinner.”
I let out a startled laugh. “I’m afraid neither of our lives will ever be that calm.”
“You’re probably right. It sure does make it hard to plan a future though when the crap is always hitting the fan.” There was a wistfulness in his tone that sparked a sharp pang of regret in my chest.
He wanted to plan a future? That was news to me. I couldn’t help but wonder if that future included me. “Maybe it’s better to just take one day at a time right now.”
He made a noncommittal sound but nodded his agreement.
Surfer Dude placed our drinks in front of us.
“Thanks.” I took a sip and sighed in pleasure. “Damn good margarita.”
“I try.” He winked and started to move away.
“Hey, you got a second?” I called.
He glanced down the bar at two older ladies in their brightly colored sarongs. They were chatting away, each one appearing to try to outtalk the other. He reclaimed his spot in front of me. “Looks like I do.”
I flashed him a bright smile. “Great. Listen, we’re doing some work for the cruise line. Just a little paranormal investigating. You know, like that Ghost Hunters show on TV?”
“Seriously?” His voice rose with his excitement. “You’re joking, right?”
I shook my head. “Not at all. I’ve done some ghost hunting, mostly in the French Quarter. It appears this ship has a room or two that’s been associated with paranormal activity. Have you heard anything about that before? Specifically room 1538?”
“Man! I’d love to be there for the investigation. Back in California I lived in an old converted theater, and I swear a starlet from the forties haunted the place. I used to see her in her stockings and garter—”
I cleared my throat. “That sounds… disruptive.”
A slow smile spread over his face. “You could say that.”
