I laughed, loving the look of fear and confusion on his poor, stupid face. “I’m a combination of the most powerful spirits. I had to wait for Jane’s body to be ready. She is, after all, the Shadow Bound. She’s the only one that can handle a full possession. The others will simply weave themselves into existing souls, helping make sure the sacrifice happens at the right time.” I glanced at my helpers, Nina, Misha and Darius. They had been in the hotspot the night the gateway opened and the spirits attached themselves. They would do my bidding and make the night a success.
“What did you mean by sacrifice?” Connor asked again.
“There must be a sacrifice for the possessions to take hold.” I offered them a weak look of sympathy. “People will die before the night is over. People you know and love. You may want to prepare yourself now for the loss.”
*
I ignored the pathetic hurt in Connor’s eyes and lifted my hand, palm upward. Connor made a desperate grab for Jeannie’s hand but it didn’t matter. With a deep, human breath, I blew the ash in his face. Misha and Nina did the same and the circle filled with dust. All three slumped in their seats. Nina had created a spell to knock them out until midnight. After that it would be too late.
“Wait here,” I commanded Misha and Nina. “Make sure the binds are strong. Darius and I will complete the ritual.”
“Hurry,” Nina said, checking her watch.
Our timeline was short. Only a couple hours before Jane’s strength returned full force. Nature only allowed a tiny window for evil to gain control. I’d waited long enough for the opportunity.
The gallery was nearby. Bright lights and heavy music greeted us as we walked to the entrance. I stopped Darius at the doorway. “Does he know?”
“No,” he said, peering through the window. There was a large crowd inside. “He thinks all of this is normal. That God blessed him with a latent gift. He has no awareness that he sold his soul for his newfound talent.”
“Lucky for us his descent into insanity lines up with our ascent from death.”
“Don’t forget,” Darius said, pressing the heavy, hard weapon in my hand. Bang. I shoved the gun in the back of my pants and pushed through the door, entering the crowded gallery. Tony worked his own magic to gain artistic success. The result was an amazing talent. When the door opened, a flurry of spirits rushed to Tony’s body, already weakened and ready in the hotspot. He had an important role in the sacrifices necessary for this night. “You need to stabilize the room and guests,” I said. “Make sure no one can leave.”
Darius gave me a sharp nod and I searched for Tony. It wasn’t hard, he stood in the middle of a group of admirers. The smile on his face was enough to confirm that the night was a success.
“Impressive,” I said, searching the room for his work. I wanted to see how he managed to pull it off. Experience the story like everyone else in the room.
Spotlights lined the walls, highlighting Tony’s work. The large canvases from his room hung from thin, steel wires. Taking a glass of champagne off a tray, I walked up to Tony and said, “Congratulations. Everything looks amazing.”
He caught me in an embrace, lifting me off the ground. “I wasn’t sure if I could get it all done, but I did,” he beamed.
“Well,” I said, taking a sip from the glass. “Show it to me.”
I knew no more about the presentation than before – no more than what I’d seen through Jane’s eyes. I anticipated a grand finale of some kind, something created by Tony. The parasites had been leaving Jane’s body and seeping into Tony’s for months. The result was a mixture of artistic mania with a touch of violence. Tonight would be the night to show the results to the world. The fury in his soul knew what we needed to take possession of these bodies for good. I only hoped he managed to pull it off. If he didn’t, we all had something to lose.
“This came to me first,” he said, eyes gleaming at his painting. The sleek feathers and beady black eye watched back. “Crystal clear, like a snapshot. I picked up my paintbrush that night and the image came effortlessly.”
“The harbinger of death.”
Pleased, he said, “It follows me every day.”
“Me, too.”
I moved to the next one and studied the ratty white nightgown. Bare, dirty feet peeked out of the bottom, the fabric stopping at her ankles. I knew the face that belonged with the body. “Hazel died when she was four. Men broke into the house looking for her father, a gambler and drunk. He’d left already, warning her and her brother in drunken ramblings about men with guns. Her brother hid, leaving Hazel exposed – more worried about his own safety than hers.” I sighed and touched the glossy texture of the painting.
“How do you know all that?”
I tapped my temple. “It’s in here with the rest of the spirits.”
We wove through the crowd and my eyes landed on purplish bruises against pale, smooth skin. Tony held up a hand up and his thin, artistic fingers lined up in a perfect match. “I didn’t want her to leave,” he said. “I begged her to stay, but she refused. Nothing I said made a difference. So self-absorbed I don’t think she even realized what was happening until it was too late.” His hand clenched at his side.
“Kelsey’s sacrifice sealed your fate. You wouldn’t be here without it,” I said.
We passed by each painting, absorbing the history of the last few months. A slim collarbone. A bird on a delicate gold chain. Tony captured the feel of a hard, cold gun barrel, the shaft glinting. The same feeling pressed against the small of my back. If the paintings raised any red flags, no one mentioned them out loud, a disturbing, yet appreciated, outcome.
“These are the most recent,” he said, pointing to a lone, familiar sneaker on the side of the road. “The vision came last night. I worked on them until dawn.”
“Did she fight?”
“Hell, yeah. Like a cat.” He pulled his collar down and showed me a long scratch down his neck. A feeling of smug pleasure ran though me. “He was pissed too, but didn’t see it coming. Gullible bastard.”
The final image was a set of four bound hands, raised above their heads. Blood dripped down their arms, pooling in the fabric of their clothing. The image halted before we could see their faces.
“A sacrifice is sweeter if it hurts,” I said, feeling a faint twist of pain in my heart.
“No doubt this one is gonna hurt,” he agreed, leading me to the final piece in the exhibition, a platform surrounded by a white sheet. A steel cable hung from the ceiling. It swayed slightly.
“Are you ready?” I asked.
“I’ve been waiting for this moment longer than you can imagine.”
Chapter 28
The old-fashioned clock on the wall inched toward midnight. “I think it’s time,” I said. “Go have your moment.”
Tony took a deep breath and stepped up on the platform next to the curtain. “Excuse me,” he said, speaking over the crowd. He coughed and smiled before saying again, “Excuse me. Can I have everyone’s attention for a moment?”
“Hey, I thought I was never going to get here.” I felt a tug on my shirt and swung around. Amber stood before me. “Got trapped in the studio.”
“Oh, hey,” I said. I’d forgotten all about her in the excitement. Of course she was here, Tony was her friend first.
“What’s all this?”
“He’s about to make his big reveal for the night.” I bit my lip to hold back a grin. “Listen.”
“The last six months have been incredible,” Tony said. “Fulfilling my dream of going to SCAD. The opportunity to explore my artwork.” He glanced over at me and made eye contact with Amber. “Making new friends. I had one final piece I wanted to show you tonight. It’s a little different, but it represents the accumulation of a vision I had months ago.”
The clock on the wall clicked another minute forward. Tony moved to the edge of the curtain, both hands in the fabric. “What’s that?” Amber said, pointing to the edge of the platform. A thin line of red fl
owed from under the curtain, down the side of the wooden platform, into a small puddle on the floor.
“Paint?” My lie was muffled by the sound of the curtain falling and the shocked gasp of the crowd. Tony absolutely beamed standing next to his creation.
“Oh my God,” Amber cried, gripping my arm. “What is that?”
“Art. Inspiring, don’t you think?” I felt nothing at the sight of Ava and Christian, bound by their wrists and hung from a thick wire cord from the ceiling. Blood dripped down their arms where the metal sliced into their skin. The cuts were shallow, but enough for the blood to travel down Ava’s dress to her bare feet. “This is all part of a greater plan, Amber. I’m glad you’re here to experience it.”
In a small, strained voice, she said, “That’s fake, right? A set up?”
“Not fake – but yes, a set-up of sorts. Tony wanted to go out big.”
I left Amber wide-eyed and stepped through the confused, magically stunned crowd toward the podium. Tony gave me a smile as I approached. “I’m proud of you,” I said, taking his hand. “You’ve done all of us a great service.”
He glanced down at his hand and I felt the surge course through me into him. “What is this?” he asked, shivering from the rush of cold. Ultimately, he was just a pawn. One that was no longer needed now that Jane’s body was under command.
“You’ve been an outstanding vessel, but this body is spent. You’re not Shadow Bound like Jane. The spirits can only live inside you for so long. It’s time for you to release the spirits to new homes.”
I placed my other hand on his chest and his blue eyes rolled backward before he stumbled, falling against the swaying bodies. He landed on the floor with a hard thud. He wasn’t solid anymore. The energy I took from him worked from the inside out, causing his body to deteriorate on the platform. Black wisps rose from his body and burst through the room, seeking new homes in the guests that filled the gallery.
“Jane?” Ava choked out my name. “Help me.”
“Sorry,” I said, not feeling any such thing. She offered a weak struggle and I poked a finger into Christian’s hip, which elicited a flinch. They both had to die.
“What did you do with my friend?” she asked through gritted teeth.
“She’s gone.”
“I don’t believe that.”
“Believe it. Whatever’s left of your friend is buried deep.”
I turned to find Darius staring down at his son’s decomposing body. Pain flickered across his face, but then vanished. He said, “Five minutes. The crowd is confused. Dulled by the souls entering their conscious. Like we were before. When the ritual is complete, they’ll remember nothing. ”
Darius turned to manage the crowd behind me. The spirits fought against the souls inside each person. A duel that would continue until the sacrifice was complete.
I faced the hanging bodies, annoyed that I needed courage to do this. I couldn’t wait to get rid of this conscious once and for all.
Reaching behind my back for the gun, I stood next to the Ava’s hanging body. Christian had either passed out or was dead. Holding the gun level, I finally looked her in the eye. Blood trailed down her arm, smearing across her cheek. I expected a sob or pathetic cries for help, but instead she gave me a hard glare.
“What?” I asked, despite myself.
“I’m not afraid of you. Or death,” she said. “Why would I want to live in a world with evil? I know there’s something on the other side. Jane showed me that. I’m not afraid.”
The crowd behind me surged with restless energy and the iron grip over my mind slipped. A rush of emotion ran through me and my hand wavered, making the gun shake unevenly. “I really am sorry,” I said, the words coming out despite my resistance. Ava’s resolve crumbled and our eyes met. A shout from the floor brought me to my senses and I glanced back at the surging crowd. People pushed and fought with one another, raging with negative energy.
I tightened my finger on the trigger and swung around to finish the job, only seeing Ava’s foot as it crashed into my face. She screamed as the wire tore through the skin on her wrists.
“Screw you!” she shouted, using all her energy to come at me again.
I stumbled, falling off the platform and into the crowd. I lifted the gun and, going against the faint warning voice in my head, pulled the trigger.
Bang.
*
Screams collided with the gunfire, sending the room into chaos. The noise sounded muffled, a result of the blast. Both Ava and I jerked backward. She’d managed to kick me once more, but it didn’t matter. The impact of the bullet slammed into her body, jerking back before going limp. I held the gun over my head.
“It’s done,” I said, facing the rowdy crowd. I allowed the words to settle in my brain, wondering if they came along with a feeling. For the first time that night, I experienced no trace of lingering guilt. No sadness or weepy emotion. I’d succeeded. Soon the girl would bleed out and the sacrifice would be made. I’d stay in this body forever.
Someone turned the music up and I allowed the crowd to swallow me whole. By fulfilling the ritual, the dead would claim the remaining soulless bodies and make them their own. “Well done,” I said to Darius, who I found drinking wine. I checked my watch. Three past midnight. “Perfect timing.”
“It’s been years since I’ve tasted something so good.” He offered me a plastic cup and I took an undignified gulp. His eyes darted behind me and he sighed. “We’ve got trouble.”
Connor and Jeannie burst through the doors, scanning the room. It only took them a moment to lay eyes on the dead bodies. They rushed across the room. Connor stopped cold over Tony’s body.
“Should we do something?” Darius asked.
“There’s nothing to do.” I shrugged. “Dead is dead.”
“Get them down,” Connor yelled.
“Jane?” Jeannie called over the music and noise. I ignored her. It wasn’t my name and there was no way I was sitting through some sort of vomit-inducing, hippie, feel good moment with this woman ever again.
“Jane!”
“For God’s sake, what the hell do you wan…” I said, spinning on my heel. For the second time that night, I was caught off guard. Once by Ava’s foot. This time by a cloud of ash. I coughed, waving my hands in front of my face. “What did you do?”
“The only thing I can to stop you,” she said. My throat filled with dry, caked dust and I fell to my knees. Through the dust, I was able to make out Jeannie’s hard, angry eyes before I passed out.
Chapter 29
“Are the ropes tight?”
“Make sure that gag is secure.”
“Do you have the book?”
“It’s going to be okay. I promise.”
Their voices drifted in and out, male and female. My body ached, an interesting feeling, since it’d been so long since I’d felt pain. So long since I’d had a body. Pain was truly a luxury of the living.
“You have my permission to smack that smug look off her face if you want. She’s got it even while she’s passed out.”
“Don’t tempt me.”
The reply was close. Too close. I opened my eyes, acclimating to the dark. Slowly, my vision adjusted and I recoiled. I found myself face to face with Connor. Literally. He stood two inches away, his huge hands wrapped around my wrists. One, I noticed, was actually tied to mine. I lunged forward but didn’t move., Mmy feet were also bound at the ankles. I shifted, testing the ropes, but there was no give. He held on tight.
“You’re awake,” Jeannie said from across the room. She stood over the Shadow Bound book with a small candle. Connor’s angry blue eyes never left mine.
“Whatwizthwis,” I mumbled, the fabric chafing painfully at my lips. I searched the room for Darius, but the unpossessed were the only ones here. Did they kill him? Nina and Misha? It didn’t matter much.
“I’ll take this off,” Connor said, his tone even and hard, “but I swear to God, if you say one thing out of line you’ll r
egret it.”
I nodded and he tore the gag from my mouth. Obviously, Connor had no problem appreciating there were no traces of his girlfriend left. I arranged my face into a pout, “You don’t love me anymore?”
“You’re a monster and a murderer.”
“That was Tony, not me. I just finished what he started.” Connor’s eyes narrowed but he didn’t react. Always so stoic. “How long do you plan on keeping me down here? The sacrifices have been made, which means your girlfriend’s long gone. There’s no reason to keep this up. The two of you protected yourselves,” I nodded at the pouch around his neck, “which saved your lives. Your friends weren’t as careful.”
I saw the hard muscle in Connor’s jaw flex. He was pissed. Good. I needed him fed up so I could get out of here, but for some reason he stayed put, hand connected to mine. “What’s up with this? Can’t get a girl to love you on her own so you tie her up? Nice.”
He took a wary step back but stopped short. That was when I noticed the circle marked on the floor. Great. They’d bound us in here together. But why?
Connor swallowed and replied in a short tone, “Just remember, I’m doing this for Jeannie.”
“Doing what?”
To my horror, he leaned in and pressed his lips to mine. His mouth felt disturbingly familiar. Repulsive, clammy and hot. I struggled away, turning my face but he moved with me, refusing to cease his assault. Anger boiled inside, igniting a blaze in my chest and I bit down, tearing his bottom lip.
“Mother fu—,” he yelled, moving back. His fingers clamped down hard on my wrist.
“Serves you right,” I spat, trying to get his foul taste out of my mouth.
He wiped his lip on his shoulder, leaving a smear of blood across his white T-shirt. “We can mark that one off the list,” he spat. “She’s not Snow White.”
“I guess love doesn’t conquer all,” Jeannie said. She eyed me curiously. “Or does it?”
“What?”
“Kiss her again.”
Grave Possession (Wraith 3) Page 22
