Beacon's Hope (Potomac Shadows Book 2)

by Jim Johnson

  It’s an easy application. We should have no trouble getting you and Malcolm linked telepathically through the etherics.

  I smiled at Malcolm. “Charity says it’ll be a cinch to get us linked up. How about that?” I reached over and punched him on the arm. “No more worries about cell phones getting zapped by the ley threads.”

  He gestured beyond the front window. “Speaking of…what do you make of that?”

  I glanced out the window and felt the blood drain out of my face. It was dusk now, and the Lincoln Memorial was lit up by the big lamps pointed at it, but it was also ablaze in blue etheric energies. Swirls of energy glittered along its columns and steps, everywhere.

  I gaped. “Charity…can anyone see this or just people connected to the ley threads?” There were a lot of people here and around the Memorial. It had been a mildly cold day and the tourists were still out in force.

  No, only those Awakened should be able to see this display. However, it’s strong enough that some people might be sensitive to it and at least know that something is amiss.

  We climbed out of the car and started toward the Memorial. Malcolm glanced at me. “What’s causing it?”

  Before I could respond, there was a flash of blue etherics from the Memorial, and then a spark of warning in my passive sensing threads. A shimmering shadow soared out of the Memorial and dove toward us like a rocket.

  I had just enough time to throw together an etheric shield. The shadowy bird form crashed into the shield and hit the ground, stunned.

  Malcolm and I traded a look and then focused on the creature. It had the same shimmering form as Malcolm’s ‘geist and the ‘geists Charity and I had run from in the Holding.

  “The Spinner! This has to be his work!”

  Malcolm shot me a look and then reached out for a ley thread, plugged it in, and called forth a burst of bronze fire from his left hand.

  Before I could warn him, he had loosed the fire on the ‘geist-bird and torched it. The thing writhed around on the ground and then popped into nothingness, leaving behind a swirl of blue energies tinged with yellow-gold that was the Spinner’s trademark aura color.

  Malcolm stared at me. “Any idea how many of those things we’re going to have to fight?”

  I shook my head, but a warning shudder in my ley threads made me glance up toward the Memorial. Several dark shapes burst out and started toward us.

  “Oh shit!” I cried out. “Charity, what do we do?”

  Fight or run. I suggest running.

  I reached out and grabbed Malcolm’s arm. “Come on!”

  I led him in a running arc away from the Memorial, sensing several of the ‘geist creatures moving in pursuit. After a few hard strides, I changed my mind and curved us toward the Memorial itself.

  What are you doing?

  I kept a death’s grip on Malcolm’s arm. “There’s a stable rift in the Memorial! We’re gonna go in there and beat these things, and then we’re gonna close that rift. There are too many people around her and we can’t afford to let them get hurt!”

  As it was, some people were pointing fingers and cameras at the two of us, probably wondering why we were running around. We must have looked like idiots.

  No time to think about that now.

  “Just get your fire ready, Malcolm! We’re gonna hopefully drag some of those ‘geists with us. We’ll fight them once we’re in the Holding.”

  He shot me a look but I was focused on running forward to the Memorial, dodging clumps of people here and there.

  The ‘geists behind us weren’t super fast, fortunately. We hit the base of the Memorial stairs before they closed in on us. I pulled together another etheric shield and two more ‘geists bounced off it but then started to tear at it with claws and teeth.

  Malcolm torched one of them, but I pulled him up along the steps. “Come on! We’ve got to get to the rift!”

  I picked up seven ‘geists so far, not including the two Malcolm has dispatched.

  “Good to know, Charity! I just hope we can force most of them with us into the Holding.”

  We reached the top of the steps and barreled into the main chamber of the Memorial. There were a handful of sightseers taking pictures and reading the words engraved on the wall. Some of them turned to gawk at us as we headed, breathless, for the statue and the stable rift behind it.

  I paused long enough to erect another shield, and then gestured toward the rift. “Charity, how do we get into the rift without actually walking into it? We can’t move around the statue.”

  It’s enough to touch it. I can create an extension to the existing rift that will accommodate us.

  I glanced at Malcolm as I pulled him along toward the rift. “No fire until we’re inside!”

  He hurried along next to me. “I got it. I didn’t want to freak out anyone up here.”

  We stopped near one of the back corners and then turned to face the incoming ‘geists. Most of the tourists looked confused as to what we were doing.

  Crap! “Charity, we need a distraction. Otherwise, all these people are going to see us disappear.”

  I’m working to prepare the rift. Can you or Malcolm come up with something?

  Right. I focused on Malcolm. “We need to get these people out of here quick, or they’re going to see us exit through the rift. Suggestions?”

  He stared at me with a questioning look in his eyes that quickly changed to a nod. Without another word to me, he turned toward the crowd at large and pointed toward the far corner of the Memorial.

  “Bomb! There’s a bomb in the Memorial! Come on, go, go, go! Get out of here!”

  That seemed to work. The dozen or so tourists looked alarmed and started moving out of the Memorial, encouraged by Malcolm’s words, and by him taking a few steps toward them as if he was going to follow them out.

  He turned. “This won’t last but a few minutes. Can we go?”

  I nodded. “Charity?”

  Got it.

  The rift behind the statue shifted and elongated around the base, flickering in blue etheric threads. It expanded to a size that the two of us could step through.

  “Malcolm, come on!”

  I moved my shield behind him as he ran for the rift. A pair of ‘geists bounced off it then started to tear at it with their etheric claws.

  I didn’t linger to watch. Malcolm was the first into the rift. He disappeared in a flash of etheric energy. I took a deep breath and rushed into the Veil after him, pulling at the threads under my control. Hopefully I could bring them into the Holding with me.

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  MALCOLM AND I EMERGED FROM THE rift and skidded to a halt within the Holding. I still had Charity in hand, and, amazingly enough, a firm hold of the various ley threads I had pulled in with me.

  Nicely done, Rachel. I had forgotten to encourage you to gather some ley threads before crossing over the Veil. It is far easier to bring them along than to reach back through the Veil to pull them in.

  I glanced at Malcolm. “Can you sense the threads I’ve brought with me?”

  He nodded. “I should have thought of that.”

  A warning pinged within my senses. The ‘geists were coming. “Crap! I guess they know we crossed over. I don’t think we have much time.”

  I sidled over to Malcolm and stood by his side. I gathered some of the ley threads but left some of them for Malcolm. “Use them for your fire-hands and whatever else. I’ll get a shield together.”

  He nodded and I sensed him reach out and take hold of the threads. I glanced around. We were in a different part of the Holding than before. “Charity, I don’t recognize where we are. Any ideas?”

  The area is unfamiliar to me as well, though I have been largely out of action for some time.

  That was an understatement. “Well, help me scan around and see if there’s anything useful that might help us against these ‘geists.”

  My senses showed that there were a handful of ‘geists closing in on us. “Malco
lm, get ready. They’re coming.”

  About the ‘geists. There is something you should be aware of, Rachel.

  “What?” I tried shoring up the warding shield around us, and started flexing it into a dome shape. That’d be easier than trying to move a flat shield around.

  The poltergeists, these constructions coming after us—they are lost souls that have been forced into a different shape to attack us. This is a perversion of the natural order.

  I stared off into the distance, at the growing shapes closing in on us. “Oh my God. You mean these are people?”

  I glanced at Malcolm, who had tapped into the ley threads to power up his flame-hands, which were rippling with bronze fire. The moment those things got close, he’d unleash his version of Hell.

  They are. They didn’t ask for this, and it is almost a certainty that being profaned in this manner is not what their final destination should be.

  I nodded, understanding all too well. I muttered, “The Spinner. He’s behind this. He has to be.”

  I reached out as the ‘geists neared. “Malcolm, we can’t burn these things when they approach.”

  He stared at me with wide eyes that sparkled with an inner bronze fire. “What? What are we supposed to use, harsh language?”

  I shook my head. “I don’t know, but we can’t kill them. They’re…they’re living souls, Malcolm. People that have found their way to the Holding and are waiting for the next step. It’s the Spinner. He twisted them into these…things.”

  Malcolm’s eyes widened. “Son of a bitch.”

  The first ‘geist arrived, leaping at me with hate in its eyes. The warding dome held firm, and the ‘geist caromed off the dome and skittered to the side. A second and third one crashed into the dome as well.

  Then the others arrived, nine strong in all. They paused outside the radius of my warding dome and started to circle, testing the edges of the dome with a tentative claw or arm or other appendage. One of them was in the form of a bird and tried going over the top, but fortunately the dome shape held.

  With hands clenched and spewing smoke, Malcolm stared at them as they moved around. “Well, now what? If we can’t flame them, what do we do? Wait until they get bored?”

  We need another way to defeat them that doesn’t involve destroying their souls.

  I maintained grip on my ley dome, though I was already feeling the drain from keeping it intact and strong. “I’m open to suggestions!”

  I sensed a shift in the ley thread connecting me and Charity. She somehow looped Malcolm in to our connection.

  Malcolm? This is Charity, from the journal.

  Malcolm glanced at me. “Did you do that?”

  I shook my head as I stared down the ‘geists. “No, that’s all Charity.”

  “Uh, hello?”

  Greetings. Rachel going to be unable to hold this dome together for much longer. You have offensive capabilities with the ley threads. This is a talent that most Beacons do not have. Are there other ways you can attack the poltergeists that do not involve destroying them?

  He frowned at me, and then focused on the ‘geists roaming around at the edge of the warding dome.

  “I don’t know. I haven’t really tried to do anything different, other than burn things down.” He shrugged. “That tends to end fights pretty readily.”

  Understood, but that is not an option here. Do you have a non-lethal means of stopping them?

  I had my hands full trying to keep the warding dome together. “Malcolm, try flexing your skills. Think of an outcome and then will yourself to make it happen.”

  He stared at me. “How, exactly?”

  I shook my head as another ‘geist bounced off the dome. “I don’t now! Get creative. It’s what I do most of the time, honestly. I’m just making stuff up as I go.”

  He focused on me, and then shook his head. “All right, I’ll give it a try.”

  The ‘geists were getting bolder, working together to scratch at the dome and press in. I could handle one or two doing it, but now all of them were getting involved.

  “Charity, I could use some help shoring up the warding dome.”

  I will do what I can.

  I sensed her reach out for ley threads beyond the dome and the Veil, but the results were weak at best.

  Even I struggle to maintain strength. This has been a trying day.

  “Malcolm, hurry!”

  Malcolm nodded and then closed his eyes, and then focused on the ley threads and energies all around us.

  I sensed an increase of power from him, and felt him draw power from the threads in my hands as well as those from Charity, that she had pulled in from the mortal realm.

  He focused the energies into a sphere of bright bronze light that grew larger and larger in my mind’s eye. I had no idea what he was trying to accomplish, but it looked impressive.

  The first crack appeared in my dome, then a second and third. With a sudden snapping sound, the whole thing collapsed despite my best efforts. The ‘geists swarmed in, attacking us with claws, teeth, and bad intentions.

  I fended them off as best I could with hands and arms, and any feeble remainder of my ley shield, but I suffered a number of cuts and scratches right away.

  A quick glance at Malcolm showed he was dealing with the same, though his bronze sphere of light continued to grow around him. I closed Charity and shoved her into my satchel, determined to protect her for as long as I could.

  I cried out in pain as two more ‘geists scored cuts on me. I punched and kicked my way around them, but none of them seemed to want to go down. They were inhuman creations, and apparently unharmed by physical attacks.

  Malcolm cried out. “Watch out!” and then let loose with the pent-up energies he had been building.

  There was a mighty flash of bronze light, so bright that it momentarily washed out my vision. I still had my Sight, but even that was bronze-tinged and opaque. I could still sense my crystal blazing away, but I couldn’t see its comforting glow.

  A thunderclap echoed into the darkness all around me, and then slowly, painfully, vision and hearing returned.

  Malcolm and I were sitting on the gray-tinged ground within the Holding, surrounded by nine dark forms that lay unmoving where they had fallen. I cast out for some ley threads, but they were all gone, presumably depleted in the blast that Malcolm had caused.

  I sat up unsteadily, and ran a shaking hand through my sweat-soaked hair. “What…what happened?” I looked around and panicked when I didn’t see the journal containing Charity, but then I remembered I had put her in my satchel for safe-keeping. A quick press of a hand against the satchel confirmed that she was still there.

  I retrieved her out of the bag and flipped her open. I sensed a sigh of relied. What happened?

  “I had just asked Malcolm that.” I focused on Malcolm. “Well? What did you do?”

  Malcolm stared at me and then at the book, then moved over to one of the prone forms and nudged it with the toe of his tan work boot. “Huh. I didn’t know if that would work.”

  “Dammit, Malcolm! What did you do?” I stressed each word, practically begging him to answer the question.

  He stared at them and then glanced at me. “You told me not to burn them down, not to kill them, but I had all this energy inside. So I thought about what I could do and I thought I’d try burning them in a different way.” He offered a little shrug. “So I thought about how the threads, these etheric things, usually affect our phones, and I imagined what it would be like if I sort of used the burst of energy to short them out, rather than kill them.”

  He gestured around. “Seems to have worked.”

  I opened my mouth, closed it, then stared around at the ‘geists. I finally turned my focus onto Malcolm, a genuine smile on my face in spite of everything else.

  “Damn, Malcolm. I think you did it. You’ve moved beyond your training. I think that was the first time you were really able to flex the ley threads into doing something new and unexpecte
d.”

  Wow. Maybe my training with him had paid off after all.

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  MALCOLM SMILED AT ME, BUT THEN turned serious. “What do we do now?”

  We need to release them from their current forms and then see them on their way, before this Spinner creature figures out what we have done.

  I nodded. “I don’t think we are ready to fight him again, just yet. I know that I’m feeling the strain.” I glanced at Malcolm. “How are you doing?”

  “I’ve been better, but I’m all right.” He adjusted his hold on what remained of the ley threads. “That burst used up most of the etheric energy I had in hand. I can get more, of course, by pulling through the Veil, but I don’t wanna have to battle the Spinner either.”

  A sudden thought hit me and I focused on him. “I’m proud of you, Malcolm. Not only did you flex your powers in a way I haven’t seen you do before, but you helped fight these things without using your own ‘geist.”

  He stared at me, and for the first time in a while, I discovered that I couldn’t intuit his expression.

  “I left it in the car, Rachel. I know we haven’t really had a lot of time to practice with it, and I realized that I tend to use it as a crutch. It’s too easy to try to make it solve my problems than to figure them out on my own.”

  I smiled. “Well, good to know. We’ll have to work on it more once we’re back.” I gestured toward the forms laying on the ground. “If nothing else, we have some new information about ‘geists.”

  I gathered up the remains of some ley threads and used them to focus my senses on scanning for signs of the Spinner. I didn’t want to get blind-sided.

  “Charity, what’s the next step? How do we release these souls from their new forms?”

  I can guide you. Malcolm, take what etherics you can and watch over us?

  Malcolm swapped a glance between me and the book, and then nodded. I partitioned off some of the remaining threads and gave them to him, then I sat down next to the closest prone ‘geist. “Okay, what do we do?”

  Center your mind and then focus on the soul. Delve deep into its construction.