Deep IsThe Night: Haunted Souls

by Denise Agnew

  Her heart broke for Jim, his life transformed into a new form he could never change back.

  Unsure what he planned to do next, Clarissa made a decision she hoped she wouldn’t regret tomorrow. “Where are Sorley and the ancient one?”

  “The ancient one took Sorley with him to the community center.”

  Clarissa took a chance. “Help us. They’re planning on the complete destruction of Pine Forest.”

  He shook his head. “It’s already started.”

  Erin walked closer to him. “The people in the community center are in danger. We’ve got to do something to stop it.”

  “Those dreams I told you about in high school? Do you remember what I said about them?” Clarissa asked Jim.

  He bowed his head. “You told me and I didn’t believe you.”

  “Now’s the time to believe me.” Clarissa looked straight into his wary, sad gaze. “Help us, Jim.”

  Defeat etched his features. “How?”

  “Ronan and the others are probably out looking for us. Find them and tell them what’s happened to us.” She turned her gaze to Erin. “We have to go to the community center.”

  Lines formed between Erin’s eyebrows as she frowned. “How can we stop the ancient one if we go there?”

  “I don’t know.” Clarissa shook her head. “But we must try.”

  Erin’s acquiescence came in the form of a sigh, and Clarissa could see that despite her friend’s qualms, she knew they had to stop the ancient one or die trying. “All right, let’s go.”

  Unable to feel genuine fear of Jim anymore, Clarissa reached out and squeezed his arm. “You probably saved my life and Erin’s. Now help us save Pine Forest. Find Ronan and Lachlan and tell them we’re going to the community center to stop the ancient one.”

  Looking broken, he nodded. “I’m sorry, Clarissa. You know I never meant this to happen.”

  Her heart aching, she turned to look back at him. “No, I’m the one who’s sorry. Despite our past, I never would have wished this on you.”

  He gave them directions and which way they should head to find the community center.

  Erin touched Clarissa’s shoulder. “Come on. We haven’t got much time.”

  * * * * *

  As Ronan searched the tunnels under the crypt in the graveyard, he tried making contact with Clarissa. There was no sign of her and he couldn’t connect with her on a mental level. That worried him more than anything else. Would he know…could he stand the pain if she was dead?

  “No,” he said as he kept moving. He refused to believe it. “She’s alive.”

  He inhaled and pushed back staggering pain, knowing it came from loving her and wanting her safe. It also came from the responsibility he felt for her welfare. If anything happened to her, the accountability fell on his shoulders.

  Ronan. Lachlan’s voice came into his head like a stab, a sharp call. Any sign of them?

  None.

  We’re searching the inn. We’re going into the basement now.

  Be careful.

  We will. Can you meet us here?

  I’m halfway there already.

  As Ronan continued to search he put out calls to Clarissa mentally. Though probing for her telepathically on a continuous stream could weaken him, he must keep trying until he broke through whatever miasma the ancient one had put around their ability to touch each other’s minds.

  He tried contacting Sorley. Sorley, where are you? Have you taken Clarissa? Have you seen her and Erin? Speak to me.

  A tickling began in his mind, as if someone tried to touch him but couldn’t reach far enough. The essence felt female, and his heart leapt with hope.

  Clarissa? Please talk to me.

  “Damn it, Clarissa, where are you?”

  * * * * *

  Clarissa tromped through the snow, grateful she wore hiking boots. Although she’d been chilled since she regained consciousness in the crypt, the activity seemed to fight the cold. That and the temperature edged above freezing tonight.

  Erin cracked a smile, sad and yet genuine. “Lachlan and Ronan will find us.”

  While she knew Erin was a strong woman, she also knew that they couldn’t rely one hundred percent on the men locating them. “We don’t know if Jim is really going to find Ronan and Lachlan.”

  “That’s true. But at least your quick thinking convinced him he’d rather do that than harm us again.”

  Sadness entered Clarissa in a bleak wave. “Jim didn’t deserve what happened to him. I wonder if Sorley is all right.”

  “I’m not sure I care anymore. The little creep turned traitor.”

  Clarissa decided not to say that she’d already forgiven Sorley. The ancient one and the evil that joined with him could do massive damage to the psyche. How could she blame anyone for succumbing to that type of horror?

  “Lachlan’s going to be frantic and I know Ronan will be, too. He loves you so much,” Erin said.

  “And I love him.” There, she’d said it into the cold night where the words became real.

  Erin nodded. “Let’s walk faster. I think my feet are freezing. And my hands are starting to hurt.”

  “Do you think you can run?”

  “Can I run? Do bears do it in the woods?”

  A laugh rippled out of Clarissa’s throat.

  “I can use those latent vampire tendencies to work at my advantage,” Erin said. “And so can you. Plus, I was a bit of a track champion in high school.” When Clarissa lifted a dubious eyebrow, Erin smiled. “With these short legs? I know it doesn’t seem likely. But I wanted it badly enough to train for it.” Erin winked. “Think you can keep up?”

  Liking the cocky, refuse-to-give-up attitude they’d adopted, Clarissa said, “Probably not. But bring it on.”

  “I think I see a glow through those trees.”

  Clarissa picked up her speed, trotting along as fast as they could in the snow without slipping and falling. She felt new energy overriding all her earlier aches and pains, a sensation of freedom. Suddenly she noted the trees next to them went by at a damn fine speed, faster than a normal human could run. While she ran, at least for this moment, Clarissa felt invincible. She was half-vampire, but the benefits at present outweighed the bad.

  Exhilarated, Clarissa let out a hoot. Erin grinned and kept running.

  They slowed their pace as the glow of light above the tree line became clearer and Pine Creek came into view.

  Erin came to a stop at the edge of the trees and Clarissa caught up to her. As Clarissa took in the scene, she felt déjà vu. Her dream of Pine Forest’s destruction was well on its way.

  Clarissa and Erin crouched down behind a clump of immature pine trees and looked out into the large parking lot alongside the community center. Filled to bursting, the number of people attending the function proved that despite murder and mayhem, Pine Forest had decided merrymaking on Halloween wouldn’t be stopped.

  “What are we going to do?” Erin said, her tone inferring that she hated not knowing what to do next.

  Clarissa had an insane idea. “Maybe we should go to the party.”

  Erin glanced at her like she’d lost her mind. “Didn’t your dream infer that we’d all be fried to a crisp in there?”

  “Yes.”

  When Clarissa said nothing else, Erin frowned. “Yes is all you have to say?”

  “Yes.”

  “All right then. Fire up the barbeque.”

  Clarissa sighed. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what else to do.”

  “We’re going to attract some attention anyway.” Erin’s gaze coasted over Clarissa. “Both of us have tangled hair and no costumes.”

  “Plus we both have these nice little marks on our necks.”

  “Everyone will think that’s the costume.”

  Clarissa stood slowly. “What about the glowing eyes thing? We can’t really control that when it happens, can we?”

  Erin also stood. “From what I understand, that comes whenever we’re angry, frigh
tened, aroused—” she gave a humorless laugh, “—or we’re ready to kick some major butt.”

  Incredible power rolled into Clarissa’s body. “Um…are we supposed to be significantly stronger since we’ve been bitten?”

  “Not as strong as a vampire or a man like Lachlan or Jared. But we are about as strong as two men on our own.”

  Clarissa gulped. “Two men?”

  “At least.”

  They left the bushes and headed for the community center.

  As they came to the double doors leading into the front of the community center, Erin looked at her watch. “Things should be in full swing for another hour before curfew. I wonder why the ancient one hasn’t hit this place before now.”

  A scream rent the air from inside the complex and they looked at each other.

  “Maybe he already has,” Clarissa said.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Ronan met up with the others in the basement of the Gunn Inn after traversing the long tunnels that lead to the Victorian structure. He could see the growing concern on their faces.

  Gilda stood close to her husband Tom, her eyes filled with worry. “Where else could they be if not in the tunnels?”

  Ronan’s mind raced with ideas. Before he could say anything a loud popping noise announced the presence of another vampire.

  Jim Leggett appeared in the room, standing near the bottom of the stairs leading out of the basement. Instantly Ronan’s anger surged forth and he saw Lachlan stiffen into a ready to fight stance.

  “What the hell?” Jared asked. “When were you turned into a vampire?”

  Leggett put up one hand. “No time to explain. I’m here to help you find Clarissa and Erin.”

  Ronan’s vampire dominant traits took over and he felt his fangs growing once again. “Unless you were the asshole that took them.” He stepped forward and seized Leggett by the sweater, bunching it up as he hissed in the new vampire’s face, “Where are they and what did you do to them?”

  Leggett didn’t struggle. In fact, he seemed contrite. “I kidnapped them from the house.”

  Ronan removed his weapon from his leather jacket, took off the safety and jammed the piece under Leggett’s chin. “Maybe I should let Jared cram a silver stake through your heart. Or Lachlan can take his silver dagger and do the job for me. Perhaps I’ll put a bullet in you right now. You aren’t the ancient one. It would kill you.”

  Lachlan took up position on the other side of Leggett, his expression fierce. “You piece of filth! If you’ve hurt them—”

  “I did, but—”

  Ronan lifted Leggett clean off his feet and launched him with force back against the wall. Jim grunted as he hit and landed with a thud on his ass, his breath gasping out of him.

  Ronan started toward Leggett again, but Jared grabbed his arm. “Wait. We can’t find out where the women are if you beat the shit out of him. Save revenge for later.”

  Leggett rubbed his throat. “They sent me to tell you where they’re going.”

  Fearing a trap, Ronan said, “Bullshit. You’re a feckin’ liar.”

  Leggett laughed, no true mirth in his tone. “Go ahead. Kill me. I’ve been turned into a vampire. Do you think I wanted that? My life was taken away from me.”

  Ronan felt a pang of sympathy for Jim and put the gun back into his leather jacket. The man hadn’t sought out vampirism like he had. Still, anger burned in Ronan’s gut like a hot coal. “Just tell us where they are.”

  “Sorley and I were imprisoned in the tunnels together and ordered by the old vampire to take Clarissa and Erin to a big crypt on the east side of the forest cut into a rocky outcropping on Cold View Ridge.”

  “Let’s go then,” Tom said out-of-the-blue. “What are we waiting for?”

  Leggett pulled himself into standing position but stayed against the wall. “They won’t be there now. They just wanted me to tell you they’re free and heading to the community center.”

  Fear raced through Ronan. “No.”

  “Oh, no. No,” Micky said.

  “If they’re all right, why couldn’t we contact them via telepathy?” Lachlan asked.

  Leggett hesitated, then said in a halting voice, “Because the ancient one put a restraining force field on them when we got to the crypt. They managed to break it before I came back to the crypt.”

  “Then shouldn’t we be able to contact them now?” Micky asked.

  “They’re weak,” Leggett said. “I doubt they could hear you or send telepathic messages.”

  This time Lachlan advanced on the man, severe consequences boiling in his eyes. He came practically nose to nose with Leggett. “Why are they weak?”

  Leggett again hedged, real fear in his glowing eyes. “They were bitten.”

  Ronan felt new anger making its way to the surface, one that included kicking this vampire’s ass as soon as the confrontation with the ancient one finished. “The ancient one?”

  Leggett shook his head, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed hard. “I did. To keep the ancient one from killing them.”

  “Son-of-a-bitch!” Ronan stalked toward Leggett and this time no one tried to stop him. He pointed a finger in the man’s face. “When this is over you’d better hope you run far because I’ll find you.”

  Leggett’s eyes widened, then rage replaced fear in his face. “I saved their lives! What do you want from me? I could have let the ancient one bite them and they’d be dead. Not half-vampire, not vampire. Dead!”

  Ronan took a heaving breath. He couldn’t see his way clear to thank the man for biting the women. “Leggett and I will go to the community center via teleportation.”

  “We need a coordinated plan,” Tom said. “We can’t go barging in there and yell at everyone to get out of the community center. That won’t work.”

  Gilda walked toward Ronan. “Tom’s right. What can we do to make sure everyone gets out of the building and keep the ancient one from launching an attack?”

  “I’m not sure it’s just the ancient one launching an attack anymore.” Jim looked almost ill, his skin deathly pale. “When the ancient one attacked me I was outside my hotel room near the alley. He dragged me back into the alley and I was helpless.” A visible shudder ran through his body. “When he bit me I felt a new evil inside him, and later he told me that he is now a part of that evil and it directs him.”

  “That makes sense,” Gilda said. “He’s talking about the power that took Micky captive when we went into the tunnels. It has to be the same thing.”

  “Great,” Lachlan said with a grunt. He crossed his arms and glared. “So we have the ancient one, Sorley, and this other evil to contend with.” He threw a sickened glance at Leggett. “And you.”

  Wearehereweareherewearehere.

  The whispering made everyone glance about the room.

  Micky smiled. “The shadow people.”

  Gilda snuggled up to Tom and he put his arm around her. “How do you know it’s the so-called good shadows and not the bad?”

  Micky’s smile broadened. “I can feel them. They’re always with me and they’re here to help.”

  Ronan wouldn’t turn away any assistance at this point. He knew that whatever happened next could be the last time he would see his friends, and he looked at each of them in turn.

  He explained how one or more of them would scream fire when they got in the building. “We’ll grab Clarissa and Erin and get out.”

  Leggett put up his hand. “I’ll do it. I’ll scream fire.”

  Ronan grabbed Leggett’s collar and said, “Teleport to the community center. Now.”

  * * * * *

  Clarissa jammed on the bar door handles at the same Erin did and they stepped into the empty vestibule. Both rooms in the separate wings of the community center held at least a hundred people milling about in costumes. The popular song Monster Mash filtered out of both rooms. Clarissa figured she’d see some murder or mayhem going on after that scream. Instead everything looked normal, people walkin
g and talking, dancing and laughing.

  Another screech erupted, sending chills up and down Clarissa’s spine. A low groan followed. She figured it out. “It’s a soundtrack. They’re playing noises along with the music.”

  Erin sighed. “Thank goodness.” She looked into one room, then the other. “Where do we go first?”

  Clarissa made a command decision. “The main room with the stage is to the left. Let’s go there first.”

  They plunged into the crowd and Clarissa felt a renewed strength simmering deep in her body until the power percolating in her system felt more intoxicating than wine. Earlier she’d been aching and feeling a little dizzy, but ever since the exhilarating run through the woods, she’d felt much better. She expected fear to make her heart operate like a jackhammer. It didn’t. Fright didn’t seem like an option any more. All these people depended on her and Erin whether they knew it or not.

  Plowing through the throng, they bumped into people dressed like ghosts, goblins and assorted devils. On occasion a little kid costumed as an innocuous cat or bunny rabbit wandered into their path. Clarissa’s heart ached and her throat went tight when she thought of anything happening to the children. They’d made it almost all the way to the stage up at the front.

  A rumbling overruled the sound system, and several people stopped dancing, looking around as if they heard the noise.

  “What was that?” Erin asked.

  Clarissa didn’t get to answer. The lights went brighter and the stage made a strange cracking noise. Another crackle came from the speakers and a husky laugh drowned out the music.

  “I don’t think that was planned,” Erin said.

  “Definitely not. Do you know where the main plug-in point for the decorations is?”

  Erin made a thumbs-up gesture. “I do. I’ll unplug it.”

  “One less thing to catch fire. I’ll get the music unplugged, too.”

  “While I’m at it, I’ll check the circuit breakers outside.”

  For a second their eyes locked, their friendship cemented by mutual peril.