by Cady Vance
My cell phone rang, and I plucked it open.
“They’re home,” Nathan said. “I’ll call you if I see them leave.”
“Got it,” I said. “Thanks.”
A few moments later, I found the key and unlocked the deadbolt. Laura and I quietly crept inside the house. We walked past a couch covered in blankets and pillows, magazines scattered on the plump cushions. Soda cans and textbooks covered the coffee table. It looked like someone had been camping in the living room the past few nights.
Chill bumps popped up on my arms when an icy gust swirled through the room. The back of my neck prickled with something that felt like cold, fear and unease all bottled up into one teeming emotion. I closed my eyes and started to count, hoping I’d calm myself down.
One, two, three, four…
My breath slammed out of me, and I fell backward onto the blanket-covered couch. Back arching, I cried out. Everything spun in my eyes, and I felt like I was falling through a whirlpool of pain. Suction cups pressed against my forehead. Moments of my life flashed before my eyes. Mom braiding my hair on my first day of kindergarten. Dad giving me my first comic book on my seventh birthday. Me and Laura flipping over a canoe in the ocean. Nathan’s wide grin lighting up his face.
A hand grabbed my arm and hauled me up, and I stumbled. Laura ripped open the front door and pushed me outside. Immediately, the world seemed clear again, and I realized sweat was sliding down my face.
“You got sucked at,” Laura said. “Are you okay?”
“Um.” I blinked a few times and tried not to wonder how many days I’d lost, how many more days I’d lose if I went back inside. “Yeah, I think so. Can’t believe I let myself get scared.”
A few moments later, I’d bottled up all my emotions, and we went back inside without my body reeking of fear. We pushed our way through invisible frosty clouds and up to Megan’s room on the third floor, in a huge corner of the house. An office and living area sat behind a half-wall, separated from where her bed squatted under a pile of colorful clothes. She had rock posters lining the walls and dozens of shoes thrown about the room. This corner of the house was vibrant. Pink, green and sunset orange.
Shadows blanketed the room while we lowered ourselves into the Borderland realm. We both kept our calm even after we’d opened our eyes and saw the spirit darting around like he was on some kind of speed. It made a high-pitched keening when I used my blade to scratch out the first rune that had shown up in Megan’s house.
It clearly wasn’t happy we were here.
And then Laura and I stood, still in the Borderland, shadows and colors moving in fast circles like some kind of disco ball.
The second rune—the one that had let the spirit loose in the entire house—was right where Megan had told me it was. Carved deeply into the floor of the hallway on the second floor. Blood stained the wood where the shamans had cast the spell. I hadn’t been able to wrap my head around all this yet. Why had they started in Megan’s room and then moved to the rest of the house? Why hadn’t they started here in the first place?
“So, here’s my idea.” I squatted next to the rune. “You go down to the first floor. I’ll scratch out the rune, then run to the top floor. When one of us sees the spirit, we’ll start banishing it. Since we’re anchored, I’ll feel if you’re doing it. You’ll feel if I’m doing it. That way, we can combine our magic and banish it together without running all over the place.” I looked up at Laura. “I think that will work.”
“Alright, let’s try it.” She gave a mock salute and jogged down the curling staircase.
Alone again, I took a few deep breaths before I brought out the knife. Knowing that Laura was still there, connected to me, even though she was rooms away, kept me centered. I’d been tackling so much by myself the past year, and it felt good to be a part of something. Part of a team.
I canceled out the rune as quickly as I could, then stood up, determined to find the spirit. Cold still churned, but the spirit was nowhere to be seen through the shadows and rainbow-colored angles of the Borderland. As I headed toward the staircase, a rush of amazement washed over me. Until today, I hadn’t walked around while partially inside this world, and I felt detached from the Earth even though I could feel my feet touching the floor. The ground just felt different. Like a big squishy sponge. I wondered if this was how Mom felt all the time.
I moved up to the third floor, and through our bond, felt Laura down on the first. Her movements were snail-like, same as me. We were both being cautious, but it was more that making our way through this murky plane wasn’t something either of us felt comfortable with yet.
Just then, the spirit rushed past, and my feet moved faster out of instinct.
Then, it rushed back again, down the stairs. I spun around, confused, hesitating in the middle of the hall, not sure what I should do. Laura’s emotions surged through me as the spirit passed her. Her magic sprang forth, building up her banishing spell.
She must not have been fast enough because I felt her frustration a moment later, just before the spirit flew by me. Without any thought, I threw my own banishing spell at it, hoping the magic would stick. And it must have because the shadows of the spirit slowed.
But then it was gone again. I stumbled down the stairs after it, tired of standing around and waiting for it to come to me.
Laura met me halfway, on the second floor, and I realized both of us were breathing too hard. Our fear and emotions were stinking up the Borderland so much we could have been beef patties in a meat-eater’s paradise.
The spirit approached slowly now, making that weird breathing noise Ananann had made when it was smelling me. Laura and I grabbed hands and yelled at the same time. Our magic mingled and blasted right at the spirit, reminding me of the Care Bear Stare. And then a second later, it was gone. I fell against the banister, relieved, excited and damn tired.
I felt a lot more energy seep out of me as we wound up the spell, shaking bones and tossing them into corners. The magic was nothing like the summoning spells I'd cast earlier today, but my energy was already zapped and my tank was running on close to empty. We had two more houses to visit before we could call it a night. I just hoped my energy could last a little longer.
I owe you one, Megan texted me after I’d grabbed the cash envelope from her bedroom and sent a text letting her know we’d taken care of it. Why did everyone keep saying that to me? If anything, I owed. Two hundred was what my professional shaman mom had charged to “assess” a home, and I was nowhere close to professional.
As we walked outside, I checked my phone again and saw no new calls from Nathan. I opened it and gave him a ring, feeling a tingle when he answered with a smile in his voice.
“Any movement?” I asked.
“None,” he said. “They’re still inside, and I can see their TV flickering through the blinds.”
“You are one hundred percent sure they’re both inside?” I asked.
All we needed right now was for the shamans to show up unexpectedly, anticipating our move and tricking us into believing they’d been home when they weren’t. I imagined their creepy smiles, their dilated eyes, their knives. My entire body shuddered.
“I saw both of them go inside the house myself.”
“Okay,” I said through clenched teeth. “Jason’s up next. Call me if you see anything.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll let you know,” he said.
The full weight of what he was doing pulled my heart to the ground. Those shamans were dangerous, and he was sitting outside their house by himself. I hoped we hadn’t misread those guys by thinking they’d be more concerned about their runes than a strange car parked on the street.
“Nathan? Please be careful.” I clicked the phone shut and squeezed my eyelids together.
***
Jason eagerly ushered us inside, pulling his sweatshirt tighter around his body. I could tell from his shaky smile he’d been sucked at not that long ago—maybe only ten minutes had passed since
he’d been attacked.
“You didn’t stay out of the house like I said.” Laura and I followed him through a wide hallway to the living room, picture frames smashed on the floor and rugs curled up in bunched patterns.
“Got in a fight with my parents about this,” he said. “My brother called and told her I was making them stay outside when they wanted to be on the Playstation, and she got really pissed off.”
Just what we needed. Angry parents.
“Is she going to be mad we’re here?”
“Probably, but they’re both still at the hospital,” he said. “Come on, Holls. The Queen of Weird is needed in the basement.”
We went through the motions of crossing out runes, chasing the spirit and forcing it to do what we said. Get out. It was a lot easier than the first time, just because we kind of knew what we were doing now, but it was still a long process and a huge drain on the small sliver of energy I’d somehow managed to cling onto.
“All done,” I said with a heavy sigh as I threw the last chicken bone in the corner.
“So, about those bones?” He rose from where he’d been watching the protection spell on a bean bag chair.
“Leave them there.” I fell back onto his bed. My eyelids were heavy, my legs stiff, my back sore. Every cell of my body begged for me to close my eyes, rest…dream.
Laura shook me, and I opened my eyes. I hadn’t realized they’d closed. “Hey, sleepyhead. One more house to go, and then you can fall asleep. Remember Mr. Baker?”
“That’s right,” I said, pushing up onto my elbows. “I’m so freaking exhausted.”
Laura reached out a hand. “You can make it.”
My shoulders sagged, but I reached up like I was going to take her hand.
Some crazy force slammed into me, and I fell hard onto the bed. I arched my back, every particle of my body tingling with something…something alive and vibrant and sweet and strong and fierce. I gasped, emotions raging through and around me. My skull pounded—but in a good way. Like a million fingers massaged my scalp. My eyelids lightened. My feet no longer throbbed. My legs and body felt energized, like I could run five miles and not get tired.
Everything buzzed. Everything smelled sweeter. The air felt like soft and gentle kisses on my cheeks. Every sound was amplified in my ears. And as Laura’s breath puffed out, I could almost see the air. The tiny specks that formed the moisture on her forehead.
I blinked.
“I think we need to call 911.” She scrambled up on the bed, jagged hair falling in her eyes. The blond and red mixing together looked like rainbows.
“No, I’m okay.” My voice sounded funny to my ears. Musical.
Why did everything feel so good? So delicious? Like the world was spinning just for me.
And then that wonderful feeling slowed, toppling to a lingering stop. It was still there, but muted. Now it smelled like old pizza, sweat, tennis rackets and dirty socks. I wrinkled my nose.
“What’s happening?” Laura whispered.
“I don't know,” I said. “For a second, I just felt so…”
So alive.
I jerked upright. I felt like sweet life had been poured into my body, from the top of my head to the bottoms of my feet. And I also felt like…like I’d taken it. And it smelled just like Mr. Cline’s house. I gasped when I realized what must have happened. I’d felt the spirit feeding on my neighbor, and somehow, part of that life was getting transferred into my blood, into me.
Oh my god.
And then my hands clenched when another realization flooded over me. That’s what the shamans were doing. They were summoning spirits so they could feed on life. This wasn’t about breaking into homes and stealing physical possessions—family heirlooms and high-priced electronics. It was about stealing life. Or maybe it was about both.
That sexy feeling from the moment before vanished. Instead of a buzzing, lightheaded bliss, I wanted to vomit. The thoughts of what I’d just done were as crushing as the Hulk’s fist. I’d stolen part of someone’s life for my own.
“Sorry, I just had some magic problems.” I stood and held onto Laura while I got control over the funny dizziness still bouncing around in my head. “I’m okay though, I promise.”
“Okay,” she said, not looking convinced.
My cell rang, saving me from any more of an explanation.
“They’re on their way over,” Nathan said. I could hear the hum of his engine in the background. “A few seconds ago, they bolted like bats out of hell. I think they must know what you’re doing. You guys need to get out of there.”
CHAPTER 24
Laura and I jumped into my truck and peeled out of the driveway after giving Jason instructions to call the cops if an unfamiliar SUV so much as passed his house. I felt bad about leaving him, but so far, the shamans had only shown passive violence to those they targeted. I hoped tonight wouldn’t be the first time they did more than rely on their magic to hurt people.
We had one more stop of the night. Charles Baker. And I was dreading it. I’d called several times tonight and always got voicemail. Showing up on his doorstep and making strange claims about getting rid of the ghost in his house didn’t exactly top my things-I’d-love-to-do list, but I was worried. He’d had a spirit in his house for days. Multiple runes. I didn’t feel right about leaving him alone with that for even one more night.
I turned down Laura’s tree-lined street under a canopy of thick green and drove slowly past Charles Baker’s home. Lights were blazing in the sprawling downstairs, slicing yellow beams across the sandy stone exterior. The front yard was dark, silent and empty other than the sculpted Japanese yew bushes sprouting from the perfectly-trimmed grass. The long curving driveway led to closed double garage doors, and there was no sign of the SUV that had become so familiar.
We parked my truck in Laura’s driveway and walked to the Baker home amongst dozens of singing crickets. My palms were slick with sweat, even though the earlier storm had left a humid chill along with rain-stained pavement and drooping water-clogged leaves. Doubt and worry prickled at my conscious. What if the shamans drove by right now? We were basically walking right out in the open, alone on the street as the hour approached midnight. I’d thought about casting Shadow, but I could tell Laura was drained from the shaman magic like I had been.
Until I took part of someone’s life.
I rang Mr. Baker’s bell and peered into the tiny slits of windows on either side of the door, fidgeting with my backpack strap while we waited. I’d never been too worried about people my age thinking the things I did was weird. But the thought of boneshaking in an adult’s room made me feel like I had to perform karaoke in a clown suit.
After a couple of moments, Laura rang the doorbell again.
“Maybe he’s not home,” she said after another moment had passed.
I cocked my head and listened. “No, hear that? His TV is on, and all the lights are on.” I peered into the window again. “His keys are sitting on the table right there.”
Laura looked inside, eyes squinting. “Yeah, you’re right.”
I hefted my backpack higher on my shoulder, and something in my belly nibbled at my insides. My scalp prickled, the cool night air raising the hair on the back of my neck. Then, the world seemed to slow, like it had at Brent’s house, and a heavy headache settled on my eyes.
“Something is wrong,” I said. “Something in the air. It feels off.”
Laura’s eyes met mine, wide and unblinking. “Does your head hurt?”
“Yeah.” I rubbed my forehead between my eyes, knowing that wouldn’t help a thing. This was no normal headache. Normal ones don’t come complete with goosebumps and a certainty that something is wrong.
“Since when did you get your Intuition?” she asked.
“I don’t know. Just now, maybe?” I thought back to the uneasy feeling I’d had a split second before we’d gotten attacked at Brent’s house. “I think I sort of felt it yesterday, too, but this is the first time I
got the headache.”
Laura pushed her hair behind her ear and scrunched up her nose. “I’m jealous.”
I wasn’t so sure she should be. Intuition was something my mom had told us about because it was one part of the magic she was eager for us to learn. It meant we could sense when something around us wasn’t right. Even if it had nothing to do with shamanism. She’d told us it came with time and practice of magic, and that we probably wouldn’t come into it until we were older. She’d said the only way we’d get it now was if we were to practice really strong magic, and the only explanation I could think of for why it was showing up early: summoning a spirit onto my neighbor.
The something-is-wrong feeling intensified with a pang in my skull when I knocked on the door and my fingers came into contact with the wood.
“I think we should go inside,” I said.
“What if the shamans are in there?” Laura shifted from foot to foot like she was bracing to run at any moment’s notice.
“I don't think they are,” I said. “Nathan’s following them. He would have called.”
I tried the doorknob, but it was locked. The bolts were strong. I could tell by looking at the thick brass of the keyholes.
“Come on,” I said, jogging down the curving, stone steps. “Let's go around back.”
We slipped into the shadows and made our way to the back. A few yards away, ominous-looking waves rushed against the shore, white foam glistening under the moon. A part of me wanted to stop and stare, make my way down the beach to sit in the sand and let all my worries drift out to sea. Before Mom got attacked, I loved going to the beach at night. There was something about the dark carpet that stretched out as far as I could see, the cool spray landing on my cheeks, and the way the midnight silence drowned under the rushing waves. It was eerie and beautiful at the same time.
But instead, I shook my head and turned, walking through a maze of shrubs. The back door was hidden between two spiraling rose bushes. We only discovered it by following the trail of small square stones that weaved through a cluster of plant-life. The basic door looked much easier to break into. It had a simple lock with no deadbolt. I used my lock pick to twist it open in only a few seconds. I was always amazed by the lack of security houses have in the back, the place where most true burglars would try to break in.
