With startling clarity, Justin saw a second bullet hit Margaret in the side as she attempted to cast some kind of spell. Showers of golden sparks rained down from every corner of the room as the enchantment went awry and Rose’s grandfather came running through the door.
While the specifics were still rather cloudy, when the haze cleared, Justin could see four bodies on the floor – he in the hallway and Rose, Jonah and Margaret in Rose’s bedroom as Ben took in the scene. Hammond Parks was no where to be seen.
“Banished me, she did,” Parks snarled. “But I got her in the end. My bullet hit a vein and she bled out, a slow and painful death. I got her lover, too, even from the grave. When I didn’t return home that afternoon, a friend of mine knew what to do. He snuck into town that night and killed that damn nosey doctor as he tried to patch himself up.”
“You may have killed Margaret, but not before she prevented you from stalking Rose in the afterlife.” Justin knew that James spoke those words, but it made them no less true. With her dying breath, Margaret Covington had cast one final spell as Rose lay dying beside her.
Margaret had essentially played King Solomon and cut Rose in half, binding her light side to Rosewood House and allowing the dark side to be reborn. It wasn’t a perfect solution and Margaret had known that in another life, she would be the one charged with repairing the damage she’d done to the universe. However, it had also prevented Parks from following Rose’s unique spiritual signature through time.
In essence, if Hammond Parks didn’t know what to look for, he couldn’t find Rose so that he could torture her. Margaret had trusted that Fate would allow her to undo the damage when the time was right.
Justin wasn’t sure how he knew all of this, but he did. Perhaps James had known, making that entity finally good for something, at least in Justin’s opinion. Now, looking at Parks’ ghost in front of him, Justin was certain Parks knew the entire story as well.
“It doesn’t matter anyway,” Parks sneered, the swagger that had always intimidated James a little returning to the other ghost. “I’m here to finish what I started. Only this time, you’ll all stay dead.”
Unable to turn his head, Justin risked a glance at the bed. Mia, Callie and Reed were still locked in place, though they didn’t seem to be as completely frozen as he was. He wanted to say something that might help, but he didn’t know what. He also didn’t want Parks’ attention to be drawn toward the bed just yet. It looked to Justin as if Reed was still struggling to do something and he wanted to give the other man as much time as possible.
“And if we don’t?” Justin finally decided that continuing to antagonize the ghost was the only way to buy Reed more time. “At the moment, I’m not really into the whole dying thing. I’d prefer to stay alive, thanks.”
Parks shook his head. “Oh, you will stay dead this time, I promise you. No more chances to get things right. This time, I have help. There’s someone else out there that wants something from your little group. I was only too happy to point him in the right direction in exchange for a small favor.”
“Who would help you?” Justin scoffed in disbelief. “I’m sure that even in the ghost world, you don’t have any more friends than you did in life. You killed your own father, remember?”
While alive, Hammond Parks had been generally disliked, much to his family’s dismay, since it went against everything the family believed in. Hammond’s father, John, had been a large, friendly man, adored by the community. His parties at Oakhurst Hall were legendary and his hospitality knew no bounds.
Enormous wealth had turned the younger Hammond’s head, however, allowing him to think that he could have whatever he desired, no matter the cost to anyone else. Hammond’s actions had shamed his father into an early grave, something that no one in town let the younger Parks forget.
“You leave my father out of this!” Hammond raged. “He was nothing more than a weak old man.”
“Your father was a beloved member of the community!” Justin was nearly shouting now, allowing his anger free reign, and he prayed that Reed was just about finished with whatever he was doing because time was running out. “You were an embarrassment to him and the rest of your family. Don’t even get me started on your mother!”
“That’s enough!” Hammond roared and reached out to strike Justin with a fist.
Even though Justin knew Hammond couldn’t kill him without the backing of magical powers, he knew the ghost could still hurt him if he really tried. However, he also had no idea who was helping the deranged ghost. When the blow struck, it hurt, but not as much as Justin had feared. However the physical exertion hadn’t seemed to drain any of Parks’ energy either and that was far more than any ghost should be capable of.
Whoever was helping Hammond was indeed quite powerful. Justin didn’t want to think about the implications of that, even if they all survived the next few minutes.
“It’s time I end this.” Hammond turned away from Justin who was still rooted in place and stalked towards the bed. “And I start with her, the little tease who refused me. She will learn never to do that again. Now where is she? Whose body is she hiding in, because I know she’s here?”
Justin choked back a laugh. “As if I would tell you, Parks. Go to hell.”
The ghost waved a hand and looked around at the small group as if Justin hadn’t even spoken. “No matter. I will find her.” He eyed the small group around Sophia’s bed. “One of you three. Has to be.” There was a matter-of-factness in his tone that chilled Justin to his core as he eyed the group critically.
It seemed to Justin that for some reason, Parks dismissed Callie almost immediately and didn’t even so much as glance at Sophia’s body in the bed. Rather, he focused all of his attention on Mia who stood rooted in place. Even in the face of impending death, Mia somehow still seemed defiant.
“You.” Hammond’s voice was barely above a whisper. “You have her. Oh this is rich. The witch and the bitch, all in one neat little package. I adore it.” He capped his words with a laugh that seemed to penetrate deep into Justin’s very bones.
“Leave her alone!” Justin screamed, his cries echoing throughout the small room. “Someone help us, please!” However, he knew no one would come. Somehow, Hammond had managed to cut this room off from the rest of the hospital. No one would hear them until it was too late and history had repeated itself.
Only this time, he didn’t think they’d get another chance to make things right.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Her head turned toward Justin, Rose watched helplessly from inside Mia’s body as the ghost stalked towards them. However if Mia was afraid, Rose wasn’t sensing it. The only thing she was sensing from her companion was anger.
Ever since the ghost of Hammond Parks had entered the room, Mia’s spirit had re-emerged from wherever it had been hiding inside her body. Now, Rose no longer had full control over the human form she’d just begun to adapt to controlling and instead, had to share all actions with Mia. Not that there was much either of them could do.
He’s using a spell to keep us in place, Rose heard Mia whisper to her telepathically. But he’s using more force on us than on the others. Look at Reed.
Carefully, Rose followed Mia’s eyes to where Reed stood. For some reason, Hammond’s hold over Reed wasn’t quite as strong. Perhaps it was because the ghost had dismissed the slightly built chemist as weak, something Parks had done quite frequently in life. If Hammond didn’t think a person could measure up to his expectations, he simply dismissed them.
Reed, however, was far smarter, not to mention stronger, than the ghost gave him credit for.
The longer Rose simply allowed herself to absorb the feelings around her, she became aware of a light brush of fingertips against her skin. Glancing down, she could see that Reed was holding Callie’s hand against Mia’s arm.
While the connection wasn’t ideal or even the easiest path to take, with Callie’s hand still on Sophia’s forehead, the circuit was complet
e. If Callie had enough strength to begin the transfer, Rose would be able to reunite both halves of her soul in Sophia’s body. At this point, she didn’t know what purpose that would serve, but at the very least, she would die in her own body
As Rose continued to stare at where Callie’s fingers rested, she became aware of a glint of metal out of the corner of her eye. Slowly, she slid her eyes in that direction, not wanting to call attention to her actions. What she saw shocked her.
Lying on the bed beside Sophia’s body was the Imperitas bracelet. Somehow, Reed had managed to get it off Callie’s wrist because it was clear that the other woman was unable to do it herself. Callie still rested against Reed, her eyes closed and her breathing shallow. Her skin, which was normally a rosy pink, was now a sickly gray and there was a tinge of blue around her lips.
Even if she had been able to move, Rose suspected she wouldn’t have. Callie was weak, almost too weak to live. Even if she were to survive this somehow, the removal of the Imperitas broke, well, Rose wasn’t sure how many international paranormal laws, but she knew it was quite a few.
Despair began to overwhelm Rose as Hammond stalked toward her, his meaty hands clearly itching to grab Mia’s body and break it in half. Ghost or not, she knew he had the strength to do whatever physical damage he wanted. Rose fought to keep her panic at bay. She didn’t want to die like this. She wanted a chance to live, to start a new life with Justin.
She didn’t want Hammond Parks to win.
He won’t win. Trust me. Rose heard Mia whisper in her mind again and it was then that Rose remembered that Mia was sharing her thoughts. When I give you the push, you go, follow the Thread and don’t look back. It will be all right. I promise.
Confused, Rose wanted to ask Mia how she could be sure, but before she could even form the thought, there was a rushing sound in her ears again – the same one she’d heard all those years ago on the night she’d died. In her, or rather Mia’s, peripheral vision, she saw Reed somehow shift slightly so that his forehead rested against Callie’s hair. In that moment, Rose was struck with a clarity that she knew could only come directly from Mia’s own pool of knowledge.
The Imperitas had limited Callie’s ability to “recharge the batteries” as it were, on her paranormal abilities. On her own, even without the restrictive bracelet, Callie was too weak to facilitate the transfer. Reed however, was Callie’s Controller and as such, was linked to her through the bracelet. Even with the device removed, the bond was still there until a spell removed it.
Reed was now transferring his life force into Callie, giving her the strength to help transition Rose’s spirit into Sophia’s body.
The very idea that these people who didn’t know her very well at all would risk their lives for her humbled Rose beyond words.
This is their decision, Mia’s voice was clear in Rose’s mind. Do not let their sacrifice be in vain.
Rose wasn’t about to. This was her chance and she was going to reach out and grab it. If she did nothing, she would die anyway. This way, she at least had a chance.
Just as she felt Hammond’s spectral grip clamp onto Mia’s wrist, a swirling black pool appeared at the edge of Rose’s vision. She knew what it was – her way out.
Without hesitation, Rose dove head first into the pool and felt the now familiar rushing sensation as she left Mia’s body and traveled across the twinkling, diamond-bright celestial Threads that linked all living things together. Concentrating on the glowing, beckoning light that Rose recognized as Callie, she tried to help propel herself along the Thread by sheer force of will.
Rose was vaguely aware of another presence in the background as she passed through the mass of Threads that comprised Callie’s spiritual essence. This presence was darker than Callie, and somewhat of a tangled mess, unlike the free-flowing, gossamer strands that made up the other woman. However, whatever was lurking was still gentle and comforting, protecting the Threads that comprised Callie’s essence, and Rose knew she was seeing Reed’s presence.
Throw it at him. Quickly, as soon as you land.
The words seemed to reverberate all around Callie’s body as Rose passed through it. However, it wasn’t Callie who spoke. It was Reed. Just as Rose knew that it was Reed who was allowing Callie’s heart to still beat, she also knew it was his words that she heard. Without the shy chemist, Callie, not to mention Rose’s escape route, would cease to exist.
Not wanting to prolong her stay and drain the woman’s energy any more, Rose propelled herself forward, the same way she used to swim in the pond near Rosewood House. With a pop, she was free of Callie’s body and continuing on down the Thread toward Sophia.
Sophia. The Thread that connected her to Callie was delicate and fragile, but Rose traveled on, knowing that she was almost home, to the body she should have inhabited all along.
The closer Rose came to Sophia, the more she could begin to feel a tugging sensation at her ankles. It was Hammond. He was trying to get her back and trap her in this world of celestial Threads where she would no longer be able to escape but he could enter at will. With one last surge of strength, she broke free and allowed herself to fall the rest of the way along the Thread.
With what seemed to be a crash of light, a giant cacophony of noise, and a pain that threatened to rip Rose apart, she felt the other part of herself collide and meld with her, making her into a whole person instead of just pieces. Then, there was quiet.
The first thing Rose was aware of was her nightgown, the soft brush of fabric against her skin. She was also aware of the rough texture of the sheets beneath her hand, as well as something cool and hard resting in her palm.
She was also aware that she could move. Hammond hadn’t bound Sophia’s body, now Rose’s body, with any spell because she’d been unconscious and not a threat. As it was, he’d had trouble holding on to Reed and Callie, instead concentrating his efforts on those who he felt had wronged him the most.
With great effort, she opened one eye and was horrified by what she saw. Hammond’s hands were around Mia’s throat and while he was still a ghost, he was clearly draining the life out of the other woman. Her friend would die if Rose didn’t stop him.
Then Reed’s words as she’d passed through Callie’s body came rushing back to her.
Throw it.
Without thinking, Rose forced herself to sit up, pain ripping through every part of her body. Muscles stiff from disuse locked and protested, but Rose pushed on. This was her body now and she was going to fight to keep it.
Using all of her concentration and strength, Rose gripped the metal object in her hand and aimed. The movement made Hammond look up, his grip on Mia easing slightly. It also gave Rose, never very athletic to begin with, a bigger target to hit.
Calling on strength she didn’t know she had, Rose hurtled the small, shiny disk at Hammond Parks’ ghostly form. While she didn’t score a direct hit, the hunk of metal hit him near the ear before coming to rest on his shoulder and emit its own glow.
Hammond howled in either pain or surprise. Rose couldn’t be sure which.
To her left, she could see Reed and Callie break free from Hammond’s spell. Together, they slid to the floor, Reed still cushioning Callie’s body with his. Elliott, now free as well, rushed to their side and began giving Callie the medical attention Rose knew the other woman desperately needed. She heard a noise from the hallway and suspected that it was Josh, now free from whatever spell had held him prisoner as well.
For his part, Tim, who had been watching the scene without speaking, just as Jonah had always done, crossed the room in two large strides and grasped the now writhing ghost by the shoulder, forcibly pulling Hammond away from Mia. Then, without a word, Tim scooped up the small woman and strode out of the room.
In Rose’s mind, that was probably the best thing for both of them.
That left only Justin – her former husband and current lover. The man who crossed time and space for her. The man who loved her.
A
s she watched, Justin broke free of whatever curse Hammond had used to bind him and sprinted across the room. He was beside her in an instant, shielding her with his body and clutching her to him in a fierce hug. Struggling to see over Justin’s shoulder, she moved so that her still-weak body could rest against his.
In front of her, Hammond’s spectral form began to convulse and twitch. “No!” he cried. “I was so close. I will not allow you to defeat me again.” He reached toward the bed where she huddled against Justin but his grasp fell far short of the mark.
Instead, his arm seemed to shrivel before their eyes and his body began to fold in on itself. Rose had been a ghost long enough to know what was happening. The universe was finally restoring its balance, sucking Hammond Parks into whatever realm he should have been banished to long ago.
Hammond opened his mouth as if to speak again, but the words were lost as, with one last small flash of light, the ghost of Hammond Parks disappeared from the Earth, sucked into whatever part of the Other Side the Fates had decided he should occupy.
Rose reached for Justin again but was distracted as Elliott and Reed rose to their feet, both of them supporting a semi-conscious Callie.
“We have to get her admitted into the ICU.” Elliott was clearly striving for a firm, reassuring tone, but Rose could still hear the tremor in his voice. “I’ll be back to check on you in a bit.” With that, he turned and strode out of the room, Callie and Reed in tow, leaving Justin and Rose alone.
Her room. No longer Sophia’s, but hers. In fact, as Rose looked through her mind, she couldn’t find any memories belonging to the woman who had been known as Sophia Hamlin. In fact, it was as if the woman hadn’t existed at all.
“She didn’t exist. Not really.” Her thoughts, along with her long-awaited reunion with Justin, were interrupted by her grandfather’s ghost.
“Now, Ben? Really?” There was both exasperation and resignation in Justin’s tone. Rose understood. After so long, they were so close to finally, truly being together once more. On the other hand, after over a century apart, another few minutes probably wouldn’t make much difference.
Ghosts Of Lovers Past Page 24
