Psychic Storm: Ten Dangerously Sexy Tales of Psychic Witches, Vampires, Mediums, Empaths and Seers

by Deanna Chase

  “Gently!” I yelled. Just before they would have crashed, all of them came to a sudden stop, less than an inch from the floor, and tumbled softly. I stood in the center of the room, my chest heaving. The next thing I knew, Kane grabbed my hand and tugged me out the door.

  “Where are we going?” I gasped, trying to clear my head.

  “Out of here,” Kane said, his voice muffled.

  He was right in front of me but I couldn’t focus. His lips moved, but I had trouble hearing him. “What did you say?”

  “I said, you need to be somewhere safe. Let’s go.”

  Too tired to protest, I weakly muttered something about clothes.

  Kane positioned me outside the door. Through a distorted hazy consciousness, I watched him open my drawers and throw some garments in a bag. In seconds he returned and picked me up. That’s the last thing I remember.

  A chatter of voices pulled me from my slumber. Disoriented, I sat up and, through blurry eyes, I spotted rich, heavy velvet drapes. Pyper’s apartment. Again. I needed to get out of this habit. The silver crescent moon shone through the window. How long had I been here?

  “No, she isn’t going back up there tonight,” Kane said.

  “Isn’t that up to her?” Ian said.

  “Not when she’s passed out.”

  “I’m up,” I said from the doorway, leaning against the jamb to steady myself.

  “Honey, are you okay?” Pyper rushed toward me, led me over to the couch and gently pushed me down. “I’ll be right back.” She disappeared into the kitchen.

  Ian and Kane both turned toward me.

  “Go where?” I asked

  “Nowhere,” Kane said.

  Ignoring him, I turned to Ian. “Where do you want me to go?”

  Ian frowned. “I know you’re wiped out, but if you have any energy at all, the best thing to do—if we want more clues—is to go back up to the apartment. I need another reading with you.” He glanced in Kane’s direction. Reluctance penetrated my awareness when he added, “and Kane too.”

  “No,” Kane said.

  Pyper appeared with hot tea and a few cookies. “Here, honey, this should help.”

  “Thanks.” I took a bite, sipped my tea and looked over at Kane. “I can speak for myself.”

  “Of course you can,” he said. “But I’m still not going to let you go back up there.” His voice was tender now, losing some of the authoritative edge he’d used with Ian.

  With a faint smile, I asked, “Let?”

  He shrugged as he raised his hands, palms up. He glanced at Pyper, found no help, and then sat on the sofa.

  “Anyone care to fill me in on the details I’ve missed?” I glanced around at each of them.

  Kane spoke up. “You haven’t missed much. You passed out. I brought you here and called Pyper, who then called Ian. Ian’s been here for about an hour. We’ve been discussing a course of action to rid you of your ghost.”

  “An hour?” How long had I been asleep?

  “You’ve been here for about three hours.” Pyper patted my hand. “We didn’t think you’d suffered any physical damage, judging by what Kane said, so we let you sleep. Does it hurt anywhere?” She peered at me, checking for nonexistent bruises, I guessed.

  I smiled at her mothering. “I’m fine. Just feel like my insides have been ripped to shreds, is all.”

  “Really?” Ian’s eyes went wide. “Did it happen upstairs?”

  I nodded.

  “Can you tell me exactly what happened?” He dug around in his canvas bag and pulled out a notepad.

  “Do we have to do this right now?” Kane sounded impatient. He slid toward me on the sofa and brushed the hair out of my eyes. “You don’t have to do this now, you know.”

  I caught Ian watching me. He was also doing a fair job of suppressing the jealousy that had bubbled up when Kane touched me. With a grim smile at Kane, I said, “I know, but somehow I think I need to get this out.”

  He let out a long breath then acknowledged my statement with a nod.

  “Kane told you what we saw?” I asked.

  “Yes, but I’d like to hear it from your perspective.” Ian made small fast circles with his ballpoint pen, trying to get the ink to flow.

  “Okay.” I launched into my version of the events. Ian scribbled intently as I recounted the haunting. When I got to the part when the shadow disappeared, I paused. “I felt like something in my gut shattered like the red image. Not like a stomachache or anything like that. More like my soul was being torn into individual little pieces. It happened just like that in my dream last night, too.”

  Ian took in a sharp breath.

  Kane clasped his hand over mine. “Damn it, Jade. The ghost is haunting your dreams. You aren’t just dreaming about him.”

  “Right, I told you that this morning.”

  “No, you said you were dreaming about him.”

  “No, you interpreted it that way.”

  “Jade—”

  “Can you two work that out later?” Pyper said.

  Kane sighed and leaned back. “Fine.”

  Ian finished scribbling some notes then looked up, focusing for a second on my hand clasped in Kane’s. “This is very unusual, especially considering the sexual content.”

  “I thought you said ghosts haunting dreams weren’t unheard of,” I said.

  Ian leaned forward. “They aren’t, but I’ve never heard of someone being attacked in one. That, plus the intimate nature, makes me uneasy.”

  Ian’s troubled expression unsettled me more than his words. “So what do we do now?”

  “I have a few ideas, but I’d need to get you back up there—”

  Kane let out an audible grunt, cutting Ian off.

  “—when you think she’s up to it,” Ian finished, eyeing Kane.

  “It’s not up to him to decide.” Feeling smothered, I lowered my voice. “Look, Kane, I know you want to protect me, but this is something I have to deal with. I have a feeling the longer it goes on, the worse it’s going to get. I need to do what I can, even if I have to endure more encounters with the ghost. Plus, he invaded my dream at your house last night. I’m not so sure location matters anymore. If Ian thinks he can help, I need to trust him.”

  Kane searched my eyes for a moment, kissed my hand and said, “Okay.”

  A tiny bit of weight lifted from my heart. I squeezed his hand before letting go.

  “All right then. I’ve already got my equipment set up, and John is monitoring the readings. Let’s go.” Ian tilted his head toward me as he moved toward the door. “I’ll have her back as soon as possible. I know she needs to rest, but I don’t want to miss the chance of getting a reading so close to the event.”

  I stood, trying to shake the dizzy feeling, and followed him. When I glanced back, I found Kane on my heels.

  “I’m going also.”

  “I don’t think…” Ian paused when Kane’s face darkened.

  “Don’t think what?” I asked.

  “I’d rather get a reading with just you. It’s more scientific,” Ian said. Kane’s irritation poked at me as Ian continued. “From what I’ve heard, this ghost is really only interacting with Jade. I don’t want to introduce any other elements until I get a clean reading with her.”

  “But you said earlier you wanted a reading with both of us,” Kane countered.

  “Yes, but Jade first, then you,” Ian said.

  Kane continued to look unconvinced.

  I sighed and waved at Pyper, “A little help here?”

  “Come on, Kane, I’ll entertain you while they’re up there.” Pyper grabbed his arm and led him to the couch.

  I strode out the door with Ian close on my heels. When I got to the stairwell of my own apartment, I stopped dead in my tracks and stumbled forward as Ian barged into me. He reached out a strong arm and grabbed me around the middle just before my head bashed into the railing.

  “Oh, sorry, Jade!” Ian turned me toward him. “Why did you stop?�
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  I gave him a weak smile. “Just nervous.” Nervous was putting it mildly. My knees started shaking, and my heart felt like it would beat right out of my chest. I took a few deep breaths and grabbed on to the railing.

  Ian took my arm and patted my hand. “It’s all right. Really, I’ve seen a fair number of odd paranormal occurrences. I know what to do if something happens.” He lifted my chin and looked straight in my eyes. “I won’t let anything happen to you. It’ll be all right. I promise.”

  I nodded and let him tug me up the stairs. We stopped just outside my door.

  “Now, when we go in, don’t say anything until I ask you to. I’m going to walk you around the room then onto the balcony while I take readings. Okay?”

  I nodded my agreement and followed him inside.

  The investigation was set up in much the same manner it had been during the first recording. Candles burned in a circle around the room. A video camera was set up just to the right of the door, along with an old-fashioned tape recorder. John had two cameras around his neck, a 35mm and a digital camera. He had told me digitals were the preferred choice, but ghosts were known to mess with electronics, causing them to fail. Just like last time. The 35mm was the camera that caught my ghost image.

  Ian steered me to the middle of the room, holding my arm, keeping me close. He cleared his throat and began to speak. “Lord in heaven, please protect us, your children, from harm and possession. We only seek knowledge and not destruction. Amen.” He smiled “Ready?”

  I gave him a small nod.

  “Dear earthbound spirit of apartment 3-A. We are here seeking only information and do not wish you harm. If you so choose, please allow us to communicate with you.”

  John handed Ian a small electronic device. Holding it under candlelight, he scribbled a reading in a notebook. He took my hand and walked me slowly around the room, focusing on the electronic readings. The continuous click of the camera cut through the silence as John snapped photo after photo. The conditions with the candlelight were dim. I wondered how he’d get any decently lit pictures without a flash.

  After the third circle I started to get dizzy and was relieved when Ian led me to the balcony. “Stay out here for a minute. I want to get some more readings, and then I’ll have you come back in.”

  I sat down in my chair to wait.

  Ian stepped back inside and let out a loud yelp. I scrambled to my feet and poked my head in the window.

  Ian grabbed my shoulder. “Get in here!”

  A queasy feeling rolled through my stomach as I scanned the room. I saw nothing out of the ordinary. It looked just as it had, except for the expressions on the two men’s faces.

  I stepped in, confused. Ian held up a hand, gesturing for me to wait. John stood in the corner using the 35mm camera, clicking over and over again in rapid succession. He paused to reload and then nodded at Ian.

  Ian, standing just to my left, put a hand on my arm and whispered, “Talk to him.”

  I took a shaky breath, let it out slowly and opened my mouth. No words came out.

  Ian, seeing my struggle, asked, “Have you spoken to him before?”

  ‘Yes.”

  “If you gave him a name or title, use it now.”

  “Damn,” I muttered under my breath. “Oookay. Hello, Mr. Sexy.”

  John chuckled quietly from across the room. I shot him a dirty look, but he didn’t seem to notice. He was still busy snapping away. Click, click. Click, click.

  I focused on talking to my ghost. “It’s been an eventful day, has it not? You must have used a lot of energy picking up all of my beads. Thank you, by the way, for setting them down gently.” The candles flickered a few times then burned bright again.

  I glanced at Ian. He nodded his head enthusiastically, encouraging me to continue.

  “Thank you for the acknowledgment. I assume that was you, flickering the candles?” The candles flickered again, a few of them blowing out entirely. “Yes, I know you’re there. I wish I knew your real name.” The flame on the candle closest to my bed went out.

  “Yes, I know it’s you in my dreams.” I stopped, at a loss for words. My skin started to warm, and something soft wrapped around my shoulders. Even though I was sure the gesture was meant as a loving one, hair stood up on the back of my neck. “Is that you? Did you wrap a blanket over my shoulders?” My knees started to tremble and, not trusting myself to stand any longer, I sat on my couch.

  “Keep going,” Ian said softly.

  I closed my eyes and concentrated. “I wish I knew who you were and why you’re here. I get the feeling you don’t know you’re a ghost.” The warmth slid from my shoulders. I shivered. Unwilling to give up, I asked, “What happened to you? Can you tell us? There’s a recording device over by the door. If you stand close to it, we might hear you. Please, we want to help.”

  “Jesus!” John jumped suddenly from his spot near the recorder and scooted closer to Ian.

  “What the hell—” Ian started, but was cut off by the door opening suddenly, with Kane striding in.

  “You’ve got to get down to Pyper’s apartment,” Kane announced, grabbing Ian’s arm.

  “What? No. We’re just getting going here.” Ian glared at Kane. “It’s best if you leave.”

  Ian’s face contorted in pain as Kane gripped harder. “No. Pyper’s in trouble. You need to go, now.”

  “In trouble? What happened?” I demanded. Not waiting for an answer, I ran out the door, took the stairs two at a time and was on the ground floor before I realized no one was following me.

  Chapter 13

  A minute later I burst through the apartment door and found Pyper sprawled out on the floor. Falling to my knees by her side, I placed my palm on her chest. My hand rose as she took in a breath. The dread in my gut eased slightly.

  “Thank God. Pyper? Can you hear me?” She didn’t move as I smoothed her hair back from her closed eyes. Her skin burned. I ran for a cold wet cloth. Once I started to mop her brow, her eyes flickered open.

  “There you are,” I said. “Welcome back.”

  “Jade.” Her eyes filled with tears. “Is he still here?”

  “Who? Kane?” My voice was low and, I hoped, calming, though my heart was beating hard enough to leap right out of my chest.

  She shook her head, tears streaming down her temples.

  “It’s all right now. Shhh. It’s all right.” I moved to cradle her head in my lap and stroked her hair.

  Pyper’s breath came short with silent sobs. She turned her face into my shirt and held on while her body shook. I continued to whisper soothing words until finally she stopped and was silent. A muffled sound came from her buried face.

  “Hmmm?” I said.

  “Thank you,” she said in a hoarse voice. She sat up across from me.

  I handed her the cloth and gave her a small smile. “No thanks needed. It’s what friends do.”

  She tried to smile back but failed, turning her head toward the window.

  I got up and headed to the kitchen. I didn’t notice the shaking until I grabbed the tea kettle. After filling it and placing it on the burner, I ran my still shaking hands over my arms. Pyper wasn’t the type of person to break down. I didn’t think anything else could unnerve me more. Searching through the cupboards, I found a new bag of mint Milano cookies. After arranging the cookies on a plate, I set it on a tray along with the tea and headed back into the living room. Pyper sat curled up at the end of the couch.

  I set the tray down and handed her a mug. “Here, drink this.”

  She took the mug but neglected to take a sip and stared into the contents. After a few moments, I held out a cookie. “This might help.”

  She glanced up but sat unmoving.

  “If you don’t want it, I’m eating it. This is not the time to turn down chocolate.”

  She made a move for it, but I bit into it before she could grab it.

  “Bitch,” she said, but it lacked any heat.

  I smil
ed sweetly and handed her another from the tray. She took it before I could snatch it back, and we nibbled the cookies in silence for a few minutes. Finally, I asked, “If you weren’t asking about Kane, who were you asking about?”

  She ran her fingers along the rim of her cup then looked up meeting my eyes. “The man I’ve been dreaming about.”

  My head jerked back, causing me to spill my tea. “Shit!” I tried to mop it up with a napkin, but a small dark spot stained the cream sofa.

  “Don’t worry about it.” Pyper waved her hand in a dismissive fashion. “I know the owner.” She tried to smile, but it came out more as a grimace.

  I shook my head and said something about getting it cleaned. After putting the tea cup down to avoid further disaster, I turned to give her my full attention. “You’re dreaming of someone, too?”

  She nodded, fear flashing in her eyes. It wrapped around my chest, making me wheeze. I took shallow breaths and tried to conjure up as much calm as I could to combat her energy. When the air flowed freer, I asked, “Do you know him?”

  Her confusion, fear and anger seeped through my protective calm. Clamping down on my barriers, I shoved her emotions and my own mounting anger aside and concentrated.

  Pyper shook her head. “I don’t actually see him. There aren’t any details, just a shape, so I don’t know who it is.”

  “Can you tell me what happens in your dreams?” My stomach did flip-flops. Was it the same ghost as Mr. Sexy? My hands started shaking again. I didn’t really want to know what had happened to cause her breakdown, but I knew I needed to hear it.

  Pyper focused on her tea cup again. “He torments me, almost every night, or day. Whenever I try to sleep.”

  My fists curled. “How?”

  “I don’t know how to explain it exactly.” Her voice shook a little and I took her hand, squeezing it lightly. “It’s like…well, like I’m being physically beaten, but I’m not.”