by Simone Pond
“It’s probably supernaturally cloaked,” I guessed.
He nodded and tipped back the rest of his latte. “Basically, we’re living on a battleground. Coastview is on some sort of spiritual axis. And since so many shifters have been hunted down for so many years, evil has infiltrated the sacred lands. Right now, they’re winning the battle. Also, without the dogs guiding the wandering spirits to the Holy Rock, these lost spirits are out there for evil to devour. Once evil turns them into dark spirits, they seek bodies to inhabit.”
“The Spirit Handlers,” I said.
“Yeah. That’s what Vago and I think.”
Woof!
Something clicked in my brain. “Are we supposed to help these lost spirits find the Holy Rock before evil gets to them?” I asked.
“The dog shifters, yes. But you, my dear, have a different purpose.”
“Why are you grinning like that?”
“There’s more, but I need more caffeine. You want anything?”
“What? No! You can’t leave mid-story!”
Eli got up and rushed into the coffee shop, while Vago sat on the sidewalk with his snout resting on my feet. In seconds he was snoring away. I leaned down to give him a pat.
“Back again so soon?”
I jerked up, bumping my head on the table and waking up Vago, to see a forest green spirit standing before me. Jack.
“I missed these lattes,” I said.
He touched my shoulder. “I know this is a little off beat, but I was wondering if you’d like to go out sometime. Maybe go to … hmm … what do you like to do now?”
Was he asking me out on a sympathy date? I had no desire to go out with my ex-boyfriend. He might’ve been my first, but he wasn’t going to be my last. Not since meeting Eli Townsend.
“Oh, Jack, that’s super nice and all, but …”
Before I had to suffer through the rest of that sentence, Eli arrived back at the table with a fresh cup of coffee.
“Morning,” Eli said to Jack.
“Hey,” Jack said with a harsh bite. “You visiting or something?”
“I’m Eli. Moved to Coastview a couple months ago. My grandmother was Esther Townsend. Had a school for the blind.”
“Ooooh, that’s the connection,” Jack said, sounding relieved.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked.
“Um, I, well …”
As Jack stuttered, one of those evil oil slicks slithered out of the shadows toward us. I froze as it made its way over. Part of me wanted to run, but a newer part of me didn’t want to back down. The Spirit Handler hovered over Jack, then lowered down, blanketing his forest green spirit. And just like that Jack was nothing but a shadow. Darkness had won. But nothing catastrophic followed, no earth shattering diabolical unleashing of evil. It was a subtle change. Maybe that’s how evil starts.
Jack finally finished his sentence. “I was having trouble figuring out why he was hanging out with you is all. Now I got the connection.”
And that was how evil worked. His cruel and spiteful words felt like shards of glass going down my throat when I swallowed. The evil Spirit Handler began to stretch its black tendrils toward me; its wisps licked the air inches from my face, ready to infect me with misery. But for some reason it couldn’t touch me. An invisible barrier surrounded me. All this time I’d been terrified of those Spirit Handlers and they couldn’t even get to me. What a revelatory moment!
Eli set down his coffee and wrapped his arm around my shoulder. “Sibyl’s a great gal. I knew it was destiny when we met last summer. The long distance thing was a major pain in the ass, but now that I’m living up here … I gotta say …” He leaned down and planted a soft kiss on my lips, holding it long enough just to get a few passing stares. “Well, it’s just like heaven.”
Woof!
Jack forced out a laugh. “Better get inside. Don’t wanna be late for my shift.”
After he left, I stood there in a daze, my lips still ablaze from Eli’s kiss that just left me wanting more. Like a lot more. Bury me under a mountain more. But we were right in the middle of an important discussion. One that explained my purpose.
“Thanks for the save, but let’s get back to the story,” I said to Eli.
“That guy is kind of a jerk. How do you know him?”
My face grew hot.
“Oh, man. You dated him?” Eli rolled his eyes.
I could only muster a nod.
“Let me guess, he broke up with you a few weeks after the accident?”
“A few days …”
Eli pinched the bridge of his nose, shaking his head.
I sat back down at the table. “Trust me, it was a blessing in disguise. Now can we please get back to the story? What’s my purpose in all of this?”
Once again Vago rested his snout on my feet, while Eli broke it down for me. After he finished, my brain was throbbing.
“So I’m a divine counselor?”
“Yep.”
“What does that even mean?”
“It means you’ve been called to help get this town back on track—with your visions and counsel. I’m sure there’s more we’ll find out. This is just the tip of the iceberg. Vago and his pack guide the wandering spirits to the Holy Rock, as well as guard it,” Eli said.
“The rock nobody has ever seen,” I added.
“Mm hmm.”
“What about you?” I asked.
“That’s the best part. This is crazy.”
Oh, no. What if we were related or something? What if he was a cousin or my brother? That would be the most depressing news ever. I braced myself for impact and asked, “What is it?”
“I’m a lightning conjurer,” he said, smiling.
“A what?”
“I can call lightning down from the sky and use it as a weapon against evil spirits. Pretty badass. Unfortunately, I have no idea how to do it. I couldn’t find anything and I wanted to shower before meeting you.”
Suddenly my lack of showering embarrassed me.
“I’m sure my grandmother had planned to go over this with me eventually, but that’s not gonna happen. We need to keep looking through the books. There are a lot of books. She was like a supernatural hoarder. Hey, are you okay? Told you it was nuts. I might’ve one upped you. Lightning freaking conjurer…”
I loved the way Eli rambled. I laughed with relief.
“What? Did you think I was going to say we were related?” he asked.
I nodded.
“Do you think I would’ve kissed you a few minutes ago if that were the case?”
I buried my face in my palms. “Excuse me while I’m mortified for a minute.”
Eli reached over and pulled my hands away. His pale blue eyes were inches from mine, mirror images except for a few jagged flecks of silver I hadn’t noticed before. He leaned in closer and closer until his breath warmed my lips. Sparks jumped between us. He moved his fingers from my face to my shoulders and pulled me toward him. My soul twirled. I closed my eyes as his soft lips pressed against mine again. Energy shot into me, lighting up my cheeks, trickling down my neck, into my chest and right down the middle. Eli moved through my body like a lightning bolt.
Sitting back in my chair, I said, “I’m so glad we’re not related.”
He laughed. “That would’ve been a travesty.”
Woof!
Vago sat up, scratching my leg with his paw. “I know, I know. We need to focus. Sorry, buddy.”
Woof!
“Sounds like you guys found out some good information, but we still need to figure out what to do about city hall before Monday morning. Did Vago mention checking out the Sons of Cain?”
“The dive bar, right?”
“Yeah. They open at four o’clock. We should probably go during daylight hours.”
Woof!
“Sorry, buddy. But it’s probably safer this way. I have a feeling that’s why our plans got thwarted last night. We were being looked out for.”
E
li shook his head. “I don’t know, Sibyl. Seems sketchy.”
“We have to follow up on this lead. There’s no way that homeless guy randomly pulled me aside to tell me to open my eyes, and then mention the Sons of Cain.”
“What are you hoping to find?”
“I don’t know. Anything. We just need to scope it out and see if anything points to the vision we had. Maybe we’ll see someone from the vision. Follow them or something …”
Eli was quiet, so I switched gears.
“Maybe we could start searching around your property for this rock and see if it tells us anything. Maybe it has the answers we need to save everyone?”
Eli shrugged. “Maybe.”
“I know this is unchartered territory. But the three of us were brought together for a reason. Sure it’d be nice if we knew what we were doing, but we’ll have to figure it out on our own. Teamwork.”
Woof!
“See, Vago agrees. And he hardly ever agrees with me,” I teased.
Eli smiled and stood up. “I can see why they awarded you MVP. Let’s get going. We’ll start with the rock then make our way to the bar.”
As we started walking to Eli’s car, I heard the familiar jingle of keys. Pike was making the morning rounds.
Vago positioned himself in front of me.
Woof!
“Well, look who’s up and at ’em. Thought you’d be sleeping in after last night’s shenanigans,” Pike said jovially, but I could hear the underlying bitterness.
Eli stood by my side. “Could say the same for you, sir.”
Pike snickered. “I’m a night owl and an early bird. Have to be in this job.”
“We were just leaving,” I said.
Pike grabbed my shoulder, sending a cold shiver down my arm as his fingers dug into my skin. “Let’s not pull anything like that again. Someone could’ve gotten badly injured. You scared the dickens out of your aunt. After all she does for you.”
I cleared my throat and straightened up. “She was fine, sir. She’s happy I’m getting out more.”
“That’s what she tells you because she doesn’t want you to worry about her. But she’s in knots over you. Try to be a little more respectful.”
A wave of shame lapped over me. Aunt Ruthie had given up her entire life to move to Coastview and take care of me. I nodded to let Pike know I heard him loud and clear.
“And you, son,” he said to Eli. “I don’t like strangers sneaking around my town at all hours of the night. I work hard to keep things quiet around here. So don’t think you can come into my safe community and corrupt it with your big city ways.”
Eli remained silent; the only movement was his fingers clasping harder against mine.
“We better get going,” I said.
“I’ll see you this afternoon,” Pike called out as we stepped away.
“Huh?”
“I’m coming over to do my famous barbecue chicken,” he said.
Eli squeezed my hand, reminding me Pike was the least of our concerns. Sure he was a power-hungry, Napoleon-complex pain in my ass, but he was making Aunt Ruthie happy. He was also serving as a distraction while the three of us figured out how to work together.
“I’d invite your friend here, but let’s just keep it family. I’ll be by around 2pm.”
He walked away before I had a chance to respond. Family? He’d been on one date with my aunt and he was already calling us a family? He might’ve been the least of our concerns, but something definitely wasn’t right about that guy. His enthusiasm wasn’t only suffocating, it was perplexing. I had no intention of showing up to that barbecue without Eli by my side—if I decided to show up at all.
Chapter Twenty-One
Sibyl
Vago kept his head hanging out the window on the drive to Eli’s house. I stroked his back, finding comfort there. Eli tapped on the steering wheel the whole way home.
“We’re here,” he announced.
Did I detect hesitation in his voice? “Are you okay?”
“I’m good. Just my first time having a guest to the house,” Eli said.
Woof!
“Of the female sort,” he added.
I opened the door, letting Vago out, and followed after him. The sweet fragrance of jasmine cocooned me in memories of my time spent here. Esther Townsend waiting at the end of the long driveway every morning when Aunt Ruthie dropped me off for my lessons. Her celestial spirit sparkling like a beacon of light guiding a lost ship in from the sea. Putting my hand in hers as we strolled through her garden to the gazebo to start my daily lesson.
“First thing’s first, sunglasses off. Now tell me, what do you smell?” Esther’s voice was gentle but direct.
“Flowers,” I replied.
“No, no. More detail, dear. Tell me everything.”
“Okay … the aroma is sweet and maybe sticky … Oh, I don’t know. This is hard.”
“You’re doing wonderful. Just open your eyes, Sibyl.”
I laughed whenever she said that because it didn’t make any sense. Not then. My eyes were wide open, yet I couldn’t see a thing. Except for things most people didn’t. But Esther Townsend sat and waited, letting the silence grow as long as the day. Unless I wanted to go home with my head lowered in self-pity, I continued with the lesson.
“Okay … I detect something with the slightest hints of orange. Maybe creamy.” I sat up straighter, smiling. “Yes, it’s sweet, rich and intoxicatingly creamy. And it smells safe.”
Esther patted my hand. “You just described jasmine. One of my favorite fragrances. Definitely a lifter of spirits.”
My lessons consisted of Esther and I wandering about her many acres of land, me reciting descriptions of scents and sounds of nature. At first, I found it odd and wondered when we’d get to the braille portion of my studies, but I realized that Esther was a tour guide introducing me to my new world. The afternoons were dedicated to studying the braille alphabet. She marveled over how quickly I picked it up, weighing down my backpack at the end of each day with a brick load of new books to read.
After the accident, Esther gave me something to believe in once again. She was a harbinger of hope. I wanted to spend the rest of my days exploring Esther’s gardens and spending afternoons in her office reading books and chatting over tea and those irresistible white chocolate macadamia nut cookies. But she gave me Vago as a gentle nudge forward. It was time to re-enter the real world. I never told her why I didn’t want to go back out there. Esther didn’t need to know that I was seeing things—inexplicable and unabashedly evil things.
Standing outside of Esther’s house a year later, I started laughing.
Eli came over. “You okay?”
“I just realized it took almost a whole year for your grandmother’s lesson to kick in … Open your eyes … I must have a really hard head.”
Woof!
“Shut up, Vago!”
Eli took my hand. “This isn’t something you just dive into like it’s no big deal. Oh cool, I’m a lightning conjurer sent to defend lost souls and protect a mysterious Holy Rock. Right on … It’s gonna take time for all of us.”
I laughed. “Totally. I’m thinking we start where your grandmother always started with me. The gazebo.”
With Vago’s blue spirit leading the way, and Eli’s hand in my left, the three of us walked around the back of the house to the gazebo. I listened to sticks snapping under our shoes, the rustling of leaves, and the distant buzz of a lawnmower. The creamy smell of jasmine laced the air, along with dewy grass. I couldn’t see it glistening, but the crisp moisture in the breeze was enough. Life sprouted up everywhere in Esther’s enchanted garden. But most of all from the canopy of jasmine that was definitely a spirit lifter.
Eli rested his hand on the small of my back as he assisted me up the three steps into the gazebo. We sat down and he pulled a small leather book from the pocket of his jeans.
“What is it?” I asked.
“Her most recent journal. I read
through it last night. She knew this was coming,” he said.
“The attack?”
“Something bigger. I’m not sure what because she doesn’t say specifically. She liked to speak in riddles. But it’s obviously evil. I think the attack on city hall is just the beginning.”
I leaned back and concentrated on the sounds around me. Eli’s fingers rubbed against the paper of the journal. Vago’s breathing grew deeper as he drifted asleep by my feet. I noticed a faint tremor trickling up my spine from the wooden seat of the gazebo as if it was its own energy force. A low growl rumbled in Vago’s throat as he slept. I bent down to soothe him, but he jumped up and darted away, his blue spirit disappearing into the black.
“Where’s he going?” I asked Eli.
“He’s heading toward the woods. Let’s go.” He grabbed my hand and pulled me with him.
We ran across the grass and into the trees. The air grew colder and more stagnant as we chased after Vago. I could no longer see his spirit.
“Vago!” I shouted.
“Come on, Vago!” Eli yelled.
We searched the woods for hours. Vago was gone. But I sensed he wasn’t gone forever because I still felt our connection tugging between us. It was less obvious, yet still present. While we searched for Vago, Eli also looked around for any peculiar rocks, but he said none of them seemed holy. We had hit a dead end, but at least we still had the Sons of Cain lead to follow up on when the bar opened at four o’clock.
As we left the woods and headed back to Eli’s house, my watch chimed. A text from Aunt Ruthie letting me know about Chief Pike’s barbecue chicken soirée. She actually used the word soirée.
“Will you please come with me?” I asked.
He grinned. “It’ll cost you.”
“I don’t have any money,” I teased.
He pulled me in close and gave me a playful kiss on the crown of my head, then lifted my face. His lips touched my forehead. He removed my sunglasses and slipped them into his pocket. I kept my eyes open as he traced his fingers along my cheek. He leaned down and touched my lips with his; a soft moan moved up his throat as his tongue passed over my lips. Quivering, I held onto his waist and pulled him closer. He walked me backwards until my back pressed up against a tree. As we kissed, it felt like the ground was shaking.
