by Dana Davis
“Okay, I’ll say it again, since no one seems to be listening,” Bridgette’s voice broke through Daisy’s thoughts. “What the hell’s an orb ghost? How come Noah and I can see it? And how come it shows up in these photos?”
“Good questions, Bridge.” Daisy twisted in her seat again and studied Scarlet. “Care to answer?” A turn and a bump told her Noah was pulling into the driveway now. That, and she could hear the garage door opening with all the car windows down.
Scarlet lifted those dark, penetrating eyes to Daisy. “Orb specters aren’t typical ghosts. They’re rare. Anyone with eyes would’ve seen a light up there tonight, if they were looking. But they wouldn’t know what it is. They’d probably pass it off as illegal fireworks or some other logical thing. Mortals are great at that. That mist in the pictures is the ethereal body trying to manifest. The naked eye can’t see that.” Scarlet smirked. “Unless of course, the eye belongs to a medium.”
“But I didn’t see it.” Daisy opened her door. “Only in the pictures.”
“You won’t yet.”
“Oh.” She got out. “So, are the Phoenix Lights really specters?”
“No, that’s something else.” Scarlet stepped out of the Hybrid.
The light across the street allowed Daisy to see the woman’s features, even at night. “What are they then?”
“Weather balloons, aliens, military tests. Who the hell knows? All I know is what the Phoenix Lights are not. And they’re not specters.”
Daisy’s mind clicked a thought into place as she reached into the car and drew out her purse. “Wait.” She lowered her voice, when she remembered her neighbors were mortals. “Since you’re calling it a specter, not a soul or spirit, this orb is a really old soul. One that had great magick when he was alive. Or she.” Three car doors clacked shut just seconds apart, including Daisy’s.
“Very good, Ms. Hammel-Kavanaugh. You get a gold star.”
“Ha-ha.” The last time I had dealings with a specter, it was a damn skinwalker that tried to kill me. In a really nasty way. Her cousin gave her a worried look. “You just flipped to the same page, didn’t you, Bridge?”
“Damn right.” Bridgette shut her door after Kali climbed out.
Noah stepped toward the sidewalk as the car chirped. “Daisy? You have a house key?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay. I’ll go get Perky.”
“You have the sopapillas for Opal?”
He held a paper bag above his head briefly as he started up the sidewalk. The elderly widow who dog-sat for them wouldn’t take money but she always accepted treats for herself. Perky loved Opal and her aging dog Sally and the woman enjoyed the interaction, especially since she lived alone.
Now that they were home, tiredness crept up on Daisy, but she did her best to ignore it. “So, are orb specters dangerous, Scarlet?” I really don’t want to fight off another evil being like that skinwalker.
A car passed, windows down and loud music blasting, and Bridgette sniffed. “Let’s get inside before someone hears us.”
No one argued with the tall redhead and they filed in through the garage, Daisy pausing to press the automated button to shut the large door. Once inside, the rest headed into the family room, while she and Bridgette handed out bottles of flavored tea. Scarlet took a seat at the dining table, Bridgette flopped into the overstuffed chair, so Kali and Daisy took the couch.
“So are they?” Daisy said as she eyed Scarlet.
“What? Oh, are orb specters evil? No. Some can get carried away and knock things over, cause havoc when they try to communicate, but they have good intentions. The fact that we saw this one from a distance means it’s extremely old and gifted. A higher level specter. Probably a spirit guide.”
“Spirit guide?” Daisy looked up when Noah came in the front door and put Perky down. The dog trotted from the front room, through the open kitchen, and into the family room, his nails clicking on the Mexican tile. “Hi, Perky-poo.” When he reached the couch, Daisy picked him up and snuggled him, getting frantic licks and tail wagging in response.
“Opal fed him.”
She smiled at her husband, who was getting something from the fridge, then back to the dog. “Opal’s so good to you, Perky-poo. She spoils you rotten. Yes she does.”
“Are you done making out with that mutt?” Bridgette lounged in the overstuffed chair, long legs stretched out in front of her. Her sandals lay on the floor and she flexed her bare feet.
“Jealous, Bridge? Want me to cuddle you?”
“Do it and you’ll be casting spells with your jaw wired shut.”
The familiar bantering felt good and she grinned. Perky squirmed so she set him down. As the dog made his way around the room, sniffing people and things, Daisy turned her attention back to Scarlet. “I remember reading something about spirit guides. A long time ago. In one of my magick books.”
“I’m sure you did. They’re rare but they do manifest once in a great while.”
Noah put a glass of ice water on the dining table then pulled out the chair next to Scarlet and sat. “What’re you guys talking about? The orb?”
Daisy watched as Perky trotted toward his floor pillow. “Yeah. Scarlet says it might be a spirit guide.” She glanced at Noah then Bridgette. I’m glad there are some things they’re allowed to know about my new powers. “But why appear on a mountain?” She made a sweeping motion with her arm. “Why not right here?”
Scarlet leaned elbows on her knees, her back to the table, and studied Daisy. “What do you remember reading about orbs?”
Oh great, another test from my medium master. An image of Yoda’s head on Scarlet’s body popped into her mind and she forced herself not to laugh. Not now, you stupid brain. I’m trying to think here. She took in a long breath to clear her head but it didn’t help. “Not much, really. I just remember the seeing the words.” Scarlet looked disappointed. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be. Why didn’t the orb specter appear here? Because it can’t. They’re attached to the places where they died. They use their light to attract someone they wish to help.”
Daisy fought a groan. “So we need to get to the mountain?”
“Yes.”
“I can come by tomorrow morning,” Bridgette said. “As much as I hate hiking.”
Daisy started to agree but Scarlet shook her head. “You won’t find it then. Orb specters only appear at night.”
Of course they do. Perky had fallen asleep on his pillow and Daisy eyed him. We’ve been gone most of the day. I hate leaving him again so soon. “I’ll get the flashlights.”
“Daisy?” Noah said in an incredulous tone. “You just got out of the hospital this morning and we’ve been out all day. You need to rest.” His gaze moved to Scarlet. “Can’t this wait a few nights? Until she’s recovered?
“Fine by me. It’s just a murdering hitchhiker on the loose. Nothing urgent we need to tend to.”
Noah narrowed eyes on her. “I think that’s called sarcasm abuse.” Scarlet shrugged and he let out a frustrated breath. “What if Kali and I go instead?”
Scarlet leveled a gaze on him. “Because we don’t know which one of us the orb specter wants. But I suspect with everything that’s happened it’s here for Daisy.”
All eyes moved to Daisy and she smirked to keep a yawn from escaping. Yipee.
* * * *
“Ow.”
“Daisy, hon? You okay?” Noah extended a hand to steady her.
“Yeah, my ankle just twisted a little. It’s fine.” Despite the cool night air, sweat ran down Daisy’s back. For a moment, she thought about taking off her vintage leather jacket but decided against it. The last thing I need is a cold on top of just getting out of the hospital.
“Smart girl,” Bridgette called from the back of the line.
Oh, yeah. She said she’d be listening out here.
Even with flashlights, the path up the mountain was shadowy and hard to make out with all the debris that had washed down from t
he recent monsoon season. Crickets chirruped and the occasional bird trilled with annoyance at being disturbed. Once in a while, she heard the rustle of some critter in the brush. A lizard or snake probably. Or maybe a rat.
They didn’t have too much farther before they reached the saddleback. This hike was an easy one, in the daylight at least. They’d left Noah’s car parked on a cul de sac in a gated community not far from Daisy’s home. A security gate didn’t deter a witch. A simple unlock spell and they’d driven right in. From the cul de sac, they’d taken one of the cement trails that led to the dirt hiking trail. Getting to the saddleback took about forty minutes during the day from Daisy’s house. At night, like now, it would’ve taken longer without driving part way.
Kali, who had insisted on coming along, squealed and something snapped.
Daisy swung her head around to look at the necro, aiming her flashlight at the woman’s feet. “Kali?”
“Sorry. Just a branch. I thought it was a snake.”
They had to be careful out here, especially at night. Rattlesnakes, scorpions, coyotes, bobcats, cacti. Any of those could turn a simple hike into an emergency.
“How the hell can anyone find this fun?” Bridgette complained from the back of the line. She’d gone home and added a sweater and hiking boots to the designer jeans she wore before meeting them at Daisy’s house again.
Making us wait for her, of course. And that was after giving me the stink-eye for suggesting she just skip the hike.
“You won’t get rid of me that easily, Cousin.”
Daisy turned and stuck her tongue in Bridgette’s direction. Snoop. She heard a chuckle but couldn’t tell who it came from.
“We’re almost there,” Noah said.
Daisy continued to follow his shadowy figure up the rocky slope, her flashlight aimed at the ground in front of her and the water bottle in her jacket pocket bouncing against her hip bone. She felt winded, like she’d jogged the entire way.
Dr. Varma said I was healthy. I just need to rest. Bet I’ll sleep like a baby tonight.
No one talked the rest of the way up and soon they stood on the plateau of the saddleback, a large clearing worn down by years of hikers, bicycle enthusiasts, and horseback riders
Heights that involved a skyscraper or glass elevator, especially when a protective railing wasn’t present, knotted Daisy’s stomach, but hiking a mountain had never troubled her, especially this mountain. Until now. She had a vague memory of the afterlife. Cliffs. And her heart raced when she stepped toward the edge of the clearing. Had something she’d seen on those cliffs made her afraid? Maybe the darkness had her spooked. Or perhaps seeing ghosts all the damn time frayed her nerves worse than she thought. Either way, she refused to take one more step toward the edge of the saddleback.
Oh come on, Daisy Rhiannon. This is ridiculous. Get a hold of yourself. You hiked the Superstitions, which is way steeper and more dangerous, and you’ve been up here a gazillion times. Still, her feet wouldn’t move toward the edge. Fine. Stay here, you big dummy.
With flashlight in hand, she gazed out on the glow coming mostly from houses, traffic lights, baseball fields, and strip malls. Several mountain ranges stood out like shadowy hills in the distance. Not too far away, she could see the faint outline of Taliesin West, the house built by the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Nowhere, either on the saddleback or below, did she see an orb.
“So where is he, Scarlet?”
“Patience. He’ll be here.”
Despite being jumpy, Daisy hid a yawn. The moon hadn’t risen but several stars, or maybe planets, shone in the purple sky above. Maybe I should’ve taken an astronomy class back in college. Nah. A pack of coyotes yipped and howled in the distance, blending with cricket song. She leaned into Noah when he came up behind her and encircled her shoulders. “It’s so beautiful up here at night.”
“Yes it is.” His warm breath caressed her ear. “I love you, Daisy.”
She turned in his arms, her vintage leather jacket creaking, and gave him a soft kiss. “I love you too.” With her cheek pressed against his chest, she breathed in his musky scent. Her man wasn’t buff by Mr. Universe standards, but his arms were well-defined from weekly visits to the gym, strong and comforting, and she fit perfectly in them.
“If you two are finished making sex eyes at each other, I’d like to get this done.”
Daisy peered around Noah to look at her cousin, now a shadowy figure in the dim light. “Sounds like someone’s a miss-cranky-pants tonight. And we’re not making sex eyes.”
“Not cranky. Bitchy.” Bridgette waved a hand to shoo away an insect Daisy couldn’t see. “And it was close enough to sex eyes.”
“You could’ve invited Jay, you know.”
“He hates hiking even more than I do and I want him in a good mood, thank you very much.” The redhead’s tall silhouette turned toward Scarlet. “So, where is this orb spook anyway? And if you tell me to be patient, so help me, Scarlet, I’ll hit you with an itching spell.”
Kali chuckled and Daisy wondered if necros had as difficult a time with relationships as mediums did. Well, she’s single. I know that much. Wonder if she’s ever been married before?
Scarlet took in a long, noisy breath and let it out again, bringing Daisy’s gaze back to her. “I don’t control them, witch. But he’ll be here. I’m sure of it. Now keep quiet. All of you, please.”
The five of them stood in silence against a backdrop of city lights, twinkling stars, desert brush, and numerous shadowy saguaros that jutted up from the nearby ground, arms reaching upward. In the west, blinking lights of planes moved across the sky, some on their way to Sky Harbor Airport, others to the much smaller Scottsdale Airport. Engine noise caught Daisy’s ears and she pulled from Noah’s arms to look east over the nearby mountain peaks. A jet came into view and she watched it as it flew over them and toward the valley.
As the plane moved away, she could hear the crickets again. She stayed in Noah’s arms but shifted her weight, wishing she had lugged a chair up here with her. Fatigue seemed to settle into every muscle.
“About damn time,” Bridgette uttered. “Incoming.”
Daisy and Noah turned just in time to see a ball of light move toward them from one of the nearby peaks. It pulsated as it traveled at an amazing speed. Straight at Daisy. She yelped, and she and Noah both ducked as it flew past. Just as she stood and turned to see where it had gone, the thing came at her again. She backpedaled and lost her footing, landing hard on the rocky ground.
“Damnit. That hurt. I don’t think he wants to help me.” And I’m so not in the mood to fall off a mountain tonight. Noah helped her up and she dusted her throbbing hands on her jeans. The orb made another pass at her but she stayed on her feet this time. Barely. “Scarlet, do something!”
The medium stepped next to Daisy as the orb started toward her again. Daisy was about to duck out of the way, but the orb stopped abruptly about a foot in front of them. It flickered like a flame in a breeze. Before Daisy could move, the orb streaked toward her, slamming into her chest. She doubled over and cried out from the pain. The pain grew to agony as the thing now inside her started to expand. Someone near her called out but she couldn’t make out the words. Her body stiffened, refusing to obey her commands to run. White hot pain seared her muscles. She screamed but it sounded distant to her own ears. Her head felt like it was on fire. Her eyes burned and her breath caught.
Am I dying? She barely formed that thought when another wave of pain, this one tearing at her muscles, shot through her, and she pitched to the ground. Blackness took her.
* * * *
Her ears rang like church bells inside her head as she regained consciousness. Someone’s hand rested on her arm. Noah? It was then that she realized the pain was gone. Well, the searing pain, anyway.
“Daisy?” The panic in Noah’s voice brought her back to reality quicker than a dip in ice cold water would have done. “What the hell did it do to her, Scarlet?”
> “I’m okay, Noah.” Her voice came out raw and gruff sounding. Her muscles felt like she’d done several aerobic workouts in a row, and her legs quivered as she finally managed to stagger to her feet with her husband’s assistance. The scratchiness in her throat reminded her of the previous screaming she’d done. At least, I’m in one piece. I think.
Noah held her close. “Daisy, are you sure you’re okay?”
She took in deep breaths to help clear her head. It didn’t seem to help the throbbing at her temples but at least she could think again. She forced a smile and placed a brief hand against Noah’s rough cheek. He hadn’t shaved since early this morning. “It’s over. Just keep me standing.” Her gaze moved to Scarlet’s shadowy figure. “A little warning would’ve been nice.” The medium didn’t answer.
Noah dusted her off while still hanging onto her. “Hold still, Daisy. You’ve got something on your thigh.” He reached down and plucked something from her jeans. A sharp pain followed.
“Ow.”
“Sorry. Cholla.” He tossed it aside. “I think that’s the only one.”
“I didn’t even feel it go in.” She rubbed at the sore spot with her fingers. Good thing this happened in the clearing instead of the trail. Cholla’s grow everywhere out here. I could’ve fallen on the whole freaking cactus. That thought made her shiver and Noah drew her closer.
Nearby, an orb floated in midair, like a balloon slowly losing altitude. It began to grow in size and she stared at it as she took her flashlight from her husband and leaned against him for support, forgetting all about the sore spot on her leg. Noah started to ask her something but she held a hand up to stop him. An arm wrapped around her waist and he held her close to his body. The motion made her feel safer. An illusion she gladly accepted.
As the orb light grew, features began to take form. Daisy didn’t know if she had her strength back enough to cast a spell, even if one would work on a specter. But she didn’t want to go through whatever the hell had just happened ever again. Bridgette’s shadowy figure stood near her in a familiar protective stance and, for once, Daisy didn’t protest. Scarlet and Kali stood nearby, watching quietly, as though this sort of thing happened all the time.
