To Stop a Shadow (Spirit Chasers Book 2)

by Carrie Pulkinen

  “That sounds typical for the time period when the house was built. Now, I want you to focus on the people. Is there anyone else in the house?”

  “There’s a little girl. About four years old, maybe.”

  “Focus on her. Does she feel like anyone you know?”

  Tina walked to the staircase and peered up to the second floor. “Mabel.” The name danced on her lips as if she’d said it thousand times, but how did she know the child’s name?

  The girl appeared on the landing. “Mommy?”

  Tina gasped. “I was her mom.”

  “And you know her name,” Allison said. “This is good. Stay there. Who else lives in the house with you?”

  She tore her gaze away from Mabel and scanned the room. “No one else is here.”

  “Single moms living in big, Victorian homes weren’t common in the 1800s. You probably had a husband. Focus on a male presence and tell me what you see.”

  The little girl ran down the hall, and Tina focused on the front door. A male presence. Mabel had to have a father. She inhaled deeply and tried to concentrate, relaxing her body and thinking only of the memories.

  The door swung open, and a man walked in. He wore a tailored suit with an ascot tie, and… “Oh my God.”

  “Do you see a man?”

  “I’ve seen him before. In a photograph. He’s the original owner of the house.” The man regarded her and hung his coat on the rack. The rack she remembered watching him carve.

  “Do you know his name?”

  “It’s Cox. Cox Austin.” Her heart sprinted. “So my name must be Bertha.” Was it possible? The reason Tina loved the house so much was because she lived there in a past life. And the man she was married to… “He looks so much like Trent.” Tears pooled in her eyes to see this man standing before her. Alive. Awake.

  “Who does he feel like? He looks like Trent because they’re related. Can you get closer to him? Feel his energy?”

  In her mind, she walked to the man. He smiled and swept her into his arms, placing a tender kiss on her lips. “How was your day, my love?”

  Tina breathed in a shaky breath. The taste of his lips. The way his arms felt wrapped around her. “He feels like Trent. Allie, he is Trent.”

  Her heart raced in hummingbird mode, and her mouth went dry. This couldn’t be possible, yet it explained so much. Her feelings for Trent. The way they got along as if they’d known each other forever. How comfortable she felt with him in that house. “What does this mean?”

  “Aside from explaining your connection to Trent and the house, not much. We need to go deeper. What is your relationship with the shadow? Where did it come from?”

  She didn’t want to think about the shadow. Right now, just for a moment, she had Trent in her arms again. “Can I stay here and hold him for a while?”

  Allison let out a slow breath. “I know it’s hard, babe, but you have to let him go. That version of Trent isn’t real. And the real one needs your help.”

  In Tina’s mind, she released her hold on the man she loved and wandered up the stairs. She tried to focus on the shadow, but she found herself in the child’s room, sitting in the rocking chair. A wave of despair crashed down on her as she rocked the cold, lifeless body in her arms. A sob bubbled up from deep in her chest, lodging in her throat, as tears streamed down her cheeks. “She’s dead. Oh, God.”

  “This is just a memory.” Allison’s voice sounded like a distant echo. “Put it on a movie screen in your mind. Separate yourself from it.”

  She did as her friend said, and moved the image of the dead child in her arms to a screen. The despair eased to sadness, but she couldn’t stop the flow of tears. “Measles. She died from measles, Allie. We have vaccines for that now.”

  “Was the shadow involved? Focus on the shadow.”

  She concentrated on the monster. Facing the devil himself would have been better than reliving the death of her little girl. The air seemed to be sucked from her lungs as the memory flashed through her mind. The depression. The desperate need to see her daughter again. The failed séances and futile attempts at contacting her spirit through natural means that led to the botched ritual that opened the portal to the shadow.

  As a lifetime of memories tumbled through her mind, she fought to catch her breath. How could she have done such a thing? No amount of desperation was excuse enough for the evil she’d unleashed. Her body shook. Her head pounded. It was too much to bear.

  “Tina.” Allison clutched her hand. “I’m going to bring you back now. I’m going to count from one to ten, and I want you to count with me. Come on…One…Two…Three…”

  Tina forced the words through the dryness of her throat. “Four…Five…Six.” Her voice came out as a croak.

  “Seven…Eight…” Allison’s voice grew louder. “You’re becoming aware of your body. You can wiggle your fingers.”

  She squeezed Trent’s hand and sucked in a breath. “Nine…Ten…”

  “Open your eyes now. You’re in the present, Tina. Wake up.”

  She tentatively opened her eyes, squinting against the harsh fluorescent lights. As her pulse slowed to a normal rate, the queasiness in her stomach subsided and she found her voice. “It all makes so much sense now. Allie, I know where the shadow came from. It—”

  Trent’s fingers wrapped around hers, and her heart leapt to her throat. She jerked her head toward to the bed, her mouth gaping as his eyelids fluttered open.

  He raked in a ragged breath and coughed. “Well, that was a wild ride.”

  His raspy voice sounded like a symphony to her ears.

  Tina squealed and jumped to her feet, cupping his face in her hands. She gazed into his eyes—his open eyes—and ran her hands down his neck, across his chest, and back up to his face. “Trent. Oh, my God.” She nuzzled her face into his neck, inhaling his warm, masculine scent as she clutched his shoulders. “You’re awake.”

  The feeling of his arms sliding across her back to pull her into a hug made another round of tears spill down her cheeks. “Oh, Trent. I love you.” She pulled away to look into his eyes. “Before anything else is said…I love you. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before, but I do. I love you.”

  He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I know. I heard every word. I love you too.”

  Another sob bubbled from her chest, but now her tears were from elation. She pressed her lips to his, and this time he kissed her back. The knots in her stomach slowly began to untie, and the hollow pressure that had become a permanent fixture in her chest released its hold. She would never take those soft, full lips for granted again. She’d never take him for granted. She laid her head on his shoulder and let out a satisfied sigh. Trent was awake, and he was hers.

  He ran his fingers through her hair and wiped a tear away from her cheek. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you cry.”

  “Don’t get used to it. It doesn’t happen very often.” She lifted her head. “What happened? How are you awake?”

  His laugh morphed into a dry cough. “I have so much to tell you, but could you get me some water first?”

  “Of course.” She pulled a half-empty bottle from her purse. “It’s not cold, but I can ask the nurse for some ice.”

  “This is good.” He took the bottle and drank the rest of the contents.

  “I hate to be the one to break up your reunion,” Allison said. “But I’m going to tell them he’s awake.” She slipped out the door.

  Tina tossed the bottle in the trash and returned to her position on Trent’s chest. She had her man back. Her revelation from the regression, the damn shadow monster…it could all wait. Right now…this moment was all that mattered.

  “You know,” Trent tightened his arms around her. “I had to become one for a few minutes for it to happen, but I finally saw a ghost.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  Trent didn’t get the chance to explain anything before the doctors rushed in and swept him away for more testing. Another brain scan. An
EKG. More blood drawn. He was beginning to feel more like a medical experiment than a human being.

  Of course, the scan and the EKG came back normal, though it would be hours before the readings became official. At least they removed all the tubes they’d stuck in unspeakable places. All he had left was the IV in his arm, and that he could handle. It was nearing midnight by the time they wheeled him back to his room.

  Tina sat curled up in the vinyl chair next to the bed. Her raven hair spilled across her face, and his fingers twitched with the urge to feel its softness. Though he’d drifted in and out of a dream state for God knew how long, every time Tina had touched him, she’d pulled him back to reality. He may not have been able to make his body respond, but his mind had been fully aware of every word she’d said. Her tears. Her cries to God to bring him back to her. Her despair had torn his heart to pieces, and there hadn’t been a goddamn thing he could do about it.

  She inhaled a sharp breath and popped her head up. Confusion clouded her eyes until her gaze landed on him. She smiled. “Is it time to go home?”

  He moved from the stretcher to the bed and pushed the button to raise himself into a sitting position as the nurse typed something into the computer. “He’s going to have to stay put for a while until we get all the results back. If everything looks good, he may be released tomorrow.”

  An orderly rolled the stretcher from the room, and the nurse followed him out the door.

  Tina sat on the edge of the bed and held his hand, drawing it up to her mouth to kiss his fingers. Dark circles ringed her tired eyes, and her disheveled hair looked sexy as hell. But he knew Tina, and she must have been exhausted to not take notice of her own appearance.

  “You should go home and get some rest. Between watching me sleep and fighting demons, you must be tired.”

  She looked at him like he was crazy. “Like hell I should. I’m not leaving unless they drag me out.”

  So persistent. So strong. Damn, he was a lucky man. “Then lie down with me.” He scooted to the other side of the bed and lowered it flat.

  Tina settled in next to him, resting her head on his shoulder, draping her leg across his. “Are you comfortable enough?” She rubbed her hand over his chest and inhaled deeply. “I don’t want to keep you from sleeping.”

  He’d stay awake for the rest of his life if he could have Tina in his arms like this. “I doubt I’ll be doing much sleeping. I’ve been out for…how long was I out?”

  “About a day and a half.” She yawned deeply and relaxed into his side.

  He chuckled. “That explains why I’m not tired. That past life thing you did with Allison was intense. I didn’t know you could take someone back with you like that.”

  Her only response was the steady rise and fall of her chest as she slept.

  Pressing his lips to her forehead, he inhaled her delicious scent. It could wait. What mattered now was that Tina was in his arms again and he actually had control of his body so he could hold her.

  He lost track of how long he lay there with her snuggled into his side. He counted six times a nurse came in to check on him, each one shaking her head disapprovingly at Tina curled up next to him. But no one forced her to move. He could’ve held her like this for the rest of his life—preferably not in a hospital bed—and cherished every second of it. Though a tiny spark of fear that he wouldn’t be able to wake up again burned in his chest, the heaviness of his lids eventually overwhelmed him. He reluctantly closed his eyes and drifted to sleep.

  He woke as Tina slid out of bed, and he turned onto his side and reached for her. “Where are you going?”

  “I’m going to borrow your bathroom and clean myself up. I’m a mess.”

  Eye-level with her backside, he couldn’t help but smile as she strode to the bathroom. The things he planned to do to that woman the second he got her home…

  She paused by the door. “Allison just texted. She and Logan are on their way. We can talk about our new plan of attack once they get here.” She slipped through the door and closed it behind her.

  Trent sighed and raised his bed to a sitting position. All the things he wanted to do to Tina would have to wait. He fiddled with the buttons on his bed, raising it up and down as the second hand on the clock ticked away. Lifting his arms over his head, he stretched the soreness from his muscles and rolled his neck. Damn, it felt good to move. A decent meal and a romp between the sheets with his favorite real estate agent would feel even better.

  Tina emerged from the bathroom with a clean face, her once-tangled hair flowing in silky waves over her shoulders. A smile brightened her eyes when he caught her gaze, and his heart gave a squeeze.

  She furrowed her brow and approached the bed. “Did you hear what I said to Allie about my past life?”

  “I sure did, Bertha. I guess I’ll have to find a new name for my car.”

  She frowned. “Your car is totaled.”

  He raised his eyebrows in feigned surprise. “Bertha didn’t make it?”

  She laid a hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry. You gave her a good life while she was here.”

  “I did take good care of her, didn’t I?”

  “And at least now we know why you gave her such a hideous name…Cox.” The corner of her mouth twitched as she pressed her lips together, suppressing a smile.

  “Come here, Bertha.” He tugged her to his chest, and she playfully swatted his shoulder.

  “Don’t call me that.” She pulled away and laughed, but her face turned serious as she looked into his eyes. “I didn’t tell Allison everything yet. About the shadow. About what I did…What Bertha did.”

  “I know. I saw your vision. I think you took me with you when you regressed.” He cupped her face in his hand and stroked her soft cheek with his thumb. “And then you brought me back. You pulled me out of the eternal dream state I was stuck in and woke me up.”

  She held his hand to her face. “More than a hundred years later, and here we are again.”

  “Together at last.”

  “Forever.”

  He slid his gaze to her plump, pink lips, and his mouth watered with the urge to kiss her. “I would love to make out with you right now, but I haven’t used a toothbrush in two days.”

  She pulled a small plastic container from her purse. “I just used it, but if you don’t mind catching my cooties, you’re welcome to freshen up.”

  “If you have cooties, I think I’ve already caught them.” Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, he rose to his feet. He expected the room to spin as he stood, but other than a little bit of stiffness from lying down so long, he felt fine. Great, actually. He slipped the plastic claw-like monitor off his finger and took the toothbrush from Tina. “I’ll be right back.”

  “I’m not going anywhere.”

  The minty toothpaste worked wonders on the cat-litter taste that had occupied his mouth since he woke up. He splashed some water on his face, careful to avoid the bandage, and tousled his hair. He had definitely looked better, but with no hair brush and wearing a pale blue hospital gown, this was as good as it was going to get. At least now he could actually kiss his woman without his breath knocking her out. And man, was he planning a good, long kiss.

  He opened the bathroom door, and Logan pulled him into a bear hug. And now the kissing would have to wait. He held back his disappointed sigh as his friend held him by the shoulders. The sheer happiness in Logan’s eyes filled Trent’s heart with gratitude. Every time Tina had left his side to fight the demon, Logan had been there for him.

  “It’s good to see you up and moving, man.” Logan gave him another squeeze before Allison slipped between them.

  “How are you feeling?” She kissed him on the cheek.

  “Never better.”

  Tina took his hand and pulled him close. “Watch out, Allie. I haven’t even gotten to kiss him yet. Not a real kiss anyway.” She snaked her arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his.

  She was warm and soft and he couldn’t h
elp but open up to let her in. So what if they had an audience? This was the reunion kiss he’d been waiting for. Her tongue brushed his, and heat coursed through his veins. God, he loved this woman.

  Logan chuckled behind him. “Nice ass, man.”

  Tina slid her hands down his back, pulled open the hospital gown, and gripped his bare butt in her hands. “And it’s all mine.”

  “Shit.” He pulled the gown closed and dropped to the bed. “Sorry about that, Allison.”

  Allison shrugged. “It is a nice ass.”

  “Ha ha. You’re all hilarious.” His ears burned as he slid back onto the mattress and covered his lap with the blanket.

  “They haven’t released you yet?” Logan sat in a chair in the corner, and Allison moved to the other side of the bed.

  “Nah. Still haven’t gotten all the test results back. I thought about telling them it was a shadow demon causing all the trouble, but I figured they’d throw me in the psych ward if I told them the truth.”

  “The truth probably wouldn’t be helpful in this case.” Allison hovered her hands above Trent’s head and closed her eyes. “Your block is back to normal. The way it was before the accident.”

  Damn. He slumped his shoulders. “So I’m not cured?”

  “I’m afraid the only way to cure you is to vanquish the demon.”

  “Shit. Damn demon.”

  “I agree.” Allison sat on the arm of Logan’s chair.

  Logan rested a hand on her knee. “What’s the plan?”

  Tina settled onto the edge of the bed next to Trent and pressed her lips together. He could only imagine how difficult this must have been for her to suddenly have to relive such a tragedy.

  He took her hand. “Do you want to tell them about your regression? Then I can probably fill in the blanks with what I learned while I was out.”

  Tina inhaled deeply and blew out a hard breath. “I know where the shadow came from. Bertha summoned it.”