by Ruby Raine
Melinda just moaned and sniffled her reply.
“That good, huh.”
“Oh, Emily. I don’t know what to do.”
“At least I understand what happened now. Why didn’t you just tell everyone? It was an honest mistake. Not that Riley’s a mistake. Oh, you know what I mean.”
Melinda stopped and faced her friend. “You of all people are asking me why? You can imagine my brother’s reactions. And look at what William did when he came across Riley with me. And then he wouldn’t even look at me after. He must hate me.”
“His reaction was a little freaky. He was so grrrrr...” Emily made a pathetic excuse for a frightening face.
Melinda bit her lip holding back a low chuckle. Emily grinned.
“I don’t think it’s possible for William to hate you, Melinda. And as for the not looking at you thing... he was probably afraid to because he didn’t want you to see him.” Emily wasn’t sure she was being clear, and was nervous to bring up the subject for fear it might just complicate the situation even more.
“You mean because I might see that he loves me.” Her voice was tight and low.
Emily’s voice caught for a moment. “I think he might.”
Melinda couldn’t help it. Her heart fluttered madly at the thought it might really be true.
“Sorry. I know it doesn’t make any of this easier. Or change anything. But look, you didn’t set out to date a Deane on purpose. It just happened. No one can hate you for that. And no one is going to love you any less because it happened.”
Melinda wanted to believe that. And if William was hiding his face from her because he didn’t want to give away how he felt, or that she had crushed him yet again... she sighed miserably. “I don’t think my brothers are going to go that easy on me.”
“You should give them a chance. They worry about you a lot you know. And they love you like crazy. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen two brothers more devoted.”
Melinda nodded, forcing back a grin.
“And the whole William forbidden love thing set aside, don’t give up on Riley just yet either.” Emily tossed her a smirk. “You do still like him, don’t you?”
“Yes,” groaned Melinda. “Still totally crazy about him.”
“Geez. Don’t sound so depressed about it. Just take things slow. See what happens. Just not as slow as your brother did with me though.” Emily frowned at the thought.
Melinda laughed.
“You’ve always been a good judge of character, Melinda, and my gut says everything’s going to work out in the end.”
Me? A good judge of character? That doesn’t sound like me at all, her thoughts rambled, thinking back to Jerkwad. Her terrible date from hell, and the asshat she’d given her virginity to. Ugh, if I could go back in time.
Melinda turned and hugged Emily. “Thank you. You’re always so nice to me.”
“Are you kidding? It’s like having a sister and a dear friend all in one. Who could ask for more than that?”
“Right now, I could ask for a new life, or at the very least a few do-overs. A head screwed on better than my own and... some light.” They had reached the entrance to the cave, and it was pitch dark inside. They heard movement not too far in, the brothers had already entered, but they could not see them.
“How far in do we have to go?” wondered Emily, shuddering.
“I wish I could make those light orbs like Charlie. Oh, hey wait, look!” Melinda pointed to the side of the cave. “Torches. Those I can do.” She snapped her fingers and the torch sparked to life. A few more feet in, another torch exploded into flames. Followed by another.
“Much better,” agreed Emily as they stepped into the cave. It was tall enough they didn’t need to duck, and not far in they caught the dim light of the Deane’s flashlight. As Melinda approached, she snapped her fingers again and more torches lit up, exposing the circular cavern they’d just stepped into. In the middle of the cavern was a flattened stone, the length and width appropriate for the size of a human body. Iron rings stuck out of each corner.
“Creepy much?” Melinda fought the icy tingle surging up her spine.
“Yeah, what exactly did they do in here?”
“Got a strong feeling we don’t want to know.”
Lucas and Riley placed Lizzy’s body on the flattened stone, per her orders.
“Do we have to tie you down?” Lucas was disgusted that he had to ask.
“No.”
“Thank God.” Lucas let out an anxious, but relieved, breath.
Lizzy stared at the stone covered with her body. Her ghastly form shuddered. “I was tied down once. Right here. This is where I first became a ghast. Here on this very stone.”
They pictured her strapped to those iron rings, helpless.
Melinda’s heart melted just a little towards the ghast. So did everyone’s.
It had to have been terrible. To feel so helpless. She couldn’t imagine anything more frightening than to be chained up, unable to prevent some terrible thing you knew was coming.
“Yes. Well, enough of the somber shit.” Lizzy stole her gaze away from her body. “Like I said, I got over it a long time ago.” Her tone indicated the exact opposite.
Melinda and Emily joined Lucas and Riley.
“The torches are a nice touch,” Lucas conceded to Melinda.
“Yeah, this old flashlight wasn’t cutting it,” agreed Riley.
“Sometimes magic is a good thing.” She shrugged. Her surroundings freaked her out too much to fight the argument of using magic, versus not. Still, she thought it was a good thing that the Deane brothers chose not to use magic, even in a circumstance when she thought it was warranted. “This place kind of gives me the creeps. I still don’t imagine I want to know what’s been done in here.”
“You don’t,” confirmed Lizzy. “Back in my time, this cavern was used to practice good magic. By good witches. Many years after I became a ghast and this place was long abandoned, the Deanes claimed it for themselves.”
“Let me guess,” said Riley. “They performed dark magic in here.”
“Bingo.”
“It’s sort of terrifying,” whispered Emily, a cold shiver splintering down her spine.
A few feet in front of the body sized stone was a cobwebbed covered cauldron surrounded by burnt candle nubs blanketed in a thick layer of dust. Torches lined the walls. But worst of all was the rust-colored stain leaking out from underneath Lizzy’s body, dripping down over the sides. Was it human or animal blood? Either was an equally horrifying and disgusting thought.
A swoosh of air suddenly swept into the cavern. William appeared, seemingly from nowhere. Melinda’s face brightened upon seeing him, she couldn’t stop it, even with the thought that he might be angry with her. Riley’s frown soured into a scowl.
The vampire’s face was hard to read, as usual. And then his emerald greens drowned her baby blues in what she was certain was a look only meant for her. That somehow she was the only one that could see it. It told her everything was fine, that not all was lost. That she had nothing to fear. Nothing to be sorry for.
More than a look, it was almost like she could hear him saying it. A whisper planted somewhere deep in her mind. She shivered and blinked. He wasn’t looking at her at all, but talking with Lucas.
How bizarre. She shook it off.
“Were you able to find what you were looking for in our library?” Lucas was asking.
“Possibly,” returned William. “I only hope there is time to implement the plan if it’s deemed worthy.”
Melinda was about to ask William to expand, her heart feeling lighter, when she heard footsteps scuffing across the cave floor.
“That will be the others,” noted William. “I passed them on my way in.”
Charlie, Michael and Eva Jordan slipped into the cavern, baskets filled with ceremony provisions in tow.
“Everyone’s here. Good.” Charlie set down his basket.
William started. “Befor
e we begin the ceremony, there’s something we should discuss.”
“You found something about the Soul Hunter?” hoped Charlie, looking around the cavern. His gaze also paused when they came into view of the blood-covered stone with Lizzy’s body. “Jesus. What the hell happened in this place?”
“Death... Murder...” Michael shivered out the words. “I can feel it. Like it’s seeping out of the walls.” Emily approached him and grabbed his hand, warmth spreading up his arm. She was the light to his darkness.
He’d never walked into a room, or cave, or anyplace before, and had death scream out at him like it did in this room. He would not want to witness the devastation that had taken place here. It wasn’t like touching a body or performing a death reading. But death and terror reeked heavily on every surface. Thickening the air, making it hard to breathe.
“You okay?” Emily asked him.
He nodded, sending her a tight grin. “Am now.”
She gripped tighter, telling him she wouldn’t let go. “So much for an early night and sneaking into my bed.”
“I’m not giving up on that just yet.” He nipped at her nose, letting the cold grip of death slip away.
“The Soul Hunter?” Charlie reminded William.
“I didn’t discover how to capture the Hunter, or how to free your father. However, I believe I have found a way to keep it prisoner here on the Isle. To keep it from escaping.”
“I guess that will have to do for now,” said Charlie.
“If we can keep it from escaping the Isle, at least we still have a chance,” Michael stated.
“What’s your plan?” asked Melinda.
“Something similar to what we did to capture your mother’s spirit, actually,” explained William. “We are going to create a force field of sorts. It won’t last long, but if my calculations are correct, and they are, of course, it will last long enough to keep the doors closed. And keep the Soul Hunter from escaping until the doors can be sealed permanently.”
“How long will it take to get ready?” Charlie wanted to know.
William took out a handful of crystals. “I need you three,” he aimed at the Howard siblings, “to cast a few spells, and then I’ll set up these crystals at each door myself. As for how long, it should be relatively fast. I will need Lisbeth’s assistance.” He eyed the ghast.
“You may have it. There’s still much to be done before the ceremony can begin, and all this waiting around is starting to make me anxious.”
“Ghasts can get anxious?” Emily frowned.
“My human emotions are still tied to my soul. I can feel any emotion just as if I were living.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” said Emily.
“It does suck, a lot.”
William proceeded to give each Howard sibling a handful of the crystals, and they cast spells on each one. When finished, they tossed them gently into a bag.
“When I return we can begin,” William announced. “Lisbeth, I will need you to show me where each door is located, at each lighthouse, so I can properly set the crystals.”
“I assumed as much.”
William got a twinkle in his eye and cleared his throat. “Lisbeth, I don’t suppose you’d want to make a race of it?” He had a little energy to burn. A little angst to burn off.
“An intriguing proposal,” Lizzy spoke, her ghastly eyes aglow. “Can a vampire outrun a ghast?” She twirled around for a moment, her black veils swirling around her. “It’s my last night as a ghast, so what the hell. Let’s race.”
In the blink of an eye, the two vanished out of the cave.
“I think William kind of likes her,” said Michael.
Melinda heard Riley let out a huff. She frowned, then sighed. Unable to get mad at him for getting caught up in the mess called her life. And he did have a reason to be jealous. She had fallen hard for two men who were both off limits. She caught his eye and swallowed hard. She really did like Riley.
“They do have a lot in common,” said Charlie with a grin. “They’ve both been alive for an impossibly long time.” He laughed.
“I can’t imagine what she’s about to go through,” sympathized Emily. “I know she’s picked up plenty even being a ghast and all, but the world is going to be so different.”
“At least the wrongs done to her can be undone,” said Charlie. “She’ll have the chance to finish her life, even if it’s not the one she should have had. Shall we get started? We’ve got lots to get ready.” He began rummaging through the baskets they had brought with them, calling out instructions as he handed things to whoever came over.
For the first while, Eva kept her distance, leaning against the cavern wall, averting her gaze from Charlie’s, acting like a silent spectator. But quite suddenly, she joined in. Charlie figured she had to talk herself into it.
He smiled, kindly, handing her some candles, telling her to lay them on the stone with Lizzy’s body. She said nothing, just nodded.
Before long, Melinda had magicked the old cauldron clean, and had it filled with a bubbling mixture, which Charlie had told her to stir constantly at a slow pace.
Michael had shown Emily how to arrange candles around Lizzy’s body as well as throughout the cavern, so that when lit, they would be the most potent for channeling magical energy.
The Deane brothers had hung various dried herbs around the cavern, burning some so that the aroma filled the cavern with scents of lavender and frankincense and sage.
Eva continued to assist silently, and would now and again break her blank stare with a curt smile. When Charlie had handed her the last item from the basket he kept hold of it, not quite handing it over, forcing her to look directly at him.
He spoke softly to keep the conversation between the two of them. “Are you okay, Eva? What happened back at the house... I’m sorry.” He shook his head. “I feel like that’s all I say to you.”
To his surprise, she kneeled down, as close as she could without drawing any suspicious looks. “No, I’m sorry, too, Charlie. Something like that’s never happened to me before. It’s like I wasn’t even present in my own body.” That’s one way to put it. She had no idea what the hell had happened, and it was freaking her out. To a point where she might even have to tell her father once she got him back.
“It was the same for me.” Charlie scrunched his face in thought.
“Was it? I-I’ve never lost control like that.” And why am I feeling the need to tell him this? “It’s like I was suddenly possessed or something, and the really messed up part is I don’t even remember most of it. Only that I felt perfectly content. Blissful even,” her pale cheeks turned pink as she spoke. “A bit drunk actually. And then it was like all of it was just yanked from my mind. Like I was just dreaming it all.”
Charlie didn’t know what to say to her. Was it him? Her? Was his wolf doing something to her? This connection they had made no logical sense to him.
Eva shouted into her own mind. What the fuck is wrong with you? Why are you talking to him like this? You’re his alpha! You need to control him! He’s making you weak. And for some reason her wolf got a thrill from this... she let out a silent scream that she swore was loud enough someone had to have heard it.
She let out a breath filled with irritation, and the need to regain control.
“What do you want me to do?” Charlie asked Eva, misinterpreting her release. “After tonight I can stay away, avoid you. Pretend we never met if we happen upon each other on the street.”
She lowered her head and when she picked it back up, wore a weak smile. Maybe this isn’t a bad thing. Maybe my wolf knows what I need to do to get Charlie to give in to me. Perhaps getting closer is the right thing to do.
He smiled back. “How about we get your dad back. We all get some much needed rest. And we don’t even worry about it right now.”
“I am very tired,” she conceded.
He reached up and caressed her cheek. She lifted her hand and held his for just a moment. A current flooded in bet
ween their touch and she let go. He handed her the remaining candles, avoiding contact with her skin and she hastily got up and delivered them to Michael.
“Thanks.” He took them from her, turning away in a hurry.
Her emotions had turned back on. They were weak. But there. And all mixed up into a deluge of unbalance. Almost like there were two personalities, each trying to vie for dominance. He’d never sensed anything like it before.
No, that wasn’t true. He had. One time about six months ago.
They’d gone to visit an old family friend on her death bed. She was in the hospital and Michael had entered the wrong room upon arriving. The man in the bed had intrigued him and he’d stayed for a little while. It turned out he had a multiple personality disorder. And when one personality was fading and another rising, Michael could sense the battle for dominance.
What he sensed from Eva was similar. Was that why her emotions worked differently? Why they could suddenly just turn off. Did she have some similar type disorder? As he thought about it, it wasn’t dissimilar to his brother, either. When the wolf was more present in his brother he could feel a similar tug of emotions.
But he wasn’t going to just come out and ask Eva if she had some kind of personality disorder. It wasn’t a question to just come out and ask someone. But it would explain a lot. He’d have to tell Charlie later.
They placed the final candle around Lizzy’s body and looked around at each other. Everything was finished. They were ready. Lizzy Deane was just minutes away from being returned to her body. Except they were minus the most important part of the ceremony.
“Where are those two, anyway?” wondered Michael. “I kind of thought they’d be back by now, seeing as they can both move so super-fast and all.”
They stood around waiting. And waiting. Melinda allowed Riley to take a turn stirring the contents of the cauldron as her arms were getting tired. They didn’t want to bring any attention to themselves so they kept things to small talk. But Melinda had a difficult time being so close to him, and not just being herself. The self she had started to be when around him.
Tensions mounted. Everyone eager to get the ceremony completed, learn more about the Soul Hunter and get Eva reunited with her father.
