by TJ Green
Alex cast his strongest banishing spell, and with a crack like thunder and flash of white light, he sent them back to the spirit world. For what seemed like endless minutes, they stood there, waiting, just in case something broke through again, but when nothing happened, Alex dropped his hands, satisfied that the door to the Otherworld was sealed.
He turned to Avery and sighed. “Well, that was all kinds of unexpected.”
She looked at him with utter shock. “Unexpected? What the hell happened in there? You’ve been gone for almost two hours!”
Exhaustion hit him as his adrenalin ebbed, and breaking the circle, he dropped on the rug in front of the fire.
Avery sat next to him, her hand resting on his arm. “Alex, what happened?”
He lay flat, his chest heaving up and down, and reached for her hand. There was no way to sugar-coat what had happened. “I saw Gil.”
Avery froze, her eyes wide, momentarily silenced. Her mouth worked as she tried to form words, finally saying, “What? How?”
His heart was filled with sorrow it could barely contain. “Come here.”
She lay next to him, and he pulled her close, glad of her vibrancy, and immensely grateful she was part of his life. Her arms trembled and he kissed her forehead.
“Was he okay?” she mumbled into his chest. “Sorry—that’s a stupid question.”
“It’s not.” Alex’s breathing had settled, and she placed her hand on his chest as he said, “He seemed well, for a spirit. But it was a shock to see him.”
Avery propped herself on her elbow, watching him. “I don’t really understand how the spirit world works. Why haven’t you seen him before?”
“It has never crossed my mind that I should even try to contact Gil. It seems wrong somehow. But,” he admitted, feeling guilty, “I travelled too far into the realm, deeper than I realised. I was so intent on finding Helena, I didn’t stop to think. I guess I was too sure of myself, too. I got into trouble.”
“Alex! I trusted you. You could have died!”
“I’m sorry. It won’t happen again. But I found her—sort of. She’s a prisoner. Don’t ask me how, because I’ve no idea. They used her to lure me to them.”
Avery was clearly more confused than ever. “What do you mean? Who are them?”
“Whoever those spirits are who followed me here.” He rolled over to face her. “Gil said they’re seeking vengeance.”
“On you? Us?”
“I don’t know, and neither did Gil. But he said another witch has been there, strengthening them…stirring their anger.” He lifted his hand and ran his fingers across her cheek. She was so precious to him; he hated to see her upset. “Gil sends his love.”
Avery’s tears welled up. “It’s almost a year since he died. I can’t believe it. What happened in there?”
“The spirits who have trapped Helena tried to trap me—or kill me. Gil saved me.” The feeling of being lost filling him with horror, but he tried not to show Avery that. “I had no idea how far I’d travelled. I’d lost sight of you. I was an idiot. And what’s worse is that I didn’t even tell Gil how much I missed him. I was so focussed on Helena. What a jerk.”
“You’re not a jerk, and Gil knows that. I will be forever grateful that he brought you back to me. But what about Helena? I don’t want you to go back there again—obviously—but how do we rescue her?”
“Gil said to leave it to him. We have another job to do. We need to find the witch who travelled there.”
Chapter 6
Behind the counter in Happenstance Books the next day, Avery was enjoying a mid-morning coffee and biscuit while updating her friends on Sunday’s activities.
“What do you mean, you were attacked by ghosts?” Sally asked, horrified.
“They whirled around our attic, making a bloody mess,” Avery said crossly. “It annoyed the crap out of me!”
Dan looked at Sally, and then back at Avery. “They followed Alex? He actually walked in the spirit realm?”
“Well, not exactly walked, but I know what you mean.” Talking to Dan and Sally in the cold light of day, the enormity of what Alex had done hit her. “It was nuts, really. I get so used to the odd stuff we do that I didn’t even worry too much.” She looked at their expressions of disbelief, and tried to explain. “I mean, I know it was dangerous, and I was worried, but not much. I trust Alex’s power!”
Dan lowered his voice. “It’s the realm of the dead, Avery! I didn’t even know that was possible!”
“Mediums do that kind of thing all the time!”
“No, no, no!” He wagged his biscuit. “They summon spirits to them—in this world. They don’t enter another! That’s very different.”
“He’s right, Avery,” Sally agreed, looking at her like she’d grown two heads. Actually, Sally had been looking at her like that all morning, and Avery had the feeling that was because she’d seen her float during the barbeque. “I don’t think you realise quite how unusual your life is—compared to us mere mortals, at least!”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Avery said. “I’m a ‘mere mortal’ too, I just happen to have a few special skills. And besides, I can’t do what Alex did!”
“We’re getting sidetracked,” Dan said, breaking up what could have become an argument. “Who were they?”
“We don’t know! But Alex banished them pretty quickly.”
“Interesting,” he said, nodding abstractedly. “Why are they targeting you?”
“They’re not!” Avery said. “Not really.”
Dan rolled his eyes. “Avery! Something appeared in your garden and threw coins at you. They lured Alex away by using your ancestor! I don’t think that’s a bloody coincidence.”
That reminded her of something else. “They threw something else yesterday—an old dagger. Fortunately, it hit our wall of protection, but that was worrying.”
“A dagger!” Sally said, almost squealing. A few customers turned and stared, and Sally immediately lowered her voice. “How can an object materialise out of nowhere?”
Avery shrugged. “We’ve been debating that for hours, but think it’s because they’re abnormally strong.”
“Good grief, Avery!” Sally said crossly. “Your capacity for trying to make nothing out of something is amazing!”
Avery looked at Sally with alarm. She really was cranky. But once again Dan waded in, asking, “How old was the dagger?”
“Not sure, but it looked very old. I’m going to ask El to take it to Dante.”
He nodded. “To return to my previous point—this must be connected to Helena or you.”
“But Helena has been gone for weeks!” Avery pointed out. “I think her disappearance was something entirely separate—for a while, at least.”
“Huh!” Sally grunted in a very un-Sallylike way. “Tenuous, at best!”
“Whatever it started as,” Dan said, “you are now connected to it—big time.”
Avery groaned. “I know. It’s really messy. Gil said another witch had walked the spirit realm, too—a mortal, not a dead one. He suggested they were deliberately stirring up the ghosts who had imprisoned Helena, however that works!”
Dan and Sally exchanged worried glances as Dan said, “That’s quite an important point, Avery, because it absolutely suggests you are being targeted. Who have you pissed off?”
“No one!”
“Oh, come on! I thought there were a couple of witches in the Cornwall Coven who resented you being there?”
Avery sagged in her seat. “Yes, there’s Zane and Mariah, but just because they don’t like us doesn’t mean they would act against us!”
“Well, someone is!”
Avery wanted to change the subject. It depressed her to think that another witch was responsible for Helena’s capture and the attack on them. “I need your brains, Dan.”
He nodded encouragingly. “Of course. With what?”
“I’ve taken some of those folklore books off our shelves. I was trying to find out a
bout supernatural Cornish creatures that could kill or cause mayhem. What about Púcas or spriggans?”
“Well, they’re about as Cornish as you can get! Like any fairy-style myth, the creatures are untrustworthy, mischievous, and sometimes deadly. But why them?”
“The man that died had every bone in his body broken. It could be spirits—the ones we’ve encountered this weekend are particularly violent—but we’re considering other options. And,” she added, “spriggans are said to guard buried treasure and burial sites.”
Dan looked thoughtful. “Well, that’s true, and spriggans are also said to be the ghosts of giants, so are very strong.”
“Giants?” Sally’s voice rose again. “Now that sounds like a fairy story!”
“But Cornwall is renowned for its giants!” Dan reminded her. “Jack the Giant Killer is supposedly based on a Cornish giant.”
Avery blinked. “Hold on—did you say ghosts of giants?”
“I did.” He scratched his chin thoughtfully. “It’s like the essence of a giant has been distilled into the wizened form of a grumpy old man.”
“Well, whoever killed that man would have been very strong,” Avery reasoned. “So maybe our vengeful spirits—whoever they are—are working with them, or at least one of them.” As weird as that idea was, Avery felt a glimmer of intrigue. “Is there such a thing as a pack of spriggans?”
Dan laughed. “I hope not, but I wouldn’t put it past you to find one. I think they should have a better collective name, though.”
Sally looked disbelievingly between them both. “I can’t believe you’re making light of this! A man is dead…pulverised. It’s horrible!”
“Yes it is,” Avery said quickly. “Sorry, Sally. I’m not making light of this, but all of this is really odd!”
A fire began to smoulder behind Dan’s eyes. “And you said there was a doubloon in the dead man’s mouth?”
“Yes!”
“And you had guineas thrown at you, and a dagger…maybe the dead guy actually found buried treasure, and someone’s not happy about it.”
“That’s why we’re going to look into smuggling,” she admitted. “It must be related. We thought we’d take a trip to Jamaica Inn, and our very own White Haven Museum.”
“Of course,” Sally said. “They have a new display. It doesn’t open until the weekend though, so you’ll have to wait.”
“That’s okay,” Avery said, nodding. “We’ve got plenty to keep us going.”
“What are you going to do about Helena?” Sally asked.
“I don’t know. I hate the thought of her being trapped, but equally I’m terrified that Alex could be, too. I guess at the moment I have to trust that Gil will help.”
Sally crossed her arms. “And will you tell Reuben about Gil?”
Avery nodded nervously, knowing how upset Reuben would be. “Yes. We’re inviting the others around tonight. I don’t want to tell him in the pub.”
“Maybe you should be a little less blasé when you tell him,” she said, before draining her coffee and marching across the shop, leaving Avery looking after her, dumbstruck.
Reuben looked at Avery and Alex and felt a lump forming in his throat. “You saw my brother? In the spirit realm?”
Alex nodded at him, his eyes narrowing with concern. “Yes. It was completely unexpected. I promise I didn’t go looking for him, he just swept in to save me.”
“Are you sure?” Reuben asked, suddenly suspicious. “Because when I offered to help you, you refused. Was this why?”
Alex jerked back in his seat like he’d had an electric shock. “Of course not! Bloody hell, Reuben. I would never summon Gil to do my bidding!”
Reuben felt sick and suddenly hot, and he stood up abruptly, almost upending his chair as he stalked to the small balcony off Avery and Alex’s living room. It was Monday evening, and they had just eaten dinner together, but for the last hour he thought they looked worried about something, and he couldn’t work out what. Now it was obvious.
He leaned on the balustrade, taking deep breaths and trying to blink back tears. He’d done enough crying over Gil’s death, and didn’t think there could possibly be any more, and yet…
El appeared at his side, sliding under his arm and wrapping hers around his waist. “Are you all right?”
He looked at the sea in the distance, the waves sparkling in the evening light, but he wasn’t really seeing them. Instead he was seeing Gil’s broken body on the ground in the cave on Gull Island.
“Reuben, please talk to me,” El said softly.
He blinked away his tears and looked down at her. “Sorry. I’m in shock.”
“Don’t apologise. You have every right to be upset.” She reached up and kissed his cheek, and the warmth of her skin and familiar scent of patchouli and musk steadied him. “But equally, you know Alex would never use Gil like that. I’m upset, too, and so are the others.”
He nodded, unable to speak. Great. He’d just accused one of his best mates of being a dick. He could make such a mess of things sometimes.
El continued, her tone light. “I’d hoped he was sipping Mai Tais on a beach somewhere in the spirit realm.”
He laughed, despite the situation. El could always cheer him up. “There’s a beach there? And Mai Tais?”
“There better be! I’m banking on it.”
“Maybe he does that in his downtime.” He kissed El’s forehead and then rested his cheek against her silky hair. “It’s been almost a year, El. I thought his spirit would be at rest. I wanted it to be.”
“And maybe it is,” she murmured. “Maybe it was just Alex being in trouble that attracted him. But isn’t it lovely to feel that he’s out there, watching for people…like with Shadow and Gabe beneath your family’s mausoleum?”
“I guess so.” He grunted. “He’s like some avenging angel.”
“Maybe he’s in Valhalla—a hero!”
“He was a hero. Bloody Caspian.” And suddenly, all of Reuben’s hard-fought magnanimity came crashing down as his anger surged. “Fucking Faversham bastard. It’s his fault.”
El squirmed in front of him, her back to the railing as she gripped his arms tightly and stared at him. She was so tall that she was almost at his eye level, and her blue eyes challenged him. “No. Don’t go there. He apologised, and then saved me—don’t forget that.”
“Gil was too sodding young to die, El.”
“Of course he was. But Caspian said he didn’t mean it! It was a horrible accident, and a warning to us all to be careful of our magic. We take it for granted,” she said, trying to appeal to him. “We’re powerful witches! Caspian unleashed his strength in his effort to get our grimoires, and so did we when we retaliated.”
Guilt hit Reuben like a punch. “And I have squandered my magic. Gil wouldn’t have.”
El looked confused. “You don’t squander it!”
He met her gaze belligerently. “Yes, I do. I don’t practice my magic, or use it half as much as you do.”
“You use it more than you used to. You wield it more confidently now. You know you do.”
“Not like you, or the others.”
“But you can, when you try.” She cupped his face in her hands. “Remember the wall of mist you conjured behind the Crossroads Circus? That was brilliant. And how you found the mermaids’ cave. Stop doubting yourself!”
She was humouring him, and he dismissed her comments. “You know I’m right.”
“All right. I admit you don’t use it as much as we do, but that’s because you choose not to! And that’s okay. You’re ambivalent about it, and we’re not. But you always help, and we—I—can always count on you!”
Reuben suddenly felt incredibly weary as his normally enormous amounts of energy seemed to drain from him. Gil’s reappearance had hit him hard, and so close to the anniversary of his death. It made him realise how very little real progress he had made with his power. “I need to go home and think.”
Concern flashed across El�
�s face. “Think about what?”
“Me. My future and my magic and my place in this coven.”
El gripped him with surprising strength. “You’ll always have a place in this coven. You’re part of us. Don’t you dare think that you’re not!”
“I’ll think what I need to,” he said, gently but firmly. “I’m going home now—to my home—and I’ll call you tomorrow.”
He turned, but El didn’t let go. “You shouldn’t be alone tonight.”
“That’s exactly what I need to be.” Reuben extricated himself from her grip, lifted her hands, and kissed them. “Don’t worry. I’ll be fine. And no, I won’t try to drown myself doing some kamikaze-surf thing.”
El’s eyes filled with tears and Reuben felt horrible that he’d upset her, but he knew he’d be awful company that night.
He entered the large, open living area of Avery and Alex’s flat, and found that they and Briar were sitting on the sofa, talking quietly. All three looked up at him, obviously worried, and he smiled wanly. “I’m heading home, guys. I just need to think.” He could feel El at his back, and he couldn’t look at her, so he headed to the stairs, grabbing his jacket on the way.
They leapt to their feet, Briar saying, “Don’t go, Reuben. Stay and talk.”
“You talk. You can fill me in another time.” He didn’t wait, and almost ran down the stairs and out of the back door, pausing to take a deep breath in the lane behind the house, but within seconds, Alex was next to him.
“Reuben, I meant it. I didn’t do it deliberately.”
Reuben looked at his old friend, similar to him in so many ways, and noted the lines of worry etched around his eyes. They had grown up together, but had never been as close as they were now, partly because Reuben had ignored his magic for years and kept apart from the witches in White Haven. “I believe you—sorry about earlier. I was shocked. But I just need to go home now.”
“I’ll call you tomorrow, then?”
“Sure.” And with that, Reuben walked away, feeling Alex watching him until he turned the corner.
Chapter 7
