The Sixth Ghost: a supernatural urban fantasy action adventure (Cards of Death book 6)

by Tamara Geraeds

  Maël gives me a faint smile in return, and Taylar salutes. “Aye aye, sir!”

  “How about another poker game? I enjoyed that,” Charlie says. Then he turns to Gisella with a guilty expression on his face. “Unless you want to go home? I can come with you.”

  The werecat-witch shakes her head. “No, they’re on vacation. And although I enjoyed making out with you earlier, a game of poker sounds like fun too.”

  Charlie’s cheeks turn red, and I chuckle. “A game sounds nice, but I don’t want anyone to feel obligated to join in. Do whatever you need to relax.”

  Mona says goodbye, and Charlie and Gisella hunt for snacks in the cupboards.

  Taylar disappears upstairs when I tell him the poker set should be somewhere in my bedroom, which leaves Maël making coffee and Vicky joining me at my end of the table.

  “Do you want to play poker or something else?” I whisper in her ear.

  She chuckles and kisses my neck. “How about both?”

  I conjure a shocked expression. “At the same time?”

  She wiggles her eyebrows. “Sure, if that’s what you want.”

  “Are you kidding? I don’t want anyone else admiring what’s under all that black you’re wearing.” I pull her close for a kiss.

  “Are you in or out?” Charlie shouts inches from my ear.

  We both jump.

  Charlie places his hands on his waist in mock-irritation. “Make a choice. It’s either poker or making out. But if it’s the latter, please do it somewhere else. I just got put on the bench and watching all this smooching isn’t good for my self-restraint.”

  Reluctantly, I let go of Vicky. She blows me a kiss before moving to D’Maeo’s seat.

  “Much better,” Charlie says.

  “You’d better split up too,” I suggest, with a nod toward Gisella.

  He rolls his eyes. “Fine. I’ll take Mona’s chair.”

  Soon, we’re completely absorbed by the game. It’s clear that we all needed this. For once, we manage to put our worries aside and truly have fun. Even Maël joins in for the first time. She knows the rules now, and her poker face is the best I’ve ever seen. This time, Vicky doesn’t cheat. We devour an unhealthy amount of pizza and, after that, cookies, crisps and nuts. We also dig into a bottle of champagne that Taylar finds at the back of one of the cupboards.

  “Thanks, Dad,” I say, holding up the almost empty bottle while Charlie takes half my chips. “Cheers. To our upcoming victory.”

  CHAPTER 10

  I wake up with a leather tongue, insatiable thirst and a numb arm. My back protests as I sit up and look around. Everyone around the table is in deep sleep, hunched over the table in positions similar to the one I woke up in. Carefully, I move my fingers while I rub my back with my good arm. There’s an imprint of my ear on my arm, and I study it with fascination. Then I lean back in my chair and let my gaze move over my sleeping friends again. They look peaceful, some of them more than I’ve ever seen them.

  A pang of guilt hits my heart. They’re all here because of me. They’re my Shield, my friends. If they hadn’t known me, they wouldn’t be in this mess now.

  I clench my fists and take a couple of breaths. I should sneak outside and train. Getting better at controlling my powers will increase our chances of winning.

  I imagine everything I might be able to do, but when I picture myself facing Satan, I know it still won’t be enough. There’s a reason I’m not in this alone. But even with all of our powers combined, of the complete Shield, Charlie and Gisella, I’m not sure we can win. We need another power, something that will tip the odds in our favor.

  My heart jumps into my throat, and I gasp. That’s it! Another power.

  My head pounds with excitement while I take out my Book of Spells and flip to the page where Dad wrote his little note. I absorb every word of his message, every letter, and my mouth turns up into a wide grin. So that’s what he meant.

  I don’t notice my head moving up and down furiously until my neck starts to hurt. Yes, this is what I need to do.

  Quietly, I get up and move my chair back. I’ve never been more grateful for the absence of a squeak from the back door.

  I make my way to the protective circle and sit down in the middle. This time, I take out Dad’s notebook. “Okay, book, show me how to add another ghost to my Shield.”

  The first sunbeam of the day pierces the clouds above my head and falls onto the side of my book. A sign? I place my index finger on the first illuminated page and open it.

  At first, nothing happens. All I get is a blank page. But I know I need to be patient. Some things take a little time.

  The ray of light moves up and hits the top of the page. It works like a printer; letters appear where the beam hits the paper. So, it was more than just a sign. I’m doing the right thing.

  When the last word is etched onto the page, the sunbeam touches my face, as if to say “Go ahead!”.

  But I can’t. Not yet. Dad’s words flash before my eyes. Do not listen to other people’s advice in this. Instead, listen to your gut. My friends might try to talk me out of this. Tell me there’s no time to train another ghost, to tell him or her everything they need to know. They might even think we can’t trust them. But I know deep inside that this is what we need. This is the thing that will change everything.

  After a quick look at the back door, I sneak around the mansion. I search my pockets for the car keys and curse under my breath. Why didn’t I think of taking them with me when I left the kitchen?

  I tiptoe back and peer into the kitchen. My keys are on the kitchen counter, next to the coffee maker. There’s no way I’ll be able to grab them without anyone noticing, since the others are starting to wake up. I could use my powers to manipulate the wind or something, but that’s too risky. Maybe I should just walk.

  While I’m contemplating my best option, something moves in the corner of my eye. I turn my gaze back to the kitchen counter and slam my hand over my mouth to smother my cry of surprise. The keys are floating!

  I take a step back when they hover in my direction. Gisella lets out a deep sigh and rubs her eyes. Immediately, I step out of sight. The keys fly through the back door and come to a halt in front of me.

  “Take them,” a voice whispers.

  I frown. “Mona?”

  “Yes. Go on, take them. Go, before they all wake up.”

  “But… why… how?” I stutter quietly.

  “I checked in on you and read the spell over your shoulder. The others might not agree with your choice, but I do. Another ghost in your Shield can also help you get back D’Maeo, Susan and Jeep. Now go. I’ll make some noise in the kitchen to cover up the sound of the engine.”

  “You’re an angel,” I say, holding up my hand.

  “Not quite, but pretty close.” With a wink, she places the keys in my palm.

  I wrap my fingers around them and hesitate. Shouldn’t I take Vicky with me?

  “This is something you need to do on your own, Dante,” Mona says. “Oh, and before I forget…”

  Sparks fall down from the sky, and the fairy godmother becomes visible. “Take this.”

  She shows me a glass globe the size of a golf ball and holds it up into the sunlight. “You see those sparks wriggling inside? I filled them all with so-called tracing vibes and told them, or programmed them if you like, to obey you.” She presses it next to the keys in my hand. “Use it to request a ghost with a certain power. The book will tell you how.”

  “Dante?” Charlie’s voice calls out from inside.

  I pull Mona into a quick hug. “Thank you.”

  “Any time. Take these bottles too. They contain more ingredients for the spell.”

  With my arms stuffed with glass bottles, I hurry to Phoenix. I gently drop everything in the passenger seat, walk to the driver’s side, start the car and pull away fast. Several glances in the rearview mirror tell me no one is following. I’m as rel
ieved about that as I am scared. Is it actually wise to go somewhere on my own? What if demons surround me?

  The radio plays a soothing song, and I slowly relax. This was Dad’s idea, and Mona supports it. She’ll keep an eye on me, and if I get into trouble, I can always summon the Shield.

  I hit the brake hard. Summon the Shield… Why didn’t I think of that before? Summoning them to me might also bring Jeep and D’Maeo back. Although that does sound too easy to be true, I have to try it. As soon as I finish this, I decide. Adding another ghost to the Shield is my top priority now. I have a feeling this is the right time for it, and that time might not come again.

  I pull over on Mrs. Delaney’s street, where I have a─probably false─sense of safety. I scan the instructions for the spell again. Must be cast in a place of motion to ensure maximum conduction between the realm of the dead and that of the living.

  A place of motion. What does that mean? Water? A river? No, I won’t be able to draw the circle and all the symbols I need in a river. So, what else moves?

  I tap the side of the notebook. A train moves, but that’s a bit too crowded for a spell.

  The answer lies on the tip of my tongue.

  “A train station!”

  I drive to the Silver Family Market and collect every ingredient on the list and some extras, just in case. Then, I make for the train station. My shoulders sag when I see half of the station is fenced up because of renovation work. Then, I realize no sound is coming from the site. I pull my phone from my pocket and smile. It’s Sunday! See, I knew this was the moment to do this.

  I jump out of the car, collect all my things in a large bag from the trunk, and make my way into the train station.

  People are walking in and out, trains are pulling up and announcements rise above the noise. No one pays attention to me. Still, I look around four times before slipping through the space between two fences. I disappear behind the plastic curtains and walk further into the construction site. After turning two corners, I find stairs leading down to a dimly lit corridor. It smells damp and earthy here, and a draft awakens the goosebumps on my arms. The only sound that breaks the silence is the occasional train that moves above me. A place of motion. The perfect spot for my plan. This should work.

  One by one, I take out the ingredients and compare them one more time with the instructions.

  This is the most intricate spell I’ve cast so far, and as I pull Mona’s glass ball from my pocket, another line appears in the book. Draw a pentagram inside the circle.

  “Easy enough,” I say to myself. “If only the rest of it was so simple.”

  What if I summon something evil? I shudder at the thought.

  But no, Dad used this same spell, and his father did it before him. It worked out fine, it’ll work out fine again.

  I study the cracks between the tiles in the wall. What kind of power should I ask for?

  After several minutes of blankness in my head, I sigh. Why did Mona give me that ball? Why can’t I just let the universe, or whatever, decide which ghost to send to me? What if I make the wrong choice?

  I walk over to the wall and kick it a couple of times in frustration. “Stupid insecurity. I’m done with it!”

  And I am. No more doubting myself. I’ll just pick a power that will complement what we already have, and that will be fine. And if the power I come up with doesn’t exist, I’m sure the spell will give me something similar.

  I pace up and down for a while, trying to come up with the thing we need the most. Telekinesis? A Pyrokinetic like my father? But he might be able to join the fight, so another power might be more useful. Someone who can’t be killed? No, that’s no use if you don’t have a power to fight with. Maybe I can summon someone with incredible strength. That could be helpful.

  I scratch my head while I walk up and down the corridor. Isn’t there something that has several of these characteristics?

  Abruptly I come to a halt. I feel my grin stretching, and it feels great. That’s it!

  Grateful for the epiphany, I look down at Dad’s notebook, which I put on the ground next to the ingredients.

  The first part is easy. It’s almost similar to the protection spell I cast on Darkwood Manor.

  I put down four candles, yellow for protection, after checking the compass app on my phone for the wind directions. Around the candles, I draw a circle made from the herbs listed at step one of the spell.

  I read the first part a couple of times before starting. The jar with the remaining mix of herbs is in my hand. I shake it nine times.

  “Salt and herbs, nine times nine,

  guard well this circle of mine.”

  I place the jar on the ground in the middle of the four candles and create a line of salt following the outline of the herb circle. There’s no need for salt under doors or windows here, since I’m only protecting this summoning circle. I pick up the sage stick, light it with a match and walk around the circle until the air is thick with smoke. Then, I put it down next to the jar and walk over to the candle placed on the east.

  “Powers of Air, hear my cry!

  Grant me your protection, from all in earth and sky!”

  The candle of the south is next. The wick hisses when I light it.

  “Powers of Fire, hear my cry!

  Grant me your protection, from all in earth and sky!”

  I pause for a second when a soft tapping echoes through the corridor. Is someone coming?

  With all my heart, I hope not. How would I explain all of this to someone without magic? They’ll think I’m crazy.

  But no one rounds the corner, and the tapping stops. It was probably a pipe or something.

  Still, I should hurry. I don’t want to be interrupted in the middle of this spell.

  I move on to the third candle.

  “Powers of Water, hear my cry!

  Grant me your protection, from all in earth and sky!”

  The sound of an approaching thunderstorm rolls in. This time, I’m relieved to hear something. It means the spell is working. I only hope no one will come to investigate.

  The last candle is the one on the north side.

  “Powers of Earth, hear my cry!

  Grant me your protection, from all in earth and sky!”

  The four flames burn bright and reach for the ceiling. I follow the smoke that rises from them with my eyes and call out to the forces of magic.

  “Powers of High, listen to my plea.

  May I always be protected by thee!”

  The jolt of power inside me is stronger than any I’ve experienced before. It nearly knocks me down, but I manage to stay upright. The flames move in a strange pattern, almost twirling. When the surge of electricity inside me reaches my ears, I take a deep breath to finish the first part of the spell.

  “Air protects us!

  Fire protects us!

  Water protects us!

  Earth protects us!

  Whatever may appear,

  no evil will enter here!”

  There’s a soft whoosh, and all four candles are blown out. I pick up a handful of salt, stand in the middle of the circle and turn slowly while I drop the salt and recite the last words.

  “Pure salt protect this place,

  keep out all with evil pace.

  Make this circle a place to hide,

  keep us safe from harm inside.”

  Shivers run down my back when I think of what the last line means. Us. Another ghost for my Shield. What kind of person will it be? Male, female, young, old? The thought of someone new to protect me makes me nervous and excited at the same time.

  I rub my hands together. Part one is done. Only two more to go.

  CHAPTER 11

  The next step is drawing a pentagram inside the circle. And… I curse and hold the book closer to my face. Was this here before? I’m positive it wasn’t, because part three of the spell has moved to the next page. Under part two, there’
s now a collection of intricate symbols that should be painted over the pentagram I was about to draw. Painted in my blood too. Great. Not only am I going to need more blood than I feel comfortable with, this is also going to take a lot longer than I anticipated.

  I consider casting a spell to prevent people walking in on me, since I’m going to be here for a while, but I simply don’t have the time to do that. If I want to finish this today, I’d better get on it. Good thing I have some drawing skills.

  The pentagram is easy, I’ve done it several times before, and it’s made of only a couple of simple lines. I’m glad I left the candles in place, even though I need another color for this part. Now I know where to draw which symbol, since the placement is also important, according to the explanation.

  Every symbol is different. There are some with sharp lines, there are curved ones, some consist only of tiny dots, and others need to be formed without lifting your hand. I don’t recognize any of them, which means I have to keep the book close to make sure I copy them exactly. Who knows what could happen if I make a tiny mistake?

  I squint to make out the lines of each symbol, since most of them also overlap. Thankfully, the book has listed all of the symbols separately too. The order in which I draw them doesn’t seem to matter, and I’m grateful to find that when I accidentally step on them, they stay intact.

  Although time breathes down my neck, I don’t rush. If I do this right, I’ll come out stronger, we all will.

  When I finally draw the last line, I’m a bit dizzy from all the blood I had to use, and my body is stiff from sitting in the same, bent-over position for too long. I stretch my back and legs and go through my pockets, looking for a quick snack. Unfortunately, I find nothing of use.