The Reckless Afterlife of Harriet Stoker

by Lauren James

  He straightened his glasses and added, clearly trying to be diplomatic, “Sir.” A pang of affection hit Kasper’s heart.

  The Tricksters both stopped moving, though they looked ready to pounce whenever the time was right. Kasper bit the inside of his cheek.

  “I’ve always admired your power, Felix,” Rufus said. “Are you sure you don’t want to join us down here? We have much to offer you.”

  Kasper thought he must mean a share of their black-market tradings. If Felix agreed to use his hypnotism on people who disobeyed Rufus, then they might give him first dibs on anything that turned up on the black market. The most valuable rewards were exotic animal spirits or the opportunity to use someone’s unusual powers. You had to be willing to sacrifice your morals to get the best things.

  Felix shook his head, twice, and then again. Kasper couldn’t believe how calm he seemed. How controlled.

  Rufus sighed. “It’s an open offer. Please consider it. Time is running out, though.”

  Before Kasper could ask why, Felix said, “No, thank you. We’re here because we know you’ve got Harriet’s eyelid. We need it. Rima has a lot of credit built up from black-market trades that we’d like to cash in. On top of that, we’ve got something else you might be interested in.”

  Vini was still creeping towards Kasper. He swallowed again and again, trying to ignore his fear. When Felix pushed Kasper behind him, he let himself be moved. Unlike Felix and Rima, he had no way of protecting himself, if this became a fight. His power was useless against other ghosts. Physical strength didn’t mean much when your opponent could summon monsters inside your head.

  “What might you need this eyelid for, Mr Anekwe?”

  “That’s none of your business,” Rima said, and then flinched when Rufus turned his attention on her.

  “Rima Hamid, is that correct?”

  “Yes, sir.” She shrunk in on herself.

  “Ms Hamid, you are also welcome to join us. We’ve always dreamed of a power like yours. The possibilities are endless,” Rufus said dreamily. “Have you ever thought about producing hallucinogenic snake venom? We’ve become so bored with all the usual methods of having fun, after all these years. Venom would add a little edge to our days.”

  There was an uncomfortable pause. “No, thank you,” she said, very politely.

  “I suppose the same is true of the coward in the back? Mr Jedynak, it’s amazing that you’ve survived this long. You reek of fear like a frightened little rabbit.”

  Kasper’s heart raced. He couldn’t think of a reply.

  “Do you still have the eyelid?” Rima persisted.

  “We still have the eyelid. But there’s only one thing you can offer that we’d accept.”

  “What?” Felix asked, sharply.

  “I want Kasper’s power, of course,” Rufus said. “And not just to borrow. I want to take it off him for good.”

  “Absolutely not,” Rima spat out, while Kasper was still remembering how to breathe. “You can’t take it off him. He could disintegrate!”

  Kasper felt sick. He’d been planning to let them use it once, not give it up completely.

  Vini laughed.

  Rufus sighed. “How disappointing. No power, no eyelid. I look forward to seeing what Harriet does next.”

  “You can’t do this!” Felix snapped. “You can’t give her the knowledge to destroy people and then let her run wild.”

  “And why not?” Rufus said. “None of you have ever done anything for us. In fact, your alignment with Aeliana proves that our interests are in direct opposition.”

  Rima gasped.

  “Aeliana?” Felix asked, looking confused.

  “Leah,” Rufus said. “I’d hoped you’d have brought our dear sister with you. Please pass on our regards to her – and our niece.”

  “Wait, Leah?” Rima asked in shock. “Leah is your sister?”

  Kasper was surprised, to say the least. Why had Leah never mentioned this?

  Rufus continued, “Well. Sister by marriage. We haven’t seen her in far too long. She shouldn’t feel like she can’t pop in for a visit. I’m sure we can find a way past what Claudia did.” His eyebrow twitched.

  Leah was related to Rufus and Vini? Really?

  “What Claudia did,” Felix repeated. Kasper looked at him out of the corner of his eye, confused.

  “Don’t tell me she hasn’t told you. Aren’t you all a family now?” When none of them responded, he laughed. “Well. I suppose Leah has complicated ideas about what being a family means. You know how it is with brothers, Felix. Have a little sympathy.”

  Felix grimaced. Kasper didn’t know what they were talking about, but he couldn’t stand here and do nothing. They had to stop Harriet. He wanted to offer up his power, but since Oscar’s death, he knew first-hand why the Tricksters should never be trusted with it.

  Kasper was too afraid to think of any other ways to help. His fear got in the way of everything, eating away at him and hurting the people around him. He wanted to tear that feeling out of his chest, so he could be useful for once. Greg got on just fine without his worry, didn’t he?

  Kasper suddenly knew what he had to do. He spoke up, interrupting Felix’s increasingly frantic attempts at negotiation. “I want to talk to Rufus alone.”

  Felix started. “What? Kasper, no!”

  “I know what I’m doing. I promise.”

  He touched Felix’s wrist, but he just looked hard at him, not moving an inch.

  “Felix, let him talk.” Rima tugged him outside, leaving Kasper alone.

  Utterly defenceless now, Kasper looked straight at Rufus.

  “So, Mr Jedynak. What do you want to say to us? Have you changed your mind about giving up your power? There is a chance you’d survive it, you know.”

  Vini crept closer to Kasper, slow and smooth. He pressed his back against the wood of the door, focusing on the thought of Felix waiting for him on the other side, centimetres away.

  “I’m not giving you my power. That is non-negotiable. But I’ll give you my fear. I know you took Greg’s worry. I want you to do that to me too.”

  Rufus blinked. He took an eager, hungry step forwards. “Your fear? All of it?”

  “I know you can feel it. I’m terrified, all the time. I hate it. I want to be able to fight without terror freezing me in place. Please. Take it.”

  “You understand that you’ll be different, afterwards. It’s not something that ever comes back. Being fearless will impair your judgement.”

  Kasper would survive. Felix could tell him when he was doing something stupid, just like he did now. “I understand. Do it.”

  Rufus cradled Kasper’s jaw in his hand, breathing in deeply. “Last chance, Mr Jedynak. Do you want this?”

  Kasper closed his eyes, tilting his head back. He was absolutely, bone-deep terrified. And he wanted to be rid of it. “Take it. Take it all.”

  When the pins and needles started, Kasper had to hold back a scream. He’d made a mistake – Rufus wasn’t going to stop at taking his fear; he was going to take all of Kasper’s energy, he was going to destroy him, and Harriet would run wild for ever, and she would kill Felix and Rima and Leah and Claudia, and—

  The fear dropped away, immediately and completely. He felt calm. Confident.

  He reached up and pulled the hand off his neck, pushing him away.

  “That’s enough,” he said. “You’ve got it all.”

  Rufus was glowing. “Oh,” he cooed. “You were so afraid. How delicious.”

  Kasper raised an eyebrow. “Great. Glad to be of service.”

  Rufus had taken enough of his spirit from him that he was weaker than he’d ever been. And he had no back-up now, with Felix and Rima waiting in the corridor.

  None of that stopped him from pushing Rufus so that he tripped backwards, falling into his brother.

  “Now, get the eyelid, yeah?” Kasper said, hard.

  Rufus licked his lips. “I suggest that you call your friends back in,
before you embarrass yourself.”

  Chapter 19

  FELIX

  Felix was trying to listen through the basement door when Kasper stepped out, grinning. “Guys, the eyelid is so gross and gooey! You have to see it!”

  Felix blinked at him. “What?”

  Kasper rolled his eyes, bouncing up and down on his heels. “Come see!”

  Throwing a bemused glance at Rima, Felix followed Kasper back into the basement. The lightning barrier glowed and then turned into darkness.

  Rufus and Vini were leaning back against the pool table, smirking. Felix looked at Kasper, who was arranging his hair in the reflection of the door handle. What was happening?

  “It’s all yours,” Rufus said, gesturing to an eyelid on the pool table. Behind it, some ghosts were having a wrestling match that seemed to involve tentacles of some kind. Or, rather, Felix hoped that it was a wrestling match. He grimaced and looked away.

  “Thanks?” Felix said, looking searchingly at Kasper. Was this a trick? Were they going to get eaten if they went close enough to pick it up?

  Rima was staring fixedly at the leering Tricksters.

  “So why does Harriet have white hair like yours?” Kasper said, wandering over to Rufus. He hopped up onto the pool table to sit next to the Trickster.

  Kasper had been so terrified he was almost frothing at the mouth earlier. Why was he engaging the Tricksters in casual conversation now?

  Rufus looked at Kasper out of the corner of his eye. “Harriet’s hair is white from energy overload.”

  “What, because she took energy from all those Shells?” Kasper leant forward and picked a stray thread off the shirt Rufus was wearing. It was like he was drunk.

  Felix’s heart rate tripled. What was Kasper playing at? He was going to get himself destroyed.

  “It happens when there’s too much energy for one spirit to contain,” Rufus explained.

  “That’s horrifying!” Kasper said, sounding delighted. “Please continue.”

  “That’s really the whole explanation,” Rufus said.

  Kasper nodded. “Well, it suits you guys, and I honestly can’t imagine you without white hair, but Harriet looked better before. What colour was your hair before, by the way?”

  “It was brown!” Vini said. “Mine was kind of light brown, like honey, and Rufus had chocolate-coloured hair, and Fabian had—”

  “Vini,” Rufus said, in a “that’s enough” kind of way.

  Felix should probably do something about this conversation, but he could only gape at them. Rima wrinkled her nose at him in confusion. At least she agreed that none of this was normal.

  “So you can taste fear, right?” Kasper asked next. “Can you tell what people are most afraid of?”

  Rufus nodded. He seemed amused, in a patient sort of way. Felix didn’t want his patience to run out. “I suppose. Fear has a different taste depending on what type it is – success, romance, obligation, spiders, you know. For most people, the thing they’re most afraid of is themselves. Like you, for instance.”

  Kasper grinned. “Well, I knew that already. What is Harriet afraid of?”

  Vini made a cut-off noise of delight.

  Rufus tilted his head, then turned to meet Vini’s gaze. “You can tell him.”

  Vini looked flattered. “Her grandmother.”

  Felix blinked, interested despite himself. Harriet loved her gran. Hadn’t she been trying desperately to leave the building so that she could get back to her?

  Kasper pushed on. “Boring. I was hoping it would be snakes. Hey, is Leah really your sister-in-law?”

  Felix cast a desperate look at Rima, begging her to do something.

  “Indeed,” Rufus said. Strangely, he was humouring Kasper’s endless questions. Felix hoped that his entertainment value lasted long enough for them to leave the basement.

  “Man, that’s wild. What was she like when she was alive?”

  Felix frowned, but Kasper ignored him.

  “Aeliana has always been completely herself.”

  “Legit! She’s the best.”

  Rufus raised his eyebrows.

  In desperation, Felix leant over the pool table and scraped the eyelid into his palm. It was slightly warm and sticky, leaking a clear, viscous substance. It might have been his imagination, but it wiggled slightly when he curled his fingers over it.

  “Kasper, come on! Let’s go, now, now, now!” He dragged Kasper off the pool table and away from Rufus, ushering him through the door.

  “What the hell was that?!” Felix hissed at Kasper when they were safely outside.

  “What? I was just chatting!” Kasper shrugged.

  Felix rolled his eyes. “Rufus was probably seconds away from strangling you.”

  Kasper examined his cuticles. “It wouldn’t have made any difference if he had.”

  Felix gave up. Whatever was going on with him, it could wait. “Let’s get the eyelid up to Leah.”

  “What do we do if Harriet comes after us on the way?” Rima asked.

  It was disconcerting to think that Harriet could be here, right now, maybe metres away, invisible and waiting in the shadows for them to leave. They couldn’t fight her until they were ready. Who knew how many other ghosts she was preying on? She could be growing stronger by the day, gathering powers all the time.

  There was a beat of silence.

  “Cross that bridge when we get to it?” Felix suggested, voice tight with stress.

  Kasper started, inexplicably, to chuckle. What had he done when he was alone in the basement? What if he’d given them his power after all? Felix brushed away the thought. Whatever he’d given the Tricksters, they would deal with it later, once Harriet was out of the way.

  RIMA

  “It’s all going to be fine,” Rima said, for the third time, sitting cross-legged on the floor while Leah examined the eyelid.

  “Relax,” Kasper told Felix, who was pacing back and forth across the room.

  Rima was intensely curious about what kind of deal Kasper had struck with Rufus. She really, really hoped that Kasper hadn’t done anything stupid just because he felt guilty about Oscar.

  “I am relaxed,” Felix said, then immediately started biting at his nails. Cody was hunting a mouse, and kept looking up at him in annoyance, his pacing disturbing her prey.

  “Nearly got it,” Leah said, staring at the eyelid. “It’s like tuning into a radio frequency. I can feel her energy. She’s … she’s so strong.”

  Rima crossed her fingers, hoping this would work. Leah said she could use the eyelid to leach Harriet’s energy out of her spirit, wherever in the building she was hiding. But Leah had never tried it before. She was basing this on something she’d been told hundreds of years before. Was it even possible?

  It was their best shot at making Harriet weak enough that they could get her into the basement. If they tried to take her down now, then she would probably destroy them.

  “Leah, are you related to the Tricksters?” Rima asked.

  Leah breathed out through her nose. She kept her focus on the eyelid, but she’d gone completely still. “Rufus and Vini are my brothers-in-law.”

  “You were married to their brother?”

  She nodded. “Fabian. Claudia’s father was their older brother.”

  Claudia whined.

  There had been three of them when they were alive? Rima couldn’t imagine anything worse.

  “Why did you never—”

  “I don’t really want to talk about it. And especially not right now.”

  Leah looked utterly miserable, so Rima decided not to ask any more questions, even though she was burning with them.

  “Can we just get on with this?” Kasper asked, lounging back against the wall.

  “I think it’s ready, actually,” Leah said. “We need to make sure we’ve found Harriet before I use it, though. Once she’s weak, we’ll have to get Qi to help us move her into the basement as quickly as we can, before she fights back. She’
ll still be able to use her powers, even if she’s not got much energy.”

  Rima nodded. It wasn’t like they needed to do a vote with the whole building. Harriet had killed a living human. She had to go to the basement, there was no question.

  “How about we make a big commotion, so she’ll come and see what’s going on?” Felix said. “As soon as we start talking to her, she won’t be able to resist answering back. She’s never turned down the chance at an argument yet.”

  “It’s a plan,” Rima said. “We can play the rest by ear, as long as we have the eyelid. If Leah waits out of sight with that, then the rest of us can handle Harriet.”

  Some of the other ghosts would have helped them fight Harriet, too, but most of them had hidden away inside the walls since Oscar’s murder. They probably wouldn’t come out until the danger had passed.

  Leah rolled her eyes. “If you just want me to stay out of the fight, that’s ridiculous. There’s no way I’m going to let her hurt you if she starts—”

  “I’m not risking you disintegrating, Leah. It’s not worth it. If there’s a fight, we’re more than capable of dealing with it.”

  “Yeah, we are. She’s going to regret ever coming near this building.” Kasper was clenching and unclenching his fists, desperate for a fight.

  Leah shrugged. “Fine. I guess I’ll stay out of it seeing as Kasper has decided to fight her single-handedly. Are you drunk, Kasper?”

  “I’m just – ready. I’m done with this. I want to get it over with.”

  “Well, let’s get on with it, then,” Rima said. “Let’s huddle, guys. Come on, Leah – you too.”

  “Pass,” she said.

  “Liven up, squad!” Rima said. “This is our moment!”

  Leah reluctantly let Rima pull her into the circle, intoning, “I will treasure this moment for ever.”

  “Same,” Rima said, entirely serious.

  Then Cody started yipping behind them. Someone was coming. Though it wasn’t Harriet. It wasn’t even another ghost. It was a human.

  Fabian. The lost brother. The worst of the Tricksters. I haven’t mentioned my father much, have I? Rufus and Vini might be unpleasant, but in comparison with my father, they were practically doting aunts. At least they knew my name.