Once Haunted, Twice Shy (The Peyton Clark Series Book 2)

by H. P. Mallory

  Well, that wasn’t exactly the whole truth, but there had been plenty of occasions when I didn’t want Drake to see whatever Ryan and I were doing, so I’d prevented him from eavesdropping. Yes, it seemed like I usually shut Drake out after the fact, but it was close enough to the truth that I figured I’d better run with it.

  “So does Drake intend to possess you forever? Or is there an expiration date on this?” Ryan asked, his eyebrows furrowed in the middle of his brow, revealing his frustration.

  “No, he definitely won’t possess me forever,” I said, both to Ryan and to Drake because I didn’t want Drake to get the idea that it could become a permanent thing. “Initially, I figured that after the entity in my house was gone, I would contact Lovie and Christopher to remove Drake from my body and replant his spirit into my house.”

  “So, what happened then?” Ryan demanded. “The entity is no longer in your house now, right?”

  “No, it isn’t in my house,” I answered immediately. “Well, at least I don’t think it is.”

  Ryan folded his arms across his broad chest, but continued to scowl at me. “Have you noticed anythin’ weird goin’ on lately?”

  “No.”

  “Why did you hesitate?” he demanded and I imagined he probably thought a whole lot of BS was about to fly his way.

  “Well, that’s one of the reasons I wanted to see Lovie.” I took a deep breath. “I’m afraid that something might happen with this entity . . . with the Axeman.”

  “Why are you afraid of that?” he barked, obviously still pissed off.

  “Because it isn’t just a coincidence that the ghosts of New Orleans have suddenly swamped this city! We’ve heard it now from Prudence, and the waiter at Commander’s, and those women who went on the ghost tour, and you saw how many people were in Lovie’s store. There’s something happening, Ryan. Something is going on!”

  He inhaled and exhaled quickly. “So what if there is somethin’ to it? What does that have to do with you?”

  “That’s where Lovie comes in,” I answered with a quick glance back at our table to see that our food had arrived. I wasn’t sure how long we’d been out there, but after Christopher took his last bite of red beans and rice, and Lovie pointed to her cup for more coffee, I figured it must’ve been a while. “I don’t want to keep them waiting much longer,” I continued as I addressed Ryan. “Will you at least come back to the table and listen to the rest of what I have to say? Regardless of what you decide to do about us, please just come back. Besides, your whole dinner is sitting there and waiting to be eaten.”

  He eyed the table and nodded at me. “That’s true.”

  I took another breath. “Ryan, you’ve been with me for most of the ghostly encounters lately anyway, so it would mean a lot to me if you’d stay. I’m sure Lovie would appreciate hearing your side of things too.”

  Ryan nodded, but his lips remained tight and his eyebrows were still bunched up in the middle of his forehead. He held out his hand in front of him, gesturing for me to lead the way. I didn’t argue and turned around, heading for our table.

  “Je suis surpris,” Drake’s voice sounded in my head. “I am surprised, ma minette. That conversation did not go as I expected.”

  “Yeah, well, that makes two of us,” I answered.

  “I hope you do not regret telling him about me, mon amour. It had to be done.”

  “I don’t regret telling him,” I responded. “I only regret waiting so long to tell him. But I guess it is what it is.”

  I was surprised when Drake didn’t say, “I told you so,” because I’d lost count of how many times he’d urged me to tell Ryan about him. Yep, all the procrastination rested on my shoulders alone.

  “Did we forget to mention how busy we are?” Christopher piped up in an irritated voice as soon as we reached the table. “Argue on your own time.”

  “Christopher!” Lovie whispered to him while playfully swatting his hand.

  “Is everythin’ okay?” Trina leaned over and asked me in a hushed tone as soon as I sat down. Even though everything was far from okay, I just nodded because there wasn’t anything else I could say. Ryan kept his lips tight, but his eyes were fastened on me.

  Suddenly feeling uncomfortable, I faced Lovie and cleared my throat. “I’m sorry that took so long, Lovie,” I started.

  She shook her head. “Whatever you discussed, I’m sure, was important.”

  I nodded with an exhale. “Thank you again for agreeing to see us on such short notice,” I said to her with a grateful smile. “So much has been going on lately and you’re the only person . . .” I glanced over at Christopher and smiled at him too, although somewhat embarrassedly. “You both are the only people I could think of to turn to.”

  “Take yer time, Peyton,” Lovie said as she reached out, placing her hand on mine comfortingly. I didn’t dare chance a look at Christopher because I expected he’d be much less receptive.

  “I don’t want to take up anymore of your time than I already have,” I answered in a hushed voice.

  But Lovie shook her head. “Babydoll, I knew you were comin’ ta see me long before you walked through mah door. I already made time fer you before you even asked fer it.”

  I felt my eyes widen, but I couldn’t say I was that surprised. There was something about Lovie and her deep understanding of yin and yang, as well as the natural flow of things. If she claimed she was some sort of goddess or an eternally powerful being, I wouldn’t have doubted it for a second. “So we’re all pretty aware, it seems, that the spirits in this city have suddenly awakened,” I started, eyeing everyone in turn and feeling like I was chairing a business meeting.

  “Yes, I haven’t seen anythin’ like it before,” Lovie answered.

  “It’s a first for me too,” Christopher added.

  “What do you suppose is causin’ all this spiritual energy?” Trina asked Lovie. It wasn’t lost on me that Ryan said nothing, but I tried not to fixate on it. Whatever happened between Ryan and me was outside of this conversation. For now, my attention needed to be fully on why the deceased were suddenly establishing their presence all over the city. I had to put my relationship with Ryan on the back burner for now.

  Lovie shook her head as she answered Trina. “I dunno fer certain, honey, but from what I’ve been able ta understand from the spirits themselves, they seem ta believe somethin’ is comin’, an’ it’s somethin’ pretty big.”

  I gulped hard as my hands grew numb and I turned to Lovie. “Ryan and I were in Lafayette Cemetery the other day and we came across a ghost tour, which we decided to take. The tour guide said she’d picked up more EVPs in the last two days than in the several years she’d been giving the tours.”

  “I believe that,” Lovie said with a nod, seemingly not at all surprised.

  “Well, the information she picked up on her recordings bothered me quite a bit,” I continued after a deep breath.

  “What did the EVPs say, Peyton?” Lovie asked me, her smile vanishing as she faced me fully.

  “They, er, the spirits, talked about something that’s coming, and from the sound of it, it wasn’t something good.”

  “What did the voices say exactly?” Christopher asked. “Word for word.”

  “The first one said, ‘It comes,’” Ryan suddenly piped up, although his poker face did not reveal anything more.

  I nodded. “Right. The next recording said, ‘Save us,’ and then we heard a voice saying, ‘Make it stop.’” I looked up at Ryan, feeling my heart drop as soon as I saw his undeniably handsome face. “What else did Prudence record?”

  “Somethin’ about hidin’ or needin’ to hide,” he answered. “I can’t remember exactly what now.”

  “I know Prudence well,” Lovie said as she nodded. “I trust that whatever she played fer you wasn’t tampered with.” The expression on her face was pensive, and mor
e thoughtful.

  “What do you make of the recordings?” Christopher asked her.

  Lovie cocked her head to the side, pondering the subject. “The spirits know somethin’ we don’t—”

  “There’s more,” I interrupted, taking a deep breath as my fear tried to work its way up into my stomach. “The EVP that frightened me the most said, ‘The second day.’”

  “The second day,” Lovie repeated before becoming momentarily silent.

  “Do you remember the Axeman’s letter that appeared on my bathroom mirror in the steam?” I asked.

  She nodded as, apparently, the puzzle pieces started to fit into place. “The letter said the Axeman would return Tuesday . . . the second day o’ the work week.”

  “Yes,” I responded.

  “The letter from the Axeman?” Trina repeated, her voice revealing her utter confusion.

  I nodded at her, realizing I needed to back up and explain the origins of the letter, both for her and for Ryan. “A letter was sent to the Times-Picayune newspaper back in 1919 purportedly from the Axeman himself. In it, he said he would strike again on a Tuesday and then went on to say he wasn’t a human, but a demon and so on.” I took a deep breath. “The important part is that sections of the very same letter appeared on the mirror in my guest bathroom, written in the steam. The only difference was that the date was written as last Tuesday, April 15, 2014, instead of 1919.”

  “Oh my God,” Trina whispered, covering her open mouth with her hand. “That is insane, Peyton. I can’t believe you’re still livin’ there!”

  “Well, we already exorcised the demon,” I answered, doubting my own words as soon as they left my mouth.

  “The letter stated that this demonic entity plans ta return on Tuesday,” Lovie continued.

  “Any Tuesday?” Ryan asked, leaning forward and suddenly appearing much more interested in the conversation.

  “No, in the letter, it said ‘next Tuesday’ which would mean this coming Tuesday,” I answered.

  “As in three days from now, Tuesday?” Trina asked, the pitch of her voice escalating with panic.

  “Yes,” Lovie and I answered at the same time.

  “This is so much worse than I feared,” Lovie exclaimed as she swallowed another sip of her coffee before placing the mug back on the table. She didn’t release it though. Instead, she tipped it toward her so she could see into it. She studied the mug intently without saying anything. When she rolled the cup in her hand and stared at it even more fixedly, I knew something was up.

  “Lovie?” Christopher started. “What are you receiving?”

  She shook her head. “I’m tryin’ ta reach out ta Samuel, but I detect interference.”

  “Samuel?” I asked, shaking my head to show I wasn’t following. Christopher faced me while Lovie continued to zone out on the coffee mug.

  “Samuel is Lovie’s familiar,” Christopher explained before staring at Lovie again.

  “Like a witch’s familiar?” I asked.

  Christopher nodded. “Exactly the same. Samuel is a spirit who guides Lovie on her explorations into the other world. He can take the shape of any person or any thing.” He motioned to Lovie’s mug, which she clutched in her hands. “He has an affinity for the taste of coffee, which is why Lovie usually chooses to contact him after a coffee run.” Then he addressed Lovie again. “Have you made contact with him yet?”

  She shook her head. “There’s too much static on the line between us,” she answered. When she finally exhaled, placing the mug back on the table, she glanced up at me and her eyes seemed full of worry. “It’s been this way fer the last three days. I’ve been unable ta reach Samuel an’ this is the first time it’s happened to me in my whole life.” Apparently, witches and familiars were lifelong buddies. Interesting.

  “That sounds really bad,” Trina said as I nodded my concurrence. My entire stomach began to cave in on itself. I was beginning to believe firsts of anything were never good.

  Now it was time to turn to the other questions I had regarding Drake . . . “The other reason I contacted you both was to ask if you might know what all the rules are regarding spiritual possession.” Lovie frowned as if to say my comment was too general. I didn’t bother to look at Christopher or judge his reaction. “What I mean is,” I continued while my legs bopped up and down nervously. I had to place my hands on them to keep them from bouncing. “Does Drake have any ties to the afterlife that I might be able to share? I mean, now that his spirit is tethered inside my body, does that mean he lost his other ties to the spiritual world, which he once had?”

  Ryan shifted uncomfortably in his chair, but didn’t say anything. I refused to look at him because I was afraid of what I might see in his eyes. It was more than obvious that he was having a difficult time processing all of this, but I was well beyond that stage. I was ready for answers, so I did my best to find out what awaited us; and if it was something bad, how best to avoid it.

  “Whenever the spiritual and the tangible worlds intersect, each benefits from the other,” Lovie said. She might as well have been speaking Swahili because I had no clue what she was talking about. Or maybe I was just dumb.

  “Um,” I started, chewing on my lip as I inhaled long and slow before exhaling just as deeply. “I’m not really sure what that means,” I finally admitted, as my eyebrows furrowed in the center of my forehead.

  Lovie laughed at me, sounding like the bells jingling from the sash tied around her waist. “The answer ta your question regardin’ whether Drake still possesses ties ta the spiritual world even though he now resides inside your body is yes, honey, he does.”

  Okay, that’s good,” I said, nodding as I inwardly sighed over the realization that Drake would be able to maintain his ties to the spiritual world even though he was now sharing my body. Christopher turned to face me with his left eyebrow arched dramatically and his lips forming a straight white line. I often wondered if he even knew how to smile.

  “But your physicality is a barrier to his spirituality,” Christopher said, enunciating every consonant, and making me think he might be a barrier to my rationality.

  “What does that even mean?” Ryan demanded, frowning at both of them. He shook his head vigorously and appeared, for all intents and purposes, frustrated. “Layman’s terms here, folks.” With an irritated glance at Trina and me, he turned to address Lovie and Christopher again. “Remember, we aren’t on the same cosmic level as y’all are.”

  “It’s difficult to forget,” Christopher grunted, eyeing me before he frowned. I chose to be the bigger person and pretended not to notice his snide comment.

  “Pour l’amour de Dieu,” Drake piped up in an irritated voice. “For the love of God, ma minette, you must find out how we both are able to access the spiritual world. I am not certain I can stomach much more of this drivel!”

  “I’m working on it, Drake! Calm down!” I railed back at him.

  “Humph,” he groaned. “Allow me to remind you, mon amour, that time is of the utmost importance, owing to how little we possess of it.”

  He was right. We basically had two days to figure out what in the hell was coming and, more importantly, how we could stop it. We didn’t have time for idle and confusing conversations while Christopher mocked us to feel better about himself. “We don’t have time for this!” I piped up, slamming my hands on the tabletop as I stood up. Bending over my outstretched arms, I took turns glaring at everyone. All eyes focused on me as I took a deep breath and forced myself to stop staring everyone down. “We have two days! Two days!” I exclaimed. “Let me remind you that Tuesday could mean a lot of shit hitting the fan!”

  Ryan narrowed his eyes at me. “Or it might mean no shit hittin’ the fan at all.”

  My nostrils flared as my heartbeat increased and my breathing grew rapid. I faced him fully and when I spoke, I kept the tone of my voice stonily calm.
“I think, in this case, it’s best to play the devil’s advocate and bet that the odds won’t be in our favor.”

  “Peyton’s right,” Lovie agreed with a nod. She gently placed her soft hand on my lower arm and pushed lightly against me, hinting that I needed to take my seat again and calm down. I obediently complied and, with an encouraging smile at me, she returned her attention to the others. “Somethin’ is certainly upsettin’ the natural balance between this world an’ the next in N’awlins.” She took a deep breath. “I believe we ignore it at our own peril.”

  “Then what’s to be done?” Ryan asked as he leaned back into his chair and crossed his arms against his chest. He looked at her and Christopher with a frown. Although I still didn’t know what would happen between the two of us, the thought of losing him sliced like a blade right through my heart.

  “Vous ne devez pas mettre l’accent sur des choses que vous ne pouvez pas changer. You must not focus on things you cannot change,” Drake said. “Or at least the things you cannot change at this moment, ma minette.”

  “Obviously, you can feel how depressed I am about the whole Ryan situation,” I responded, feeling a little guilty that he’d witnessed my dejection firsthand. I needed to shield him better.

  “Oui, mon amour. Everything you feel, I can feel.”

  “Sorry,” I answered mentally before attempting to change the direction of my thoughts. I was pretty sure Drake didn’t appreciate my nausea.

  “Donnez-vous du temps,” he continued. “Give yourself time. Le barbare will come around, I am certain.”

  Although I couldn’t help smiling at the mention of “le barbare,” it was bittersweet, and laced with gloom. Lovie seemed to study me for a few moments, her gaze penetrating mine as I forced myself to stop thinking about the relationship, or lack thereof, between Ryan and me. It was almost as if she knew my thoughts weren’t on the subject at hand. “Peyton, you must open yourself ta be able ta share in Drake’s gifts,” she started. Before I could ask her what that meant, she added, “Currently, you aren’t sharin’ Drake’s knowledge o’ the otherworld ’cause you closed that part o’ yourself off ta the possibility.”