The Shadow Guide (Challenging the Fates)

by Victoria Smith

  Alaina turned, catching sight of a flopping owl out of the corner of her eye. “Oh, for crying out loud.”

  Patrick picked the tiny bird up between two fingers as it weakly struggled. “What do I do with this? I want to put it out of its misery, but I feel bad. And I know the stupid thing’s not even real.”

  “I know. Here.” She opened a decorative birdcage made out of bamboo and yanked a collection of artificial blue flowers out of the center. “Put it in here and we’ll figure something out when we figure out what to do with our guest sleeping upstairs.”

  Patrick dropped the light-green stuffed owl—the light-green stuffed decoration—in the cage, and she shut and latched the door. He shook his head as if this one thing had gone beyond the realm of possibility, even for him. She touched his arm.

  “Did whatever make this house go crazy cause the figurines to be haunted? Or could they have already been and all of the negative energy made it worse?”

  “Hard to say. I’d guess the second, considering your houseguest upstairs. Anything’s possible though.” He wrapped her in a hug.

  “What now?” she asked into his neck, wanting nothing more than to stay in his arms forever.

  “I don’t know. Clean up breakfast. Check out the recordings from last night and do a little more research, I guess. The house is quiet, which means our friend from last night kept his word. Now you have to keep yours and get the darker entities to cross or all hell will break loose, and I mean literally.” Patrick released her.

  “I know. We have to figure it out.”

  As if on cue, the trio of faces appeared on the wall in front of them. Their laughter grated through her like nails on a chalkboard, and it took all she had to walk by them without giving them the finger again. Provoking them wasn’t going to make her job any easier.

  They repeated the same singsong phrases and officially used up the last of Alaina’s patience.

  “Can you please freaking speak English?” she shouted at the wall. They’d changed the language for Patrick. Would it work for her?

  The trio of eyes blinked back at her. “Weedy ole outrages. Low, ideal younger. On lustiest. Vagueness if child-like nurturer. It high revenger. It high revenger.”

  “What? Nothing you say makes sense.” She faced the wall.

  “Lion like of mediocre sleekness. I’m the diminutive hood obsesses. Keen heroines warm meatiness. It high revenger.” They repeated the phrases before falling silent as if waiting for a response.

  Alaina was more freaked out than she’d been when they spouted off in whatever ancient language Patrick said they used. What the hell were they talking about? She turned and walked into Patrick’s arms.

  “Any ideas yet?” she asked against his shoulder.

  “Not a one. Well, maybe one, but I’ll have to do some research.” He moved to the dishwasher with their plates from breakfast.

  “Why don’t you leave these to me and get started.” She tried to ignore the soft laughter coming from behind them.

  “Yeah, right. I’m not leaving you.” He nudged her to the side as he turned on the water.

  The faces had faded from the wall by the time they finished, leaving behind a scent that stuck in Alaina’s memory. She couldn’t place her finger on where she’d encountered the musky odor before. Patrick tugged her toward the office as she cleared her head from the non-fruitful trip down memory lane and tried not to pay attention to the way his low-slung jeans fit his hips.

  ~ ~ ~

  Patrick had no idea what he was doing. He’d only partially told the truth about having an idea. Whatever those heads said was a riddle, but they already knew that. The phrases had been uploaded into every search engine and puzzle solver he could find. The weight of the situation tightened his chest as he logged into his email program. Alaina settled onto the couch, her laptop across her knees. She glanced at him as he turned the speakers down and positioned the chair under the desk. He tried to smile but instead growled.

  He scanned the messages asking for the team’s investigative services. Most could wait until he resolved Alaina’s situation, except one. The email about a little boy being terrorized by unseen forces every night tore at his heart. The request had come from the child’s mother. Her anguish filled him as she described what the child dealt with. If the boy went to his parents’ room, whatever tormented him would follow and continue to harass him and his mom and dad. He’d been scratched, bit, and had nearly drowned in the bathtub. The family was in dire need.

  Mick was out since tonight had been planned to the letter as a romantic evening by his wife. There was no way he’d face Mick’s wife’s wrath or ruin the plans he’d helped her to make. That left two confident team leaders, the old newbies, and two very new trainees. Picking up the phone, he called Dave and left a message before calling the little boy’s family.

  The woman answered on the first ring, her voice shaky and weary. Even through the phone he got a sense of her dismay. He introduced himself and asked her for more details about the situation. Alaina’s concern was evident.

  “When did this all start?”

  She took a deep breath. “About a week ago. My husband and I went out for dinner and left Micah with a babysitter. When I got back to the house, Micah was inconsolable. Every night’s been the same since then.”

  “What does he describe?” He ignored the malicious laughter coming from the foyer, watching Alaina get up to shut the door.

  “Dark shapes. Red eyes. I’ve seen them, too. They’re all over the house as soon as the sun goes down. They whisper things in a language I’ve never heard. We’ve tried leaving all the lights on. We’ve tried reading the Bible, but that seems to make them angrier. We’re at the end of our rope,” she sobbed.

  The pull of a new case twisted his gut over the unresolved issues still at Alaina’s. For a moment, he wondered if the uncrossed negative energy could be building up at the little boy’s house, but he dismissed the idea as illogical and grasping at straws.

  “Have you considered checking into a motel?” He knew it wasn’t always an option, but in this case, he’d pay for the room himself to give the family a little peace.

  “We tried last night. They followed us—or at least something did. Micah was the only one who slept, but he’s so exhausted. He hasn’t slept for more than a few minutes at a time since this started.” Her voice was a little stronger now, determination filtering through.

  “Unfortunately, I’m on another case right now, but I’m going to send my team to help.” He held his hand over the phone as Alaina waved her hand in front of his face. “Hold on, please.”

  “You should go,” she whispered. “Even I can tell how much they need you and I don’t even know what’s going on.”

  “I can’t leave you here alone.”

  “Then I’ll come with you. Seriously, Patrick. There’s no choice. You’re the only one who can help them.”

  He resumed the call, listening for a second before speaking. The background noise in the connection sounded like the electronic voice phenomenon they’d recorded on many occasions.

  “We’ll be there in a few hours.” Patrick tried to hear anything in the static to give him a clue as to what was going on in the house, but there wasn’t anything. Yet.

  “I don’t want to take you away from someone else who might need you more.”

  “It’s a different type of case. There’s no problem. Trust me. We’ll be there soon.” Patrick wrote down the directions, noting the house was only two streets over from Alaina’s.

  He started gathering equipment as Alaina tried to help. “I’m glad we’re going. I promise not to get in your way.”

  “I don’t think you will. In fact, I think you might be an asset. If you can pick up the urgency of what’s going on in that house without hearing the details, then I think you’v
e grown in ways you don’t even realize. It’ll be interesting to have you with me to see what you perceive.” He unplugged the batteries for the DVR and poked them in the bag.

  “Do me a favor and don’t tell me the details. Let me see if what came into my head is true. I’m curious.” She handed him the digital camera after replacing the batteries and putting the drained ones on the charger.

  They worked well together. Patrick liked it. A lot. He had to force the warm thoughts out of his head. There was no time to get caught up in what was going on in his heart. Patrick had to admit, the break from the mental work in figuring out what was going on here would be nice. And he was excited about business as usual—even though the business was deeper than normal. Cases involving children were always the most important.

  Within twenty minutes, he and Alaina had the gear stowed in the back of the SUV. He followed her back inside the house so they could both change, excitement building at the coming night ahead. She obviously felt the anticipation, too. He hadn’t seen her smile this much since . . . well, ever. He liked it—probably too much.

  His phone rang at his side, derailing thoughts of laying her down on the bed and showing his appreciation for how quickly she jumped into helping him. He was afraid of the peaceful feeling building in his chest. Usually that was sure to mean trouble. And he was sure they’d have more than their share tonight.

  He answered the phone, explaining the case to Dave. They decided to cover the house with a minimal crew based on Patrick’s growing unease. Dave would gather the other members and meet him there as soon as possible. Patrick hung up, the relief he should have felt at organizing the evening absent.

  The little dude they’d found in the office last night startled him as he exited Alaina’s bedroom. He’d almost forgotten about him.

  Cedric shook his head, folding his arms over his chest. “Much trouble awaits you. But you must go. It is urgent and important. You must be careful. Protect her. There is ill will out tonight. Ill will toward her. They will hurt her if they can. And if they do, you will answer to me.” He glared at Patrick, daring him to argue.

  “Thank you for the warning. I won’t let anything happen to her. You have my word.”

  Cedric bowed. “I will take your word because I know you to be honorable, but woe be to you if harm befalls her. I would find you and make you understand how deeply you have failed. Be warned. More is going on in that house than you’ve been told. What is there belongs to what is here. What is there would hurt you both, and your people. She who is seeking you will be there. Wait, please.” He scuttled off to the spare bedroom he’d claimed, leaving Patrick slightly amused and seriously interested.

  Alaina came out, bumping against him. “What’s up?”

  “Our guest asks that I wait for him.”

  She repositioned her laptop bag on her shoulder. “Okay.”

  “From what Cedric says there’s a lot more going on than we’ve been told.” He spoke quietly, not wanting to bring up the old guy’s ire in case he hadn’t meant for Alaina to hear the information and not wanting to tell her more than she wanted to know.

  Cedric returned, holding out a small velvet bag. “Take this. One for each member of the family. Protection.”

  “Thank you, but we already have protection from demons.” He moved his shirt to the side to show his tattoo, realizing it was kind of a joke after what had happened.

  “Clever, and a good idea. Except how well did the ink work for you last time, hmm? Not effective against the ones you will encounter.” He shook his head. “That’s not what this is. Trust me. It’s more and it’s less, but still necessary.” He dropped the bag in Patrick’s hand and bowed in front of Alaina. “Please be safe. I will keep things under control around here. You have my word.”

  “I appreciate your help more than I can say. Please make yourself at home. There is food in the kitchen when you’re ready to eat. We’ll be back soon, and we’ll get this matter in hand so you can go to where you need to go. I promise.” She took his hand.

  “I know. This must be done. There is no other way. Keep your mind open and your thoughts intact. When you figure out what’s in that house, you will have the answer for this one. The ones who speak to you have much to say. Not quite riddles, but still hard to determine.” He kissed her hand and scooted back into the room, shutting the door in such a way as to indicate the conversation was over, despite the questions going through Patrick’s mind.

  Like how could he know so much about the riddle and where they were going? And how did he know there was more to the situation with Micah? Patrick wondered why everything was relayed in cryptic tones, or if his language was some side effect of being turned into a faux gnome.

  Alaina stayed silent on the way to Micah’s house. He couldn’t pick up on what she was feeling, and figured it might be for the best right now. He definitely didn’t want her rooting around in his head.

  Dark clouds had gathered in the sky, the fading sun casting an ethereal glow directly in their path. Thunder clapped overhead, demonic laughter ringing in his ears as lightning split the sky. When he stopped in front of the house, he glanced at the address he’d scrawled down. Cold realization hit him in the chest as memories assaulted him from every angle. This was his house.

  The one where Jana had died.

  Chapter 14

  This was not good.

  Alaina studied the house, wondering what was wrong with Patrick. The reason they were here went far beyond a little boy’s trauma. And that was pretty damned bad in her opinion. Patrick dropped the paper with the address and rested his head against the steering wheel.

  “I could have sworn you wrote down a different address.” She picked up the paper, dropping it when flame-like heat burned her fingers.

  “I think I did.” Patrick got out. “I turned onto the right street. I know I did.”

  “What does it mean? Why are you so freaked?”

  He shook his head. She followed him to the back of the SUV and grabbed one of the computer cases. The vibes he gave off were full of confusion and regret.

  The woman opened the door as they hefted bags of equipment. Her weak smile and slumped shoulders jabbed Alaina in the heart. She was so focused on the weary homeowner she didn’t realize Patrick had stopped walking toward the house. He didn’t move when she bumped into him with a small laugh. Anxiety rolled off him as he stared at the woman on the front porch.

  Setting the camera case and equipment bag on the driveway, she grabbed his arm and turned him to face her. “What is it?”

  “She’s Jana.” He stared right through her, his focus only on the little boy’s mother. “This is the house where she died. Our house.”

  “No. It’s not. Something’s toying with your perceptions. I’ll bet when we get to her you’ll see she’s really nothing like Jana.” She tugged his arm and picked up the bags.

  He shook his head but followed. Alaina greeted the woman with a smile and an outstretched hand. “I’m Alaina.”

  “Susan.” Instead of taking the proffered hand, the woman wrapped Alaina into a hug, her desperation soaking through to Alaina’s bone marrow. She studied the petite blonde, wondering why the woman seemed to have no other emotions.

  Susan moved to Patrick, hugging him and thanking him for coming on such short notice. He stiffly responded with a brief hug, and Alaina knew he still thought Susan looked like Jana. He was going to be useless if he didn’t get over himself and get his head back in the right place. Resemblance or not, they were here to help this family.

  Patrick gave her a weak smile as he paused to let her enter the house before him. Her worries about him vanished as she sucked in a breath of the heavy, tense air. There was a lot wrong here—more than they even imagined. A dark shape flitted past the window and into the closet as Alaina turned to set down the equipment bags. Malevolence
remained, and it took all she had not to walk over and rip the closet door open to see how many were inside.

  The house teemed with the dark shadows. Alaina hadn’t felt this much confusion even on her first night guiding them to their destinations. Maybe the negative forces skewed the energies somehow, but Alaina didn’t really believe it. Patrick placed a hand on her arm, gaining her attention with a confused quirk of his eyebrow.

  “You okay?” He turned to where she looked, but there was no longer anything to see.

  “Yeah. Absorbing. You?” She exhaled, forcing him into focus to make sure he didn’t try to lie.

  “Of course. Peachy. I know it’s a trick, but I can’t tell you it’s not distracting. I’m going to have a hard time.” He squeezed her arm a little, and she turned into his arms for a brief but necessary hug.

  Susan held the door open for Dave and the minimal crew. Her relief had grown. Patrick introduced the group and asked where she felt would be the best place to set up their operations center. Alaina and Patrick then accompanied Micah’s mother on a tour of the home.

  “Tell me where you experience the most activity.” Patrick paused on the landing separating the staircases.

  “The most would be in Micah’s room, but honestly, stuff is happening everywhere now. It’s grown to the point I swear there’s always something out of the corner of my eye.”

  Alaina knew she wasn’t lying, especially when a pair of small dark shapes skittered across the hall on the floor above them. They paused when they realized the family was no longer alone, shaking their heads and projecting superiority at their position above them. Alaina placed her foot on the bottom step, using the hand with the ring to grasp the railing.

  The precious metal tapped the wood, emitting a tone to snap the duo to attention. They glared at her, formerly blank faces now lit with red eyes. A feral growl filtered over her. Tuning out the conversation behind her, Alaina took the stairs two at a time until she faced the pair. The fear was absent as power and confidence filled her.