The Fire Ghost (Phantom Elements Book 2)

by Jennifer Campbell

  “Dom,” Ashley squeaked. “There’s a man walking to Aunt Patricia’s shop. We have to warn her!”

  Dom looked into the flame and chuckled.

  “That’s my Uncle Ernesto,” he laughed. “He’s bringing someone else tacos at midnight, too.”

  Ashley gasped. Patricia appeared in her doorway, all smiles, waving Ernesto into the shop. Suddenly, Eva appeared in the canvas on Ashley’s wall. The candle flame snuffed itself out, smoke curling to the ceiling.

  “I guess that’s my cue to quit spying,” Ashley huffed. “Thank’s Aunt Eva.”

  Not your aunt, granddaughter.

  The words whispered by her ear. Ashley should have known.

  Ashley and Dom were halfway into their second movie. Ashley was almost passed out in a taco coma, stretched out on the living room couch. Dom was helping himself to another Coke from the fridge, when he heard scratching, coming from the store, downstairs.

  He shut the fridge, as quietly as he could, and paced to Ashley’s side on the couch. Dom placed his hand on her shoulder, gently waking her up. He put a finger to his lips to signal her to stay quiet, and pointed downstairs. Ashley glanced downstairs. They both heard the store’s front lock being picked open.

  With her parents sleeping, and Pickle snoring upstairs in her bed, Dom and Ashley were the only ones awake in the apartment. They crept to the stairs to listen.

  The front door clicked and creaked open. Dom pointed and padded softly down the wooden stairs. Ashley followed, until they had reached the bottom stairs. Even though the intruder was downstairs, Ashley kept sensing movement on the second floor, but she didn’t have time to think about that.

  In one swift motion, Dom hopped off the third step, down onto the main floor. He was lightning fast as he clicked on the lights. Ashley squinted as the intruder was bathed in artificial light, tools in hand, ready to cause more violations.

  “Blaze?” Ashley asked, shocked.

  Ashley stood staring at Blaze, with his curly, shaggy mohawk and tired eyes. He was holding pliers in one hand, and a toolkit in the other.

  “You’ve been causing the code violations?” Ashley asked, still stunned.

  The hurt was setting in through the shock.

  “Didn’t know you and Chavez were having a sleepover,” Blaze snapped.

  “Really?” Dom growled. “You’re causing a fire hazard as we speak, and you’re worried about who Ashley is hanging out with?”

  “She’s the fire hazard,” Blaze shot back.

  “Did you tell him, or did he figure it out?” Dom asked.

  “I figured a lot of things out,” Blaze shot back. “Have you figured out that she was kissing me at the bonfire last week?”

  “Blaze,” Ashley hissed, but Dom cut her off.

  “You think I’m jealous of you?” Dom scoffed. “You’re putting us all at risk to be shut down by Phillips, to have our homes taken away from us, and you’re pulling that nonsense? Get over yourself.”

  Ashley could feel Blaze’s energy glow red hot, and then snap. He dropped his tools and leapt at Dom. Blaze hit Dom’s chest with his shoulder, knocking him back into the counter. Dom’s head knocked back into the counter with a sickening crack.

  Dom grabbed Blaze and threw him to the ground. The boys wrestled, back and and forth, until Blaze had the upper hand. He landed a punch square to Dom’s jaw. Dom shot an elbow into Blaze’s side and he doubled over in pain.

  “Stop it!” Ashley screamed, but they didn’t listen.

  Dom and Blaze kept rolling around on the tile, punching and struggling against each other. Blaze missed Dom and punched the tile. He recoiled in pain. Ashley cringed as she heard Blaze’s knuckle crack on the tile floor.

  Blaze’s phone rolled out of his pocket as he struggled with Dom. Ashley focused her magic, through the chaos, and slid the phone into her hand. She held it in the air and screamed.

  “Stop!”

  Blaze and Dom froze. Their hands were tangled in each other’s shirts from the struggle. Dom and Blaze both eyed each other and put their hands up.

  “I swear I will smash this phone to pieces if you don’t tell me why you’re doing this.”

  “Okay,” Blaze heaved. “Okay.”

  Blaze tried to catch his breath. He held his side where Dom had elbowed him. Dom rubbed his jaw. Ashley held up the phone, but swore she heard someone upstairs.

  “Okay,” Blaze stammered. “My dad and Price Phillips go way back. They’re both members of this group and they need money to operate, so they’re trying to destroy the storefronts to build more apartments, for income.”

  “And drive us out of our homes,” Ashley accused.

  “No, no, that’s not it,” Blaze insisted. “You’d get the insurance money, plus reimbursements from the historical society. We’d just have to relocate.”

  “Yeah, except we rely on the downtown location, genius,” Dom shot at Blaze.

  “Are you Alchemists?” Ashley asked, raising an eyebrow.

  “What?” Blaze stammered.

  He hadn’t expected her to know the name. He looked like all the wind had been knocked out of him.

  “How did you know?” he asked. “Can you read my mind? Dad said you might be able to.”

  “No, not yet,” Ashley answered. “But, I do know there’s someone upstairs with you.”

  Ashley pocketed the phone and ran upstairs. Her parents were starting to shout and bang on their bedroom door. Whoever was upstairs had barred the door.

  A girl with shimmery blonde hair spun around. Ashley found herself face to face with Kylie Phillips. Blaze and Dom came pounding up the stairs after her. Dom blocked Blaze, placing himself between Blaze and Ashley.

  “How did you get in here?” Ashley asked.

  “The window, idiot,” Kylie answered. “You witches think you’re so smart. You left it open.”

  Kylie paced back and forth in the living room in insanely expensive yoga pants. Ashley’s parents were banging on their door. Kylie had nailed a board across the door. Ashley raised her hand and tried to pry the board off the door. She should have been able to melt the nails.

  “Do you think I used metal nails? You’re a fire witch. I’m not stupid. My family has been tracking you for centuries. We know everything,” Kylie’s voice turned cold as she looked from Blaze to Dom. “You’d think she could have waited a week to start up with Chavez, huh, Blaze?”

  “We’re friends,” Dom cut in, “and we were waiting for someone to break in and create more code violations. You weren’t going to get away with it.”

  “Friends?” Kylie scoffed. “You could have fooled me. You both look pretty beat up, fighting over that fire freak over there.”

  Kylie suddenly slid back, and slammed up against the wall. Ashley was broiling with anger. Kylie hurled back against the wall, again. Ashley raised her hand, picked Kylie up, and slung her down to the floor.

  Just then, Pickle came barking downstairs, breaking Ashley’s concentration. Kylie was quick. She crawled on all fours and grabbed him, roughly, by the scruff of his neck.

  “Not so fast,” Kylie shrieked. “Touch me again, and I’ll snap your stupid dog’s neck in half.”

  Ashley recoiled in horror. Dom moved to grab Pickle, but Kylie stepped toward the open window.

  “Kylie, stop!” Blaze shouted. “You can’t hurt her dog.”

  “What? Really? I can’t hurt her stupid dog? You know what? Patricia Freya? Her crazy witch aunt?” Kylie mocked, directly to Blaze, wide eyed and frantic. “She could have saved your mom, Blaze. She could have healed her, but she didn’t. They always save the ones they care about. One of the other witches conjured up real, legit gold just save these busted messes they call stores.”

  “We all pitched in to save our homes,” Dom shot back.<
br />
  “We all pitched in to save our homes,” Kylie said in a mocking voice. “You guys are pathetic.”

  Ashley didn’t care about Kylie, but she needed Blaze to believe her.

  “We can’t cure diseases like that. We have limits to our powers,” Ashley was practically weeping, desperate for Blaze to believe her. “Aunt Patricia wanted to heal her, but she couldn’t. I know that’s why your family joined the Alchemists, but Blaze, please. You have to believe me.”

  “Awe, how sweet,” Kylie taunted. “Watch, Blaze. She’ll save her dog.”

  Ashley screamed. Dom was on his feet and running at Kylie, but he was too late. Kylie took Pickle and tossed the puppy out the second story window, with barely a second glance.

  Chapter 24

  Brady Street Ablaze

  Ashley didn’t know how it happened. She couldn’t explain it. In a moment of raw terror, she felt her heart tear apart, and bind back together again. She was dizzy and sweating, but in a flash of a second, she was outside, kneeling in the street.

  She looked up and saw the gold lettering on the front of her mom’s store, and amazingly, thankfully, she felt Pickle wiggling in her arms. Ashley tried to breathe, but her breath was stopped somewhere in her stomach. Pickle yapped happily, licking Ashley’s face.

  I teleported, Ashley gasped to herself. She sucked in a sharp breath.

  Ashley turned, as a car squealed behind her. Kylie limped out the front door of Witch Hazel Naturals, and hopped in the car. The car sped off. Ashley struggled to make out the license plate, but it was too dark.

  She gave Pickle one last hug and turned to help Dom. He was probably tearing up the apartment, fighting with Blaze. She didn’t have a chance to get up. Blaze came pounding down the stairs and out the door.

  “Is Pickle okay?” Blaze asked, panicked and breathless.

  “What do you care?” Ashley shrieked. “I hate you!”

  She picked up a Coke bottle someone had tossed on the side of the street and chucked it at Blaze. He ducked, the bottle narrowly missing his head. It smashed in the street a few feet behind him.

  “Do you mean that?” he asked, wincing.

  “Of course, I mean that!” Ashley shrieked, looking for something else to throw.

  “Look, I’m sorry,” Blaze said, shaking his head. “We planned to break all the repairs on the code violations way before you moved here. I didn’t- I never meant to-”

  “Is that why you spent all that time with me? Is that why-”

  “No,” Blaze said, cutting her off. “No, Ashley. I swear. Everything between us was real. I tried to tell you. The Alchemist Files said you could hear everything I was thinking. I just miss my mom so much, and I know Patricia could have saved her. They were best friends. I know she could have healed her. But, I really do care about you. I just can’t be as good of a guy as Dom is, not right now.”

  He was telling the truth. Ashley could hear his thoughts begin to echo.

  Dom came pounding down the stairs, and burst out the front door. He was holding his nose. Bright red blood stained the front of his cream hoodie.

  “That was a cheap shot,” Dom barked at Blaze.

  “I’m sorry,” he said, only to Ashley, and ran off down Brady Street.

  Dom ran after him, roaring down the street. They sprinted around the back alley to the last abandoned storefront. Dom and Blaze, both strikers on the soccer team, bounded so gracefully down the street, Ashley almost missed the dark figure step out of the door to the abandoned storefront, across the street from En Fuego.

  “Not so fast, boys,” Price Phillips said.

  His voice was oily, with a rancid sneer.

  “You’re not going to get away with this,” Dom shouted.

  “I’m not?” Price asked, with disgusting, fake innocence.

  Ashley snuck up behind Price. He was backing Dom and Blaze into the abandoned storefront. Thinking fast, Ashley pulled out Blaze’s cell phone that was still in her pocket. She clicked on the phone’s video camera and pressed record.

  “So, I’m not going to get away with faking the code violations or paying off the inspector? It would be a shame if all these dumpy little shops got closed down,” Price said, laughing. “It’s called progress, kids, and when I demolish these shacks for more brand new apartments, Patricia Freya and her little sister will be forced to move closer to those other witch sisters, and then, I’ll have them all in one place. Won’t I, Mr. Hathaway?”

  Blaze shook his head.

  “I’m not helping you anymore,” Blaze insisted.

  “Oh, yes you are,” Price snapped. “Your dad owes me a ton of money. Who do you think paid the rent on your little store while your dad was taking care of your sick mom?”

  Blaze seethed with rage. Ashley could feel the static, electric storm radiating away from him. She wished she could throw Price out the window like she did with Kylie, but she needed him to confess to more crimes.

  “You’re going to get caught,” Dom shouted.

  “Just like I got caught stealing building supplies from the school and the museum? Just like I got caught when I set the museum on fire? It’s been three years and I haven’t gotten caught, so I don’t think I’ll start getting caught now,” Price laughed. “Oh, and those paintings were all forgeries, by the way. The frauds burned up in the fire. I sold all the originals for a handsome profit. It was too easy with the Soccer Shack’s tunnel access. The tunnel runs right under the museum. I can sneak anything out, anytime I want.”

  Blaze and Dom stepped back as Price backed them into the abandoned storefront.

  “I’ve sold all of the original paintings from the museum, except one,” Price continued. “Except the painting of that little witch, Eva Glass. I’m going to burn her painting, just like my great ancestor Prospero burned her alive.”

  Ashley pressed the stop button and immediately uploaded the video of Price’s confession to the internet. Her fingers flew as she tagged all the major news sites and everyone she could think of from the Watson Academy. Then, she called the police and pressed mute. Price continued to laugh at how clever he was.

  “You didn’t burn her alive,” Ashley shouted at Price. “She wasn’t dead. She lived a long life and now her daughters and granddaughters are carrying on her work, Phillips,” Ashley shouted.

  Price turned around and sneered. Ashley didn’t care. He was going to get caught. The police would be there at any moment, and she already had his confession.

  “Ah, the daughter of a witch,” Price cheered, dripping with sarcasm.

  “Yeah, Price,” Ashley said. “The daughter of the witch you couldn’t burn.”

  “Well, then,” Price chuckled, pulling out a strange looking bottle. “I’ll just have to burn your little friends here.”

  Price lit the wick on the end of the bottle and tossed it into the shop in front of Dom and Blaze. The bottle crashed and the shop immediately went up in flames.

  “You’re wrong, witch,” Price laughed, stalking toward her. “I’m never going to get caught.”

  Ashley turned and tried to run, but Price was too fast. He picked up a rock lying on the street and cracked Ashley on the back of the head. A few stars swam in her vision, and then, her world went black.

  Chapter 25

  Last Words

  Ashley woke up in a panic. It was still night outside and Brady Street was empty. She had been lying in the middle of the street and it was a miracle she didn’t get hit by a car. Sirens blared around her. She had to work fast if she wanted to stay hidden.

  Ashley looked at the burning storefront. Shouts erupted from the front. Dom and Blaze must still be inside.

  Move.

  The voice flooded Ashley’s head. She commanded her feet to move. She ran, gaining speed, and jumped through the flames, into t
he store.

  The space was burning down. At any minute the ceiling would collapse. She scanned the room and saw Dom’s body lying on the floor. He was passed out, but unharmed. A massive wall of flame blocked her from the voice, shouting from behind the fire.

  “Ashley!” Blaze shouted from behind the roaring fire.

  The fire started so quickly. Toxic fumes buzzed all around her. Price had probably soaked the place in gasoline before he backed Dom and Blaze into the building and set it on fire.

  A vision flashed into Ashley’s head. She was reading Price’s thoughts. He had only meant to kill Blaze, but considered Dom a bonus.

  Ashley stepped through the flames. She felt her hair singe. Her skin crisped in the fire, but she felt only warmth.

  “Blaze, are you okay?” Ashley shouted.

  “You’re on fire!” Blaze screamed.

  The flames licked at Ashley’s face, but she shook them away. She focused the fire away from the window and waved a hand over a metal chair, sending it sailing through the large window on the side of the storefront.

  Blaze was bent over, coughing, dizzy and weak. He collapsed, his body crumpling to the floor. Ashley grabbed his shoulders and drug him out through the window. He was heavy. His muscular arms were dead weight at his sides.

  “I can’t, I’m sorry,” he stammered, delirious from the heat.

  Ashley continued to struggle, dragging Blaze through the grass beside the store. She had to drag him almost to the park. If the second floor window exploded, it could send shards of glass raining down on him.

  From the building, Dom turned his head and watched Ashley drag Blaze out of the fire.

  “Blaze,” Ashley sobbed through tears, when she had drug him far enough.

  She pried open the buttons on his plaid shirt, now black with smoke. Third degree burns covered his chest. She would try to fix them after she went back for Dom. The Alchemist symbol caught her eye. When Ashley tried to grab it, it seared into the palm of her hand.