She shrugged. “Just like humans, not all demons are the same.”
“I understand.” I pocketed the USB drive and flashed a weak smile. The left side of my face still hurt.
“Are you feeling better? I hear things were pretty brutal the other night.”
“Yeah, you missed out on all the action.” I wish I had. Instead of being left with new knowledge and questions I didn’t know how to answer.
I hadn’t told anyone what Professor Spooker told me about my grandmother, especially Oren. I didn’t want to tell him that my grandmother might have gone out of her way to have a daughter with him for otherworldly purposes. Though I now understood why Mace was so hell-bent on keeping Grandma from moving on.
“I wish I could’ve done something more to help,” Lavie said.
“Don’t worry about it. You’re helping now.”
She pointed at my face. “I think you’re doing the right thing by not running to Jonathan to get healed. I’m convinced he’s dangerous.”
“Yeah.” I rubbed my healing eye, which was no longer swollen shut but still bruised. The other random bruises and scratches were working their Technicolor-healing process. I refused Oren’s offer of magical healing, but did notice that the cosmetic effects were fading a lot faster than the emotional ones.
I hadn’t even considered Jonathan’s help. He was dangerous, stupid and kept leaving me messages I refused to listen to. After seeing him stalking around the Council building, I didn’t want to see him, or hear any bullshit excuses.
According to the evening news, the Spook Catcher Council Tower was currently on lockdown. After constant inspections by structural engineers they’d found the building wasn’t in any danger of collapsing, but the accommodation floor was trashed. I could only hope that meant the chairs were destroyed. Beyond confirming it was an explosion, the authorities didn’t seem to know much and had found even less. Though I did hear reports of them locating eight corpses, and prayed Mace Clamber was one of them.
I hadn’t gone anywhere near the place. I knew I’d get a call soon—either from the police, or the board members—but I didn’t care. I’d deal with it then. Right now, even my office had lost its usual shine. I hadn’t been there for ages, and still needed a little distance.
Benita’s cause of death had been labeled “a freak animal attack” and I’d attended her funeral. But even then, I still couldn’t deal with stepping anywhere near the red-brick office block.
Besides, I knew what was waiting for me. More cases requiring I disappoint grieving families by telling them their beloved friendly ghost had faded from existence. I’d deal with it eventually. First, I needed to make some sort of sense out of my own life before trying to help anyone else with theirs.
The silent ghosts that were forcibly taken from Sydney were gone for good, but at least the damage Mace tried to cause between patches had been permanently sealed. It still left a bad taste in my mouth. Sure, new spooks would appear because the business of death never ended, but what about all the ones we’d lost when they weren’t ready to move on yet?
I missed Mr. and Mrs. Wicker.
“Anyway, I better get going. I’ve actually got a job to do nearby,” Lavie said.
“Sorry, Lavie, I’ve got a lot on my mind.” I felt bad about being lost in the random chaos inside my head, and not giving her the attention she deserved.
“Of course you do. It’s understandable.”
“Do you need a lift?”
“Nah, you know I like to walk.”
“Are you sure?”
Lavie nodded and placed a hand on my shoulder as she passed by. “Take care, Sierra. I hope we can catch up soon, whenever you’re ready. And if you ever need any help, you know I’m here for you.”
“Thank you.” I had no doubt that I would need her help in the future, especially when the demonic were obviously involved in all of this.
I turned and watched her walk away. Tonight, she was wearing a long denim skirt, black boots and a button-down, long-sleeved sweater. Her red hair was still a shaggy, uneven mess, but she carried herself with a quiet dignity. She always appeared so scatterbrained, but I doubted it was the case. There was only one thing Lavie couldn’t control, and that was the demonic seed within her.
“Oh good, at least you saved me the usual trip up the stairs.”
I spun around at the sound of the voice. My right hand hovered at my side, ready to snatch the silver dagger from my boot. I now took it everywhere. “Burr, you scared the crap out of me! Do you like to give people heart attacks?” Hard to believe that someone so big and round could sneak up on anyone, but he just had.
“I’m sorry, dear.”
“What are you doing here, anyway?”
He pulled out a white handkerchief and wiped his sweaty face. When he pulled it away, the handkerchief was stained with what looked like makeup.
“I know it’s not our usual meeting time, but since I felt your presence, I wanted to talk to you.”
“Do you live nearby?” I looked past him, trying to find another wavering portal. Was that how this Tailor moved around?
“Not exactly… Why are you here, Sierra?”
“You know why. You probably listened in to the whole conversation.”
Sweat slid off his face like water from a faucet. “Yes, quite right I did, and it’s probably a smart move to keep what you’re doing from everyone else for as long as you can.”
I straightened. “But you already know what I’m dealing with?”
He raised both of his chubby hands, the handkerchief hanging limp from one of them and swaying in the breeze. “I can’t answer any questions about the group you want to know about, but I can tell you you’re on the right track.”
“Why do they want to use and corrupt my power?”
Burr looked at me and frowned. “Like I said, it’s not possible for me to answer your direct questions, but judging by the mess on your face, I assume you already know some of the answers.” He cleared his throat. “I want to thank you for closing off the opening disturbing the patches. We are once again grateful for what you’ve done. And I wanted to let you know that if you ever need any help outside of the hunter meetings, all you need to do is come here alone, and I’ll show up. We are eternally grateful for the continuous sacrifices you make and would like to do whatever we can to ensure the Obscurus don’t get their hands on you.”
“Okay.” How could they help me without being able to answer any of my questions? I filed that away for another day because I was pretty sure I would definitely need Burr—just like I’d need Lavie—eventually.
“That’s all, dear. I better get shuffling, got work to do.” He smiled and a tooth fell to the ground, turning to chalk dust. “Ah yes, my work—much like yours—is never done.”
I nodded and was about to say bye, when he took a step and disappeared into thin air, between blinks.
Releasing a breath, I turned away from the street and kept my eyes on the motorway behind the chain-link fence. The spirit activity was nothing like it used to be around here, so I hoped no big-time developer noticed long enough to finally build on this sacred ground. I liked this place abandoned, liked to think it offered lost souls a place to exist without interference.
The back of my neck prickled. For the first time, I detected other things I’d never sensed in this area before. Since the spooks were mostly MIA, there were different creatures stirring beneath the shadows, and they were all watching me.
I still had so much to learn, and a lot more to accept…but now, it was time to get back into my whale of a car and head home.
Epilogue
A week after the Council fiasco, the three spook catchers—Juliet, Claire, Jana—and Roe, stood outside my front door. A taxi waited on the curb, but the quartet lingered on the porch.
“Are you sure you don’t mind taking them with you?” I asked Roe, pressing my shoulder against the doorframe. I’d offered to keep the shy teenagers with me multiple times.
He nodded and his greasy hair swayed over his face. “I’ve got plenty of room at home, and I can continue their education.”
“Where are you going, anyway?” I asked. As far as I knew, this man had always lived inside the Council building. I just couldn’t see him outside that place, although I was glad he was out. “You know you can all stay here as long as you want, right?” I looked at each of the girls, so they’d know I meant all of them. “I’ve got enough room too.”
“We’ve been here long enough. It’s time to get some sort of normalcy back into our lives. Besides, I have an old family property in East Serene Hills. There’s plenty of room there, though I imagine it’ll be a bit dusty after so many years of neglect. I’m sure the girls won’t mind helping me clean and dust the place down.”
They all nodded. The haunted glaze in their eyes hadn’t faded yet.
Roe handed me a folded piece of paper. “This is the address. Feel free to drop in whenever you like. We’ll need to chat about what we’re going to do now that the Council’s in strife.”
I took the piece of paper and looked at him. I’d never seen Roe outdoors in daylight. His skin still had an ashy tinge to it, and the three spook catchers behind him shared the dull complexion. I’d looked in the mirror trying to see if I had it too, but it was hard to tell with the fading bruises.
“Girls…” Roe turned to them and smiled. “Can you go and wait for me inside the taxi. We don’t want the driver to think we don’t need him no more.” His voice was gentle and friendly, and I suddenly realized I wanted to ask him a thousand questions.
The catchers seemed reluctant to move without him. Since we’d left the Council, the trio shadowed Roe’s every move and depended on him too much. But who could blame them after what they’d been through? Eventually, each girl nodded, waved at me and held hands as they made their way to the cab. Once they were busy getting into the backseat, Roe turned back to me.
“I think they’ve been through enough. I just wanted to have a few words with you.” Roe glanced over his shoulder and then back at me. His limp hair framed his gaunt face.
“Do you think this is it? Do you think any of the other girls survived? You know the ones who weren’t strapped to those chairs…” I hated to think about how many were tucked into bed during the explosion.
He shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe some girls were out that night, but I think Mace had everyone strapped into those chairs. Any of the other girls are probably already dead, but I’ll look into it. The numbers have been dwindling for a while now. You and Ms. Aikan were the only ones droppin’ off canisters for weeks. I think Mace was responsible for killing a lot of them with the chair before he perfected how to use it.”
I sighed, and nodded. The thought made me sick. “How did you know what to do with Ebony?” I’d wanted to ask him this question for days.
Roe looked uncomfortable for a moment, shifting from foot to foot. “You’re a very smart girl, so I’ve no doubt you’ve already worked it out…but I’ll tell you, anyway. I’m just like they are. The same thing that happened to them happened to me many years ago.”
Now I really felt sick in the stomach. No wonder they all shared the same pallor. “Mace did that to you as well?”
“He did it many times, and for many years. After a while, your system gets used to it, but the physical effects eventually take a permanent toll.”
“But Mara was kept in that state long enough to have her body and spirit severed…” I let my voice trail off. “How did you withstand years of it?”
Roe’s faded eyes met mine. “A charmed adrenaline shot is the only thing that works.”
“I wish I’d known that before Mara died.”
“I’m sorry,” he whispered.
“No, it’s not your fault.”
“I’ve been brought back with adrenaline many times. I was pretty much a prisoner, the Council’s property. I used to be an instructor, a catcher before that, but they pulled me from the role because I taught the girls what they considered to be too much. You helped me escape and saved these girls. Now, I believe I can facilitate them enough to overcome this.” He paused for a moment, licked his lips. “But Ms. Aikan’s a little different because she was pushed faster and further than the others. She’s more like me—she’ll suffer deeper than these other girls and she’ll probably reject your help. She’ll say she’s okay, but she’s not. Make sure you watch her closely.”
“How did you get caught up in all of this?” My stomach dropped at something he’d said. “Wait a minute. Did you say you were a catcher?”
A small, rueful smile twisted his thin lips. “I’ve been involved for a long, long time. And yes, I was a catcher. I worked with Professor Spooker before the council was even established.”
“But only females can be catchers.”
His beady eyes twinkled. “Yes, they can.”
“Are you telling me you’re a—”
“Yes, that’s what I’m telling you.” He paused for a moment. “But this is a conversation for another day.”
I couldn’t believe it. Roe was a woman? This was definitely a conversation I wanted to have some other time.
“The professor really was a good man, but he was too trusting and lost everything he worked so hard to prove. All he wanted was to be taken seriously by his many critics.”
At least Oren and I had gotten that much right.
After seeing the professor’s condition for myself, I would do whatever I could to help his legacy. And with the turmoil the Council was facing, as well as the scrutiny of a police investigation, this might be my opportunity to change their tyrant ways. I wasn’t going to take their shit anymore. I’d paid my monetary dues, and nearly paid with my life as well.
“Anyway, I appreciate your generous hospitality and offer my home to you if you ever need it.” He smiled. “Please, consider me a business associate.”
“You know, I might take you up on that.”
“I hope so.” Roe extended his right hand and I shook it. For someone who looked so gaunt and weak, he had a firm grip. “You’ve always been so nice to me, always respectful and helpful when there was no real need to be. I’ll never forget that.”
I shrugged. “You deserve my respect. You always did.”
Roe released my hand and took a step back. “I’ll wait for you to contact me. I know you’ve got some personal issues that need your attention first.”
I nodded and watched him head for the cab. He made his way into the passenger seat, and the four of them waved as they pulled away. I stood there for a few moments, enjoying the quiet street and letting my mind wander. I couldn’t believe Roe wasn’t a man. Sure, there’d always been stories and rumors about him, but never would I have guessed the truth.
The sun was low in the sky. It was late afternoon but still a bright and sunny day. February had ticked over into March and I could feel a slight autumn chill in the air.
This past summer had been crazy and filled with too many surprises. I was ready for things to calm down a little with the new season.
At least the street once again felt like it usually did. No more threats in the shadows. Well, at least not yet. I wasn’t stupid enough to assume everything was far from over, but I was starting to accept it and would battle to the very end.
If everyone thought I would eventually inherit some scary, dangerous power, I had to do whatever I could to claim it before they could. Obviously, the Obscurus intended to take it away from me, but I wasn’t going to wait around for them to have another go.
It was time to be proactive and try to beat them at their own game.
Finally, I stepped inside and locked the front door. Oren’s defenses weighed heavy around me, but in a comforting way. The incantation that had saved my life with Mauricio was constantly on the tip of my tongue, and my silver dagger nearby.
As I walked through the silent house, I realized I’d been enjoying having company. I’d shared this house with Grandpa for so
long, I’d gotten used to having a housemate.
Sure, Papan was still technically staying downstairs, but he hadn’t been back for a few days. After helping me, his own injuries had needed the extra healing time, and he’d decided the quickest and best way to combat them was to spend several nights and days as wolf, instead of man. He also had the annoying job of watching over Vixen, visiting her at least once a day to make sure she was coping. So far, she hadn’t turned into anything, but her bite wound was still there. It hadn’t faded when Mauricio died, like mine had.
I wandered into the living room and debated whether to switch the TV on and flip through the channels for a while, but I wasn’t in the mood. Maybe I could grab the USB drive Lavie had given me and start looking through it. No, I wasn’t ready yet. I needed to stall a little longer.
Instead, the vase with drying rose petals caught my eye.
I grabbed the bouquet of wilting flowers from the mantle and dumped them into the trash. I then grabbed the sunflower seed packet and headed out to the backyard. They deserved a home outside, deserved to live under the sun.
I’d already planted all of them in the soil—luckily I’d found some in my garage—by the time I heard the wolf whistle.
A smile curved my lips before I looked up. “Hey, Papan.”
“Foxy Lady, what are you doing?”
I pushed off the grass and turned to face him. He was wearing a pair of faded and dirty jeans, his chest and feet were bare. I wondered how many of my neighbors had actually seen him arrive this way. He looked like a sexy adventurer.
“I guess the new and improved protection barrier doesn’t affect you, huh?”
He shook his head. “I come with nothing but good intentions.”
“Glad to hear it.” With all the uncertainty I knew lay ahead, I needed some good intentions. If Papan was the one offering them, then better for me.
“So, what are you doing out here?”
“I just planted the sunflowers you gave me for Valentine’s Day.” I shook the envelope in front of his face. “Well, except for this one. I’m keeping this one separate because it’s got a pot with its name on it.”
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