“I had a chance,” Raven countered. “He could’ve been mine. I took pity on you and sent him back in your direction, though. He didn’t realize that’s what I was doing, but you were so pathetic – the way you mooned over him and pouted was such a downer – that I couldn’t take another second of it.”
“If that’s what you need to tell yourself,” I muttered, rolling my neck until it cracked. “Can you help me with the spirit situation or not?”
“I won’t know unless you fill me in on all of the details. I’ve been out of the loop on this one.”
She wasn’t wrong. I launched into the tale, making sure to leave nothing out. When I was finished, Raven leaned back in her chair and stared at the ceiling.
“That’s quite the story,” she said after a moment’s contemplation. “What do you think is going on?”
“If I knew I wouldn’t be here.”
“I think you have a theory,” Raven pressed.
“I don’t want to tilt you to one way of thinking,” I argued. “I want to hear your theory before I share mine.”
“Okay. Well, it sounds as if this Brother Brehem was a real asshat,” Raven supplied. “He was a grifter who adopted a religious persona. That’s incredibly unsettling to people who actually believe the doctrines of a certain faith.
“In truth, the majority of people who embrace religion are good people,” she continued. “Brother Brehem must’ve been a decent actor. When people realized what he was doing it would’ve angered a lot of them.”
“Including his wives,” I said. “The legend is that they killed him, but his body was never found.”
“Okay, let’s consider that.” Raven steepled her fingers as she rested her elbows on the desk. “If the wives found out he was molesting the children they could’ve very well banded together and killed him. If it was my child I would’ve done the same.”
“We can agree on that.”
Raven smirked. “At least we agree on something. Let’s say they killed him and his spirit remained behind, torturing them or someone else, for that matter. Perhaps they somehow lured the spirit to the cabin and salted the earth to trap him there. Witches did that for centuries.”
“So you’re hypothesizing that the wives morphed into a coven,” I mused, rubbing the back of my neck. “In a weird way, that makes sense. But what about the golem?”
“You’re assuming the creature is a golem. What if it’s something else?”
“What?”
Raven shrugged. “I didn’t see it. I can’t comment. It doesn’t sound like anything we’ve run up against, which is mildly intriguing. You said you sensed something at the Great Salt Lake. You can usually ascertain what manner of creature is present with minimal effort. That means we’re dealing with something new.”
“What about the marks on my neck?” I pressed. “Could a spirit do that?”
“A spirit can cause physical harm, but I’ve never heard of one biting someone,” Raven replied. “A spirit strong enough to leave marks would also trip the dreamcatcher. That’s the part I can’t wrap my head around. Nothing paranormal crossed our boundaries. That means a human has to be involved.”
“So you think we’re somehow dealing with a vengeful spirit, a creature and a human?” That seemed unlikely, yet it was the only scenario that covered all of the bases.
“I’m not sure what to think, but I agree we should go hunting after dark,” Raven replied. “If we combine our magic with that of Nixie and Naida we should be able to draw the creature to us. Then Nellie can behead it – because if I have to hear him whine one more time about how bored his ax is, I really will shred all of his lingerie as payback – and we’ll see what we draw to us after that.”
“Do you think we’ll draw the kidnapper?”
“If it’s a golem, the creator will know when we kill it,” Raven answered. “My guess is curiosity will propel him to join the party.”
That at least was something. “Well, thank you for your time. I’m looking forward to fighting evil with you this evening.” I found that was actually true.
“Poet, you and I are never going to be friends, but that doesn’t mean we can’t work together,” Raven said. “I’m not angry about what happened with Kade … at least not any longer. You two clearly belong together.”
It was the sweetest thing she’d ever said to me, which was a little sad. “Thank you. I’m sorry if you got hurt in the crossfire. It wasn’t my intention. We had a lot going on, and things spiraled. I never meant for you to get hurt.”
“I was never supposed to be part of the equation,” Raven noted. “It doesn’t matter now. I’ve moved on. We still have to work together because neither one of us has any intention of leaving our posts.”
“That’s true.” I took both of us by surprise when I extended my hand. “Monster hunters until the end?”
Raven snorted, genuinely amused. “I guess so.” She shook my hand. “Now you should probably get going. I have work to finish before the circus opens.”
I mustered a friendly smile. “Me, too.”
I let myself out the back door and gave the mountains a lingering look as I walked the dreamcatcher line. Raven was right about a spirit triggering it, so that meant a human had to be the one traversing the line. I wanted to make sure it was still intact. This was the last night in Brigham City. If something paranormal was going to make a run at us, it would be tonight.
I was lost in thought as I walked, casting the occasional glance to the encroaching trees in case the creature was close and watching. I wasn’t sure what to make of the situation. I’d never heard of a golem, human and spirit working together, but stranger things had happened. I was so lost in thought I didn’t register the presence trailing me until a twig snapped and alerted me to danger.
I swiveled quickly, my eyes widening when I recognized the interloper. I opened my mouth to ask the obvious question, but it was already too late. I felt the needle from the syringe drop into the space between my neck and shoulder and I went numb as I fought to maintain an upright position.
Whatever drug was injected into my system worked fast, the potency taking my slowing brain by surprise. I tried to make my mouth call for Kade, but no sound would come out. Even though my brain fuzzed at the edges, I did the only thing I could do and called out to my magical brethren for help.
Raven!
I was already on the ground, my eyes drifting shut when I realized she hadn’t answered. I lost consciousness as the final puzzle piece slipped into place. It was already too late. I was at the mercy of a deranged killer … and unconsciousness clearly wasn’t the only thing that had been stalking me since arriving in Brigham City.
28
Twenty-Eight
The dream was confusing.
I knew I was in a dream the second I opened my eyes, but grasping the activity around me was difficult given the fuzzy edges of my brain. Once I realized I was clad in a fancy white dress I didn’t recognize, my confusion kicked into overdrive.
“We have to do it. There’s no backing out.”
I glanced at the woman speaking, narrowing my eyes as my gaze landed on the hunting cabin. It looked less rundown in the dream. She stood in front of it, a white dress flowing to her ankles and a dark expression on her distinctive face. She spoke to a conflicted-looking blond woman who chewed her bottom lip as she regarded the cabin and wrung her hands.
“I’m not sure we’re doing the right thing, Hannah,” the blonde said. “Perhaps if we speak to him … I mean … this is so final.”
The brunette who originally spoke, apparently her name was Hannah, shook her head. “Naomi, we’ve discussed this. He’s evil.”
“I’m not saying he’s not evil, but … are you sure we should do this? What if we get caught?”
“Who will come looking for him?” Hannah challenged. “We’re the only people who will notice he’s gone. Let’s say the constable does ask questions. We’ll simply say he ran off with a younger woman. No one will
question that because it’s in his nature.”
“But … his heart. To do that to his heart.”
“It’s no worse than he did to ours.”
“My heart,” Naomi challenged. “He did it to my heart first.”
“Yet you sat back and let him snag the rest of us in his web, even though you knew what he was.” Hannah looked angry. “One might say you’re as guilty as he is.”
“And that’s the only reason I’m even considering this,” Naomi spat. “He’s a bad man. I told you that before you married him. You wouldn’t listen.”
“I thought you were bitter because you wanted to be the only one,” Hannah offered. “It was a mistake. I’ve confessed to it. Why must you always drag that up again?”
“Because you drag up the fact that I knew something was wrong with him before you even began courting,” Naomi shot back. “I knew he wasn’t right, but I had no idea he was that wrong. To blame me when I couldn’t have possibly known is unfair.”
Hannah held her hands up in a placating manner. “Fine. I was wrong to bring it up.”
Naomi looked contrite. “I was wrong, too. I don’t mean to be difficult. It’s just … we cannot take it back if we do this. We’ll have to live with the knowledge of what we’ve done for the rest of our lives … and beyond … if we do this.”
“Can you live with doing nothing?” Hannah challenged. “Can you live with the idea of him running free and doing what he’s been doing? How many lives has he already ruined? How many lives will he ruin if we don’t do this??”
“I know you’re right, but … it’s difficult.”
“All of this has been difficult,” Hannah said. “It’s about to get easier, though. We’re almost there. We can end this. We can protect our future.”
Naomi rubbed her cheek, her face conflicted. Finally she blew out a heavy sigh and bobbed her head. “We have to protect the future. We have no other choice.”
“Then we have to do this,” Hannah said. “We have to do it now.” She glanced at me, and even though I wasn’t really there – not in their time, at least – I couldn’t shake the feeling that she saw me. “We don’t have a choice. Sometimes you have to do bad to do good.”
“And we’ll have to live with the consequences,” Naomi said, glancing over her shoulder at the sound of approaching footsteps. “It’s time.”
“It’s definitely time.” Hannah focused on me. “It’s time for you, too. Wake up. It’s almost too late. Wake up. You’re running out of time.” Her voice grew increasingly shrill until she was almost screaming in my head. “Wake up!”
I WOKE in a small clearing, a tree branch digging into my back. I took a moment to survey my surroundings – looking for an escape route while absorbing the dream – before focusing on the figure staring at me from across the way.
Detective Ashburn sat on a fallen log, his eyes glittering with something I couldn’t identify. I was almost positive it was malice, but I needed a moment to collect myself before blasting his brain with enough magic to fry him from the inside out. The drug he injected into my neck made me sloppy, and my hands shook as I struggled into a sitting position.
“Thank you for joining me.” Ashburn’s demeanor was hard to read, but there was something off about the way he watched me … more off than the obvious, of course. “I worried I dosed you too much. You slept for a long time.”
I shifted my eyes to the sky so I could judge the placement of the sun. “It’s about three.”
Ashburn widened his eyes. “I’m impressed. Most women can’t do that, judge the time of day by the sun, I mean. That’s a hunting trick.”
“Uh-huh.” I ruefully rubbed my back as I tried to keep my head from going dark a second time. “That’s what I am. I’m a hunter.”
“I’ve figured that out.” Ashburn extended his legs so he could get comfortable. “That’s how you found the kids, right?”
I shrugged. “We utilized a variety of different methods to find Sarah,” I replied. “Joshua really did find us himself. I wasn’t lying about that.”
“But how did you find him in the first place?” Ashburn queried. “He was in the forest … where I kept the others … and when I returned he was gone. You had to be responsible for that. There was no way that boy escaped on his own.”
A bevy of questions clashed in my head as I attempted to sort through the information. “Someone else took him to the cabin,” I murmured, shaking the cobwebs from my head. “You took him to the woods. Someone else moved him.”
“It was you.” Ashburn sounded accusatory.
“It wasn’t us. Joshua appeared in the field, just like I said. He escaped from the cabin on his own. The part we missed was that someone moved him there after his kidnapping – someone who was trying to keep him from you.”
“And who is that?” Ashburn’s eyes were predatory. “I want to know who’s working against me.”
I ignored the question and brushed the dirt and debris from my shirt. “You’re Brother Brehem, aren’t you? Or at least his spirit.”
Ashburn seemed surprised by the question. “How did you figure that out?”
“You’d be surprised the things I can ascertain when I don’t have my head up my rear end,” I replied. “Unfortunately, things didn’t slip into place for me until I felt you move in behind me. I missed the obvious signs before then.”
“What signs?”
“You possessed Detective Ashburn,” I answered, seeing no reason to lie. “When did you do it? Was it when he was a kid and hunting with his father? I saw him in the photo with Melvin Jackson today. He was younger, but I recognized the eyes. I’m not sure why he changed his name, but … well … I still should’ve seen it.”
I couldn’t help but be angry with myself. I’d missed the obvious answer because I’d been distracted with my own petty emotional issues.
“Yes, young Ashburn changed his name because he didn’t want to be associated with Melvin,” Ashburn intoned. “He thought his father was a criminal. He took his mother’s maiden moniker as his own.”
“When did you possess him?”
“When his father got too hard to control.”
The rest of the puzzle snapped together. “You possessed Melvin when he was in the woods that day,” I surmised. “He said he fell asleep. He didn’t remember anything about what happened. You used his body to kill the boy in the woods. I’m guessing you somehow sucked his essence to sustain yourself, maybe even anchor yourself in Melvin’s body.
“That’s how you do it, right? You suck souls. You’re a soul eater. I thought you were a simple vengeful spirit, but I was wrong. How did you get in Melvin’s body in the first place? I guess it doesn’t matter, but I’m curious.”
Ashburn narrowed his eyes to dangerous slits. “How do you know about all of this?”
“Because you’re not the first paranormal being we’ve encountered,” I replied. “In fact, dealing with evil paranormal beings is kind of our job. The circus is only part of what we do.”
“You’ve been falling down on the job.”
“We have indeed,” I confirmed, bobbing my head. I tried to reach out with my mind to see if I could figure a way to evict Brother Brehem from Ashburn’s mind, but I was still too shaky to make the attempt. “Tell me the story,” I prodded, buying time to recover. “We think we know part of it, but I’m curious to hear the real story.”
“And what do you think you know?”
“You were a grifter from California when you moved to this area,” I replied, opting not to mince words. “You had a wife and you worked the grift together, trying to scam people out of their money and then move on before the locals found out exactly what you were. When you researched the residents you decided that adopting the Mormon faith would get you further than your old ways. Also, the idea of having multiple wives thrilled you.”
“That’s not a bad start,” Ashburn said, an evil smile spreading across his face. “Continue.”
“Your first wife
didn’t like the new wives, and there was some infighting,” I said. “That only lasted until your wives realized you were a pedophile and decided to make you pay.”
“Pedophile is such a harsh word.”
“Is it the wrong word?”
“Times were different then,” Ashburn clarified. “Children were considered adults at younger ages. It’s only the modern age that allows adult children to regress when it comes to maturity.”
“Oh, well, that makes it okay.” I felt sick to my stomach. “The theory is that your wives murdered you, but somehow your spirit continued. When they realized your spirit was still hanging around they lured you to your hunting cabin and trapped you inside.”
“Not quite,” Ashburn corrected. “They lured me to the cabin when I was alive and tortured me for days.”
“That sounds fair.”
Ashburn ignored my flippant remark. “It took me a long time to die. By the end I almost begged them to end things. Almost. They made a mistake by dragging it out. I realized I could detach my subconscious from my body and let it float. That’s how I survived the torture … even when they were hacking off body pieces and ripping out my heart.”
I swallowed hard at the unsavory visual. “Bummer, huh?”
“They realized what was happening before I died, which was bad for me,” Ashburn supplied. “They salted the earth before my death so when my spirit was reborn I was trapped.”
“Oh, what a total bummer.” I didn’t bother hiding my smile as Ashburn scowled.
“No one needs the sarcasm.”
I rolled my eyes. “If I don’t utilize sarcasm I’ll have absolutely nothing to say.”
“Something tells me you’ll live … for now.”
I pretended I didn’t hear the threat. “So they trapped you in the cabin. I’m guessing they buried your body in the salted earth to really stick it to you. That burns evil souls.”
“My soul isn’t evil.”
“Well, it’s certainly not good,” I countered. “If you were trapped in the cabin, how did you escape?”
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