“It wasn’t easy,” Ashburn replied, angling his head as he listened to a bird sing. “Not only did my wives lock me away forever, they created a guardian of sorts to make sure I never escaped. Unfortunately for them, the guardian was brainless and made an error, allowing Melvin Jackson to cross my path twenty years ago. He walked right into my cabin, even though he has no memory of it.”
And there it was, the final piece. “You aren’t working with the golem. Your wives created it to guard you.”
“Very good.”
“The golem took Joshua to the cabin.” I wasn’t sure if I was talking to him or myself, but I needed to work out the remainder of the clues. “The golem was trying to protect him. It knew you wouldn’t cross the salted earth to return to the cabin. Joshua escaped on his own, though.”
“Yes, well, my friend isn’t overly astute, so he didn’t notice,” Ashburn said. “I was tracking the boy when you found him. Another five minutes and I would’ve reclaimed him.”
“You fed off Joshua, but didn’t finish your meal. You didn’t get that far with Sarah before she was taken from you. You don’t feed all at once. You stretch it out.”
“Nobody likes a glutton.”
I ignored the glib comment. “The golem wasn’t holding Sarah at the culvert. He was trying to protect her. That’s why it fought with Naida. He thought we were trying to hurt her, maybe even take her back to you.”
“And yet you didn’t destroy it,” Ashburn noted. “You would’ve done me a great favor had you ended that abomination. It’s not even a real being. It was created to be my caretaker … and I don’t need a caretaker. Its entire reason for being is me. Without me it has no purpose, no future, no … nothing.”
“So if you die, he dies?”
“He ceases being. He’s not alive so he can’t die.”
“Good to know.” I rubbed the palms of my hands over my cargo pants. I was feeling better, but not yet strong enough to fight an old spirit. “So, if you took over Melvin’s body to get out of the cabin, why didn’t you stay inside him?”
“It takes a lot of effort to possess someone. I can’t stay in one place for long periods. That’s why I need nourishment. I eat when I can, but am careful not to drain my sources. That changed when the circus came to town. I sensed you from a distance, your power. That’s why I went after you. I needed to touch that power … and I almost had you that night, but we were so rudely interrupted. I did notice a strange thing, though. Your blood made me stronger so I could possess Detective Ashburn for longer periods.”
“But why switch to him?”
“Because he can direct the investigation when it becomes necessary.”
That made sense. “You didn’t trigger the dreamcatcher when you crossed the boundary because Ashburn is human. We never prepared for a possession. I guess that’s a loophole we’ll need to plug.”
“I’m not sure what you’re referring to.”
“It hardly matters,” I said, shaking myself out of my reverie. “You wanted to focus the investigation on us and you were in a unique position to do it. You wanted the residents to be suspicious, and my blood bolstered you in a unique way. That’s why you kept coming around. That’s why you made the doll. You were trying to control me, use the poppet to direct my actions. You didn’t realize I was immune to that. I’m guessing the golem stole that, too. He must’ve been a real pain in your ethereal behind. That didn’t stop you from coming around, though. You wanted to be close. That’s why you offered to walk me to my trailer that night. You were hoping to isolate me.”
“I would’ve drained you that first night if you hadn’t screamed,” Ashburn said. “I don’t understand how you had the strength for that, but your boyfriend rushed in and saved you. My plan was to suck you dry and run. I didn’t get a chance to finish and had to snack on Joshua to sustain myself.
“That’s when I realized I could empty the boy and blame it on you … people,” he continued. “The residents were already suspicious. They fear what they don’t know. That’s why they never liked me.”
“I think the fact that you were an evil pedophile might’ve had something to do with that.”
“Don’t make me kill you before I take what I need,” Ashburn warned, extending a finger. “I could’ve drained you while you were out and left you to rot, but I wanted to discuss a few things first.”
“You want to know what I am,” I corrected. “You want to know why my blood fuels you more than a normal human’s would.”
“You’re smarter than you look.”
“Oh, that’s very flattering.” I adopted a sugary tone even though my heart rate ratcheted up a notch when he made his plans known. “Tell me about Ashburn. Is he still aware inside of you?”
“Aware? No. He’s alive, though. That’s only until I can figure a way to build up enough strength to permanently displace him. Then I will take over his identity while he floats into the ether.”
“How lovely.” I shook my head and wrinkled my nose. “You think if you can find more beings like me you’ll build up the strength to dislodge Ashburn. But you don’t know what I am, which puts you at a disadvantage.”
“That’s the only reason you’re still alive.”
“So I really have no reason to tell you the information you’re seeking.”
“You have a reason,” Ashburn said. “I’ll make it hurt if you don’t tell me. I’ll rip your heart out and show it to you while I’m sucking you dry. I can make it easy or hard. That’s your choice.”
“I think I’ll opt for the hard way.”
“I had a feeling you would.” Ashburn made a clucking sound as he shook his head. “You’ll regret this decision. When you get to the end, you’ll beg. Remember this moment when it happens.”
“I’ll try to keep it in mind.”
I thought I would have a moment to gird myself for the attack, but Ashburn moved so quickly that I was on my back, his teeth at my throat, before I could register the initial movement. Brother Brehem’s spirit clearly gave the man supernatural speed.
“No!” I slammed my hand into his head, but he refused to move.
“I warned you,” Ashburn gritted out. “You have no one to blame but yourself.”
I screamed – even though I hated myself for the moment of weakness – as his teeth descended on my throat. I was out of time, and solving the puzzle didn’t give me the leg up I envisioned.
Death has many faces. I never saw this one coming.
29
Twenty-Nine
I only had one shot of saving myself. The fact that the spirit had no idea what I was, or what my powers entailed, was my only hope of escape. I took the opportunity to suck in a deep breath, center myself, and then I blasted out my magic.
Ashburn screamed, rolling off me and pressing his hands to the sides of his head as he tried to drown out the screaming I pushed into his brain. I rolled to my knees and pressed my foot to the ground as I tried to find leverage to propel myself into the woods.
Ashburn howled as he grabbed at my ankle, causing me to twist and slam my foot into his face. Blood spurted out of his nose as he released his grip. I cut the palm of my hand on a fallen tree branch as I tried to scramble into the trees.
That’s when the building clouds – which I hadn’t noticed until now – opened up and a bolt of lightning lit the sky. I raised my chin as the first drop of rain hit my face. It had been sunny seconds before. I knew what the change in weather meant. The cavalry was here.
“Naida.” I gasped out her name as my eyes locked with Raven’s through the dense foliage. She looked determined … and completely ticked off as she moved past the tree line.
“Hello, Brother Brehem,” Raven scowled, waving her hands and using her magic to slam the fleeing man against a tree. She looked terrifying as she stepped into the middle of the clearing and waggled her fingers, releasing a burst of red magic that lashed Ashburn to the tree, causing him to shriek as he fought his bonds. “I think we need to have
a talk, you freak.”
“How did you find me?” I gasped, wiping the blood from my hand as I tried to balance myself.
“I heard you call for me when he took you,” Raven replied, her eyes never moving from Ashburn’s face. “By the time I made it outside you were gone, but we managed to construct a spell to track you. We would’ve been here earlier, but it didn’t work while you were unconscious. I apologize for being tardy.”
“That’s okay. I’ve never been happier to see anyone in my entire life.”
Raven smirked. “Hold that thought.”
“Poet!” Kade barked my name as he slid around Raven and hurried in my direction. He dropped to his knees when he reached my side, running his hand down the back of my hair to smooth it as he studied my features. “How do you feel?”
“You found me.”
“Raven found you,” Kade corrected. “I tried, but we had no idea where to look. We headed to the cabin first, but it was empty. I … thought I might’ve lost you when we found the cabin empty.”
“That’s because Brother Brehem’s spirit escaped from that place twenty years ago,” I gritted out as Kade ripped a strip of fabric from his shirt and wrapped it around my wounded hand. “He hijacked Melvin Jackson’s body to get away … and killed that kid without Melvin being aware what happened.”
“And how does Ashburn play into this?”
“He’s Melvin’s son. He changed his last name because Melvin was always a suspect. Ashburn thought that would play against him over the long haul if he wanted to climb the ranks in the police department.” I hissed when Kade inadvertently bumped my injury.
“I’m sorry.” He pressed a kiss to my forehead. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s not as if you did it on purpose.”
“I was so worried.” Kade pressed his eyes shut as he rubbed his cheek against mine. “Naida and Raven were confident they could find you as soon as you woke but waiting was … hell.”
“It wasn’t great for me either. The only reason Ashburn left me alive is because he figured out that my blood bolstered him more than normal human blood. He wanted me to tell him what I was and point him in the direction of fresh blood. That’s how he manages to possess people. It’s the blood.”
“Nice.” Raven made a disgusted face as she tilted her head. “You’re a sick little monkey, aren’t you Brehem?”
“How did you know who he was?” I asked, legitimately confused.
“Max figured it out,” Naida supplied, appearing at the edge of the clearing. “He went to the cabin and did something that allowed him to see the past. He saw what Brehem did … and how his wives dealt with him. He heard them talking. I believe he even conversed with the memory forms and warned them that you were in danger.”
Which would explain why they warned me in the dream. “I’m guessing that was ugly.”
“It wasn’t pleasant.” Raven moved closer to Ashburn, her eyes like lasers as she gazed into his soul. “The spirit is strong, but I think we can dislodge it. We need help.”
“Where is Max?”
“He’s coming,” Kade replied. “He was going to leave us to handle this because he thought it would upset me, but I begged him to help and he agreed. He’s bringing up the rear with Dolph. They’re looking for the golem.”
“We don’t have to worry about the golem,” I argued. “The wives created it to guard his spirit. If we can exorcise and destroy the spirit, the golem will cease to exist. It’s not evil anyway. It was protecting the kids from Brother Brehem when it took them.”
“I don’t understand,” Kade prodded, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “The kids said a monster took them.”
“They didn’t understand. He can’t talk. Brehem took them first. Then the golem tried to rescue them, protecting them to the best of his ability.”
“Well, it’s sad, but he still has to go,” Raven intoned, narrowing her eyes as Ashburn spit in her direction. “Well, you wanted to behead something, Nellie. The golem is out of reach, but you have this guy.”
Nellie’s eyes gleamed as he hoisted his ax. I had no idea how he managed to tromp through the woods without messing up his dress, but he was a vision in purple velvet as he moved toward Ashburn.
“Wait!” Kade helped me to a standing position and I was thankful to have his body to rest my weight against. “Ashburn isn’t to blame for this. Brehem possessed him. We can’t kill Ashburn.”
“What do you suggest?” Raven asked. “An exorcism is out of the realm of possibility for me, and we can’t let this thing have free reign over the forest. He’ll continue killing as long as we leave him alive.”
“You can’t exorcise me,” Ashburn spat. “This body is mine! This life is mine! I’ve earned it.”
“Shut your hole,” I ordered, wagging a finger. “I’ve heard enough from you.”
“I don’t know how to perform an exorcism.” Raven’s voice was sympathetic. “Even if we somehow manage it, how do you suggest we explain this situation to the real Ashburn? For all we know, we’ve only dealt with the spirit, never the man.”
“I don’t believe that.” I searched my memory. “Ashburn questioned us a few times. He was really here. The night he tried to walk me back to the trailer, that was Brehem. He wanted more of my blood, but couldn’t get around Kade to take it.”
“See, I told you that sleeping with me would have benefits.” Kade said the words, but the mirth didn’t make it all the way to his eyes.
“We can’t kill Ashburn without at least trying to free him from Brehem. That doesn’t seem fair.”
“Life isn’t fair,” Raven shot back. “I get that you want to help, but I’m not sure that’s possible. We can’t let this guy go, and I don’t know how to kill a spirit.”
“But … .”
“Don’t worry.” Max appeared at my side, leaving the shade of the trees where he loitered and watched events unfold. “I can separate the spirit from the man.”
“Can you kill the spirit?” Kade asked. He didn’t act overly friendly with his father, but he wasn’t cold. “We can’t leave the spirit floating around in case it possesses someone else.”
“We could put it back in the cabin,” Nellie suggested.
“That wouldn’t stop some other unsuspecting soul from stumbling upon it,” I pointed out. “Plus, well, I want to release the golem. He’s been alone for more than seventy years. He deserves some peace.”
“A golem isn’t real,” Raven reminded me.
“Real or not, he felt anguish when we took Sarah from the culvert,” I argued. “He tried to protect her. We need to release him, but we can’t if Brehem’s spirit survives.”
“So … can you kill a spirit?” Raven glanced at Max. “I think you’re our only option.”
Max smiled grimly as he stared down Ashburn. “I can kill Brehem’s spirit. It won’t move on when I do it either, instead burning so bright it blinks out within moments. There will be no escape, and he won’t have an afterlife.”
“You can’t do this,” Ashburn screeched. “I won’t allow it!”
I ignored him and focused on Max. “Brehem doesn’t deserve an afterlife. He was a pedophile and genuinely terrible person. Ashburn shouldn’t have to pay for what was done to him, though. It’s not his fault.”
“Then I’ll fix it.” Max smiled. “You, young lady, should head back to the circus while I handle the final task. You need to clean that wound and rest.”
“I want to see this through.”
Max shook his head. “It will be terrible. You don’t need to see it. You’ve done enough. I will handle Brehem and modify Ashburn’s memory accordingly.”
I stubbornly crossed my arms over my chest. “I want to see.”
“And I don’t want you to see,” Max countered. “Kade, please take Poet back to camp. Naida, Nixie and Nellie will go with you. Raven will remain with me and we’ll end this together.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but then reality set in. Max wasn’t dismissing
me because he didn’t want me to see the truth behind his power. He was sending me away with Kade because he didn’t want to frighten his son before he got a chance to make things right.
“Okay.” I heaved a sigh. “I am tired.”
“Thank you.” Max shifted his smile from me to Kade. “Take care of your girl. She needs some rest. Make sure she drinks some juice to bolster her immune system.”
Kade nodded. “I’m on it. I’ll take care of her.”
“I know you will.”
“YOU SCARED the crap out of me.” Kade pulled me close as Nixie worked on my hand. Back at the fairgrounds everyone sprang to action. The circus remained in operation for another few hours, after all. The show must go on.
We sat on the picnic table as Nixie used her special healing potion – which stung like scorpions when first applied – and I could feel my wound mending as I rested my head against Kade’s shoulder.
“I scared the crap out of myself,” I admitted. “I sensed him moving in, but it was already too late. The only reason you found me is because Raven was so close.”
“Yeah, that was weird, huh?” Kade smiled as he pulled back. “She said you two had a talk and were okay now. Is that true?”
“We’re better than okay. Now I owe her.”
“I’m not taking my shirt off for her either.”
I couldn’t stop myself from giggling. “What about you and Max? You two actually exchanged words. Does that mean you’ve forgiven him?”
Kade shook his head. “No. It means I’m open to getting to know him better, in a different way.”
“That’s progress.”
“That’s compromise,” Kade corrected, leaning back when Nixie handed me a potion bottle. “What is that?”
“Something Poet needs to drink,” Nixie replied. “It will clear your head from whatever he drugged you with. It’s probably not dangerous and you could let it clear your system naturally, but I figured you would want to hurry things along so you can enjoy your security stud tonight.”
“You figured right.” I tipped my head back as I downed the potion, making a face as I drained the foul-tasting liquid. I felt my mind clearing almost instantly. That’s why the sight of Lorelei approaching threw me for a loop. “Uh-oh.”
Freaky Hearts Page 26