Of The Ashes: A 'So Fell The Sparrow' Sequel Novella

by Katie Jennings

  Jackie gave her a warm smile. “Thank you. You really did save us all, darling. None of us had any idea what was coming up those stairs. The demon had me held in place, beholden to the board. Had you not been there…”

  “I didn’t do anything heroic,” Grace snorted, brushing off the thought. “All I did was run for help, which meant run to you guys.”

  “Well, we’re glad you did.”

  Grace shrugged, though deep inside she appreciated it. She turned when she heard Ian step back into the room, Brian and Rob on his heels. Mia went to them, examining Rob’s arm injury, which was already bandaged, before hugging them both. A few moments later she approached Ian, pulling him in for a hug as well.

  “We’re going back to the hotel to sleep this whole thing off,” she told him, the arrogance she usually carried in her voice gone, replaced by a note of humility. “Thanks for a truly scary experience, Ian. I don’t think it’s one I want to repeat anytime soon.”

  “You and me both,” Ian joked, shaking hands with both Brian and Rob. “Thanks for all your help, guys.”

  Mia packaged up her Ouija board and turned to leave, only to face Ian once more. Her eyes flitted over to Grace then back again as a teasing grin brightened her face. “Not that it means anything to you, but I’m happy you found somebody with half a brain in her head. Just don’t screw this one up, okay?”

  Ian chuckled, brushing his dark hair out of his eyes. “I’ll try not to.”

  Mia winked at Grace before leading her team out of the room.

  Oddly pleased to have earned Mia’s approval, Grace stood and went to Ian. Her arms encircled his neck, inviting him to hold her. He dragged her close, his hands roaming over her back and into her hair.

  “I’m sorry I put you in danger, Grace,” he murmured, kissing her temple. “When I think about what might have happened downstairs…”

  “Don’t. Don’t think about it,” she said, cupping his face as her mouth found his. The kiss was tender and filled with relief. “We’re okay now, and that’s what matters.”

  “And the next time we confront a violent entity?” he asked, meeting her eyes. His were filled with uncertainty and guilt. “I can’t lose you. I can’t let my passion for the paranormal be the thing that takes you away from me.”

  Grace traced her thumb along his cheekbone, a sad smile pulling at her lips. “I won’t be the reason you give up your life’s work. I can live with the danger if you can.”

  He rested his forehead against hers, closing his eyes. “I don’t know if I can.”

  “She’s waking up,” Jackie announced, drawing the rest of them to the bed where Holly lay, her eyes fluttering open slowly.

  Grace separated from Ian and knelt beside Holly, settling into doctor-mode out of habit. “Relax, Holly. You’re safe. How are you feeling?”

  Holly blinked against the brightness of the room, her hand instinctively shielding her eyes. When she could focus, she gazed around at all of them. Grace was relieved to see her eyes back to their normal honey-brown color.

  “W-what’s going on? Where am I?” Holly asked in a hoarse whisper. Alex handed Grace a water bottle to offer Holly. Grace opened it and assisted her in taking a few sips.

  Grace set the bottle aside on the nightstand. “You’re at The Abby Ford House. What’s the last thing you remember?”

  Holly shut her eyes again, sucking in deep, cleansing breaths. “I left the restaurant after my shift and headed over here. I remember walking up the front steps, but after that, there’s nothing…”

  “We believe the demon, Zozo, possessed you,” Jackie told her gently.

  Holly’s eyes flew open. “Possessed?”

  Jackie nodded. “It coerced you into attacking us with a knife. I commanded it into submission for now, but you’ll want Bishop James to exorcise you just in case. I think once that’s completed, you’ll be able to get back to your normal life.”

  Tears filled Holly’s eyes. “I-I’m so sorry for the trouble I’ve caused. I didn’t realize this could happen…”

  “It’s not your fault,” Jackie said comfortingly, holding her hand. “Zozo is notorious for emerging from Ouija boards and causing problems for those who accidentally summon it. You are certainly not the first to be affected this way. Though, I would encourage you to get rid of the Ouija board you used to do the ritual and to steer clear of them in the future.”

  “I never want to see another one of those things as long as I live,” Holly replied with a weak smile. “Though I am disappointed I wasn’t able to speak with my ancestors…”

  Jackie returned the smile. “I believe I can help you with that.”

  “You can?” Holly sat up a bit more, regaining some of her strength. “How?”

  “I’m a psychic medium,” Jackie explained. “I’ve seen the spirits of a man and woman in this house. They were afraid of the demon, but now that its hold on the house has been released, I can sense their presence growing stronger.”

  Holly blinked back more tears. “That’s…amazing. Please. Help me talk to them.”

  “I’d love to.”

  * * *

  CHAPTER TEN

  It was mid-morning by the time they made it back to the hotel, both mentally and physically exhausted. Jackie felt the fatigue weighing her down as she let Alex lead her to their room, her mind in a haze. All she wanted was to crawl into bed and fall into a dreamless sleep.

  Bishop James had arrived earlier that morning to perform the exorcism, which further weakened the demon’s hold over Holly, severing the bond of possession. He encouraged Holly to visit him at the church regularly to ensure the demon’s influence didn’t trickle back into her life again.

  Jackie was pleased to have helped Holly communicate with her slave ancestors, who were more than receptive to her. Holly even got to listen to their voices through the Spirit Box, hearing their words of encouragement and love. It had been enough to satisfy Holly’s curiosity about her past, and she agreed to allow her story to be told as another episode of the Great American Paranormal television show.

  Before they left The Abby Ford House, Jackie and Bishop James did one final blessing of the home. They met with Mr. Barton afterward with instructions on how to ward off any negative energy in the future. The air within the house was noticeably clearer, and Barton’s own spirit was cheerful and lightened. He shook all their hands in turn, expressing gratitude for everything they had done to rid his home of negative energy.

  Jackie recalled Barton’s tears of relief at hearing his bed and breakfast was fully cleansed. Despite the horrors they all went through, the feeling of accomplishment that came from using her gift to help others made it all worth it. Knowing Barton and his staff could resume their lives demon-free was satisfaction enough.

  Now safely back at the hotel, Jackie slipped into cozy silk pants the color of raspberries and a matching camisole. Climbing into bed, she burrowed beneath the layers of thick blankets while Alex indulged in a shower, eager to wash away all traces of the house they had been haunted by for the last few days. She listened to the sound of the running water and Alex’s off-key singing, comforted by it and relieved to be free of the demon’s presence at last.

  Tired as she was, she stirred awake when Alex came into the room. A white towel hung around his waist, his sandy hair damp and tired shadows under his eyes. He started to dress, only to pause as she sat up and faced him.

  “Come lay with me,” she beckoned, reaching for him as he obliged her. He slid into bed and she curled around him, surrounding herself with his warmth and the fresh scent of his soap. A long, cleansing sigh spilled out of her, drawing with it any remaining tension from her body.

  Alex idly caressed her face, his breathing deep and relaxed. For a while, neither of them spoke. It was often this way, she realized, after an investigation. Recovery was needed to calm the nerves and settle the spirit. This time, however, she sensed his unhappiness with her for the choices she’d made in the heat of the moment back at Th
e Abby Ford House. It couldn’t be helped at the time, but she knew she owed him an apology.

  “I’m sorry, darling,” she murmured, drawing her face up to his. She planted a gentle kiss along his jawline, then covered his lips with hers. “Please forgive me.”

  Alex deepened the kiss, a sense of frustration replacing the calm of the moment before. He held onto her like she would disappear in a waft of smoke if he let go for even a second. “Damnit, Jackie. You scared the hell out of me…”

  “I know.” Her eyes stung as a wave of regret passed over her. “I wish it didn’t have to be that way, but I had no choice. The demon had to be stopped.”

  His grip tightened. She could feel his heart pounding as he eased back to look into her eyes. She saw her whole world within them; everything that mattered, everything worth fighting for.

  Alex sighed. “I know the life we have will never be normal and I know I promised to accept you as you are…”

  She felt an ache deep within her chest. “You did, and perhaps I’ve unfairly asked too much of you. Asking you to step aside and watch me risk my life was a cruel thing to do.”

  When he only stared at her in bewildered silence, she sat up on her elbow and continued. “This last year has been the happiest of my life, Alex. Before that—before you—it was just me and Gatsby. I didn’t expect to ever find what you and I have. True acceptance, honesty…love.” The ache softened around the edges, swelling into a warmth that spread throughout her body. The comforting feeling brought a smile to her face. “When I’m with you, I no longer want to run. I see myself planting roots, see us having children. A family as large and beautiful as the one you left behind in Seattle. Do you see it, too?”

  “God, yes,” he replied unsteadily, overcome with emotion. “Every day I look at you, I see it.”

  A tear slipped down her cheek, born out of pure bliss. “Then let’s make it a reality, my love.”

  He smiled and brought her mouth to his, and she absorbed the waves of joy and relief that flowed out of him. She let it rush into her and allowed her own emotions to blossom. Her wanderlust limped away, fading into the dark recesses of her mind. For now, anyway, she would keep it at bay and allow herself the happiness she had never thought possible.

  If the demon had taught her one thing, it was to never take the act of living for granted. At any moment, all of it could be swept away. Until then, she intended to trust openly. To love deeply.

  And to free herself from the shackles of the past.

  * * *

  Grace opted for a long, quiet bath and a glass of wine instead of a shower. Ian was far too eager to dive into video footage from the evening before to relax, so she left him to it and sank into the tub filled with frothy, lavender scented bubbles. Soft music poured out of her cell phone, a calming playlist she often used after a stressful night at work.

  The nights spent at The Abby Ford House were certainly different than those she’d endured at the hospital back in Chicago, but they were taxing and emotionally draining in their own right.

  Even as she let the hot water soothe her muscles, she couldn’t escape the image of Jackie marching straight toward a demon-possessed person armed with a knife. It had taken guts and an enormous amount of faith, two things Grace knew she herself lacked in spades. While Jackie had been so eager to thank Grace for warning them, Grace realized it was she who should be thanking Jackie for literally stopping the would-be killer in her tracks.

  And with a crucifix, no less, Grace mused, stunned once again by the power of the divine in conquering supernatural forces. Just a year ago, she would have called anyone crazy for thinking a mere symbol could stop death. Now, she knew the strength of that power firsthand when wielded by a true believer.

  She wondered what Ian’s skeptical mother would think of the whole situation. With all the cameras set up in the room during the Ouija board session, the attack and aftermath were certainly caught on tape. Would Caroline Black watch the episode Ian was busy putting together and find herself doubting her own convictions? Or would she blame psychosis for Holly’s erratic and violent behavior?

  Until she wanted to believe, Grace realized, there would be no convincing her of anything. Grace should know—she had been the exact same way.

  Then Ian and sweet little Sally had opened her eyes. It was impossible to even fully comprehend her own ignorance now that she knew the truth of the paranormal. Ghosts were real, and now she could concretely state that demons were, too.

  Real and horrifyingly dangerous.

  A tremor passed over her, along with a sigh of relief that it was all behind them now. The demon was gone from the house and Holly was no longer possessed, and soon they would head back home to The Sparrow House.

  Her lips curved, a sense of contentment flooding her system. The house she had loved to hate and hated to love had become home to her. And with Ian there, it was even more so.

  He was home, as well. Her safe harbor, her solid and steady rock.

  And he wanted to make it a thing, a real thing…

  The idea of marriage still caused her heart to stumble, but she knew it had nothing to do with Ian. It was entirely her own self-destructive tendency to shelter herself from pain, no matter the sacrifice.

  He had been understanding before, had offered her time and space to think it over. It occurred to her now that she no longer needed it.

  Nothing would make her prouder or happier than to be his wife.

  Riding on elation and a dizzying determination, Grace downed the last of her wine and toweled off. She dressed in her favorite flannel pajamas, then marched out of the bathroom. Ian was hunched over his laptop at the desk, staring intently at the screen as he reviewed footage of the Ouija board session.

  When he didn’t look up from his work, she cleared her throat. He glanced over his shoulder, one eyebrow raised.

  “Feeling better?” he asked, turning in his chair to face her.

  Grace nodded, unable to resist smiling at him. He just looked so very Ian sitting there—obsessed with work, headphones around his neck, and ghostly images on the computer screen behind him. It was then that she spotted what he’d been looking at, and her heart leapt into her throat.

  “Holy crap, is that—”

  “Yeah.” Ian grinned, staring back at the screen and setting aside his headphones. “The thermal camera caught the demon leaving Holly after Jackie’s prayer.”

  Grace wandered over, her eyes locked on the shadowy purple figure appearing above Holly in the span of three frames, then fading into nothingness. In thermal, living bodies varied in shades of white, yellow, and red, while the surrounding area was usually colored in shades of blue. The purple shadow indicated something colder than the room, but able to shift and change form at will.

  “That’s incredible,” Grace managed, stunned by the capture.

  “I know.” Ian pulled her into his lap, kissing her temple. He nuzzled against her, his smile deepening. “You smell nice.”

  “Thanks.” She tilted her face so her lips could tease his. “I cut my bath short so I could tell you something.”

  “Yeah? What’s that?” Ian murmured, exploring her mouth further.

  She met his eyes and touched his face, the love she felt for him a beautiful ache in her heart. “Make me your wife, Ian. That is, if you still want to.”

  The humor faded from his expression. His eyes searched hers, richly blue and intense with emotion.

  “Are you sure?” he asked. “What changed?”

  Grace realized her hands were shaky as she let out a quiet laugh. “Well, a demon tried to kill me and my best friend, and I almost lost you, too, so I guess that made me realize I was wasting my time clinging to my old life so much. And it probably didn’t hurt that your ex showed up and flaunted herself in my face, reminding me that you could really do a whole lot better so I should snag you while the offer’s good.”

  His mouth spread in a huge smile. “You’re the one with the doctorate and the cute ass
and you think I’m the one who could do better?”

  She rolled her eyes. “Please. You’re Mr. Crazy-Sexy-Ghost-Hunter-Extraordinaire that all the fangirls wet their panties over. Haven’t you seen the blog posts and internet memes about you?”

  His eyebrows shot up. “No. Should I look?”

  “No. Your head doesn’t need to get any bigger than it already is.” She kissed him again, drawing him closer. “So, is that a yes, by the way?”

  He nodded. “Yeah. It is.”

  Scooping her into his arms, he rose from the chair and carried her to the bed. She let out a delighted laugh as he laid her down and covered her body with his.

  “I think I’m going to like calling you Mrs. Black,” he told her, his mouth drawing a line of heat down her neck.

  She smiled, already adoring the sound of it. “Not nearly as much as I love hearing it.”

  * * *

  Later that afternoon, Grace and Ian joined Alex and Jackie at the hotel restaurant for dinner and a celebratory drink.

  Ian raised his beer in a toast, a victorious look in his eyes. “To Savannah, who lived up to her reputation for being haunted as all hell.”

  “Here, here,” Alex cheered, tapping his beer glass to Ian’s. “And may we get a break from demons for a while. I sure could use some friendly ghosts.”

  Grace lifted her wine glass as Jackie did the same, then drank deeply before giving her two friends across the table a sheepish smile. “So, in other news, Ian agreed to marry me.”

  Alex snorted into his beer and Jackie beamed.

  “That’s wonderful!” she exclaimed, her eyes joyful and bright. “Congratulations.”

  Ian slipped his arm around Grace’s shoulders. “She finally wore me down,” he joked, earning a sardonic look from her.

  “I was being ridiculous, I see that now. But I intend to make it right.”

  “Well, I say another toast is in order,” Alex decided, raising his glass again with a broad grin on his face. “To the future Mr. and Mrs. Black. May they live happily ever after.”