by Deanna Chase
I sighed, resigning myself. Her hysteria somehow calmed me enough to reconsider. “You are going to pee yourself laughing at my situation. Let’s go.” Moving past her, I headed back to my apartment.
My bravado quickly waned as we hit the second floor landing. Had it not been for Pyper’s firm hand on my wrist, I’m certain I would have turned and fled. When we reached my door I raised my eyebrow as Pyper took a key out and unlocked it. It was natural for her to have a key. I just wouldn’t have thought she kept one on her person. However, I said nothing and let her tug me into the room.
She walked to the bathroom and held the door wide open.
I crept up behind her and peeked over her shoulder. The harmless-looking Honey Dust jar sat capped in the middle of my bathroom.
I gasped.
“What?” Pyper turned to look at me.
“I, ah, well, I didn’t stop to put the cap on the jar. I just dropped it…” My voice trailed off as I backed away from the room. Legs turning to jelly, I sunk down onto my mattress. Pyper disappeared into the bathroom. Visions of me in a straitjacket, surrounded by white rubber walls, filled my mind.
A few minutes went by before she popped up beside the doorjamb. “Come in here,” she called as her head jerked back inside.
I sat motionless, my mind fixated on the rubber walls.
“Get in here,” she demanded.
My mind blank, I followed her voice and stopped in the door frame. Pyper was squatting, pressed up against the wall, studying the jar in the middle of the floor.
“What?” I asked.
“This is so interesting,” she replied, not looking up.
I waited for her to continue.
“The jar is in the middle of a layer of the Honey Dust. Do you see it?” She used her finger to make a circle in the air above the jar.
I glanced down. “Yeah. So?”
“There’s something missing.” Her eyes twinkled.
Looking back at the jar and the floor caked in dust, I saw nothing else out of place—or missing, for that matter. Puzzled, I stared at her.
“Footprints!” she exclaimed. “Where are your footprints? It looks like the whole jar was dumped in here. No way could you have dumped the whole jar out, replaced the top, and set it here without leaving footprints.”
I inspected the scene. The jar sat in the middle of my bathroom with a thick layer of Honey Dust covering the floor from the tub to the door. She was right. I couldn’t have placed the jar where it was without disturbing the smooth layer.
Pyper turned and walked into the main room. “Whoever you are, reveal yourself!”
My eyes flew open in shock. “What the hell?” I hissed. “You’re not supposed to invite ghosts to reveal themselves.”
“How else do you think I’m going to see it?”
“Shhhh.” I was terrified of what her invitation might bring.
An unfamiliar energy, mixed with bitterness and satisfaction, invaded my senses. I turned to Pyper, my voice barely a whisper. “Someone is here.”
“Huh?” She took a step toward me and then jumped, wrapping her arms around her chest. “What the hell was that?” She twisted her head, searching the room.
Ice numbed my hands and moved up my arms, making me shiver. I pointed to a shadow, black as coal, moving across the far wall. We stood, paralyzed, while the image grew larger and moved toward us. Pyper’s sudden fear inched its way into my awareness. Instinct took over, and I forced as much calm as I could in her direction.
Her panic started to ease, but just barely. I renewed my efforts, forcing my will toward her. Pain pierced my heart and shot through my veins. Gasping, I clutched my chest, staring in horror at the black shadow as something grabbed my essence and yanked.
“No!” I shouted in defiance and snatched my energy back.
The shadow hovered for a moment unmoving in front of us then shattered into a million pieces like confetti. I stood staring, transfixed by the cascade as it faded into nothing until Pyper tugged on my hand. I glanced at her, and we both ran for the stairs.
Chapter 2
“What was that?” Pyper huffed as we burst through the back door of The Grind, the coffee shop where we both worked. Luckily it was next door to my apartment building, because I had forgotten shoes again.
“No idea.”
She motioned for me to follow, leading me to her office.
I collapsed in the closest chair, grateful to have my shaking legs out from underneath me. What the hell had just happened? I’d sent calming energy to Pyper and ended up feeling like my essence had been sucked out. Only, it hadn’t had Pyper’s emotional signature. Something much more powerful had taken it.
“One thing’s clear. Your ghost is definitely a pervert,” Pyper said.
“Huh?”
“He felt me up. Didn’t you see me jump? He grabbed my boob.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “We need to call Kane. He’s the only person I know who will believe us.”
“No!” Walking around barefoot on Bourbon Street through sticky, alcohol-soaked garbage and drunken-induced bodily fluids during Mardi Gras held more appeal than telling him about my Honey Dust experience.
“Why not?”
“I don’t—” My phone buzzed. My hands trembled as I fished it out of my pocket. This was bad. The trembling only started when my energy was compromised. The screen flashed Kat’s name. I took a deep breath and hoped I sounded normal. “Hey, what’s up?”
“I’m outside the café. I was going to get you a chai latte, but it’s closed. Come get me so I can see your new digs,” she said.
I grimaced. “My apartment isn’t really available right now.”
Pyper sent me a questioning glance. “Are you okay? You don’t look too hot.”
Covering the phone, I whispered, “I’m fine.”
Kat raised her voice. “Hello…who are you talking to, and if your apartment isn’t available, where are you and where’s all your stuff? I’ve been home. Your room is cleared out. What’s going on?”
“I’m all moved in, it’s just…let me come get you, and I’ll tell you about it.” After Kat’s affirming response, I snapped the phone closed. “I need to go,” I told Pyper.
“Go where?” She stood up. “You can’t leave now. You look like you’re going to pass out.” She gently pushed me back into the chair.
“My friend is here. I can’t just leave her standing outside.” The motion of standing and sitting back down turned my stomach. Please don’t let me ralph right here.
“I’ll go get her.” She left before I could protest. How would Pyper find her? They hadn’t met, and Pyper didn’t even know Kat’s name.
A familiar energy drew my attention to the door as Kane walked in. He rummaged through the desk and pulled out a bag of mint chocolate cookies. “Pyper said you needed sugar and to make sure you stay put.”
I took a cookie, bit into it and shrugged in agreement. Where else would I go? Surely not to my new apartment. Panic bubbled in my chest. I couldn’t stay there. I’d never get any rest. Would Kane let me out of my lease? The queasiness returned as I thought of staying in Kat’s spare room for another night. Maybe I’d get lucky, and Dan would be out with the guys.
Kane offered me a soda from a small refrigerator.
“Thanks.” Clutching the can with one hand, I tried to open it with the other. Unfortunately my fingers shook too badly. I couldn’t even grab the tab to pop it.
“I got it.” Kane took the can. When he set it back on the desk it had a straw poking out the top. “Drink.”
“Thanks.” I took a long sip.
Kane grabbed a chair and sat next to me. His gaze shifted to my still-trembling hand. Balling it up in defiance, I pressed it into my thigh. I wasn’t this weak, damn it.
He reached over and covered my hand with his, sending a thick layer of protection through my weakened defenses. At first it felt like a cloak, shrouding me, but then it turned into more of an energy meld.
Whoa. That never happens. I could consciously take in others’ emotions if I wanted to, but it takes effort. Was he aware of the effect he had? Could he control it, or was it just happening? Warmth spread from his touch through my limbs, steadying my twitching muscles.
Heat prickled my neck under his watchful gaze. I tried to pull from his grasp, but his fingers tightened on mine. “Thanks, but I’m okay now,” I murmured.
He raised one eyebrow. “You look like you’re going to fall over any minute. I’m hanging on just in case.”
“I’m not going to pass out,” I said in a steady voice, drawing my hand from his. As our hands parted, the shivers started. Wrapping my arms around my middle, I glided my hands up and down my bare arms trying to generate heat.
“Here.” Kane stood, grabbed a sweatshirt from behind the desk and handed it to me. “Use this.”
“Thanks.” I pulled it over my head and was rewarded with a trace of his fresh rain-scented cologne.
“We’re here,” Pyper called from the doorway.
“Jade!” Kat ran to my side. “Are you okay? Pyper told me what happened.” She took my hand in both of hers. “Use me,” she whispered.
“Only if you calm down.”
Her panic swirled around me like a windstorm before she managed to reign her emotions back in. I squeezed her hand to let her know I appreciated the offer, but didn’t tap her energy. Irrationally, I didn’t want to taint what I’d just experienced with Kane.
Kat had been around the last time I’d been stupid enough to compromise my energy. When we were roommates our neighbor had witnessed a shooting and had been so distraught she’d stopped talking. I’d thought if I could ease her burden by siphoning her distress, she might be able to help the police investigation. It had worked. Too well.
While she helped the police nail down a suspect I spent a week in bed, recovering. For the first few days the only way I could get up was if Kat was touching me, lending me her strength. It had been her idea for me to try and take it. She’d said, “If you can take the bad stuff, why can’t you take the good?” Since I didn’t think I could get worse, I’d tried it and used her emotional strength to heal. Still, I’d had to take it from her. It didn’t just happen like it did with Kane.
“You need to lie down,” Kat said.
“I’m all right.” I looked her in the eye. “Besides, I’m not too keen on going up to my apartment right now.”
“Then you’ll come home with me.” Kat stood, tugging on my arm.
I pulled back and shook my head. “No. Thank you, but in my condition I don’t think I can stomach Dan.” Her boyfriend—my ex—and the reason I’d found my own apartment.
It was quite the shock to move to New Orleans and find that not only had Dan moved here as well, but he was also dating my best friend. I’d been more hurt by the fact that Kat had been afraid to tell me than I was that the two were dating. Dan and I had made such a mess of our relationship; there really was no hope of reconciliation on either of our parts. As for the two of them dating? I understood. The three of us had been inseparable in high school. It wasn’t unreasonable to think they might make a connection. Of course, since Kat had left Boise right after our college graduation, I hadn’t expected it to happen from two thousand miles away.
Kat sighed. “Jade—”
I cut her off. “No, Kat. I told you before I get sick to my stomach when he’s around.”
She studied me for a long moment. I knew she was thinking it was all in my head. I’d thought so too at first, but lately it was getting worse. Either way, I didn’t want to be in the same room with him. She pulled out her phone. “Okay, let me see what I can do.” After walking to the far side of the office, she dialed.
My heart swelled. Finally, she’d heard me about Dan.
Kat snapped her phone shut. “Okay, he’s on his way.”
“What? Dan’s coming here?” I stood up, ready to bolt from the room.
“No. Why would I call him? You know this is so not his thing. I called my friend, Ian. He hunts ghosts.”
***
I hadn’t known what I was expecting, but the person who showed up definitely wasn’t it. A man in his early thirties, looking as if he’d stepped out of a skateboarding magazine, strode up to me.
“Hi, Jade.” He waved.
“Ian? I didn’t realize it was you who was coming.”
His lips quirked into a lopsided, sexy little smile and pale blue eyes searched my face as he reached for my hand. I’d met Ian once before, shortly after I’d gotten to New Orleans. He’d been at one of Kat’s dinner gatherings. Grimacing in embarrassment, I realized I’d monopolized most of our hour-long chat. I hadn’t even remembered his name.
“Nice to see you again.” He paused and tilted his head toward a marquee on my building. It read, Hundreds of beautiful women and three ugly ones. “You live above a strip bar?”
I glanced at Kane’s club, Wicked, and shrugged. “The price was right.”
“Interesting marketing tactic.” He laughed.
Kat appeared beside me and handed over a pair of flip-flops she’d purchased from the corner store. “I’m off to get some food. Want anything?”
After Ian and I placed our orders, I gestured for him to follow me. My plastic shoes clattered on the brick pathway as we entered my wisteria-perfumed courtyard. Humidity hung in the air, finally warding off my chills. I shed the sweatshirt as I sat at a wrought-iron table. “Thank you for coming so quickly. I hope I didn’t interrupt anything important.”
He shook his head. “Nope, perfect timing. You saved me from some rather dull reports, actually.”
“Reports? Ghost hunting reports?” Visions of a school lab, with Willow and Buffy fighting demons, filled my head.
“Oh, no. Research reports. I’m an assistant to a meteorologist at the University. I type up his reports and help out when needed.”
Nothing about his appearance—tousled sandy blond hair, wire-rimmed glasses and torn-up Converse—said professional. But his easy smile and the warm inner glow radiating from him put me at ease. “So, ghost hunting is a hobby of yours?”
“Sort of. More like an obsession. Tell me, what can I do for you?”
What did I want him to do for me? Validation? Expulsion of my ghost? “Well, I don’t know. What do you normally do?”
“There isn’t a lot of ‘normal’ about what I do.” His smile widened. “However, why don’t you tell me what prompted Kat to call me, and we can go from there?”
I took a calming breath and told him about the Honey Dust and the black shadow.
“Honey Dust?” His eyebrows rose with the question.
“It’s an edible skin powder.” I averted my eyes. When I dared a glance he was writing in a note pad, his lips turned up in a sly smile. I bent my head, hoping my face wasn’t as flushed as it felt.
He put down his pen and took a long swig from a can of Coke. “Ah, that is exactly what I needed,” he said with a sigh. “Long night last night, you know.”
“Oh?”
He started writing again. “Yeah, the video tape jammed, and we had to stop in the middle to fix it. Then, of course, we had to start all over. But the mood was shot, so we didn’t really get much action.”
I stared at him, my brow pinched in confusion.
He chuckled then sobered as I frowned. “I’m sorry,” he said. “It’s just I get that look a lot. I meant I was out late on an investigation. The best time for measuring paranormal activity is at night between nine p.m. and six a.m. We had some equipment issues.”
“Obviously, I know nothing about what you do.”
“No problem. I always forget not everyone lives, eats and sleeps ghosts twenty-four seven. Let’s get to it, shall we?”
I nodded, urging him on.
“I’ll need to inspect your apartment, but I’d like to bring my team, John and Riley. We each use different equipment to measure activity, so it’s better if I can get both of them here.”
I nodd
ed again, and he took out his phone and dialed. Five minutes later, the other two men were on their way.
“Okay, where will you be while we do our thing?” Ian asked.
“Why?”
“After we take some base line measurements, I’d like to get you back up there to see if there’s any activity related to you. Sometimes spirits are attracted by certain energies.”
Of course they were. I wondered how I’d gone this long without one attaching itself to me. “I guess I’ll be here.”
“Perfect. As soon as my guys get here I’ll get right to work. Are you staying at Kat’s tonight?”
Was I? “I guess so. Staying at my place doesn’t seem like a great idea.” I bit my lip to keep from scowling.
Ian shrugged. “I haven’t ever seen a ghost do more than just spook someone, so you could probably stay at your place. We’ll be here late, though. Collecting data can take a while to get conclusive results.”
“Only spooking, huh? That’s good to hear.” Too bad I wasn’t like most people. With my energy I’d end up possessed.
After Kat returned, the three of us ate our po’boy sandwiches and chatted about nothing ghost-related. I’d almost forgotten why Ian was there until his phone buzzed and he had to go meet his fellow ghost hunters.
I handed him my apartment key. “Just come get me when you’re ready.”
“Will do.” Ian took a few strides before I stopped him.
“Wait, don’t you have a fee or something for this?”
“Um, yeah. I do, but let’s see where this goes first. Consider this a free consultation. If we need to proceed, then we can discuss it.”
“That’s awfully nice of you.” I smiled.
“Ah-ha! There it is. I wondered if I’d get a genuine smile out of you. Looks good.” He winked. “Consider it the friend rate. Later, Kat.”
She waved. We watched as he left the courtyard, his phone pressed to his ear. The side door to the building banged shut.
“He’s hot! Is that the ghost hunter?” Pyper asked as she joined us.
I nodded. “He is pretty yummy, isn’t he? In a schoolboy kind of way.”
“Schoolboy.” She snorted. “Thinking of sneaking off behind the bleachers?”