Of Fire and Storm

by D. G. Swank

My heart skipped a beat. “Do you know who they were or how they were killed?”

  “No. The news is just now reporting it.”

  Abel pulled his phone out of his pocket and barked a short, “Abel.”

  Had there been murders last night after I left? Were they somehow my fault?

  “Pippy. Do you know anything about it?” Hudson asked.

  I shook my head even though he couldn’t see me. “No, but the investigating I did was at a party in Fairview last night…”

  I needed to wait until I could tell him face-to-face before I shared the full story.

  “Fairview?” he asked, sounding alarmed. “Were you at the same party?”

  “I don’t know,” I lied.

  “Where are you now? Who did you stay with last night?”

  “I…uh…” I shot a glance to the man next to me, whose face was twisted with anger. Was he just finding out about the murders too? “I was with Abel.”

  “I thought you were just having a dinner. You slept with him?” Hudson asked in an accusatory voice.

  “I could just as easily turn this around on you, Hudson,” I said. “Where were you?”

  “I told you I was going to a party with my new client. I’d sobered up by the time I left, so I drove home. I wasn’t off sleeping with a woman who has some mysterious secret purpose.”

  I groaned and leaned my elbow on the door, cradling my head with my hand. “I don’t want to fight with you, Huddy.”

  “I don’t want to fight with you either, but I don’t trust that man. I can’t sit back and watch him manipulate you.”

  I shot another glance to Abel, who was still concentrating on his call and giving short, one-syllable answers. “I’ve got a ghost appointment, but I’ll be home after that and we can talk. There are a few things I need to tell you.”

  “Be careful, okay?” he pleaded. “Things are getting more dangerous. I can feel it.”

  “I will.” I hung up a few seconds before Abel ended his call. “It looks like you heard the news,” I said.

  Abel didn’t respond, just glared out the windshield.

  “Do you know any more details than Hudson does?”

  “They were ritualistic killings.”

  “Did the Great One do it?” I asked.

  He was silent for a few seconds. “No. It was Caelius.”

  “How do you know?”

  “I just do.”

  “Sorry, but I don’t accept that as an answer. How do you know?”

  “Because it wasn’t the Great One, Piper. It would have made a blood sacrifice. Caelius has a different way.”

  “I’m well aware of the way Caelius does it,” I said, casting a glance out the side window. “But he said he doesn’t kill his victims. There’s too much danger of getting caught.”

  “Well, he cancelled his party tonight, and I suspect he’ll have to move on to another city. He felt no such constraints last night.”

  “Was he in Durham with the Great One?” I asked.

  “I’m fairly certain the Great One and Caelius were together, and they started with frat parties. The parties here started off smaller too, then quickly grew. Caelius is escalating.” He still looked unhappy.

  “What has you so upset, Abel? Are you regretting your decision to not kill Caelius last night?”

  A scowl twisted his lips. “I’m worried he’s not gone. That he has unfinished business.”

  “What’s his unfinished business?”

  He shot me a dark look. “You.”

  Chapter 23

  “Me? I thought the Guardians wanted me.”

  “They do, but that arrangement is likely with the Great One. Caelius doesn’t play well with others, so I doubt he’d feel bound by his arrangement with the Great One, especially since I told him you were Kewasa. He knows your power. He wants it.”

  “The woman at the New Age store said the Great One has a plan for me, but I’m only one part of its plan.”

  That caught his attention. “What woman? When did you see her?”

  “Last night. Before I went to the party.”

  “You were too busy to have dinner with me, but you could go to the crystal store?”

  “It’s more than just a crystal store, Abel. Deidre’s a seer.”

  “Did she use her chicken bones?”

  “As a matter of fact, she did.”

  His hand tightened on the steering wheel. “She is not to be trusted, Kewasa. She wants to use you for her own purposes. Why did you go see her?”

  “Are you saying I can’t trust Deidre, or seers in general?” He didn’t answer, so I took it the answer was both. “I needed protection, Abel.”

  He scowled. “She gave you the bracelet on your wrist.”

  I hadn’t worn it during our sword practice, but I’d put it back on after my shower. “She said my aura burns brighter than most people’s. She claimed the bracelet would help hide it. Is it true?”

  “Which part?” he asked in a snide tone. “And why would you wear it if you don’t trust her?”

  I released a loud sigh. “I never said I don’t trust her.”

  “Yet you’re asking me if what she told you is true.”

  He had a point. “Look, all I have is my gut, and my gut tells me she’s mostly trustworthy.”

  “Mostly?”

  “I’m no fool. I know she has an agenda when it comes to helping me. So do you, yet I’m sitting here with you anyway.”

  His mouth lifted into a reluctant grin. “She’s right.”

  “About which part?”

  “Your aura is brighter—I’d say nearly five times brighter. And the bracelet seems to mask the difference. I guess the necklace doesn’t work anymore.”

  “Deidre said I’ve outgrown it.”

  He pursed his lips. “I suppose you have, but I still don’t like that you’re wearing the bracelet.”

  “I’d rather stay hidden, so unless you can offer an alternative, it stays.”

  “What made you go to her in the first place?”

  Jack. Jack had sent me there. What if he was the person who would betray me? But that didn’t make sense. If he intended to turn against me, why would he have sent me to someone who could reveal his duplicity to me?

  My head hurt, and I would have sold a portion of my soul for a nap, but Abel was already pulling up in front of my client’s house…behind Jack’s car.

  I’d forgotten to call Jack and tell him not to come.

  “What’s he doing here?” Abel asked, practically in a growl.

  Abel’s gaze was firmly on Jack, who was leaning against the back of his car, wearing a button-down, short-sleeved shirt and jeans. Jack looked stunned, and who could blame him? I’d thrown myself at him yesterday, and now I was here with Abel.

  They looked ready to pounce on each other. Better to break this up before they did something stupid outside of my client’s house. “He’s here to help me. In fact, he can be my backup against the Guardians. I’m sure you have things to do.”

  He reached for his door handle and opened the door. “I want to see how you deal with ghosts.”

  He was out of the car before I could stop him. Great.

  As soon as I got out and shut the car door, I plastered on a happy face. “How’s your head? How many staples did you get?”

  “You were injured?” Abel scoffed, as though it meant Jack was incompetent.

  “He got hurt protecting me from an angry ghost,” I said, then gave my undivided attention to Jack. “How many staples?”

  “Uh…” he said, keeping his gaze on Abel. “Twelve.”

  “Jack,” I said in sympathy, “maybe you should be at home resting.”

  “Yes, priest,” Abel sneered. “Go home. I’ll take it from here.”

  Jack pushed away from the car and stood up straighter. “I think I’ll stay.”

  Then he gave me a look that screamed what’s he doing here?

  He had every right to wonder, and I had a lot to tell him, but I di
dn’t have patience for macho posturing just now. “Abel wants to watch me deal with a ghost, just like you did weeks ago.” I caught Jack’s gaze. “Will this be a problem?”

  “You’re in charge, Piper,” Jack said. “But does he realize that?”

  I turned to Abel. “Do you?”

  A smirk lit up his face. “Of course.” He shifted his gaze to Jack. “Piper is in charge.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Now that I feel so much better about all this testosterone walking into Mr. and Mrs. Applebaum’s house, let’s go.”

  I started for the front door, then glanced back at Jack to make sure he had his bag.

  He caught my gaze with a blank look.

  “Seriously, Jack,” I said in a softer tone. “How’s your head?”

  He fell into step beside me. “It hurts, but it’s nothing I can’t handle. After Edna, you really shouldn’t do these alone.”

  “Yeah, I know…”

  Abel moved up behind me. “The spiritual world is in upheaval—power is growing and shifting. The ghosts could be becoming stronger on their own,” he said. “It might be wise for you to halt your ghost appointments until we see how this all settles.”

  Jack raised his eyebrows and turned his attention to me, waiting for my response.

  I almost told Abel to fuck off, but then I remembered confessing that the surest way to make me do something was to tell me not to. He’d claimed to already know that. Was this reverse psychology? “I’ll take your opinion into consideration.”

  Jack gave me a look of disbelief and started to say something, but I’d already reached the front door and rang the doorbell.

  A young couple answered together, holding hands, and their eyes widened at the sight of the two men behind me. They seemed intimidated, and I had to admit I understood why. Both Abel and Jack were tall and had bodies that suggested they visited a gym a few times a week.

  Rhys had set this one up, and I was going in completely blind.

  I gave the couple a friendly smile. “Hi. I’m Piper Lancaster. I hear you’re having issues with what you think might be a ghost.”

  The wife shifted her attention to me, a smile warming her face, while her husband continued to watch Jack and Abel. She held out her hand and I shook it. I couldn’t help but notice her husband was still blocking the door. Normally, this was a conversation I had with the homeowners inside, but I could tell he wasn’t convinced he wanted our help.

  “I’m Elise and this is Joel. We’ve lived here about a year, but strange things only started happening over the last few weeks. We hear noises from one of the bedrooms—crying, creaking from a chair when no one is in the room, and moved photos on the wall. Do you think it’s a ghost?”

  “Paranormal activity has sharply increased over the last month,” I said. “Once I’m inside I can usually get an immediate feel for something. But there isn’t always a supernatural cause for that type of phenomenon. The noises can be creaks from a shifting house or branches on a roof.”

  “But you wouldn’t refund our money, would you?” Joel asked, puffing out his chest and shooting me a dark look.

  I could feel Abel’s body stiffen behind me, ready to physically jump to my defense. Oh brother. I was no stranger to skeptics, having once been one myself, and I’d learned how to handle them.

  I put on my gentle ghost whisperer face and spoke softly, “While I’d be within my rights to keep your retainer since I’m taking time out of my day to come investigate your house, not to mention there are people on my waiting list who couldn’t get an appointment because I’m here, I would return your money if you asked for it. I have a one hundred percent satisfaction guarantee.” Although given all the damage my clients’ houses had sustained lately, I might need to consider amending that. “I can get a better feeling once I’m inside and should be able to tell you within five minutes what we’re dealing with.”

  Elise gave her husband a pleading look. “Joel. Please.”

  His face softened, and he nodded slightly. “Okay.” But he shot another glare to the two men behind me. “Why are they here?”

  Logical question. I gestured to Jack on my left. “This is Father Jack Owen. He’s here in case we encounter an unruly spirit.”

  Elise’s eyes widened. “Do you think you’ll find one here?”

  “Honestly,” I said, “I don’t know. I do know that with the increase in supernatural activity, some ghosts have become more violent. It doesn’t sound like yours has caused damage, so it’s unlikely we’ll encounter trouble. Most ghosts are truly stuck and just need help crossing over.”

  Joel’s gaze flicked to Abel. “And what’s he here for?”

  “Mr. Abel is here to observe. He’s interested in starting his own paranormal business in New York.”

  Joel’s stance issued a challenge. “And what if I don’t want him in my house?”

  “Then he waits outside.”

  Abel prickled behind me, so I was surprised at his honeyed tone when he said, “I understand your reluctance to let complete strangers into your home, Mr. Applebaum, but I assure you that I am only here to help.” A soft undercurrent of power clung to his words.

  The hard edge around Joel’s eyes softened and he took a step back. “Of course you’re welcome to come in.”

  I shot Abel a dark look. He winked.

  We would definitely be talking about that later.

  I followed the couple inside and stopped in the middle of the living room. Elise was clenching her hands in front of her while Joel wrapped a comforting arm around her back.

  “Where do you experience most of the activity?” I asked.

  “In the back bedroom,” Elise said. “Late at night I hear a chair rocking.”

  I nodded. “It’s not uncommon for spirits to accidently brush things in our plane of existence—picture frames on the wall, creaks on stairs.”

  “But we don’t have a rocking chair.”

  So maybe we were dealing with a more powerful ghost than I’d thought. “Do you experience signs of paranormal activity anywhere else?”

  “Sometimes in the bathroom,” she said. “I hear running water and crying, but when I go in there, there’s nothing.”

  The crying set me on edge—an emotional ghost was a potentially dangerous ghost—but it could be benign. Most ghosts were confused about what was happening, and a few were tearful about it.

  “Do you know the history of the house?” I asked. “Do you know if there were any deaths here?”

  Elise shuddered. “Someone might have died here?”

  “It’s nearly a hundred-year-old house,” Joel said, squeezing his wife closer. “It stands to reason it might have happened.” He turned a glare to me. “And how convenient for us to fill in the blanks for you.”

  “Joel!” Elise snapped.

  Abel clenched his fists beside me.

  “Abel,” I said in a demure voice. “Perhaps you’d be more comfortable waiting outside.”

  “I’ll stay,” he said, taking a step back.

  I pushed out a heavy sigh and plastered on a patient smile as I turned to Joel. “Please forgive Mr. Abel. This is the first time he’s accompanied me on a visit, and he’s not used to the skepticism. Fortunately—or not—I am. I understand your concern, Joel, and I love that you’re trying to protect your wife as much as you’re protecting your wallet. If I find a ghost, I promise you that you will see it with your own two eyes before I expel it.”

  “How are you going to do that?” Joel asked.

  “Never mind that part at the moment. For now, I need to know if you want me to examine your house or not. If not, we’ll be on our way.”

  “This is some kind of trick, isn’t it?” he asked.

  “No,” I said. “It’s the truth. You and your wife contacted my website. If you’ve changed your mind, I’ll be happy to give you a full refund, no questions asked.”

  Elise gave her husband another pleading look.

  “Okay,” Joel said grudgingly. “You
can stay, but I want proof when you find the ghost.”

  I ignored him as I headed down the hall, Abel following behind me. I heard Jack talking to the couple, soothing the husband, but I blocked them out when I reached a tiny bathroom. Something seemed to brush my skin and my hair stood on end. Still, the bathroom looked like nothing special. No ghosts.

  “Do you feel that?” I asked Abel in a low voice.

  “No. What do you feel?”

  He could see Helen. I presumed he could feel—and see—other ghosts too. “Like an energy pulse is tickling my skin. You really don’t feel that?”

  “No.”

  I pivoted to look up at him, unable to conceal my surprise.

  He stared down at me, expressionless. “While we might have the same ability, it’s expressed in different forms. I merely see the spirits. I don’t feel them.”

  Was he telling me the truth? I wanted to dig deeper, but I had a feeling Joel wouldn’t be overly patient with us. I’d have to figure it out later. “Time for the next room.”

  Brushing past Abel, I headed further down the hall, drawn to the door on the right. The moment I cracked it open, I felt a slight surge of energy.

  “There’s a ghost in there.” I glanced back at him. “Will it know you?”

  He looked confused. “How would it know me?”

  “The demons know you. Helen knows you.”

  “No,” he said. “The demons know me because…” His voice trailed off and his gaze held mine. “I introduced myself to Helen. This ghost will not know me, but she will likely know I’m not human. Not consciously, perhaps, but she will sense that I’m different and possibly fear me. I’ll stay back for now.”

  Why would the ghost fear him? How did the demons know him? It seemed like every minute I spent with Abel led to more questions, questions I had to save for later.

  I walked into what looked like a guest bedroom, complete with bed, nightstand, and dresser. A closet with sliding doors took up most of the wall to my left, and there were two windows in the wall in front of me. A young woman sat in the corner, rocking in a chair and cradling something in her arms.

  Was she holding a baby? Accepting that Tommy was dead was hard enough. How would I handle a ghost baby?

  “Hello,” I said softly, taking slow steps further into the room. “I’m Piper.”