What? Midnight’s stomach churned as Sav’s words hung in the air like a knife. Even Tabitha sucked in her breath.
“Of course I do,” she said. How could Sav even suggest otherwise? Everything Midnight had done had been for that very purpose. It was even the reason why she’d gone around to Miss Appleby’s house to quit her job, because the ski trip with Sav and Lucy meant so much. She’d worn a mouse costume for them. She’d potentially helped an age-defying old woman do something that she shouldn’t have been doing…
Her protest faded and was replaced by a dull throb in her brow.
“If you want to be our friend, then you need to prove it. And that means not being seen hanging out with a freak like Tabitha Wilson. I mean, look at what she’s wearing,” Lucy said, almost sounding like a parrot.
The air hummed with tension. This was it, her worst fears come to life.
Tabitha’s face tightened at their ultimatum. Midnight opened her mouth, but it was impossible to speak.
All Tabitha had ever done was try to help her. In fact, she’d hardly blinked when Midnight had told her about spectral energy. Yet Sav and Lucy wanted her to ignore Tabitha like she was no one.
Shame filled her. If fitting in meant being rude to people she liked, then perhaps she shouldn’t keep trying to fit in.
“Well?” Lucy demanded in such a sharp voice that even Tabitha jumped.
Midnight stiffened her spine and dug her nails into the flesh of her arm to stop herself from being scared. “I’m sorry, but I really need to speak to Tabitha.”
“You are so unbelievable,” Sav hissed, her brilliant golden eyes narrow. “What makes it worse is that I put my reputation on the line. I thought that we could turn you into someone cool. But I was wrong. Your invitation to the ski trip is off the table, obviously. Come on, Lucy. The smell of freak makes me want to puke.”
Then, without another word, the two girls walked away, arms linked. Midnight blinked as they headed toward the quad, complaining bitterly as they went. So that answered her question about them being supportive and understanding.
“Are you okay?” Tabitha said in a soft voice.
“I guess,” Midnight admitted. She tried to ignore how much her hands were shaking as the reality hit her. The thing that she’d feared the most had just happened. She’d tried to fit in and was found wanting. She was on the outside again. Except right now it seemed like the least of her problems.
“When I got friend-dumped, Sav poured a whole can of soda down my shirt, then said at least no one would notice it against the black fabric.”
Midnight’s jaw dropped. “That’s horrible.”
“Actually, it’s immature and character revealing, and getting away from Savannah Hanson and her narcissistic drama was the best thing that ever happened to me,” Tabitha corrected. She didn’t look at all bothered by how she’d been treated.
“You never told me how you felt about her.”
“Talking about other people behind their backs is more Sav’s style than mine.” Tabitha shrugged as she walked toward a nearby bench. Midnight followed her over. “Anyway, we have more important things to discuss. But you might want to sit down. It’s pretty disturbing.”
“I’ve watched spectral energy come out of a wheelbarrow, seen an old lady change her face with some knitting, and just been ditched by two of the most popular girls in school. I think I’m safe.” Midnight gave her a bitter smile.
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Tabitha carefully opened up her research folder and brought out a piece of paper. “It’s the death certificates for George Irongate and his daughter, Elizabeth.”
Midnight sat down.
“How did you get these?” she asked, her voice not much more than a croak.
“Mrs. Crown. I think she’s a hacker. Or a ninja. Or a ninja hacker. But here’s the kicker: they both died of arsenic, which according to Mrs. Crown was the poison of choice in the nineteenth century. Do you know what this means?”
“Miss Appleby really did kill them.” Midnight’s hands shook as she studied the certificates. It seemed like the deeper they scratched, the worse everything became.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Taylor wandered into the kitchen on Friday afternoon looking smug in a new sweater. “Midnight, there’s no point checking your phone every two seconds. They’re not going to call.”
“Who’s not going to call?” Their mom looked up with interest, and Midnight froze. She’d actually been doing an Internet search to figure out what the missing part of the electro-pulse converter did. So far, her most promising lead was that it was some kind of battery or power source. She and Tabitha had been waiting all week for another chance to get into Miss Appleby’s house, but they hadn’t had one yet. All she knew was that she had to find a way to destroy Miss Appleby. That or go crazy. Because ever since they’d discovered the truth, it was all Midnight could think about—to try and figure out a way to fix the mess she’d made.
“Sav and Lucy,” Taylor said. “Lucy’s sister told me that Midnight got friend-dumped for being a loser.”
Midnight longed to correct her annoying sister. Actually, I got friend-dumped for spending too much time catching spectral energy for a one-hundred-and-fifty-something-year-old woman who turned out to be an evil, image-obsessed murderer. Wisely, she kept her mouth shut.
“What?” Their mom put down the potato she’d been peeling, her face full of alarm. “Midnight, why didn’t you mention this?”
“Because it’s no big deal,” Midnight said evenly. Her mom walked over to the table, which meant she wanted an explanation. Midnight put down her phone and sighed. “I’m fine. Really. Sav and Lucy don’t like Tabitha, and they gave me an ultimatum. I didn’t want to say anything because I didn’t want you to worry.”
“Worry’s my middle name. Do you think that things will get better?”
Midnight thought of the pointed glares and whispered conversations that had been directed at her over the last couple of days. She’d seen Sav and Lucy in action before, though she never thought that she’d be on the receiving end. She also knew that as far as her friends were concerned, there was no going back.
“Maybe,” she said vaguely, to stop her mom from worrying.
“It explains why you’ve been so distracted lately.” Her mom reached and took her hand. “And why you didn’t tell me about Miss Appleby.”
“W-what do you mean?” Midnight’s pulse quickened, and it took all of her willpower not to tighten her grip on her mom’s hand. Did this mean that Miss Appleby had discovered the diary and the electro-pulse converter were missing?
“She called yesterday to ask if you were feeling better because she was worried that she hadn’t heard from you. What’s going on, Midnight? I thought you were going to quit that job. Why did you tell her you were sick?”
“Oh.” Midnight’s head began to swim. Why hadn’t she made a spreadsheet to keep track of all of her deceptions? “I guess I was just feeling overwhelmed with everything. W-what did you tell her?”
“I told her that as soon as you were feeling better you’d stop by,” her mom replied, pursing her lips.
“I will, and sorry I didn’t tell her. I was just waiting until the thing with Sav and Lucy had blown over,” she lied. Truthfully, she was waiting until she found the missing part of the electro-pulse converter before she gave Miss Appleby her front-door key back.
“It’s okay,” her mom relented, just as the ghost app rang out.
Midnight reached for it and studied the screen. It was for a location on the other side of town. Tabitha had also downloaded the app, so Midnight wasn’t surprised when her friend sent a text message several seconds later suggesting they head over immediately. Her heart pounded as she got to her feet.
“Do you mind if I meet Tabitha for an hour or so?”
“I guess not.” Her mom’s lips twitched. “Don’t forget to be back here before six because we’re going out with Phil to have dinner at the Country Kit
chen. We’re considering using it for the wedding venue, so we want to try it out first.”
“Okay.” Midnight gave an absent shrug, then grabbed her winter coat and quickly put it on. Normally she would’ve been happy at the news that they weren’t going to use a Viking feast hall, but right now it didn’t seem to matter.
“At least we know she wasn’t lying about feeling sick,” Taylor drawled. “Because she just agreed to go to dinner with Phil without rolling her eyes or moaning. I think it could be fatal.”
“You’re so hilarious, Taylor. Really, I just can’t stop laughing,” Midnight retorted. She said a quick goodbye to her mom, poked her tongue out at her sister, and hurried out the door.
Midnight met Tabitha two doors down from Miss Appleby’s house. “I just saw her pull away in a taxi,” Tabitha said. Then she frowned. “Are you okay? You look pale.”
“Miss Appleby called my mom to see how I was feeling. We really have to find it soon.”
“Agreed. Though I might have a lead. My dad was talking to the contractor about getting a fireplace, and the contractor started rambling on about how his old house had a hiding spot behind the chimney in the attic. Perhaps that’s what George did to keep it safe? It has to be worth a shot.”
“Definitely,” Midnight agreed. She took a deep breath and opened the front door. Every time they stepped inside, the house was colder and more uninviting. Tabitha headed straight up to the attic, and Midnight went back to the room where they’d first discovered the diary. The plan was to continue searching through the numerous boxes stored under the bed.
As she pulled the first one, the old wooden floor creaked and dust rose softly up into the air, as if complaining about the disturbance. It reminded Midnight of the tiny slithers of spectral energy that she now saw wherever she went. The first box was filled with books so old that the covers crackled as they were touched. In the second one, she came across an envelope of photographs and was greeted by the smiling face of Elizabeth Irongate.
Midnight bit down on her lower lip as she tried to imagine what it must feel like to be poisoned. Tabitha had looked it up on the Internet, and some of the symptoms included vomiting, headaches, cramping, and convulsions until the body finally shut down altogether.
Had Elizabeth even known what was happening to her?
Had she been angry about it? Had she—
“I thought I told you not to come up here,” Miss Appleby said. Midnight looked up to see the older woman standing there, her dark eyes cold and menacing.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
The walking stick was gone and her honey-colored hair was almost as golden as Sav’s. Her skin was soft and dewy, like a cartoon character. She looked amazing.
Unfortunately, Midnight now knew that it wasn’t a good thing.
She closed her eyes and swallowed. What was she supposed to do now? Run? Hide? Scream? Or all of the above? She opened her eyes again, but Miss Appleby was still standing there, eyes blazing.
“Y-you also told me that spectral energy was evil,” Midnight said, amazed that the words came out louder than a whisper. “I saw you at the tank this past weekend, and I know what you’re doing.”
Miss Appleby’s jaw tightened, a flicker of emotion crossing her face. Then she shrugged. “You’re a reasonably smart girl, so I suppose it was only a matter of time.”
Midnight’s face heated. It was one thing to piece all the clues together, but it was another thing to listen to Miss Appleby confirm it.
Everything she’d said was a lie.
A lie that Midnight had believed.
“You have no idea how draining it is just to stay alive,” Miss Appleby said, her voice cold. “Of course, the accident didn’t help. Not only did I need extra energy to heal, but it made it almost impossible for me to get that energy. I was in quite a fix until you appeared on my doorstep, like a gift.”
Midnight’s head spun as the words sank in. There was no remorse.
“You won’t get away with it,” Midnight said. “I have the electro-pulse converter.”
Miss Appleby burst out laughing. “Should I tell you a little secret? The reason I leave it here is because it’s a reminder of what happens to those who don’t listen to me. I begged George not to make it, but he ignored me.”
“So you killed him just so that you could live longer?” Midnight’s voice was thick with tension.
“Of course.” Miss Appleby gave her a closed-lipped smile, as if killing her husband hadn’t even been a decision. “It’s not like I didn’t warn him.”
“And Elizabeth? Did you warn her?”
“Elizabeth was a complication.” Miss Appleby almost looked wistful. “But don’t expect me to regret what I’ve done, because I don’t. And I should tell you that your little weapon won’t work. I destroyed the part you’re looking for. There’s nothing you can do to stop me.”
The glass piece has been destroyed?
Midnight’s heart seized. Without the piece to run the weapon, the souls trapped in the tank were stuck there forever. She couldn’t save them.
But she could still stop Miss Appleby.
Tabitha was up in the attic, and with any luck, she’d seen Miss Appleby arrive. Hopefully she’d called the police or managed to get herself to safety. Either way, Midnight needed to try and buy her friend some time. It was the least she could do.
“I still don’t understand how it even works. How can knitting spectral energy make you younger?”
“Because when the strands of spectral energy are bound together, it expels the essence that once kept the souls bound to their physical bodies. That essence automatically transfers to the closest host it can find. Me.”
Bile rose in her stomach. “That’s horrible. You won’t get away with this. I’ll tell people what you’re doing,” Midnight said.
“Who are they going to believe, you or me?” Miss Appleby laughed.
“Well, I still won’t let you trap any more souls. I won’t let you steal their essence.” Midnight gritted her teeth. “Even if I have to turn up every time the ghost app goes off, I’ll make sure that you can’t hurt any more spectral energy.”
“Poor Midnight. You still don’t understand the delicious irony. You see, up until four weeks ago, there was no way I could ever have left Berry. Without the flying arm electroscope, I couldn’t have survived. But you changed all that with your app. You’ve opened up the world to me. There are at least fifty Black Streams in America alone, not to mention Europe and Asia.”
Midnight let out an involuntary gasp. “You said Berry was the only one.”
“I lied.” Miss Appleby shrugged. “I’d planned to leave next month after I’d collected enough spectral energy to prepare me for the journey. But it looks like I might have to leave tomorrow.”
“Why are you going tomorrow?” Midnight’s temple pounded. If Miss Appleby left Berry, then no one would ever be able to stop her.
“Because I have to deal with you, and I’d prefer not to be around for the aftermath.” Miss Appleby pulled out a knife, the blade glinting in the sun. “And if you think you can outrun me, you’re wrong. You see, the more spectral energy I have, the stronger I become. And trust me when I tell you that I’ve had a lot of spectral energy.”
Midnight’s throat tightened. So that explained why she looked so youthful. She must have been knitting up a storm.
“If it’s any consolation, I did really like you, Midnight. You reminded me of myself.”
“Except I’d never kill anyone. And if I’d known what you were really doing with the spectral energy, I never would’ve helped.” Midnight tried to edge away.
“That’s true.” Miss Appleby sighed, as if she was used to being disappointed. She took another step forward, the blade now dangerously close. “Oh, and don’t expect your friend in the attic to help you. She’s locked in, and after I’ve dealt with you, she’ll be next.”
“You can’t.” It was bad enough that she was in danger, but Tabitha didn’t deserv
e any of this.
“Actually, I think you’ll find that I can,” Miss Appleby corrected, just as a tendril of pale pink fog swirled out from the portrait of Elizabeth Irongate. Midnight let out a small gasp, but Miss Appleby just stood there, oblivious.
She didn’t have her glasses on, which meant she couldn’t see it.
Midnight sucked in a sharp breath as more fog billowed out of the portrait and into the room, moving in a circle to create a small whirlwind. The bed shook and the curtains began to whip the air.
“What’s going on?” Miss Appleby lifted her hand and stared as the wind pried open her fingers one by one. The knife clattered to the floor, and Midnight ducked under Miss Appleby’s flailing arms and raced out the door, stopping only to lock it behind her. At the top of the attic stairs, she could hear Tabitha yelling. Thankfully, the key was still in there and she quickly turned it.
“Oh my—” Tabitha started to say, but Midnight just grabbed her hand and dragged her down the stairs.
“Come on. We have to get out of here. Fast.”
“Sounds like a plan to me,” Tabitha panted as they raced across the landing. From the spare bedroom, Midnight could hear Miss Appleby cursing, but she still hadn’t managed to break out. She urged Tabitha to go faster, but it wasn’t until they were three blocks away that they came to a halt.
“I knew there was a reason that I didn’t play any sports.” Tabitha leaned over to catch her breath before she finally straightened up. “So, tell me what happened? Are you okay? How did you get away?”
“It was the pink fog.” Midnight took a deep breath and hitched her backpack higher on her shoulder. “I think it’s the ghost of Elizabeth Irongate. She came out of the painting and pushed the knife from Miss Appleby’s hand. I think she’s been trying to warn me this whole time.”
Midnight Reynolds and the Spectral Transformer Page 12