Wanted: Ghost-Busting Bride

  Now was her chance. With a desperate heave Kailyn yanked the trash can in front of her and bulldozed it across the last few stinking yards toward Spencer.

  Through the streaks of red she saw him fling a handful of graveyard dirt at Desdemona. Slowly the red glow pulled back. With one final shove, she reached his side and sank down next to him, huffing like a freight train.

  “You’re bleeding,” he said, cradling his right arm to his chest.

  Tears welled up in her eyes. She so wanted to touch him, to reassure herself he wasn’t a figment of her imagination. Maybe she hadn’t blown everything. Maybe they could still defeat Desdemona.

  Before she could reply, the red glow whipped into a mini-tornado and sped toward them. Beside her Spencer grasped the sword and pulled it out of the can, sinking to his knees as he tried to swing the heavy blade in front of him. She leaned against his side, wrapped her hand around the tiny piece of hilt below his fingers and added her strength to his. Together they raised the sword over their heads.

  “As the Earl of Ryne, I order you to halt.”

  At Spencer’s booming command, the whirling red energy stopped as if frozen on the spot. Shimmering for an instant, a life-size image of Desdemona emerged.

  Not taking her gaze off the ghost, Kailyn whispered, “Did you know the sword would drain her powers and stop her?”

  “No. It was the first weapon I could reach. Any thoughts on how we proceed?”

  “Negotiating won’t work,” she sighed and braced her shaky legs against the parapet wall.

  A stalemate with no end. As soon as they put the sword down, Desdemona would attack. The only tools Kailyn hadn’t tried were the computer and the flashlight. Neither was likely to wipe out the ghost.

  Unable to take her gaze off the long scar running from Desdemona’s forehead to her chin, Kailyn studied the powerful apparition. She had no idea where the scar had come from, but the ugly defect so marred the woman’s beauty not even the elaborate gold embroidery on the red velvet dress could soften the damage. More surprisingly, the sword’s spell had captured the ghost’s expression—more anguished than menacing. If Kailyn hadn’t been covered with bruises, burns and cuts from Desdemona’s fury, she might be tempted to feel sorry for the ghost.

  “Thou art a fool to bolster the Earl of Ryne’s power,” Desdemona said to Kailyn. “He cares nothing for thee. Like his ancestor Godfrey, he only weds thee to enrich his holdings.”

  The uncomfortable ring of truth in Desdemona’s voice weakened Kailyn’s clasp on the sword for an instant. The ghost’s image wavered as the metal blade dipped. Whatever power the sword possessed over the ghosts didn’t work unless both of them firmly held the weapon upright.

  “Not true,” Spencer murmured quietly to Kailyn. “Ryne is worth nothing without you.”

  She tightened her grip on the sword, and Desdemona’s outline sharpened. Relief swept through her. Lady Anne had told the truth. Only true love would stop Desdemona. Whether Spencer knew it or not, he must love her as much as she loved him. “Why do you care about my fate, Desdemona?”

  “Thou dost not know of the greed that runs in the Markham line. Though I carried Godfrey’s child, he set me aside for Lady Anne. He desired her landed dowry, while I was wed to a brutish old man and forced to endure the slash of his dagger.”

  Against her will, sympathy washed over Kailyn. “Then why did you kill Lady Anne to marry Godfrey?”

  “I desired the sweetness of revenge after Godfrey’s contemptible actions. My son deserved his rightful place as his heir, and I desired to waste his wealth. Unfortunately, Lady Anne fought like a demon to protect her eldest son.”

  Kailyn’s head throbbed. It would be so much easier if she could hate Desdemona, but she couldn’t. The first Earl of Ryne had treated her unfairly, but that didn’t excuse the woman’s murderous assault on Lady Anne. Or her determination to kill Spencer. “Don’t you think it’s time to let go of your anger and move on?”

  “When I steal Lady Anne’s true desire, I shall have my revenge.”

  Frustration roared through Kailyn. How was she supposed to have Lady Anne voice a stronger desire than protecting Spencer? The blasted ghost had been missing for the last week. Sighing, she drew comfort from the hint that Desdemona didn’t know Lady Anne was AWOL. At least the crazed ghost hadn’t captured or snuffed Lady Anne out of existence.

  An incessant ding from her laptop echoed inside the trash can. Between her head aching and the annoying noise, Kailyn couldn’t string two coherent thoughts together. Using her free hand, she groped inside the container until she touched the computer. She slid it closer and opened the lid.

  Out zoomed a green ball of energy. It blossomed into a life-size image of Lady Anne and hovered a foot from Desdemona.

  Once the shock of seeing the ghost faded, Kailyn growled, “How did you get in my computer? And where have you been?”

  “I cannot thank thee enough,” Lady Anne replied brightly. “When thou placed my likeness on thy magic box, I joined my image and my body came to life. Thy instrument created the road to Mandavylle—a land where the people are happy, where the fields produce plenty and where the castles flourish.”

  Lady Anne’s rosy tale of her adventures must have irked Desdemona because the evil ghost gave a short, harsh laugh. “I suppose thy perfect Mandavylle has gold and jewels aplenty.”

  “Yea.” Lady Anne positively beamed at her enemy. “The crown of England does not possess such wealth as I have seen in Mandavylle. As queen I shall have power, riches and esteem beyond thy fondest dreams.”

  What a crock, Kailyn thought with disgust. The mighty defender of Ryne had gone on a freaking vacation during our battle with Desdemona . . . Or had she?

  Lady Anne’s wink confirmed her suspicion. Spencer’s ancestor had heard Desdemona’s demand and was spinning a yarn.

  “Lady Ann, you failed in your duty to help me defend Ryne.” The deadly snarl in Spencer’s voice was so convincing, Kailyn suspected he didn’t realize Lady Anne was setting up their rescue, but she couldn’t clue him in without alerting Desdemona.

  “I have found my future,” Lady Anne replied. “After five hundred years of overseeing Ryne’s affairs, I came back to give my leave. The kingdom of Mandavylle is in need of a queen, and I shall be their monarch.”

  For a moment, Kailyn had a hard time believing the lady’s claim wasn’t genuine. It didn’t help her confidence when Spencer cursed under his breath. But she didn’t dare tell him her suspicions, so she’d have to trust him to follow her lead.

  “Thou shall never be monarch of Mandavylle,” Desdemona screeched. “Thou bested me once because of thy family’s wealth, but thou wilt not claim this prize. Thy two pawns cannot hold the sword without cease. When they falter, I shall take thy place at Mandavylle.”

  Next to her, Spencer tensed and raised the sword higher, bracing it against the parapet wall with his injured arm. “I will never allow you to win.”

  Lady Anne shot a green bolt at the sword. “Thou misunderstand me, Desdemona. The prize thou sought for five hundred years is thine. Ryne is no longer my concern. I am off to live a life where women are cherished and given the power to right wrongs.”

  Everything made sense now, but how was Kailyn supposed to get Desdemona to link with her picture in the computer without putting everyone at risk or making the ghost suspicious?

  She glanced at Spencer. The grim set of his jaw convinced her he couldn’t be depended on to help. If this charade was going to work, Desdemona had to overpower them and take Lady Anne’s place. Not a comforting thought.

  Perhaps a little light trickery might work.

  Praying she’d read the situation correctly, she pushed the blade of the sword down to the ground. Both ghosts immediately swirled into action. Desdemona hurled a lightning bolt while Lady Anne swooped toward the computer. Stooping, Kailyn grabbed the flashlight at her feet, flipped it on and aimed the beam at Lady Anne. With a slashing motion she whipped the light acro
ss Lady Anne’s form.

  Lady Anne winked out.

  “Are you out of your mind?” The anger in Spencer’s voice stung, but she couldn’t take time to explain.

  The swirling red haze swept her up. From inside the spinning fury, she felt rather than heard Desdemona’s ultimatum. “Show me how to use thy implement so I shall become queen.”

  “Put me down. And don’t zap my computer like you did the cell phones. I need it to get you to Mandavylle.”

  Instantly she was flung face-first onto the stone floor. Spencer rushed to her side. Shaking her head, she squirmed free from his embrace and snagged her computer.

  “Trust me,” she whispered, “and stay out of Desdemona’s view.”

  After a second’s hesitation he gave a slight nod.

  She pushed him toward the tower door then turned to the red haze. “I’m going to put your picture on the screen, Desdemona, but it will take a little time. I have to find Mandaville first.”

  Setting the laptop down at the edge of Desdemona’s hazy form, Kailyn knelt. The hairs on the back of her neck prickled as Desdemona’s energy slithered around her. Pricks of ghostly jolts caused her fingers to fumble.

  She didn’t dare look at Spencer. If Desdemona stayed focused on her, he would be safe. But the faster she typed, the more wrong keys she hit. Her laptop refused to connect to the Internet.

  A green shadow flitted across the screen. The glimpse of Lady Anne’s presence gave Kailyn courage. Frantically, she tried the website again. The page appeared on the screen.

  “Thou art taking too much time. Do not trick me.” A flash of red energy burned Kailyn’s back.

  Spencer bellowed, grabbed the flashlight and charged Desdemona. Kailyn whirled and jumped in front of him. “Don’t.”

  “The flashlight destroyed Lady Anne. Why can’t we get rid of Desdemona with it?”

  She pulled the useless light out of his hand. “Listen to me. When we became engaged, Lady Anne received her wish. Desdemona won’t disappear until her desire is satisfied.”

  Placing her hand on Spencer’s chest, she pleaded, “Trust me.”

  “You’d better not get hurt.” He brushed his finger over her cheek and stepped back, right into Desdemona’s angry grip. The ghost swirled, swallowed Spencer and swooped him over to the parapet wall.

  Kailyn’s mind went numb. Desdemona couldn’t kill him now. Not when they were so close to winning.

  “Don’t even think about harming him, Desdemona.” She screamed. “I’ll toss your window to Mandaville over the parapets. It will smash to smithereens, ending your chance to be queen.”

  The threat didn’t work. The red haze dangled Spencer beyond the edge of the wall.

  Teeth clenched, Kailyn snatched the computer and held it over the side. “I refuse to help you until Spencer is safe. Put him back on the rooftop.”

  Holding her breath, she waited as sparks shot out of the red energy. She lowered the computer as if to let it slip from her hand. Slowly, the ghost swirled back toward the east tower door.

  Kailyn waited until Spencer’s feet rested on the stone floor before she pulled the computer back from the edge. For an instant she debated ordering Desdemona to release him, but the ghost must have read her mind.

  “I will set thy Earl free when thou hast completed thy task.”

  Shaking, she used both hands to lift the computer to safety and lower it to the ground. Biting her lip, she Googled Mandaville and prayed Lady Anne’s new-found land existed on the Internet. Crap. The search engine listed only people’s names and websites. The panic she’d held at bay threatened to overwhelm her.

  Where was Lady Anne’s site? Desdemona wouldn’t wait for Kailyn to flip through thousands of web pages.

  She was so frazzled she almost missed Lady Anne’s help when a green flash changed the “i” to “y” in Mandavylle in the search box. The ghostly matriarch hadn’t abandoned her.

  Limp with relief, she let out her breath as the new search brought up what looked like an idyllic English countryside with numerous castles. No wonder Lady Anne had fallen for the place.

  “Be quick, or thy earl dies.” Desdemona’s lightning bolt struck at Kailyn’s feet.

  Jumping, she clenched her fists. “You’ve waited five hundred years. Another few minutes won’t kill you.”

  The red glow around Spencer sparked and sputtered, but didn’t harm him.

  Using a photo editing program, she forced her trembling fingers to erase the scar from Desdemona’s picture. Without the reminder of her past life, maybe the demonic ghost would lose her stinking attitude and stay put in Mandavylle.

  After attaching the edited picture to the site, Kailyn swung the computer toward the ghost. “Now it’s up to you. Put your energy into your picture.” She tapped the image with the tip of her finger.

  A red stream of light whizzed out from around Spencer, and he slumped forward to his knees. Kailyn wanted to rush to his side, but she didn’t dare enrage the ghost. Instead, she sucked in her breath and tried to calm her galloping heart.

  Desdemona materialized in front of the computer, compacted into a tiny red dot and zipped back and forth across the image of Mandavylle as if weighing the decision to leave Ryne.

  If only the malevolent harpy would go into the computer. Kailyn fastened her eyes on the screen and tried to will Desdemona into her picture.

  Then, with an earsplitting pop, the red ball shot into its digital image. The picture flickered to life, and the troublesome ghost stalked into her new world.

  Tears streaming down her cheeks, Kailyn punched the “off” button and slammed the computer shut.

  “Lady Anne, zap this computer now.”

  Chapter 29

  That evening Spencer slouched on the sofa in his aunt’s sitting room. There was nothing red anywhere among the faded yellow furnishings, which was perfectly fine with him. It wouldn’t bother him if he never saw another speck of that particular color the rest of his life. Glancing at Kailyn, he leaned his head back against the pillow his sister had provided. Though she was snuggled into a nest of pillows and covered with ice packs, his little guardian blushed every time his family fussed over her.

  And fuss they did. After offering her tea, scones, a blanket, a foot stool—and insuring she was as comfortable as anyone with a slight concussion, cuts, and bruises could be—his aunt, his sister, the Chadwicks and Mrs. Simms settled into a semicircle of seats pulled close to the couch. Perched on the edges of their chairs, the eager listeners were dying to hear how Kailyn had disposed of Desdemona. He was thrilled to sing her praises.

  “After we sent all of you to the village, Kailyn constructed a ghost-repelling fort of aluminum foil in a corner of the library as our base for fighting Desdemona.”

  Nell bounced in her seat. “Oh, get on with the good stuff. How did you get Desdemona to appear?”

  His sister had never had much patience, and it was killing her that she’d missed the fray. Spencer winked at Kailyn and clasped her free hand.

  His love wasn’t going to like it when he bragged about her crazy stunts, but she deserved all the credit for ousting the ghost.

  “With Kailyn’s exemplary archery skills, of course. She shot a silver-tipped arrow through the top window in the west tower. It lodged in the tapestry, sending a slightly ticked off Desdemona after us.”

  “From the wreck in the library, I’d say Desdemona was furious.” Mrs. Chadwick chuckled. “I’d have given a week’s wages to be a fly on the wall, cheering while she was destroyed. I haven’t forgiven that malicious troublemaker for sliming my kitchen. I’m still cleaning up the goo.”

  Kailyn set down her cup and frowned. “I’m afraid I was the one who slung the goop around your kitchen, Mrs. Chadwick. Please forgive me. It was the only way I could save Spencer.”

  She looked so guilty, he wished he could pull her into his arms and comfort her. She’d have to learn that Mrs. Chadwick’s grumbling was her way of worrying about his family.

&n
bsp; The housekeeper patted Kailyn’s foot. “Not to worry, dear. I’m not complaining. You did the right thing to save His Lordship. I just don’t like that nasty ghost.”

  “I swear, Spencer, you’re the worst storyteller in the world.” Nell poked at him with her finger. “Get on with the details. Did you use the dozen cell phones you had me purchase?”

  “I tossed them at Desdemona to keep her occupied, while I scrambled across the parapets to Spencer,” Kailyn said before he managed to answer.

  His aunt turned white and twisted her handkerchief with both hands. “What were you doing on the roof, Spencer?”

  Cocking her head sideways, Kailyn eyed him as if trying to figure out a puzzle. “Yeah, exactly how did you end up on the east tower roof?”

  He squeezed her hand. “After Desdemona knocked you out and tossed you into the hall, I charged the bloody ghost. She swept me up into her whirlwind and carried me to the place where she had killed Lady Anne.” He wasn’t about to mention that she’d dropped him and only by the skin of his teeth had he grabbed the wall and scrambled onto the roof.

  “Do go on,” Nell urged, adding a nudge of her foot. “Your saga has finally captivated my interest.”

  He kissed Kailyn’s hand. “Kailyn came blazing through the east tower door throwing cell phones and shoving the trash bin full of weapons. She saved my hide again because Desdemona was about to toss me over the wall.”

  Kailyn’s cheeks turned a cute pink as she took up their story. “Spencer grabbed the broadsword, raised it over his head and—in his haughtiest aristocratic bluster—ordered Desdemona to stop. Wonder of all wonders, the ghost froze on the spot.”

  Everyone in the room burst into laughter at Kailyn’s version of his actions. It warmed his heart to see his family’s love for his intrepid defender reflected in their admiration as they ate up her report of the fight.

  Glancing at him lovingly, she leaned forward. “There’s more. The sword summoned Lady Anne from her wanderings in my computer. Suddenly, we had a standoff between her and Desdemona right in front of us on the parapet.”