by Lee French
“What about you? You’re a ghost too.”
Taking his sword back, Avery raised his brow. “What’s going on in there, Drew? You know we’re on the same side, right?”
Drew sneered. “Oh, really, Mr. Police Brutality? What side is that?”
For several moments, Avery watched out the windshield. They reached the less rural parts of Vancouver and turned toward the freeway. “I did a number of things while under the influence of Mark’s Phasm that I deeply regret. I’m grateful to Justin and Claire for freeing me of that, and for their forgiveness afterward. I’d give a great deal to be able to go back and undo all of it, especially if it would fix the rift between me and my family.
“But I don’t owe you anything. Not an apology, not an explanation, nothing. You’re angry, which I understand. Your anger isn’t about me, though. You’re just lashing out because someone you care about is dead and her ghost is a crappy substitute for the flesh and blood you can’t touch anymore. Be careful with that anger, Drew. It’ll drive away the people you need most right now—allies, friends, and family.”
The words bothered Drew enough to make his eyes itch. He didn’t want to think about the things Avery brought up. Crossing his arms, he shifted so he could watch out the side window. His best friend died yesterday. Her ghost freaked him out. Why couldn’t it have waited until he figured out how to handle her death?
“She’s dead,” he murmured. Tears slipped down his cheeks.
“Yes. But I trust her ghost. We tested the swords on giant cockroaches. They work. The clothes work too. According to Justin, Rondy is with her in her demesne, and I have no reason not to trust his ghost after everything he did to help in the raid on the Palace.”
Had Drew gone through all that with Sophie for no reason? If Claire’s ghost was really Claire, he could trust her not to want to dominate the world. Except maybe she’d still be subject to temptation. Claire did always have a short temper, and she punched things in the face all the time. A powerful ghost with that combination might accidentally wind up dominating things. Especially if she had no idea what she was doing. Drew having power still meant he could keep her in check.
Inside his head, Kay shrugged. “This is getting too complicated for me to follow. I just don’t want to die.”
“Yeah.” Drew wiped his face with his sleeve. “What are you planning to do to Iulia?”
“Be polite. If that doesn’t work, we’ll be rude.”
“Okay.”
They crossed the I-5 bridge and took the exit for the Expo Center in North Portland. Drew watched out the window while they trundled past industrial buildings. He caught flashes of the Columbia River and Hayden Island beyond the steel and concrete. The area had no ley lines bigger than a tiny trickle.
He leaned back and pulled his sleeve up to expose the heart-shaped brand on the inside of his elbow. While he tried to focus, Kay barfed magic knowledge at him. He parroted it for Avery’s benefit without paying attention.
“Iulia wouldn’t be out here. There’s no ambient magic. If she’s going to set up shop, she’ll pick someplace with at least a decent ley line. Right here, probably because of the river, there’s next to nothing. We should move inland.”
The car’s engine revved. Avery shrugged. “He’s the closest thing we have to an expert on the subject, so yes, you should do that. We’re looking for an abandoned lot, I think, or a junkyard. Maybe an overgrown area behind a business. Something along those lines.”
Stirin took a left turn and Drew watched the ley lines grow while the daylight faded and the streetlights flared on. As it tended to do near Portland, a random swath of wilderness engulfed the right side of the road. Drew noticed his brand throbbing. When he checked it, he saw the flesh pulsing in time with his heartbeat like a tiny worm writhed underneath.
“We’re getting close.”
“Direction?”
“It seems more like a game of hot and cold. I could tell where she was before.” Drew sniffled and forced himself to keep talking. “So this must be something to do with the locket and her…soul, I guess, being in different places.”
“Ley node,” Kay said. “Right side.”
“There,” Drew said as he pointed to a small node rippling through the ground in the twilight gloom.
“That’s got to be it,” Avery said at the same time.
The car pulled to the side of the two-lane road, stopping outside a puddle of light. Nearby, a closed gate barred passage into a paved lot with semi trailers butting against a chain-link fence. Weeds engulfed the side of the road, from mounded shrubs to six-foot dandelions. In the next streetlight up the road, Drew made out a sign on a building for an auto wrecking business.
Stirin opened his car doors and they stepped out. Tariel stopped behind the car with Justin on her back. When Avery pointed at the lot, Tariel rushed the fence and jumped over it. She stopped and posed in the fringe of the streetlight. Justin chuckled and patted her neck.
“There are times when I regret having a car instead of a horse.” Avery patted his car’s hood and smirked. “Not many, but it happens.”
Drew spun mist around them, moving Stirin, Avery, and himself to the other side of the fence. The car’s engine revved.
Avery twitched his brow. “I’d say he doesn’t think you should sit out and do nothing while the rest of us potentially risk our lives.” When the car rumbled gain, Avery waved it off. “We’ll discuss that later.”
Though he could have remained mounted, Justin hopped off Tariel’s back. The group slipped across a paved lot full of semis, trailers, and trailer beds to the back corner where the surrounding forest leaned over the fence. Leafless vines, dead leaves, and weeds growing through cracks in the asphalt embraced a faded red shipping container on the ground, giving the appearance of the forest attempting to steal it.
Light from Stirin’s headlamps blared at the container’s door, revealing a battered combination lock securing it. Justin crouched and handled the lock, checking it over. When he drew his sword, Avery put a hand on his shoulder to stop him.
“Wait. A lock on the outside probably means she’s not here. If we cut the lock, we lose any chance to surprise her by leaving the place like we found it.”
“I don’t know how to pick a lock. Drew, can you do that?”
“Why?” Drew snapped, annoyed again, though he couldn’t say why. “Because I’m a foster kid?”
Justin raised his brow. “No, because you can affect things with mist, which should be able to slip into small spaces. Because it’s mist.”
“Oh.” Drew’s cheeks burned. “Um, yeah, I can probably do that.”
“Smooth.”
“Shut up, Kay.” He sent a burst of fog at the lock, probing it from a distance. Unable to see or feel anything inside it, he filled the space until something clicked and the lock popped open.
Justin lifted the lock and tucked it through a belt loop on his jeans. “Thank you.” He and Avery hauled the doors open. The metal creaked and screeched, destroying any chance they had of remaining stealthy if Iulia happened to be nearby.
“I don’t suppose you can do anything about that when we close the doors?” Avery murmured as he and Justin stepped inside the cozy living space, both holding their swords ready for a fight.
“Maybe.” Drew stayed behind the two men as they checked the place.
Stirin’s headlights threw sharp shadows against the back wall. Castoff and makeshift furniture filled the room. A crystal hung from a string tied to a hook on the ceiling, giving off yellow light too weak to overpower Stirin’s.
Once both Justin and Avery relaxed, Drew stepped into the container and knew he’d found Claire’s body. His brand pounded hard enough to make his arm ache. Yet, he saw nothing of her. He noticed a bowl of crystals on one of two wooden tables and dragged it closer. The bins and buckets around it held various household goods, including clothing, towels, chalk, and utensils. A weathered, water-damaged journal leaned against a bin. Curiously, th
e second wooden table held nothing.
“Are we sure this is the right place?” Justin asked. He picked up Claire’s dagger from the coffee table and tucked it into his belt at the small of his back.
“Yes.” Drew dumped out the contents of the bowl and touched each stone, hoping one might affect him in some way. Nothing happened. “It’s here. I don’t see it, but the locket is definitely here.”
“Besides,” Avery said, “how many containers could there be in Portland with residents who use glowing crystals as their light source?”
“Gentlemen.”
Kay swore.
Drew whirled to see Iulia standing in the open doorway, holding a cloth shopping bag by the handles. Her aura blazed with enough pure, clear power to choke a hippo. He froze and paled, stunned not only by her resemblance to Claire, but also by the sheer force of her aura and by being caught in the act of breaking and entering.
“Is it customary in this time to break locks and do as you please in someone else’s home?”
Chapter 20
Claire
Claire felt confident she knew more about fighting with her dagger than she had before. Once she got the hang of it, she liked Rondy’s teaching style. He let her try whatever she wanted and didn’t berate her for picking something dumb. It might’ve gone faster if he started by showing her the best option. If she still had a body, she probably would’ve preferred being shown how to do it properly. Being nothing but a soul made his method more satisfying. She got to see why the best choice worked.
She sat opposite Rondy, reflecting on what she’d learned, and noticed a strange sensation building in her chest. The spot with her locket twinged. She imagined a string stretched taut between that spot and something else, and someone had plucked it. In the back of her mind, a low, humming buzz reverberated loud enough to annoy her.
“I think I have to go across, even though I know Iulia will trap me. She’s got to be doing something to my body.”
Rondy shrugged. “You don’t need my permission to go.”
No, she didn’t. She had no idea why she chose to say something instead of going. It seemed polite, she supposed. “Just thought I’d say something first. Maybe you can chat with the buck while I’m gone.”
“Perhaps. Whatever you wind up doing, give it your best.”
“Aye, aye.” Claire flipped him a salute and dove down the road. She emerged from her body to see Justin, Avery, and Drew in Iulia’s container, with Iulia and Leeloo at the door. Harsh white light glared from outside. Although it seemed like a perfect time to dive through the opening at the opposite end of the small home, Claire knew Iulia wouldn’t have left a gaping hole in her wards.
Drew glanced her way and frowned. He didn’t act like he saw her. With Iulia outside and not performing magic, Claire guessed the odd sensation must have been caused by Drew’s proximity to the locket.
“Nice to see you again, Iulia.” Justin retrieved a combination lock from a belt loop and tossed it to Iulia. “We just stopped by to chat. You must have forgotten to click the lock shut all the way.”
Iulia caught the lock with a smirk. “Of course. My ability to provide hospitality is limited at the moment, so you’ll have to forgive me for not offering drinks.” She stepped inside and waved a hand to close one half of the door. The other panel remained open.
Justin sheathed his sword. Avery followed suit. Both men took seats on the couch. Drew remained at the nearby worktable, so still Claire barely saw him breathing. Iulia brought her shopping bag to the worktable and lifted Drew’s hand out of her crystals. Leeloo, staying in her tiny form, followed her inside and took up a silent perch in the corner.
“Silly boy, those are useless to you.” Iulia set Drew’s hand aside, which he let her do without resistance, and returned the bowl to its spot against the wall. Claire noticed her palming a yellow stone. “Please, child, have a seat. Don’t be rude.”
Drew gulped and nodded. “S-sorry.” He skirted around her to take a seat.
“Lovely. What would you gentlemen like to chat about?” Clasping her hands behind her back, she paced in front of them and smiled like she’d asked them over for tea.
“The seal you want to create,” Avery said. Of the four people in the room, he seemed the most relaxed. “We’d like to offer our assistance.”
“Really. And what does that have to do with going through my things?”
Drew coughed. Justin shrugged. Avery smiled without it reaching his eyes.
“Nothing,” Avery said. “Teenage boys just have trouble keeping their hands to themselves. I’m sure you’re familiar with the phenomenon.”
Iulia’s lip curled. “Indeed. Is there some reason you think I wish your help despite not soliciting it?”
“I have a hard time accepting the notion you don’t need any assistance with a task as complex as creating something to banish all ghosts.”
Iulia raised her chin. “Caius’s help turned out to be disastrous. I expect yours would be similar. My goal isn’t a seal like the what the Palace turned out to be, so the help of Knights isn’t useful. Drew could, perhaps, offer what I need, but he’s already failed me once. He’s also proven he can’t handle pressure.”
Claire watched Drew sink into the cushions, his face turning brick red. He opened his mouth and shut it again, his gaze dropping to his lap.
“And more proof of this is offered. I have nothing to discuss with any of you, so you may go. I believe you’re familiar with the location and use of the door.”
Justin stood and straightened his jeans. “That’s fine. Hand over Claire’s body and we’ll be on our way.”
Iulia twisted to look around the room. “Do you see it here? Is there a sign I don’t know about that indicates I’m storing corpses someplace?”
Justin and Avery shared a glance. Both frowned. Claire frowned too. She saw her body, but they didn’t. Not even Kay did. If Claire stayed quiet now, they’d never know. Revealing herself might cost her something, but she had to do it.
She rippled into view. “It’s right here. Hidden by magic.”
Everyone turned to face her. Iulia narrowed her eyes. Drew’s eyes instead popped open wide. Justin and Avery each shifted as if they intended to pounce, but not yet.
“Welcome back, Claire.” Iulia gave the room a charming smile and spread her hands. “I gather there have been conversations since I last saw you. Why don’t we all discuss the situation? I’m not your enemy, any of you. There’s no need to turn this into a fight. After all, we all worked together yesterday. Everything didn’t work out exactly as we all hoped, of course. The important thing is that we destroyed Caius and removed the corrupting influence of the Palace. Where to go from here is a conversation we can have together.”
Claire stared at her. “The part where I’m a ghost now is kind of important to me. Maybe we should start there.”
Iulia nodded with a sigh. “I’m sorry that happened. I would much rather have had you survive. But nothing can undo it. There’s no magic that can return a ghost to a dead body. As such, I think this impromptu discussion will be best served by looking forward.”
Though Claire wanted to tell Iulia where she could shove her “discussion,” Justin cleared his throat. “What do you need with Claire’s body? Can you explain what you’re doing and how it’ll work?”
“I’ve already told Claire all about this. The new seal will take time, and I believe her locket will make a perfect basis. As soon as the locket can be separated from her body, I’ll be happy to return it to its burial site.”
“You might’ve asked to dig it up in the first place,” Drew snapped.
“Perhaps. It’s done. I’d show you, but the cloak is preserving the flesh so it doesn’t rot or decay. Undoing one aspect undoes the other.”
“What will the new seal do?” Avery asked.
“The same thing as the old seal, but without Caius’s interference. Because none of you have studied any of this, the simple explanation is that th
e pathways which allow ghosts to form after death will be closed off. The original seal had a conduit to allow reinforcing after its creation. This made the seal possible, but was the mistake that allowed it to become corrupted. It turned out that conduit wasn’t necessary and Caius found a way to use it in reverse.” Iulia waved a hand dismissively. “Sort of. It’s complicated. Suffice to say that Caius found a way to use it as a power source. He wasn’t clever, but he was determined.
“This new one will be tied to a ley node, which will provide all the power it needs for as long as the Earth continues to exist. And because of the way I’m going to create that binding, there won’t be an option to corrupt it from the outside.”
Claire crossed her arms and drifted from one wall to the other, pacing while she considered the positive outcome. “And what happens to me?”
Iulia’s mouth twitched with annoyance. “Whether everything will work the same for you as it does now is not a question I can answer at this point. I should know more after I’ve had a chance to study the locket.”
Justin and Avery shared a glance. Claire watched them, not sure what passed between the two men. Drew seemed tense and fidgety, a sure sign he had too much going on in his head. Kay’s whispers probably filled it beyond his ability to cope.
“What happens once you have the locket?” Justin asked.
Giving Justin a pleased smile, Iulia gestured to her work table. “I’ll need time to study it and experiment. In the meantime, you and your fellow Knights will have to handle things the old-fashioned way, as was done in my youth. I recommend finding some witches and working together to face the challenges caused by the Palace’s destruction.”
“And for all that, you won’t need Claire’s ghost stuck here with you?”
With that question, Claire saw the point. Justin wanted her free, at least for now. By the look on her face, Iulia reached the same conclusion at the same time. She flicked her gaze at Claire and back to Justin. “I suppose not. Once I have the locket, there’s no need to keep her corralled here.”
Justin stood and pulled the dagger out of his pants. Claire had no idea how he managed to sit without slicing his jeans open or stabbing himself. Maybe she’d done a better job than she thought with enchanting the clothes. He offered the knife to her, hilt first.