by Dana Davis
Daisy studied Scarlet and Bridgette. “We should get to that mall.”
The medium shook her head. “It’s too late. Hitchhikers may be evil but they’re not stupid. If one of them killed that person at the mall, it won’t go back there for fear of getting caught.”
Daisy’s stomach churned. Fantastic. “Get me home, Noah. I’m sick of this place.”
Noah shut Daisy’s door then went around to get in on the driver’s side. Daisy rolled down the window and said good-bye to Bridgette and Scarlet, knowing full well both would follow her home.
As they pulled out of the patient pickup area, a cool breeze lifted Daisy’s short hair, and the “Get Well” balloons bobbed around behind her, scraping against each other now and again. She leaned back into the seat. “It feels so good to be out of there.”
Noah snickered. “You were only there two days.”
“Well it felt longer. And being a witch didn’t keep me from getting stuck with needles. I feel like a damn pin cushion.”
“Poor baby.” He grinned.
“Hey, a little sympathy here?” But she knew he was trying to lighten her mood and she loved him for it. Or maybe he’s just relieved I’m alive. Whichever it is, I don’t deserve his kindness. I scared the living shit out of him by dying. And now I’m the reason another person is dead. Mortals have no protection against a hitchhiker. We have to capture this killer and send it back where it came from. Yeah, just like that. No problem.
Hard as she tried, she couldn’t get the image of what might’ve happened to the poor victim on the news out of her head. The first of many if they didn’t hurry and put the evil bastard back where it belonged.
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Chapter 3
Mirror in the Bathroom
“Let’s stop at the store, Noah. I need to pick up some groceries.”
“Already done.”
“Huh?”
He smiled and made the turn onto the street. “I did a grocery run last night.”
Daisy had insisted he stay home with Perky last night instead of at the hospital with her. She really wasn’t worried about the dog but Noah needed a good night’s sleep after everything that had happened. “Honey, you were supposed to be resting.”
He chuckled. “Look who’s talking. And I slept. You’re just cranky because you hate being sick and causing a fuss.”
She gave him the stink-eye and he chuckled. “Did you get coffee? We’re almost out.”
“Yes. If there’s anything I forgot, I can run out after I get you home.”
She wanted to argue, to say that she felt fine and could shop with him, but that would’ve been a lie. Fatigue dragged at her and it wasn’t even lunchtime, yet. We’ve had enough friction with me dying and all. She leaned back in the seat, closed her eyes and drifted off.
Something heavy pressed down on her, taking her breath. You’re mine, a deep voice like a rake against gravel whispered. Her eyes flew open and she sat up so hard the seatbelt locked, putting an abrupt stop to her momentum. Her heart raced like a greyhound chasing a rabbit.
The heavy sensation was gone and the car sat at a red light now. This one just across from Desert Oasis Cemetery, the place her grandparents were buried and where she did the crossing over ritual that caused her brief death. Her gaze moved to the large stucco building on the far side of the grassy lawn. The mausoleum, where she suspected Rebecca Miller had attacked Daisy’s life-force with her psi-vamp powers.
She could’ve sucked me dry but she didn’t. She wanted me to hurt so she went after Mom’s soul. Bent on revenge for what Daisy had done to her skinwalker toting grandfather, Rebecca had used her necromancer powers and forced a Charon reaper to soulnap Daisy’s mother. Was it only a few nights ago that I was traipsing around in the afterlife looking for Mom? It felt much longer. I still have to find that necro bitch, make sure she never gets to any of my dead relatives again.
“You okay, honey?” Noah said. “You jerked yourself awake.”
She swallowed hard and let the bright desert sunlight calm her then turned a smiling face to her husband. Was that voice just a dream? It felt real but she didn’t want to alarm Noah. Especially since she wasn’t sure herself. Maybe it was just a prankster ghost. I haven’t heard one talk so I really don’t know what to expect. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just a dream.” He still looked concerned so she stretched. “Oh, I’m really enjoying my freedom from Dr. Varma and her hovering staff.”
Noah chuckled and shook his head. The light changed and Daisy’s eyes lingered on the building next to the mausoleum as the car pulled forward. She wondered if Kali Lau was working today. Kali had saved her life by being her anchor to this world during that dangerous crossing-over ritual. Another necromancer in my life. Up until a couple of weeks ago, she’d never known any necros lived in the Phoenix area. In fact, she’d never even thought about necromancers much at all, until recently.
I don’t remember Kali’s work schedule. The woman had aged several years from putting part of herself into the afterlife. One reason many necros renounced their powers once they were trained. Kali had taken up the practice again just to help Daisy. I owe her. Big time.
She turned and glanced out the rear window. Between the swaying balloons, she saw that Bridgette and Scarlet were still following. The sight comforted her so she turned and relaxed into her seat.
A Buick with a Minnesota license plate pulled out in front of Noah’s Hybrid and crawled along so Noah switched lanes. “Hunting season again,” he uttered, as they passed a couple who looked too old to walk, much less drive.
Daisy chuckled when he smiled. He made that comment every year during snowbird season, when winter visitors flocked to the Valley of the Sun to escape the frigid cold of their home states.
At the next intersection, they stopped at another red light. She squinted when she saw a figure in her corner vision, female from what she could make out, meandering around the front yard of a home on one of the side streets. They were close to the neighborhood where Daisy grew up and still owned her childhood home. This area was all residential, the occasional McMansion interspersed between traditional stucco homes built in the seventies and eighties. Xeriscaped yards alternated with grassy ones. Desert trees, saguaro cacti and palms jutted up behind cinderblock fences. When the oldest homes in this area were built, this was the outskirts of town.
A woodpecker tapped on a metal roof pipe, calling for a mate, as Daisy squinted in an attempt to bring the ghost into focus.
“Oh, that reminds me,” Noah said. “The roofers finished the repairs and they actually came in a few dollars under the estimate.”
“Really? That’s good.” The couple renting Daisy’s childhood home had complained of a leak after the last rainstorm. The past couple of days while she was laid up in the hospital, she’d been thinking of selling the place. One less thing to worry about. But she wasn’t sure she could let go of those memories, yet.
She narrowed her eyes again but still had to look at the ghost with averted vision in order to see it. Every time she looked straight on, the figure disappeared. How the hell am I ever going to get used to this? Wonder if Scarlet sees her?
“What is it?”
She glanced at her husband. “Ghost. In that yard with the two saguaros.”
“Great. Just don’t let it follow us home.” He smiled but he looked uncomfortable. The light changed and he pulled forward.
“I’ll do my best.” But I have no idea how to keep them out. She would ask Scarlet when she got home. That medium better have a way to keep them out, because I don’t want the dead traipsing around my house all day and night. Oh, hell. How did this happen? “Why me?”
“I don’t know, hon. But Scarlet said she’d help, remember?”
“Oh, did I say that out loud?”
“Yes, you did. You feeling okay?”
“Just tired. Why do you keep asking me that?” Then it hit her. He’s worried I’ll go mad. “Never mind.”
She waved a dismissive hand. “Yeah, I know. You’re right. I’m just antsy to get home.”
They both grew silent and she took in a long breath as they drove past palo verde and acacia trees planted in the median. After several more lights, the McDowell Mountains grew closer and they finally crossed the Central Arizona Project canal. The CAP canal water shimmered in the sunlight. The sight lifted her mood and she shifted in her seat, eager to be home.
More lights and a couple of turns later, Noah made a right onto their street. Daisy began to relax. Hers was a fairly new neighborhood so she didn’t expect there to be ghosts milling around. In fact, she didn’t see one spook anywhere and she smiled as they passed Opal’s house. The elderly woman took care of Perky when Daisy had to leave home for more than a couple of hours, and her dog, Sally, loved having Perky around.
“Honey, we’re home!” Noah turned into the drive and activated the garage door.
Finally. “Hey, you took down the Halloween decorations.”
“Yeah. I figured we didn’t need any letters from the association. You know how anxious they get when lights are left up too long.”
“The HellOA wouldn’t dare.” Their homeowner’s association was made up of paranormals who enjoyed harassing mortals. They wouldn’t bother Daisy for small stuff like decorations, especially since Halloween was less than a week ago. “Ah, there’s my baby.” She meant her vintage mint green VW bus. “So, Cleaver, where’s the Beave?”
Noah grinned as he eased the Hybrid into its garage spot. “Probably scratching at the door right now.” He cut the motor. “I just hope he hasn’t peed on the floor.”
She chuckled. “Wouldn’t be the first time. But you weren’t gone that long.”
Despite being house trained, five-year-old Perky still had an occasional accident. Especially when he was left home alone too long. Mountains and open desert surrounded Daisy’s neighborhood, so letting the dog outside alone would lead to him getting eaten. Coyotes, bobcats, hawks and other predators looked on cats and small dogs as dinner. Hell, coyotes had been known to haul off toddlers if they got hungry enough. And they could easily jump a six-foot tall block wall fence. Daisy had lost count of how many missing cat signs she’d seen taped to light poles and community mailboxes over the years.
Noah placed a hand on her arm. “Need help getting out, honey?”
“I’m not an invalid.” She got out and walked around the car. She could hear Perky’s yips from inside the house as she opened the car door and started to reach into the back.
“I’ll get that stuff. You go inside and get into bed.” Noah raised a finger when she started to argue. “You promised Dr. Varma you’d rest.”
“I can rest on the couch.”
“Not on my watch, missy.” He handed her the house key and her small hospital bag. “You get to bed or no dessert for you.”
She stepped close, raised a brow, and smirked. “What kind of dessert did you have in mind?”
“The kind you’re not getting until you’re better, wench.” He swatted her butt.
“Noah. Stop that. We’ve got company.” She motioned to the street as her husband reached into the back seat for her flowers and balloons. Bridgette pulled her BMW convertible into the driveway and Scarlet Mendoza parked her gray Hyundai sedan in front of the house. “You can park in the driveway, Scarlet,” Daisy called to the medium, but she received a dismissive wave. She shrugged and headed inside.
Her little terrier mutt was at the door when she opened it, tail wagging furiously. “Hi, Perky-poo. Did you miss me?” She stepped into the laundry room, dropped her bag and purse on the dryer, and scooped the dog up. He gave frantic licks to her chin as she carried him into the kitchen. This was the longest she’d ever been away from him. He even went with them when they traveled. If I had a tail, I’d be wagging it too.
Bridgette pushed in behind her with a vase of flowers in her hands, the light perfume filling Daisy’s nostrils. “So, your bossy man ordered you to bed, did he?”
She stuck her tongue out at her cousin and gave her the stink-eye.
“That’s mature.” Bridgette put the flowers and her purse on the island next to the shards of the orange vase that once belonged to Daisy’s mom Penny.
“Sue me. I’ve been stuck in a hospital. I’m allowed to be immature.”
“It was only a couple of days.” Bridgette chuckled when Daisy gave her the stink-eye again. “You want help putting that back together?” The redhead flipped a freckled arm toward the orange shards.
They had found the vase at Rebecca’s house, along with a stolen ring. Both had once belonged to Daisy’s mom. The vase had broken in a scuffle with Rebecca’s then boyfriend, Mario, after he accidentally shot Daisy.
At least my arm’s completely healed now. She would always have a scar from that bullet, though. “No, I can do it. It’ll give me something to do while I’m ‘resting’.” Sensing something was off, she narrowed eyes on Bridgette. “You okay?”
“Yeah.” One freckled arm waved her concern away. “I’ll tell you all about it later.”
Before Daisy could say anything else, Noah took Perky from her and put him on the tile floor. He turned her by the shoulders and gave her a little push toward the hallway. “You go change into your pajamas, then I’ll tuck you in.”
“I’ll help her,” Scarlet said. She dropped her purse onto the island, hooked an arm in Daisy’s and marched her into the hall and toward the master bedroom.
“I don’t need help, Scarlet.”
Dark eyes flicked to her. “Don’t be too sure.” Scarlet’s tone implied she meant something else altogether.
When they reached Daisy’s bedroom, the bed sheets had been turned down and a stuffed teddy bear lay on her pillow. It held a pink heart that read, I Love You. Noah, I love you so much.
Scarlet put a hand on her arm to stop her from entering the master bath. “Where do you keep your extra sheets and blankets?”
She turned back to the medium. “Why? You staying overnight?”
“Yes. But that’s not why I need them now.”
“Then what—” Movement caught Daisy’s corner vision. It came from the mirror above her dresser. “Shit.” So much for them staying out of my house.
“Exactly. Now, where can I find some sheets?”
“End of the hallway. Linen closet.”
“Good. Stay away from the mirrors until I get back.”
Daisy nodded and wrapped arms around her middle as Noah entered. He turned to watch Scarlet as she passed him. “Where’s she going?”
“To get sheets for the mirrors.” Daisy caught shadowy movement in her dresser mirror again and turned her back to it. Having Gran or Great-uncle Ian’s ghost in her family room was one thing, but seeing strange shadows move around in the mirrors made her shiver. Scarlet was a seasoned medium and she kept mirrors in her own home covered. What the hell did I get myself into?
Scarlet returned with Bridgette on her heels. “Okay, here.” She dumped an armload of sheets onto the bed. Cover all the large mirrors with these. Make sure they won’t slip off.”
Bridgette eyed the medium. “What about other reflective surfaces?”
“Just mirrors. The big ones are most important.”
Daisy had a horrible thought. “What about the pool, Scarlet?” She motioned one arm toward the window that looked out into the backyard.
“Ghosts can’t use water like that. Let’s start in your bathroom.”
Daisy and Scarlet used an aqua colored sheet to cover the huge mirror over the master bath vanity as Noah and Bridgette scoured the rest of the house. When Daisy came out to retrieve her pajamas, a blue sheet covered the large mirror over her dresser. Is this how we’re going to have to live from now on?<
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“Okay, you’re good now.” Scarlet left the room and shut the door.
Daisy shrugged into cotton pajama bottoms and a tee shirt. Fatigue dragged at her like quicksand and the king-sized bed she and Noah shared looked more than inviting.
She yawned as she opened the bedroom door to find Scarlet standing on the other side with Perky in her arms. “How am I supposed to put on makeup, Scarlet? How’s Noah going to shave?”
The medium studied her with sympathy in her eyes. “Got any hand mirrors?”
“Yeah. A couple.”
“Use those for now. They’re too small for the dead to use as portals so they’ll ignore them.”
“Can they just step through?” That thought send a chill up Daisy’s spine and she realized she had no idea how ghosts traveled.
“No, they don’t need mirrors to travel to this side. But they can see into this world and bug the hell out of any medium in the vicinity. Mirror communications uses less energy on their part than manifesting here. And they need a large surface to do it.”
“Ghost video phone. Swell.”
Scarlet chuckled. “Sorry about that. But if it’s any consolation, keeping the mirrors covered should deter most of them from coming to you in person. At least for a while.”
“Well, that’s something. I guess.” At Noah’s urging, Daisy climbed into bed and sat with her back against the wrought iron headboard, pillows cushioning her. She picked up the teddy bear and hugged it to her chest, giving her husband a thankful smile.
Bridgette sauntered in and frowned at the covered dresser mirror as Scarlet handed keys to Noah. “There’s a suitcase in my trunk. Can you get it, please?”
Daisy eyed the medium as Noah left the room. “You’re really staying the night?”
“Probably a whole week. Maybe more. I would’ve asked but even if you said no, I’d still have to stay. You can’t be alone with them for the first few days. Not until you learn how to deal with some things.”
A smirk turned the corner of Daisy’s lip up. “So, do I call you Teacher now?”
Bridgette chuckled and leaned her tall frame against the mattress. “You’ve just been dying to go back to school, haven’t you?” Daisy stuck her tongue at her cousin.