On Pins and Needles: Sierra Fox, Book 3

by Yolanda Sfetsos

  “So, what you’re saying is that the Council isn’t even needed?” Ebony asked.

  “Having a figure head was always a way to satisfy the population, to make them feel safe and secure about having girls out there who could actually see the dead and reel them in. It keeps everyone calm—the authorities included.” Roe frowned. “Our world is very unstable and there are so many things humans still don’t understand. By showing them a big, fancy building, it makes them feel like things are being taken care of. When a cluster of smaller operations could do the same thing.” He paused. “In other states, small clusters are all they have. There is only one Council building, and that’s the one in Sydney. They file monthly reports and email them in, but other than that work independently.”

  “Wish we worked the same way,” Ebony said, fear burning in her eyes. “I don’t think I’ll ever be able to go back in there again.”

  “You’re never going to,” I said. No matter what happened, I refused to let her step anywhere near the building. “Besides, the investigation seems to be ongoing. So we might all get our wish.”

  What were they thinking, sending volatile spooks to some undisclosed place? For all we knew, every one of those spooks could still be inside the building. The thought made me crazy with rage—it would explain my violent headaches and nosebleeds whenever I went inside.

  Not to mention Professor Spooker’s body. If he was kept in the ghostly patch long enough to become a wraith and be unaffected by the tranquil spirits around him, his body still had to be somewhere…

  Roe clapped his hands together and turned to Ebony. “Anyway, how would you like to settle into your room?”

  She wrapped a hand around her duffel’s strap and gazed downward. “Um, okay.”

  “Just go upstairs and tell the girls to show you which one’s your room, okay?” He smiled at her, causing more wrinkles than ever to collect on his face. “They’ve been so excited about meeting you.”

  Ebony took a step towards the stairs but stopped. “Are you sure you can help me?”

  “I know I can help you, because this is something I live with every single day of my life,” he answered. The smile was replaced with a frown. “What happened to you was awful and no one should ever be forced to go through it, but you’ll survive. I’ve been strapped to that chair and forcibly roused multiple times and I’m still standing, right?”

  She seemed uncertain, even hesitant. “Yeah…”

  I gave her a quick hug, not wanting to overstep our newfound neutral ground. Seeing her strapped to the silver pole and drugged out of her mind on vampire blood had scared the hell out of me, so this felt like a move in the right direction. I never wanted her to feel so desperate. She had people who truly cared about her.

  “I’ll call you,” I whispered, untangling my arms from her.

  She nodded, but the temporary normalness seemed to have leaked out of her because she was frowning and avoiding my eyes when she turned on her heel and ascended the stairs.

  Roe and I stood in silence for a few moments listening to her retreating footsteps until we could clearly hear them above us.

  “This room is truly amazing,” I said with a whistle.

  “I’m surprised your grandmother didn’t have one.”

  “I haven’t seen one in the house.”

  “Someone who worked as hard as she did surely had one stashed away,” Roe said, looking thoughtful. “Maybe it’s so well hiding even you can’t find it.”

  I chuckled. He could be right. After all the secrets I’d found out my grandmother had kept during her life, I wouldn’t be surprised to find more.

  “You don’t have to worry about Ebony, you know,” he said. “I’ll take good care of her. But more than that, I’m going to help her overcome this hurdle.”

  “I really appreciate you doing this. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to repay you.”

  “Actually,” he began, rubbing his chin. “I think there might be something you can do. I’d like to make you a business proposition.”

  I folded my arms over my stomach. “I’m listening.”

  Roe sat down behind the only desk inside this vast room. He shuffled a few of the pamphlets Papan had gotten for me, and grabbed a clipboard. “I’d like to go into business with you, Ms. Fox. Here’s the proposal.”

  I took the clipboard and perused the many sheets of handwritten pages. They were all packed with a neat, cursive script. It was a lot to read and consider, but skimming the first few pages gave me a clear idea of what he was suggesting.

  “You want to make this a moderate-sized business with room for growth?”

  “Without the flashy building, the hundreds of employees, greed, secrets, and ill intent,” he said with a nod. “I would also like this to be a business where we’ve all got a stake in it, not just as far as holding position, but also financially. I find most people care a lot more about something if they’ve got money invested in it.”

  I noticed Ebony’s name mentioned on the second page, as well as the other catchers.

  With the lax attitude I’d taken lately when it came to work, this actually sounded like a good option. Consolidating my business with someone like Roe—whose knowledge was extensive in this field—would be smart, but I was a little reluctant to get stuck with partners. Then again, I had considered asking Ebony to become my partner before everything fell apart between us.

  I wasn’t going to write this off—it sounded like something worth considering. And if my small business had rivaled the Council, I could only imagine what this would do to them.

  “Can you leave it with me? I’d like to consider it.” One thing I couldn’t afford was to rush into anything.

  “Yes, take as much time as you need.” Roe stood up. “I’ve got my focus on the girls at the moment. There’s no point in starting a new business venture if half of the workforce doesn’t have any means of experience or money. I’m currently working on getting their belongings back from the Council, and will then encourage each of them to get average jobs.”

  “This is a very noble thing you’re doing,” I said, admiring his ability and willingness.

  “It’s the least I can do. Besides, I miss teaching.”

  “So, how did the Council take your leaving?” I asked.

  “Not well, but what can they do? Like Ms. Aikan, I refuse to step anywhere near them. As long as I stay away, they can’t entrap me like they did for so many years.”

  “I’m sorry that I didn’t know about your situation. If I had, I would’ve tried to help you.”

  “How were you to know?”

  “I should’ve made it my business to know.”

  “Let bygones be bygones,” he said. “It’s not your job to save everyone.”

  I appreciated his kind words, but wanted to steer the conversation in a very different direction. “Roe, there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you since you mentioned it to me,” I said, swallowing the lump in my throat. I didn’t want to pry, but my inquisitive nature wouldn’t let this rest. “You mentioned you were born a spook catcher, yet you’re obviously—”

  “I’m obviously a man?” A small smirk twisted the corners of his mouth.

  I nodded.

  “I lived the beginning of my life as a girl, but soon realized I never truly felt comfortable in that gender. I was always more male than female, and soon began to dress like one. I eventually changed my name and became a man legally.” Roe paused, pulling on his thin hair. “By the time I was thirty, I was a true male.”

  “Thank you so much for confiding in me,” I said, glad he felt he could trust me enough to answer my very personal question with such honesty. “I hope you don’t think I was prying.”

  “No, never. You were always kind to me, Ms. Fox—even when you didn’t have to be. Most other people weren’t, yet you and Ms. Aikan always treated me with dignity and respect.” Roe stood up, straightening his cardigan. “I know there were a multitude of rumors being spread about me. I heard
a few involving grave robbing and an addiction to embalming fluid. It was all preposterous. Actually, I think the truth about me is a little more farfetched than any of those made-up stories.”

  I couldn’t even begin to imagine what he meant. “Can I ask you one last question?” This was something Ebony and I had tried to work out many times. We just couldn’t figure out what Roe was short for.

  “Of course,” he said with a quick nod. “Go ahead.”

  “What was the name you were born with?”

  “Rochelle,” he said. “Rochelle Spooker.”

  With that bombshell, I knew exactly why Roe had reacted the way he did to my mention of the professor’s name. Without being rude, I stared at him and realized he actually looked a little like his father.

  So this was the daughter Professor Spooker used for his personal experimentation.

  Epilogue

  Willow didn’t look happy about the situation, but we’d already discussed this several times and she understood why. It wasn’t just the right thing to do, it was the only thing.

  “Are you sure I can’t keep them with me for a little longer?” she asked, her blue eyes pleading and face hopeful.

  At least, I thought she understood.

  I shook my head. “We have to release them. You can’t keep them attached to you forever. Your power brought them to you and kept them there. I know they helped along the way, but it’s cruel to keep three poltergeists trapped when there’s somewhere they can go.”

  I’d given her several days to get used to the idea—probably more than I should’ve—so I couldn’t put it off any longer. One thing she didn’t understand was that by keeping the trio with her, she would deprive all of them of interacting with each other. Once they were released, they could. At least, I was pretty sure they would.

  “Okay.” She nodded while twisting the end of the bandage around her wrist. It was becoming a habit, and it drove me nuts every time she did it.

  “Don’t be sad. You can come and visit them as many times as you like.”

  “Are you serious?”

  I nodded. “They can stay and live out a reasonable existence in this school. Sure, it’s not as good as being alive, but it’s the next best thing for a poltergeist. They’ll get a chance to learn, make friends, and like I said—you can visit any time you want.”

  “Thanks, Sierra.”

  “No problem.” Since her father died during the incident at the Moss house, Willow was living with me. She would turn eighteen before the end of the year, so I didn’t need to look into making my guardianship legal. She was my sister and didn’t have anywhere else to go, so the arrangement made sense.

  Besides, her talent was a lot rarer than mine and after seeing firsthand how it could be used for corruptive purposes, I was going to protect her with my life. No one would ever put her in such a situation again. “Are you ready?”

  “As ready as I’m ever going to be.”

  “Let them come out, I need to see them.”

  Willow nodded.

  “Are you sure I don’t need to make you angry beforehand?”

  “I’m not the Hulk,” she said, rolling her eyes.

  “You kinda used to be,” I teased.

  She smiled, fixing her gaze on the wall across from her. Whatever thoughts were spilling through her mind had the desired effect. Bright lights spread out from within her and strands of mahogany hair flew up around her face. Luckily, there was no furniture in the room—or in any of the rooms, since poltergeists were known for causing mischief by using telekinesis.

  Her two friends and the small dog appeared. Jamie and Ronnie were looking at Willow with matching sad expressions and Stitches barked near her feet, trying to get her attention.

  I sucked in a breath and my lungs chilled to the point of sticking, and I couldn’t seem to get enough air. It took me a few seconds and several electric shocks before I settled into their zone. It might not be the best experience in the world, but I was glad to still have the ability. The last time I’d seen these guys I couldn’t interact with them at all.

  “Hey, guys,” I whispered.

  “Hey,” Jamie said with a small wave.

  “Hi Sierra,” Ronnie added. Her red hair swam around her like she was underwater.

  “You both know why I’m here, right?”

  They nodded in unison and Stitches barked. I leaned over, patted his small head and got another shock for my troubles. The dog yipped and the attention set his tail wagging so it was worth it.

  “What is this place?” Jamie was looking around at the bare walls and the single barred window.

  I wasn’t about to tell him those bars were packed with wards strong enough to ensure none of the naughty poltergeist children escaped. “This is a school for poltergeists. I’m going to separate you from Willow, so you can stay here and live a comfortable life.” As far as poltergeists went, I wasn’t sure how they moved on but knew they did at their own accord. Whatever happened at the time of their death filled them with so much energy it was the reason why so many remained and were strong enough to move physical objects.

  “But I don’t want to leave her,” Jamie said, shaking his head.

  “I’m sorry, but you can’t stay with her forever. She’s already a magnet for the spirits of anyone she cares about, and after everything she went through… I think you both understand you can’t hover around forever.”

  Ronnie nodded, but my explanation didn’t seem to convince Jamie.

  “I’ll make sure Willow visits you guys as often as she can,” I said.

  “Willow can’t see us now. She hasn’t seen us since we came to her…”

  “Jamie, that’s because you’re a part of her. As soon as I separate you, you’ll be able to see each other.” Poltergeists were usually very picky about whom they revealed themselves to, but I was pretty sure these three wouldn’t hide.

  He was quiet for a few moments before finally nodding.

  “Stitches, come here, boy,” I called, kneeling enough for the Terrier to leap into my offered hug.

  I stood, and held out my hand to Jamie, who took it right away. I nodded at the redhead. “Ronnie, grab my arm.” My hands were already full.

  She extended her right hand and confirmed her touch by zapping me.

  I looked each of them in the eye, willed them to leave the place they currently resided and forcibly dragged the group with me.

  I didn’t need a canister for poltergeists because they were such physical ghosts. Besides, the whole school did the same thing as the holding cells at the Council. It was just a matter of sucking them out of the ether and into the human’s area—which today happened to be mine. It was why they could physically stay in a school such as this one.

  “Are we out yet?” Ronnie whispered.

  “Jamie! Ronnie!” Willow squealed in delight, jumping up and down on the spot as she stared at their shiny, translucent bodies. At the moment they were both hovering, but with proper lessons, they’d learn how to act a little more natural. “Stitches!”

  The tiny dog sprang out of my arms and ran around her feet so many times I got dizzy.

  “You can see us?” Ronnie asked.

  “Yeah, I can! I’ve missed you guys so much.”

  “We have too,” Jamie said, still looking sad.

  “And we can see each other!” Ronnie squealed, high-fiving Jamie.

  This was my cue to exit. I placed a hand on Willow’s shoulder and whispered, “I’ll be in the cafeteria when you’re ready to go home.”

  She nodded, her eyes twinkling.

  I wasn’t sure if she was truly over the violent death of her father and if the anger she’d felt for what he did was enough to make it easier, but she didn’t seem to be suffering. She didn’t even want to talk about it. And I had to admit I was glad—the last thing I wanted was for her to dwell.

  I headed for the door, thinking about how bizarre life could be. And about how many new things I still had to add to my grimoire.
>
  After the fire department was able to stop the blaze, the authorities set about investigating what caused it. Gareth tried to stay as close to the investigation as he could without seeming suspicious, which was a little hard with a black eye. But Oren suggested I place a shrouding incantation on the constable’s face, long enough for the bruising and swelling on his eye to appear normal. I’d done the same to all of our bandaged wrists, and repowered the one on my trusty dagger.

  Learning spells and incantations from Oren was coming in handy, but the old man was avoiding me lately. No doubt trying to escape my Alliance questions, but I’d catch up with him sooner or later.

  So far, the authorities hadn’t made much public, but Gareth claimed homicide detectives and the arson squad had joined forces to close two cases at once.

  The teenage girls’ murders had led right to Eli Moss’s doorstep, and when his body was identified alongside Jonathan’s, detectives tied them together. Eyewitnesses had placed someone of Jonathan’s appearance near every murder scene, and they concluded the fire got out of control while the two men were trying to hide the evidence of their killing spree.

  It wasn’t a clear explanation and would probably rouse more questions, but I could at least be happy our involvement hadn’t been connected.

  Thanks to Gareth pushing through his report about finding Willow, the police hadn’t come knocking on my door yet. I knew they might eventually because she was now the daughter of a suspected killer.

  I opened the door and left the teenagers to their excited chatter.

  “Is everything okay, Foxy?” Papan grabbed my hand and intertwined his long fingers around mine.

  “I think Willow’s going to be just fine.” And I’m glad you are too. At least being in his animal form had helped Papan recover fully. Two days after the incident, he’d surprised me in the shower, back to his cheeky self. All the cuts were gone from his body, as well as the blister on his nose, but the silver scorch marks around his neck were taking longer to heal.