GhostlyPersuasion

by Dena Garson

“Yes, that’s the one.”

  “I don’t remember you taking it off the counter.”

  “That’s what I was afraid of,” she grumbled. “I’ll grab it while we’re down there.”

  “You don’t need any makeup anyway,” he reassured her.

  “Thank you.” She smiled up at him. “I thought I’d try to make myself look a little less ravished.”

  “But you’re lovely when you’ve been ravished.”

  Katie was certain she was blushing all the way down to her toes.

  Seamus, however, looked pretty smug as he floated beside Katie on the way back to her old room. Then again, it was impressive how many times he’d helped her come even though he didn’t have a body. It was more than any of her previous boyfriends, that was for sure.

  When they reached Katie’s old room, she had to knock to be let in since she had returned her keys to Áine.

  They heard creaking wood and a couple of raps of a hammer before Riona opened the door.

  “There you are,” Riona said as she stepped aside to let them pass. “I was beginning to think you’d gotten lost.”

  “No, we were just, uh, putting some of my things away,” Katie mumbled, feeling her face get warm again.

  Seamus failed to hide his smirk.

  “Hmmm,” Riona said with a speculative gleam to her eye. “Well, you’re just in time. Callum has all of the smaller trim pieces off and he was just starting to remove the main board.”

  “Can you tell if there’s anything behind it yet?” Katie asked.

  Riona shook her head. “He hasn’t moved out of the way so I could look.”

  “That’s okay. I’m just anxious,” Katie said.

  Callum dropped his hammer and chisel into the bucket with a loud thunk then grabbed a large pry bar. He looked at the piece of wood closely before wedging the pry bar into a small gap. He pushed against the bar but only got a small creak for his effort.

  Katie and Riona held their breath as they watched.

  Seamus’ brow was furrowed. He seemed torn between worry and excitement.

  Callum moved the pry bar a bit, trying to wedge it into the gap a little farther. He gave another push, moved the bar a little more then pushed again.

  Each time they heard a slight creak.

  Seamus stood off to the side not far from Callum. The nervous energy rolling off him was palpable.

  Katie asked softly, “Seamus, are you okay?”

  He wiped one hand on his shirt and chuckled. “After more than three hundred years you’d think I would be over this urge to physically do something. I’d love to just rip that board off the wall.”

  “That’s completely understandable,” Riona said.

  Katie nodded in agreement.

  Seamus floated closer to Callum and tried peeking around his hands and tools.

  Katie wished she could see how much progress Callum was making. From where she stood, it looked as if the gap had only widened by a fraction of an inch. Judging by the expression on Seamus’ face, it wasn’t nearly enough.

  Callum stopped and turned to the girls. “Would one of you tell your friend here to move back? While the cold is nice after working up a sweat, I really don’t want to have his ectoplasm or whatever he’s made of now rubbing on me.”

  Katie was surprised Callum knew he was there. Seamus’ expression implied he was just as stunned as she. Riona, however, didn’t seem to be at all.

  “Seamus, would you mind?” Riona waved him away from Callum.

  “My apologies,” Seamus mumbled as he floated away.

  Callum grunted then went back to work with the pry bar. Finally his push resulted in a long creak and a groan from the wood.

  “Ri, would you grab a couple of those wedges?” Callum asked as he kept some weight against the pry bar.

  Riona hurried to where Callum had pointed.

  Katie and Seamus exchanged looks. “Ri?” Katie mouthed.

  Seamus shrugged.

  “Push those as far as you can into the gap on the top and bottom,” Callum directed Riona.

  Once she did and had stepped back, out of the way, Callum adjusted his pry bar and pushed against it once more.

  There was another satisfying groan and a creak then the wedges fell out of place onto the floor below. With a look from Callum, Riona picked the wedges up and pushed them into the gap again.

  They repeated the motions a couple more times then Callum switched his efforts to the top edge. He worked that loose then focused on the bottom edge. Finally he returned to the place where he started. One more push on the pry bar popped the piece loose enough so Callum could grab it with his hands.

  He dropped the pry bar into the bucket of tools and pulled on a pair of leather work gloves. Using nothing but brute strength, Callum pulled the mantelpiece away from the wall far enough to let them take a look behind.

  Katie and Riona rushed in, crowding Callum and making him frown at them.

  “Oh!” Katie exclaimed. “I think there is something in there. Callum, is that supposed to be there?”

  “I can’t tell if I can’t see, now can I?” Callum said, deadpan.

  Riona stuck her tongue out at him but moved out of his way. Katie followed suit.

  Seamus hovered nearby and appeared hesitant to look.

  Callum grabbed a flashlight from his bucket of tools and directed it behind the mantel he’d pulled loose. “Aye. There is an odd piece of wood right behind the main mantel. And it has some kind of carving on it.” He waved the girls back when they tried to rush in again. “Let me finish pulling this other piece off first then we can all see.”

  Seamus paced near the windows but kept one eye on what Callum was doing. He looked so wound up, if he had a physical body, he probably could have ripped the board off with nothing but his hands.

  Finally the outer mantel was off and all three of them rushed to look.

  “How odd,” Riona said.

  “Seamus?” Katie voiced her unspoken question.

  There in the wall, covered in soot and dust, was a piece of wood. It ran the length of the outer mantel but the carved knotwork was clearly visible along the lower edge.

  Seamus reached out to touch the design. When his fingers brushed the wood, he jerked them away.

  “What happened?” Katie asked, concerned he had been hurt somehow.

  “It felt like fire shooting through my finger when I touched it,” Seamus explained.

  “Did I just see someone right there?” Callum pointed to where Seamus stood.

  Riona and Katie exchanged glances.

  “I don’t know. Did you?” Riona asked.

  “Look. I know you two have been talking about or talking to someone I can’t see.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m not a simpleton. I know there are things around here I cannot explain. And I know I saw something or someone right there,” he pointed to the same spot again, “for a just second. Now, what the hell was it?”

  Riona looked to Katie. Katie looked at Seamus.

  Seamus shrugged. “You can tell him if you want. It won’t bother me.”

  Katie gestured to Riona. “Go ahead. You probably know as much as me.”

  “You did see someone.” Riona sighed. “His name is Seamus MacDonhnaill.”

  “Is he a ghost then?” Callum asked, his face serious and showing no sign of mockery.

  “No.” Riona looked to Katie for confirmation. “Someone put a spell on him a long time ago. But it went very wrong and turned him into some kind of spirit.”

  “So he isn’t dead then,” Callum asked.

  “No.” Riona shook her head.

  “And does this,” Callum pointed to the board he had exposed from behind the outer mantel, “have something to do with all of that?”

  “We think so,” Riona said.

  Callum grunted. “What else do you need from me?” he finally asked.

  “I, uh…” Riona hesitated and looked to Katie and Seamus.

  “I don’t know eith
er.” Katie turned to Seamus. “Is that your mantel?”

  “It is,” he said. “But now what?”

  Hope blossomed in Katie’s heart. Maybe they would be able to break the curse after all. “He felt a shock when he touched it. And Callum was able to see him for a second. Do you think it has something to do with the curse?”

  “Maybe so.” Riona’s brows drew down into a frown. “Seamus, would you be willing to try again?”

  “Don’t suppose it can harm me overly much,” Seamus said with a shrug.

  “Please don’t be a typical guy and keep touching it just because you think you can take it,” Katie admonished. “If it hurts, let go.”

  He offered her a small smile. “You worry about me, yet don’t think twice about seeking out a lunatic ghost, Little Katie?”

  “Yes, well, what can I say?” she said with a defiant lift of her chin.

  Seamus stepped closer and lowered his voice so only Katie could hear him. “I’d kiss you right now, if I could.”

  Butterflies fluttered in Katie’s belly. “I wish you could.”

  “Okay, you two. Don’t forget you have an audience,” Riona admonished. “Sort of.”

  “Sorry,” Katie mumbled. “So, what do you want him to do exactly?” she asked Riona.

  “I’d like to know what happens if he makes full contact with the mantel. So if he can stand it, I want him to touch it with both hands. Callum, you’re the only one who can’t already see at least part of him now, so if you don’t mind, can you watch and tell me what you see?”

  “All right,” Callum agreed.

  “Both of you might want to stay back a wee bit,” Riona said to Callum and Katie.

  “What about you?” Callum said before Katie could ask.

  “I can shield myself if I need to, but I can’t protect all four of us,” Riona told them.

  Callum nodded but his lips were set in a firm line.

  Katie chewed her lower lip.

  Riona turned to Seamus. “If something goes bad, I’ll do what I can to help you, Seamus. But since I don’t know exactly what Etain did in her spell, I’ll be guessing.”

  Seamus glanced at Katie. “Just make sure she isn’t harmed and doesn’t do anything foolish to try to help.”

  Riona gave him a small smile. “I’ll try.” She took a step back. “Give me a moment to cast a cleansing spell.”

  He nodded. “All right.”

  Riona closed her eyes and murmured something under her breath.

  Katie felt a chilly breeze race across her arms and face as if someone had opened a window and let in fresh, cool air. She looked around the room to see if anyone else had noticed it.

  Seamus’ eyes widened and he was glancing around the room as well.

  Callum was focused on Riona. For some reason the look on his face reminded Katie of an ancient warrior set for battle.

  Riona took a deep breath and exhaled. “I’m ready.” She opened her eyes. “Go ahead and try the mantel.”

  Seamus looked at Katie. In that moment she saw what could only be love shining in his eyes. Her heart leapt with joy.

  Then he stepped up to the wall and grabbed the board. Without warning, it felt as if a storm had blown into the room. Seamus’ hair stood on end and whirled around his face. The years of dust that had settled on the board was scattered around the room. Katie heard some kind of chant or rhyme echoing in the wind but still Seamus held on.

  “What’s happening?” Katie yelled.

  Then a second, shrill, female voice blew in. “Tell me, Seamus. Tell me that you love me and you can be free.”

  Etain. That crazy bitch.

  “No,” Seamus roared. “I’ve already told you I don’t love you and never will.”

  Katie didn’t think it possible, but the wind blew even faster through the room, forcing Katie to squeeze her eyes shut to protect them from flying debris.

  “I know that you do, Seamus. You have to love me. It’s the only way,” Etain’s voice called to him, obviously trying to seduce him.

  “Seamus, let go of the mantel,” Riona called out.

  Seamus struggled with the board but he still held on to it. “I can’t!”

  Katie thought she heard shrill laughter, then more chanting through the howling wind. The wind picked up speed, making the dirt and debris feel like tiny pinpricks on her skin.

  “Riona! Get Katie out of here,” Seamus shouted. “Etain is here.”

  “No! I won’t leave you, Seamus!” Katie yelled. She tried to crawl over to Seamus but Callum grabbed her wrist. When she tried to yank her hand away, he stopped her with a look then pointed to Riona.

  Riona knelt behind Seamus in the center of the debris with her hands extended to either side. The expression on her face was of total calm. It was one she would expect to see on the face of a teacher working with a pupil. As if she were waiting for him to come up with the answer he needed.

  Seamus fought to free himself from the board, but it was obvious he couldn’t. “Katie, you have to go! Riona, please, I’m begging you!”

  “Why shouldn’t she stay?” Riona asked over the rushing wind.

  Seamus’ jaw looked as if rocks would bounce off it. “I can’t protect her like this. Get her out.”

  “Why?” Riona insisted.

  Tears ran down Katie’s face and she was torn between doing as Seamus asked and stomping over to the center of the windstorm and demanding Etain fix what she had caused.

  “I don’t want her to get hurt,” Seamus yelled.

  “Why not?” Riona continued to press.

  “Because I love her, dammit!”

  A shrill scream vibrated through the room. “No!”

  Katie froze but her heart did loop-de-loops in her chest.

  The wind stopped its wild, twirling motion, everything paused for a split second then the wind blew outward in one big rush, knocking everyone back onto the floor.

  “What the hell,” Callum exclaimed as he sat up, having landed on his ass about three feet from where he’d been standing. “Is everyone okay?”

  “Oowww,” Riona said, rubbing her head, as she rolled over onto her hands and knees. “I’m fine,” she groaned. “Just a wee bit tender. Katie?”

  “Here.” Katie’s voice and everything else shook. “What about Seamus?” She struggled to get up but winced and gripped her shoulder. “Riona, is Seamus okay? Can you see him?”

  “Oh God,” Riona whispered.

  Katie struggled even harder to stand, still gripping her shoulder. “What? What’s wrong?”

  Riona knelt beside Seamus. He was very still. Riona reached out, hesitantly, to touch him. “Seamus?” she asked quietly.

  Katie rushed over and knelt on Seamus’ other side. Callum crouched next to Riona.

  “Oh my God, Seamus. No!” Tears flowed freely down Katie’s face. She grabbed his shoulder and pushed him onto his back with her uninjured arm. “Please wake up. Please wake up. Please!”

  Riona looked at Callum, her face grim.

  Katie wiped a few bits of dirt from Seamus’ face. “You have to get up. Come on. For me, please.”

  Sill his eyes did not open.

  “Please, Seamus. I love you. You can’t leave me now.” She dropped her face onto his chest and wept.

  The rise and fall of his chest as Seamus inhaled deeply stopped Katie’s sobbing. She raised her head and looked at Seamus’ face. Then she looked to Riona with a questioning expression.

  But Riona was watching Seamus.

  “He’s real,” Katie said as the thought finally penetrated her grief-stricken mind. “I can feel him.” She splayed her hands on his chest and touched him everywhere. His chest, his chin, his arms, his face, his leg. Even her sore arm appeared not to bother her anymore.

  “Seamus?” Katie called softly.

  “Little Katie,” Seamus finally murmured.

  “Oh thank God,” Katie said as she fell across his chest and hugged him.

  Riona nudged Callum and pointed to
the door. He nodded in agreement and helped Riona to her feet. The two of them slipped out, leaving the couple alone.

  “I thought you were dead,” Katie said between sniffles.

  “I’m not sure I wasn’t for a moment there,” Seamus said as he pushed his fingers into her auburn tresses and rubbed the back of Katie’s neck. He let his fingers trail through the length of her hair. “I knew it would feel like silk.”

  Katie lifted her head. “Are you okay?”

  “A little weak, but I think I’m fine. Are you?”

  “Very okay,” Katie said with a watery smile.

  “Good.” He smiled then closed his eyes.

  “You did it. You broke the curse.”

  He opened his eyes. “With your help.”

  “And you love me,” she said as tears pooled in her eyes again.

  “I do.”

  “I’m glad.”

  He chuckled, making his chest vibrate. “Are you?”

  “Umhmm.” she nodded. “Because I love you too.”

  “Ah, my Little Katie.” He pulled her higher up onto his chest. “I’ve been starving for your kiss ever since our ride in the lift.”

  “You may have one and then a whole lot more,” she said as she leaned over and teased the edge of his lips with her tongue.

  Seamus groaned and pulled her even more tightly against him. The feel of his lips on hers was a dream come true.

  Katie deepened the kiss and struggled to get even closer. She inched her hips until she could throw one leg over his body and then straddled his hips. However, when she tried to raise herself up on her arms, she winced as she put weight on her injured shoulder.

  “What’s wrong?” Seamus asked.

  “My shoulder hurts a little. I must have hit something when the spell went off or did whatever it did.” She leaned over, keeping her weight on her good arm, and tried to kiss him again. “It’ll be fine.”

  Seamus pulled Katie down next to him and turned so they were face-to-face on their sides. “You’re not on your sore shoulder, are you?”

  “No.” She smiled and wrapped her arm around Seamus’ chest. “Oooo. I like this. Thank you.” Her fingers went to work touching every part of him they could reach.

  He chuckled. “It is rather nice, isn’t it?”

  “So…” Katie said as she petted him. “Are you really okay? Does everything feel, er… Right?”