GhostlyPersuasion

by Dena Garson

  Katie smiled and took his hand. Together they went to the room Riona had told her to go to. They had to pass through a “this area being serviced” blockade and several staff members before they found Riona.

  “Ah, good. There you are,” Riona said in greeting. “Sure you’re up to this?” she asked Katie, but glanced at Seamus.

  “I think so. Just tell me what I need to do.”

  Riona gestured for them to follow. “Like I said earlier, I’ll handle the actual banishment spell. I just need you to help balance the flow of energies and support the protection.” Riona looked at Katie from over her shoulder as she led the way to the sitting room. “Did Aunt Deirdre teach you any protection charms?”

  “Yes, but I’m sadly out of practice,” Katie told her.

  “You might be surprised how quickly it will come back to you,” Riona said.

  As they walked to the door, the hair on Katie’s arms stood. She glanced around uneasily.

  “You’re probably sensing the wards I created earlier,” Riona told her. “Most people could walk through them and at the most feel a slight chill or discomfort. You are a Mac au Bard so you are more sensitive to them.”

  “Does that mean I can’t just walk through them?”

  “These you could,” Riona pointed to the sitting room door. “But it would always depend on who or what the ward was created to repel.”

  Katie looked back at Seamus to see how he was handling all the hocus-pocus. His lips were pressed into a firm line and his shoulders were rigid. He was clearly uncomfortable.

  She squeezed his fingers. He met her gaze and returned the squeeze.

  “What did you bring for protection?” Riona asked Katie.

  “Me,” Seamus answered for her.

  Riona seemed startled by his answer. Katie gave him a warm smile as she slipped her arm around his waist. “I also have mother’s necklace.” She held up the delicate gold cross that was suspended on a thin chain around her neck. There was an extra charm hanging with the cross. It was a simple, single pendant with Katie’s birthstone.

  “That will do nicely.” Riona nodded. “I can tell you feel very strongly about the piece. It will aid you well.”

  “You mentioned a third to balance the energies. Who did you get?”

  “That would be me,” a deep voice said from behind them.

  Katie turned to the familiar voice and found Callum standing behind them. His arms were folded across his chest and his normally somber expression was even more pronounced. He didn’t seem any happier about their gathering than Seamus. Perhaps less so.

  “Thank you so much for agreeing to help us. Again,” Riona said smoothly.

  “Here.” Callum stepped past Katie and Seamus and handed an aged leather pouch to Riona. “It’s ground sea salt. Thought it might be better than whatever you found in the kitchen cabinet,” he told her gruffly.

  Riona’s mouth hinged open in surprise. “I… Why thank you, Callum.”

  “Don’t mention it,” he grumbled.

  Katie shared a smile with Seamus. She was getting more curious about Riona and Callum’s history.

  “Okay. Is everyone ready?” Riona asked.

  The four of them looked at each other. Katie answered for them. “Looks like it.”

  “Since there are four of us, when we go in, why don’t each of you take a position on the compass? I’ll take the north, Katie, you take the south.”

  “Which wall is that?” Katie interrupted.

  “It’ll be the one on the far side of the room after you walk in.” Riona told her. “Callum, you take the east.”

  He nodded once in agreement.

  “And, Seamus, you take the west.”

  “Me? I know nothing of these practices,” Seamus protested.

  “You’re a part of Etain’s history and you’re here. You might as well contribute to the circle.” Riona said. “Don’t worry. We’ll tell you if you need to do anything.”

  Seamus looked to Katie. She was sure her worry showed on her face.

  Once again he pressed his lips into a firm line but said nothing, just followed Riona into the room that held the psycho ghost.

  Riona had said the chamber they entered was some kind of sitting room. It was smallish with floral-patterned walls and furniture. The chairs were scattered about a few strategically placed tables where a butler might leave trays of tea and cookies. Katie could well imagine a handful of Victorian ladies chatting about the latest gossip from town in here.

  In the center of the room, a silvery figure hovered below the room’s ornate light fixture. Katie hoped the fixture was a gas replica and not the real thing. She wouldn’t put it past Etain to set the room on fire.

  “Slowly take your positions around the room,” Riona said softly. “Make sure you’re directly across from your opposite.”

  The four of them took their places, each keeping a wary eye on Etain.

  Etain’s attention was fixed solely on Seamus. The expression on her face was eerie. It alternated between childlike confusion and unadulterated hatred. Katie immediately regretted not insisting Seamus stay in their room.

  Riona followed behind, moving furniture out of the way so she could make a complete circle. She made one more pass around the room, this time with the leather pouch in hand. Katie guessed she was casting her circle. As soon as she returned to her position at the north, she set the pouch aside and murmured a few words. Katie couldn’t make out what Riona said, but the hair on her arms stood up on end.

  “Etain Chichester, your actions have created discord at Tullamore and the owners have deemed your presence to be dangerous. They have asked that you move on to your rightful plane of existence.”

  “My rightful plane of existence? This is my rightful plane of existence!” Etain’s chin lifted as she spoke and her hands clenched into fists at her sides. “I’m here, am I not?”

  “Will you go willingly to take your place on the other side?” Riona continued as if Etain had not spoken.

  “Where is it that you think I should go? This is my home. You cannot force me to leave.” Etain looked down her nose at Riona.

  “What keeps you here at Tullamore? Is there something you are tied to?” Riona asked.

  Etain glanced at Seamus.

  Katie shook her head. She knew Seamus felt only anger, scorn and resentment for Etain. It was sad how Etain twisted a feeling as beautiful as love into something ugly and virtually unrecognizable. Then again, what Etain felt for Seamus should never be labeled as love. Her actions seemed to be based more on the fact that she had been denied what she wanted rather than a deep, honest caring for another person.

  “I don’t know what you mean,” Etain said.

  “You are a spirit. Yet you remain on the mortal plane. Why?” Riona pressed.

  “I…” Etain looked at Callum then Katie then back to Riona. “I don’t know,” she whispered in a childlike voice.

  “Will you allow us to help you?” Riona pressed.

  “No… I…” She glanced about the room wildly, as if searching for something. “I don’t need help. I believe I will return to the battlements now.” Etain tried to float through the circle they created but was stopped by an unseen force. “What is happening? Why am I not permitted to leave?”

  “We cannot let you return to the battlements,” Riona told her softly.

  “You have no right to keep me here!” Etain shrieked.

  “On more than one occasion you have frightened guests who were staying at Tullamore,” Riona said.

  “I did no such thing,” Etain protested. One of the small tables near Etain began to shake.

  “The fire you set in one of the rooms today could have hurt many people,” Riona continued. “If you have remained because of your part in the curse that affected Seamus, consider yourself unbound. The curse has been broken. It is time for you to move on.”

  “It cannot be.” Etain looked stricken. “I was supposed to be the one to save him. Seamus was suppose
d to love me.”

  “I told you long ago I didn’t love you,” Seamus told Etain. “You putting a curse on me only proved that you didn’t love me.”

  “But I do love you!” Etain wailed as she flung herself at the invisible barrier between her and Seamus. “And I know you could love me if you would only try.”

  Seamus shook his head. “After spending the last three hundred years in a half-life of your making, feeling anything more than contempt would be asking the impossible.”

  A second table near Etain began to vibrate, making the statues and books fall to the floor. “You are cold and unfeeling!” Other things within the circle close to Etain began to shake. Some of the smaller objects flew in Seamus’ direction but were stopped by the invisible barrier.

  Seamus ducked in reaction.

  “Do not break the circle,” Riona warned. She began to mumble something under her breath.

  Katie felt a ripple of electricity in the room. She instinctively visualized a blue light surrounding herself as her mother had taught her to do. It was one of the most basic protection charms she knew.

  Etain must have sensed the ripple of power as well because her attention shifted from Seamus to Riona.

  “Seamus,” Katie called out above the clattering of furniture and things, “I know you aren’t familiar with this sort of thing, but can you humor me and do some visualization with me?”

  “At this point, I’m willing to try most anything you think will help get us out of here,” Seamus yelled back.

  Katie smiled. “Imagine a bubble of blue light around your body. You need to be able to see through the light, but it should act as a shield to keep anything negative off you. Can you do that?”

  “Sounds easy enough,” he said as he kept an eye on what was transpiring between Riona and Etain.

  Etain and Riona appeared to be locked in a battle of wills. Etain had created a whirlwind inside the circle. Debris and furniture were being tossed around and most of it seemed to be directed at Riona. Yet Riona didn’t flinch or waver. She stood still with her arms outstretched and her lips continued to move. Katie assumed she was saying some kind of chant or protection spell.

  Katie looked to Callum. His face was set in a grim expression as he too watched the pair of women square off. Katie could tell if he was given even a split second, he would pounce and take Etain down. How, she wasn’t sure.

  When a jagged-edged plate went hurtling directly at Riona before Katie could call out a warning, the plate shattered into dust. From the corner of her eye, Katie would have sworn she saw Callum make an unusual gesture with his hand at the plate just before it shattered.

  Katie shook her head to clear it and returned her focus to reinforcing the protection shield. When she felt her own shield was complete she stretched it toward Seamus. She visualized her shield merging into his and enveloping them both.

  “What just happened?” Seamus asked. “It was cold and windy but now it feels warmer and smells like you. Did you do something?”

  “You know that bubble I told you to imagine?” At his nod, she continued. “I merged your bubble with mine.”

  “You can do that?” Seamus asked.

  She wasn’t sure if he was intrigued or alarmed by the possibility. “It’s a basic protection shield. Mother taught me how to do them when I was little but I haven’t done one in years.” She laughed. “I guess it’s kind of like riding a bike.”

  “A bike? I wouldn’t know. I haven’t ridden one,” he said with a shrug.

  Oh the things she was going to have to show him. She smiled to herself.

  “I’m going to try to encircle Callum and Riona in the bubble also,” Katie told Seamus.

  “What do you want me to do?” he asked.

  “Keep imagining the blue light around you but include me now as well.” She smiled at him. “It helped me merge with yours when I focused on how much I love you.”

  “I can do that,” he said matter-of-factly, which set her heart to fluttering.

  Katie focused on extending her blue light around to Callum. As her push of energy got closer to Callum, he switched his attention away from Riona. The look he shot her was dark and menacing, but when he realized what she was doing he reached out his hand and drew her energy closer. Making their connection no longer seemed like an effort on Katie’s part. It felt more as though Callum was pulling it toward him.

  When it snapped into place, the two men exchanged a look across the circle then turned as one to Riona.

  Katie continued to focus on the blue light surrounding them. She ignored the furniture and debris floating in front of her and concentrated on reaching Riona from both sides. She could feel the flow of energy expanding around the circle that contained Etain then finally it reached Riona.

  Her head snapped up and she met Katie’s gaze across the circle. Riona flicked both of her wrists upward and drew the band of energy to her. The connection snapped into place. Katie could feel the change in the flow around them. It was like a blending of flavors into something new, something stronger and yet still delicious.

  Now that Katie and the men were maintaining the protection around them, Riona would be able focus her energy and efforts on sending Etain over.

  With one last push, Riona recited the banishing spell. Etain froze in place, along with all the debris she had spun up around her. Etain’s eyes widened and her spirit body began to fade out.

  Within seconds, Etain was completely gone and the debris fell to the floor.

  Oh thank God. Katie sighed in relief.

  “Is that it?” Seamus asked.

  “She’ll need to open the circle once she’s sure it’s safe so don’t move yet,” Callum answered.

  Riona closed her eyes and murmured a few words under her breath. A light breeze brushed past Katie’s face.

  “Etain is gone,” Riona reassured them. She walked around the circle in the opposite direction as when she created it and gave thanks to someone or something as she made her way around.

  When she had completed the loop, she looked to Katie. “Thank you for your help.” She nodded to Callum then Seamus. “You two as well.”

  “Etain’s really gone, then? For good?” Seamus asked.

  “Yes. Her spirit has moved on to the next plane,” Riona told him.

  He nodded but didn’t say anything. Katie went to stand next to him. She slipped her hand into his and squeezed. He returned the gesture and smiled down at her.

  “So, I guess that means we don’t have to worry about being interrupted later,” Seamus whispered to Katie.

  She grinned. “Unless it’s room service.”

  “We don’t have to answer the door for them.”

  “True.” Katie’s heart swelled with love. It was hard to believe they had broken Etain’s curse. Seamus was free from that dreary existence and from Etain herself. She pushed aside all nagging thoughts of what tomorrow might bring and what she’d do if or when Seamus moved on to explore all that he hadn’t been able to.

  “I need to do one more thing then we’ll get out of here and let the staff put the room to rights again.” Riona interrupted Katie’s rapidly deteriorating line of thought.

  “What’s that?” Katie asked.

  “I need to cleanse the room and us,” Riona said.

  “How do you plan to do that?” Seamus was obviously leery of her answer.

  Callum stood nearby with his arms folded across his chest like a warrior who’d been told to stand down. Seamus’ discomfort made his lips twitch into a half-grin.

  “Relax. It’s nothing invasive. I just need to burn some white sage. The smoke will dissipate any negative energies.”

  “That’s it?” Seamus asked.

  “That’s it,” Riona reassured him.

  Katie patted him on the arm. “We’ll get you comfortable with all this hocus-pocus before you know it.”

  “What I’ve seen you two do hasn’t been bad but I could go the rest of my life without ever seeing Etain’s brand
of hocus-pocus again.”

  “Etain had no idea what she was doing,” Katie reminded him.

  “And even if she did, the intent behind her actions was purely selfish. She didn’t care who was harmed or in what way as long as she got what she wanted.” Riona shook her head. “That is not our way.”

  “Let’s get this room cleansed. I’ve got a list of things to work on for Áine before I can go home tonight,” Callum groused.

  “Of course.” Riona rummaged through a bag that had been sitting on the floor near the door and pulled out a bundle of dried herbs and a lighter.

  She lit the herbs and worked with it until it created a steady flow of smoke. Riona then walked around the room, wafting smoke around all the areas Etain had been. As she cleansed the area, she murmured some kind of blessing. Once the room was finished, including all the dark corners, she circled each of them with the smoke.

  When Riona was done she extinguished her bundle of herbs and set them aside.

  “Is that it?” Katie asked.

  “That’s it,” Riona said with a grin.

  “Shall I open the windows?” Callum asked from across the room.

  “Yes, please,” Riona answered as she set about righting a few pieces of furniture. Callum had already picked a few pieces up and put them in place.

  “Do you need us to help with anything else?” Katie asked.

  “No. You two go ahead. I’m sure Seamus needs some rest,” Riona told them. “Would you mind telling Mabel that she and her staff may come in now as you leave though?”

  “Certainly.” Katie waved to Callum. “It was good to see you again, Callum. But perhaps next time it can be under more normal circumstances?”

  “Perhaps,” he said cryptically.

  The distant look in his eye reminded Katie of when her mother was “seeing” things. She wondered for the tenth time that day if he had his own gifts and, if he did, what they were. Maybe Riona would tell her later.

  Meanwhile she needed to make sure Seamus was fully recovered. And she knew just how to do that.

  She took his hand and pulled him to the door. “Come on. Let’s go take full advantage of room service and that oversized bed.”

  “Sounds good to me,” Seamus said with a twinkle in his eye.