I knelt, using the phone’s flashlight to examine the lock. “Bring me a chair, would you?”
She brought me a chair and I sat down. “Okay, we need to either break the lock or tape it so that the latch can’t catch.” I jerked my finger over my shoulder. “In the kitchen, in the junk drawer, you’ll find some duct tape. Can you get it?”
Teran slid past me, pale. “I don’t like leaving you here alone.”
“It’s only a few steps away. Hurry, though, because I don’t feel like fighting with whatever it is that’s messing with us.” I sat down on the table, giving extra weight to propping the door open.
My aunt hurried out, a worried look on her face.
While she was gone, I glanced over to where the two trunks were sitting against the wall. As I watched, one of them suddenly inched forward, as though some invisible person was shoving it. I tensed, my stomach knotting. Crap. What if whatever spook’s acting out decides to shove it my direction and try to pin my legs with it?
The trunk moved another few inches.
“Stop it right there—this is my house. You don’t get to mess with me or anyone in my house, be they human, animal, or anything else. So knock it off, creep.” I assumed my best tough-love voice, but apparently it didn’t impress the ghost because once again, the trunk slid forward, this time a little more aggressively.
Teran returned, a roll of duct tape in hand. “I’ve—wasn’t that trunk against the wall?” She stopped, staring at the trunk.
“Yeah, and whatever we’re dealing with seems to think it’s better off in the center of the room. Here, help me with the lock.” I turned the handle so that the latch bolt on the lock retreated inside the chamber, and Teran taped over it with several layers of duct tape.
“Duct tape fixes everything,” she said with a laugh.
“I agree.”
As I cautiously stepped away from the door, the chair I had been sitting on went sliding toward the opposite end of the room. As I jumped back, the door wrested out of my hands and slammed shut. Thanks to the duct tape, the latch couldn’t catch. After a couple times of the spirit throwing a temper tantrum—slamming the door again and again—the activity stopped as abruptly as it had begun.
“I think it’s sulking,” I whispered to my aunt.
“The question is, what the hell do you have here? I’ve never sensed anything like this in the house before. When did this start?” Aunt Teran was keeping an eye on the chests. “This has all the elements of a high-level haunting.”
“Nothing like this happened until I returned to the house yesterday. First, there was the box of things in the bathroom that tipped over, then the cupboards this morning, and now…this. The reno was far more than superficial. I wonder…”
“You think it stirred up something?” Teran asked.
I nodded. “That’s all I can think of.”
I found myself focusing on the trunk that had been scooting toward me. The more I looked at it, the more I felt my nerves shaking. “What’s in that trunk?”
“Let’s see if it’s unlocked.” Teran strode over to it, while I followed more slowly. I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something very bad inside.
She knelt beside it, examining the latch. “It’s padlocked shut. I think there’s a padlock key on your father’s keychain.” She shook out the keys, examining them. “Yes, this might be the one.” As Teran fit the key into the lock, I reached out to Esmara.
What’s going on here, Esmara? You know, don’t you?
Somewhat, but it was something I never would have told you. Apparently your renovations stirred up the issue and now you’re going to have to cope with the ramifications.
My stomach flipped. I feel like I’m about to inherit something I really don’t want.
That’s because you are. Please, though, don’t jump to conclusions. I don’t have all the facts or answers, but I do know there has to be a logical explanation for—
The key clicked and the padlock opened. Aunt Teran removed the lock from the latch and slid it inside her pocket. She glanced up at me. “Are you ready?”
“That’s not the best question. Honestly, Esmara’s scaring me about this.”
“Did she tell you what’s inside?”
“No,” I said. “She did tell me that she doesn’t know what all the facts are surrounding whatever’s going on, and she asked me not to jump to conclusions. But she won’t tell me what’s in there. I guess…we should find out—”
“January? Where are you?” Killian’s voice echoed from the library.
“We’re in here, in the secret room. Come on in.”
Killian pushed open the door and glanced around. “What’s going on? Why did you move the cats back to my house?”
“Because something’s haunting my house and we’re about to find out what may be the source of it,” I said. “Hold on, Teran. Let me bring him up to speed.” I quickly ran down everything that had happened. “Oh,” I added. “I forgot—did the retriever make it?”
He nodded, staring at the chest. “Yes, thank the gods. Here, Teran, let me do that. We don’t know what’s in there and I don’t want you putting yourself at risk.” He offered her his arm and she took it, letting him help her off the floor. Then, motioning for us to move back, he took hold of the lid of the chest and slowly began to open it.
A fetid smell wafted out, making me want to gag. Killian let out an exclamation as he threw back the lid and quickly stepped away from the chest. There, in the footlocker, was something wrapped in what looked like plastic tarps.
“That’s not…what I think it is, is it?” I whispered.
But Killian slowly peeled back the plastic just enough so that we could see the dried stains. Through the folds of the tarp, we could see skeletal fingers sticking out.
“Oh hell,” I whispered, leaning against the door. “Houston, we have a problem.”
Chapter Five
For a moment, none of us said anything. Then, I glanced at the other trunk. “Do you think…?”
Killian held out his hand and Teran silently placed the key in his palm. He crossed to the second trunk and opened it, cautiously peering in. Then he shook his head. “Looks like clothing—men’s clothing.” He started to reach in.
“Don’t touch it,” I said.
We couldn’t keep this under wraps. I was going to have to call the police. As I turned around, wanting to get out of the storage space so I could catch my breath, I saw what looked like runic symbols written all around the door. I recognized enough of them to realize they were there to keep something in, not keep anything out. And as I looked closer, I knew that my mother had written them. I knew her style of runes, and her handwriting, and these were her work.
“What?” Teran asked.
“Look at these.” I pointed out the runes.
Teran scanned them. “That’s a Major Ward of Binding. I had no clue your mother could perform major wards. I didn’t think she had the skill. It takes a lot of skill to cast spells of that caliber.”
“Let’s go back to the living room. I’m going to call Millie.” As I led them back into the living room, I realized I was feeling both faint and a little queasy. I walked over to the big bay windows, knelt on the window seat, and opened the side panels. “I need fresh air.”
“I think we all do,” Killian said. “Do you have any idea of—”
“Who the dead person is? Nope,” I said. “Why did my parents seal up a dead body in a storage space? I have no idea. Is the spirit the one causing the problems? Most likely. By the way, I have to go into work tomorrow. We’ve run across a problem.”
I rattled off my thoughts like I might be dictating a grocery list. I really wasn’t in the mood for any of this, and it felt like I was suddenly drowning in problems.
“Oh, and also by the way, I saw Rebecca the imp out in the forest this morning. She warned me there’s something dangerous and new in the Mystic Wood. For once she didn’t try to charm me. I think she wants me to
take care of it, because of course, I have nothing better to do than make life easier for an imp who tried to kill me when I was a child.”
Both Killian and Teran were staring at me like I’d just taken leave of my senses.
“Do you want to lie down?” Killian asked.
“Yes, I would like that. But instead, I have to call the police because, for some reason, my parents decided to seal up a dead man inside the house!”
In that moment, I realized I was getting hysterical. I was tired, and hated the disruption that the renovations had caused, both during the process and now, with the aftermath. I was also grappling with the fact that my parents had shared this house for who knew how long with a dead man. Or woman. I didn’t know which.
I pulled out my phone and called Millie Tuptin. She had been a friend in high school and she made a very competent chief of police. “Hey, Millie, I need your help.”
“What’s up? It’s a slow night, so even if it’s a cat stuck in a tree, I can come out.” The smile was evident in the lightness of her voice. Even though she had been a cop so long, you’d think she would be jaded, but truth was, Millie was one of the most optimistic people I knew.
“Unfortunately, it’s a lot more serious than that. Um…I don’t know how to say this so I’m just going to come out with it. I found a skeleton hidden in my house today. It’s packed in a trunk that was locked inside a storage room, and the room was sealed over so that even I had forgotten the room was there. The contractors uncovered it when they were renovating my house. Well, the door to the room—not the skeleton. We just found the body tonight.”
As the words poured out, all I could think about was how much I needed something sweet, or more caffeine, or anything that could help me cope with what we had found. I was about to add that I now had a ghost haunting me, but before I could, the window on the side panel of the bay window slammed shut, so hard that the glass shattered in the pane. Startled, I let out a scream.
“What was that? Are you all right?” Millie shouted.
Teran and Killian jumped up. “I’ll grab a whisk broom and dustpan,” Teran said, heading for the kitchen.
Trying to control my breathing, I let out a long breath and shuddered.
“Yeah, I’m all right. Apparently my ghost doesn’t like me talking about it. I don’t give a fuck. If I have to bring in the nuclear power plant of the psychic world, I’m getting rid of this creep.”
“Your ghost? I think I missed something.” Millie just sounded confused now.
“That’s right—I didn’t have a chance to tell you that I’m being haunted. Can you just come over and take the body away?” The frustration had mounted so much that I burst into tears.
“I’ll be right there, and I’ll have to bring the ME, you know.”
“I know,” I said. “We’ll see you when you get here.” I hung up, sniffling as I dropped into the rocker. I didn’t feel at home at all. I felt like I was in some horror movie version of my home. “Everything is so messed up,” I said, leaning back to rest my head against the cushion.
Killian gave me a quick kiss on the forehead and tucked a tissue into my hand. “I’ll get a sheet of plywood from my workshop to board up the window. Why don’t you go sit on the front porch of my house? You like the porch swing, and it’s not terribly chilly out. You could use a breath of fresh air. Teran, why don’t you go with her?” He nodded toward the door.
Teran bundled me into my jacket and then led me out the door, down the steps and along the driveway that Killian and I shared. While there was a fence between the lots, when it came to the drive, the fence stopped.
I slumped down on the porch swing, leaning back and filling my lungs with air. The chill of the night cut through the confusion as I slowly tried to decompress. The scent of woodsmoke drifted past, hitting home that it was truly autumn.
Teran took my hand and stroked it. “I’m sorry about all of this. It’s not fair.”
“It may not be fair, but it’s happening.” I sat up, wiping my eyes. “I had such high hopes for the reno. The house looks so much more airy, and I really wanted to hold Thanksgiving this year and have a big solstice party and—” Tears flickered in my eyes. “Now…”
“Nonsense. You can still do that. We’ll take care of this issue and get the ghost squared away and you’ll be back in your newly revamped home in no time.” She took my hand and brought it to her lips. “January, you’re tired and you’ve been through a lot of frustration the past few weeks. Of course you’re feeling tired and overwhelmed. And frankly, you’re coping so much better than I would if I had found a dead body in my home.”
I dashed away the tears. “That’s also freaking me out. What the hell went down? Esmara told me not to jump to conclusions, but frankly speaking, I haven’t got any conclusions to jump to. I’m tapped out. I have no clue what’s going on, I have to go to work tomorrow, and—” I paused as Millie’s patrol car pulled into my driveway. She was followed by what had to be the ME’s vehicle. Taking a deep breath, I stood and dashed away the tears. “Do I look all right?”
“You look fantastic,” Teran said. “Come on, let’s go see if Millie can figure out what’s going on.”
* * *
A lot of shifters worked in law enforcement. I remembered from high school that Millie had been on the track and field team, that she could run, jump, and leap like some of the parkour experts, and that she had a sense of justice and fair play to her that I admired. She would never take a bribe, she would never throw a case—at least I didn’t think she would. Her nature was geared toward loyalty, especially since she was a German shepherd shifter.
Millie entered the room, her curly strawberry blond hair gathered back in a ponytail. Her eyes had a faint sheen of eyeshadow, and mascara, but otherwise, she was all natural. She looked up as I crossed Killian’s yard and joined her and the medical examiner.
“What on earth happened?” she asked.
“Renovations uncovered a door to a storage room I’d forgotten about. We found the key and opened the door and…well, better you see for yourself.” I led her and the ME inside.
Millie blinked. “New doorway and entrance. The living room looks really nice and now you have a dining room?”
I nodded. “Oh, the contractors did a great job. I can’t say anything bad about their work. But here…” I led her toward the library. “This door has been closed up for quite a while—I didn’t even remember the storage space until the workmen told me about finding the door. I have no idea how it slipped my mind, except for the fact that we never used the room. My parents always kept it locked.” I opened the door and stepped back. I had left the light on. To my surprise, both chests were tipped over, and bones and clothing were scattered across the floor, along with the tarp, which looked like it was in shreds.
“What the hell?” Millie cocked her head, trying to make sense of the sight.
“Apparently the ghost decided to have a temper tantrum.” I stood back for Millie and her team to enter. “The chests were upright and everything was packed when we found them. Teran and I sure didn’t do this.”
Millie gave me a quick nod. “Understood. Why don’t you let us do our work. I’ll talk to you in a little bit.”
Eager to get out of the room, I left them to it. As I returned to the living room where Killian and Teran were waiting, I yawned. It was eight-thirty and I was running on empty. Exhausted—both emotionally and physically—all I wanted to do was crawl into bed and crash.
“I dread going into work tomorrow. I’m so tired.”
“Why don’t you go over to my house and sleep. Teran and I can talk to Millie. It’s not like the skeleton was killed yesterday.” Killian pulled me into his arms, kissing me on the forehead. “Go, pet the cats, sleep. Everything will be all right.”
“You’re sure?” I felt like a rat for deserting them, but the proposition sounded so good I decided to take him up on it.
“I’m sure. Go on now. Get some sleep. You want me
to bring you some clothes for tomorrow?” He brushed a stray hair back away from my face.
“Would you?”
“Of course. Teran can help me pack.”
Teran agreed. “Go on, sweetheart. I’ll talk to you tomorrow. I’ll lock up here.”
I turned to Killian. “Just don’t let her stay here alone. I have a feeling that whatever’s here could turn nasty without warning.”
“Go on, we’ll be all right,” he said. “I promise. If you want a nightshirt, I have some extra in my dresser. Give me another kiss.”
After kissing him again, I reluctantly—albeit gratefully—headed across the driveway for Killian’s house. I thought I’d wait up for him, but when I crawled in bed, Xi and Klaus pounced on me and, after a good petting session, I turned over and snuggled down under the quilt. Xi curled up on my pillow, while Klaus stretched out on the bottom of the bed. Try as I might, I couldn’t keep my eyes open and I quickly fell into a deep sleep.
* * *
The skeletons were coming closer, bandying knives that suddenly flew out of their hands. The knives wove their way through the air, coming at me as I stood in front of Xi and Klaus, trying to protect them. I held out my hands, searching for my magic, but I had forgotten everything and all I could do was plead with my attackers.
“Please stop—please leave us alone. I won’t tell anyone, please just leave—”
One of the knives cut me off short, sweeping in to slice my palms, and then I was bleeding and everywhere, I could hear laughter surrounding me. I started to cry, screaming for Xi and Klaus to run—to get out of there.
The knife that was attacking me suddenly darted up and over my hands, aiming for my heart. As it swooped down toward me, I screamed again and then…
Harvest Web: A Moonshadow Bay Novel, Book 4 Page 5