The Soul Collector

by Quijas, Tamela

  “Well,” she attempted a half-hearted shrug.

  “They put all that info on some cutting room floor, just because technicalities don't make much sense to the common Joe.”

  “If it weren't for the boys, we wouldn't have the success that we do.” Brice admitted with more than a grain of pride, and Ethan chortled with barely restrained glee. “Now, everything revolves around computers.”

  Eva nodded and leaned further into the van.

  ….more gee-gaws and fancy buttons than in my day

  “We do have an extensive amount of equipment,” Ethan breathed excitedly, cautiously testing each button.

  “As you can understand,” Gil indicated the numerous sites on the large computer screen, each square marked by a specific camera angle, “Our most valuable bit of equipment is the video camera, if it comes with night shots and a digital audio recorder.”

  “Don't forget the EMF meter.” Brice interjected excitedly.

  “Granted, yes,” Gil reiterated with a grudging shrug.

  ….pricey crap

  “The stuff is all so expensive.”

  “Yeah, it is,” Ethan managed. “We bought them one by one and found out, mainly by trial and error, which item gave the best performance. You know, everything we work with is expensive. Boss man always says handle our equipment correctly, and it’ll last for a while. If we treat it bad, it’ll let us down.”

  ….smart kid

  “It helps to understand the working aspects of everything, as well,” Brice interjected. “Young Mr. Luke has been busy making certain each of us gains some sort of cross training in our respective fields.”

  “That would make sense.” Eva mused. “NADGEL can't afford to shut down due to the lack of one person.”

  “Got that, lady,” Gil countered with a grin. “We've been trying to get Brice to understand our audio recorders. He's still a bit leery of the inner workings, though.”

  “I don't know if I would want something reputed to capture the voices of the other world.” Eva shuddered, just as Reese's voice whispered softly in her ear.

  ….no?

  “An EMF recorder is the most interesting bit of equipment you can have,” Gil continued excitedly. “Beside the digital recorders detecting anomalous movements, paranormal sounds are mind-boggling!”

  “I’ve watched plenty of these other shows,” her declaration brought the expected snorts of disbelief and scorn from the men surrounding her. “Why do you insist on investigating at such late hours?'

  Gilbert snickered beneath his breath, causing Ethan to smack him harder than necessary between the shoulders.

  “It's sort of an unspoken law between all paranormal investigators. The best time to have a ghost hunt is at night.” Ethan provided. “Eleven to four is when everyone considers ghostly activity is at the highest.”

  “That's understandable,” she mused. She prevented herself from rocking on the heels of her tennis shoes in a precise copy of the action Lucien often executed.

  “It helps, too, when we are out at night,” Gil interjected eagerly, pulling bits of black electrical tape from his fingers. “That's when all the lights are shut off, and there's a lack of electrical flow through the house. I've always thought the more electrical appliances are running, the more difficult it’s for a spirit to manifest.”

  ….like friggin' bloodsuckers

  Eva ran a hand over the side of her neck, pondering the explanation the younger man had provided. “You think electrical currents sap the energy required to manifest?”

  “Yep,” Gil and Ethan responded in one breath. “A big screen television gives off a lot of amps and sucks energy from the air.”

  “We assume,” Brice interjected gently, “if the lights are out and all unnecessary appliances are off, it's simpler for an apparition to manifest.”

  ….Hah, you think.

  “Really?” Eva breathed in her most seductive of tones, the one she normally used for her television program. “How would I get rid of an unwanted spirit?”

  ….Hey!

  Brice blinked in startled response to her question. She graced him with a dazzling smile, aware of the slight chill caressing her face and the protesting voice echoed loudly in her ear.

  “You ask it to leave.” He supplied simply and with a shrug. “You simply say it’s not wanted and time to move on.”

  ….hit the road

  “I'll have to remember, Brice.” She smiled and lowered her hand. “Now, enlighten me, what about psychics, dowsing rods, and all of that stuff?”

  “We’ve our Birdie and our favorite historian of local lore, Nikolai,” Ethan chuckled.

  “Don't overlook our fearless leader.” Brice interrupted and wagged a serious finger, his dark eyes peering intently over the upper rim of his spectacles.

  “Let's not forget Luke Angeles.” Gil smiled, slow and mysteriously. “He’s the man who can clear a site, cleansing it of all ghosts, demons, and negative energy.”

  Eva wondered if the crew had the slightest inkling into Lucien's precise background. She restrained a shudder and listened to Ethan's chortle of laughter.

  “I couldn’t have said it better myself. He’s our own personal demonologist!”

  The chuckles were cut short, the EMF meter emitting a loud and blaring buzz. Eva leapt as all three men turned in her direction, their expressions incredulous.

  “Hell, Brice.” He chuckled, his face full of excitement. “We haven't finished setting up and the damn machines are telling us there's a ghost!”

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  A lifelong existence of solitude wears heavy on the heart

  “What, in the name of Heaven and Hell possessed you?” Lucien ground out in a furious undertone.

  Eva shrugged, unable to arrive at a single plausible excuse. Tears threaten and she turned away, knowing he was correct in his fury. She had done the unthinkable and, this time, she couldn’t apologize.

  Ah, damn!

  She bit her lip, stilling the words, blinking back the tears that threatened to spill. Unable to think of a plausible excuse, Eva shrugged again, too tired to care to phrase any sort of response.

  “You can't explain yourself?” Lucien managed through a clenched jaw, pausing as a frown pursed his brow.

  ….back off

  “The last thing I need is you, Reese!” He snarled in a low voice. He stood in Eva's path, forcing her to halt in her own sleep befuddled steps, her features tense and drawn.

  ….D'Angel

  “You can't ever do that again!”

  “I couldn't help it,” she mumbled, the words disjointed. She rubbed her eyes with her fingers, the pain behind the burning orbs informing her of an ensuing headache.

  “You can’t touch me when I'm working.” He raked trembling hands through his hair. Lucien shuddered before he flung himself away, throwing his hands up in resignation.

  The paranormal investigators took their respective turns touring the Mendelssohn site. Each investigator had been paired with a partner as they explored the darkened house, and there had been a mass of digital recordings and personal experiences. Eva noticed, from her place before the various computer screens placed in the van, there had been a few mystifying sounds. The evening had been calm, until the murmur of a disembodied voice had been detected. The tones had been barely recognizable, but they were unmistakable on the high-tech equipment.

  When the opportunity for Eva's turn had arrived, she had assumed she be either Deborah or Brice’s partner. Instead, a bare handed and grim-faced Lucien accompanied her. She should have known the night would turn from bad to worse the moment he approached. The sight of his bare hands, the disfigured palm concealed against his trousers, caused Reese to vanish in a huff of chill wind.

  She remained at Lucien’s side as they traversed the darkened halls and rooms. Ethan had taken the place of one of the camera operators and the pair trailed a discreet distance. The youth was silent, focused, and kept the soundman close to his side.


  She wasn't disappointed. Lucien was thorough and exacting in his investigation. Granted, his unspoken power gave him an advantage. The darkness seemed as thick as a blanket, holding secrets invisible to the common eye, but he could travel the halls of the old building without fumbling about in desperation.

  ….damn, he's pissed

  “Reese.” Eva warned beneath her breath. Somehow, she sensed his normal, smart-assed repertoire wouldn't be appreciated.

  “Vanish, Reese!” The command was obvious in the low growl of the words and Eva shuddered. Cold, calculating, and infuriated was a side of Lucien she’d never wanted to witness.

  ….can't tell me, D'Angel

  “Don't tempt me.”

  Lucien's words came from clenched teeth. He swirled about, his dark coat spinning wide. The threat he delivered was clear, for he hadn’t sheathed his hands into the familiar leather of his fingerless gloves. The slight glow emanating from his palm was sufficient warning of his power.

  ….Evie wouldn't allow

  “Reese.” she pleaded, noting the obvious battle of wills as the sepia image stepped before her. She understood her brother would do his damnedest to prevent any harm from befalling her. She shut her eyes, blocking her brother's concerned features. “He's won't hurt me.”

  ….You think not, Evie?

  “No.”

  ….you forget the Destroyer

  "Lucien’s not him,” she whispered. She opened her eyes and lifted her chin, a shroud-like coldness covering her, and knew Reese attempted to envelop her.

  ….he wouldn't dare.

  “He won't, Reese.” She sighed. “I think there's a million other things he would like to do with me, but murder isn’t anywhere on the immediate list.”

  Lucien's jaw clenched and he stared into Eva's trusting features. He lifted a pale hand and paused on the lenses. He pulled the offending weight from his face, almost crushing the frames, and peered at her with glowing black eyes.

  “I won't harm her.” He heaved the promise, still refusing to stare into her brother's shadowy image. There was the obvious sound of crunching vertebrae when he rolled his shoulders, attempting to relieve his tenseness. “Although I would enjoy breaking her lovely little neck at this moment, I vow I won’t harm a single hair on her body.”

  ….Evie

  She strove to calm her frayed nerves. It wouldn't do for Reese to see her so unsettled by Lucien's warranted fury. She had just about blown the assignment, and risked revealing Lucien's secret to the public.

  “Go, Reese.”

  ….Evangeline

  “Please.”

  His image faltered and wavered, echoing with uncertainty. A blast of a sudden and sighing breath filled the hall before warmth flooded her. Eva stared into Lucien's lightening eyes as the remnants of her brother's familiar scent lingered.

  “I suppose sorry wouldn't be enough?” She questioned.

  “You risked everything!” He ground out as the color of his eyes returned to the hue of molten steel. Exasperation creased his features and there were dark shadows beneath his eyes.

  “It wasn't intentional.”

  “Damn it all!” He exhaled a breath he didn't require. “You can't comprehend the impact you could have had on the crew!”

  “That's where you're wrong, Lucien.” Eva retorted, beginning to grow irritated. “I've berated myself all the way back to the hotel! Besides, you can't fault me for doing what’s natural.”

  “Natural?” He flung his sunglasses to the floor, his frustration obvious. He stalked away, reaching the door of his hotel room first. Lucien pulled the key from the depths of his coat and attempted to insert it into the lock. His hand trembled, and he was unable to complete the action.

  Eva came to his side, and waited until he placed the card in her upturned hand. There wasn't a word uttered as she slid the key into the slot and swung the door wide. He stormed past her, flinging himself on the bed.

  “Yes, natural.” Eva hissed. She followed him into the hotel room, kicking it shut. Thankfully, the portal closed without the expected bang, and she planted her balled fists on her hips. Lucien didn't appear surprised at her intrusion and, instead, stared up at the ceiling. “I can't help that I had the living crap scared out of me!”

  “You knew what to expect!” He countered. He pulled himself upright, unbuttoning the cuffs of his shirt. He chose not to focus on her, preferring to stare at the wall behind her.

  “What one sees on television and experiences in life is as different as night and day!” Eva threw her hands up and stalked toward him, drawing his attention. “Why is it so hard for you to understand a simple human fallacy?”

  “Stop it.” He shook his head, his pale fingers tugging the silky material of his shirt from the waist of his trousers.

  “Until I met you, I didn’t believe in the paranormal. I went about in my own little haze, living life as the living do. Since we’ve met, I’ve had more unbelievable shit thrown at me than I could imagine!” She stilled the urge to throw her hands up. “There was a shadow, Lucien. I saw the image of a woman walking toward us, in period dress. There was something in that house!”

  He heaved a heavy sigh, his anger draining away. “It was the spirit of the eldest. She has, apparently, remained behind to keep a watchful eye on the residence.”

  “Your hand, Lucien….”

  His hands dropped to his lap and formed into tight fists. Perhaps her reaction was his own making, he pondered. As a rule, he managed an exploration before the other crewmembers would set off in their pre-assigned pairings. Without a camera lenses or a boom mike focused on him, Lucien gathered whatever souls lingered at NADGEL investigation sites.

  Pensive, he considered her words. He had scarcely been over the threshold at the Mendelssohn House when he removed his gloves. Instantly, an eerie and frightening glow had radiated from his stricken hand. Away from the other investigators and the ever-capable camera lenses, everyone remained unaware of the change.

  Evangeline was aware of his glowing palm, as well as the angels and demons within seeking lost souls. The incandescence increased as the specter glided toward them, unhappy. Apparently, the last of the Mendelssohn family understood the paranormal investigators had invaded the residence for the night.

  “Your hand was glowing.”

  “I'm aware of the fact.” His admission was rough, his jaw tightening as he flexed his hand. “You, alone, know the scar illuminates when there's a spirit present. Whether good or evil, my mark serves one purpose.”

  “You were going to gather her, weren't you?”

  He inclined his head sharply. “You interrupted.”

  Eva neared him. It was a colossal effort for Lucien not to jerk away, after the devastating faux pas. She wasn’t able to rationalize what frightened her most, the glow from his hand, or the shadowy spirit of a woman long dead.

  At the Mendelssohn House, Eva had reached for Lucien as the spirit neared. Unconsciously executed she grasped the hand leading into another realm, and the results were intense. A sudden heat scorched a trail across her shoulders and into the depths of her stomach. She shook, unable to wrench away.

  The contact sent Lucien careening into the wall. The house shook with the violent impact, pictures vibrating in their frames, and brass knobs rattling in the closed doors. Pulled after him, she collided into the rock hardness of his chest. Almost collapsing, only his hand kept her upright. His breath had escaped him in a loud and choking gasp, and he stared into her fearful features.

  At the same moment the incident occurred, Ethan was more preoccupied with a malfunctioning digital camera. For some undetermined reason, the battery had died on the expensive bit of equipment. He had been attempting to find another, speaking to the man carrying the boom mike. Distracted, they hadn’t witnessed the contact.

  Eva forced an inane giggle at her own clumsiness as the technician turned. Forcing repeated apologies, she thanked Lucien for steadying her, claiming she had fallen headlong into the wall.
/>
  “You jeopardized my existence.” He managed in a low tone and wrapped his arms about his torso. His gloveless hands were a stark and amazing shade of white against his silk shirt.

  “I'm sorry, Lucien. I'm so sorry I touched you.” She approached him, her heart aching, and she longed to erase the pain from his shivering body.

  “I regret….”

  Her nearness disconcerted him. Barely able to manage the words, his attention became riveted. To his more normalized vision, he observed the glow seeping from her lashes. A sprinkling of stardust drifted across her rounded features and settled on her sleeveless blouse.

  “What do you regret, Lucien?”

  He blinked and attempted to shake the image of glowing stars from his eyes, the bed depressing with her weight. She was careful not to touch him, a hand's width separating the curve of her luscious thigh from his rigidly muscled leg.

  “I….” He couldn’t speak as she peered into his shadowed face. She blinked and a scattering of light rose from her flesh and dispersed, as weightless and downy as feathers.

  “Do you regret knowing me?”

  Lucien remained silent. Her breath escaped her with a soft sigh and the air filled with shimmering stardust. On his own accord, without his normal reticence, he leaned forward. His eyes closed with undefined rapture and he ran the tip of his tongue over his lips, capturing the distinct flavor of peppermints.

  Oddly enough, Lucien didn't experience the explosive sensations that usually assailed him.

  Instead, there was deep warmth and sweeping calm, accompanied by the slight sound of his heart. The slow thud of the organ was barely perceptible at first, increasing in tempo when he brushed his mouth against her startled lips. He was unable to stop from stealing a forbidden kiss, savoring the resonance of his rapid pulse and the warm blood flooding his veins. A low and contented sigh slipped from him and he leaned in closer for yet another taste. His lips became lightly insistent as he parted the tender flesh of her mouth, coaxingly running the tip of his tongue over the moistness.

  Lucien longed to gather the rays of starlight radiating from her. He wanted to become part of the world she mutely promised with her every action, and lose himself in her.