Exile: Ghost Academy (YA paranormal adventure, book 4)

by K. E. O'Connor

  Charlie took hold of Lauren’s hand and they transported to the other side of the lake. “That sounds like a plan. I was never all that keen on feeding on humans when we were at the Academy. I know they get paid but they didn’t really know what was going on.”

  Lauren walked away from the water, still holding Charlie’s hand. “Using portals to get energy works well for me. Although Esmee thought it was weird when I transferred some of my energy to her when she needed it.”

  “Well, she did always love a bit of drama.”

  Lauren’s smile faded. “Even though she was a massive pain some of the time, I do miss her. Alex and Esmee both. We were part of a team and it feels strange not to have them with us.”

  Charlie scuffed his feet along the ground as they walked. “I know what you mean, it’s like a piece of us is missing. I even miss being bossed around by Spencer.”

  “We will see them again,” said Lauren. “Even if we don’t get back into the Academy and they banish us for life, surely they can’t stop us from seeing Alex and Esmee.”

  Charlie nodded. “It would make the Academy no better than a prison if they refuse to let them see us again.”

  They walked the rest of the way in silence, content to be in each other’s company. Reaching the front door of the house, they both walked straight through.

  Grant appeared from out of one of the side rooms and walked towards them. “Nice to see you back. I thought for a second you may have decided to abandon the place and leave me on my own.”

  “No, we just went out exploring,” said Lauren.

  “I get it, you need to know what’s out there don’t you.” Grant raised his eyebrows.

  “We do.” Lauren glanced at Charlie not certain they should reveal their discovery of a portal to Grant. He was still a stranger.

  Grant opened his mouth to speak, but his image flickered out of sight for a second before returning, looking a little more frayed around the edges.

  “Everything okay with you?” Charlie gestured to the room Grant had come out of and led the way back into it. “I couldn’t help but notice you’re not always with us.”

  Grant’s gaze drifted to the floor, a dusty pink and green rug underfoot. “I haven’t fed for a while. The last time I did it I went a bit far and am worried I won’t be able to control myself this time. It can be tricky when you’re on your own, judging just how much essence to take without harming anyone.”

  “Did the person you were feeding on die?” asked Lauren.

  “No, but it was a close call and I know they are still recovering. I feel bad having to take their essence, but it seems to be the only way to stay strong and whole. I’ve been keeping out of the way of humans for a while and trying to preserve what energy I have left, but I’m going to have to do something about it soon.”

  Charlie shot Lauren a sideways glance. “There is another way.”

  Lauren frowned. She didn’t want to become an energy source for the entire population of ghosts. But as her gaze travelled over Grant she realised how weak he appeared. There were patches on his torso that were translucent. He must be running on almost empty.

  “How do you both feed?” Grant sat in a dusty beige armchair and Lauren and Charlie sat together on the couch opposite.

  “I feed on portal energy,” said Lauren. “It’s much stronger than taking anything from a human so I don’t need to recharge all that often and tend to have excess energy available. I’ve used it a few times on other ghosts when their energy levels were low and it helps them to regenerate without needing to feed on a living person.”

  Grant’s blue eyes widened. “What do you charge for doing that?”

  “I don’t charge anything. I just do it to ghosts in need.”

  “Do you consider me to be a ghost in need?” asked Grant.

  Lauren looked down at his torso again, she could see the armchair through him.

  “You do look pretty worn out. I guess it wouldn’t hurt if I gave you a little energy to keep you going until you figure something out for yourself.” Lauren stared at Grant. “All I ask for is information about what happened last night. What are you, some sort of ghost hunter?”

  “Sounds like a fair exchange. I accept your condition. But don’t feel obliged. I can always go to feed, I have not worn myself out just yet,” said Grant.

  “It’s fine, I can give you some of my energy easily enough,” said Lauren. “Do you want to do it now?”

  Grant nodded. “If it’s no bother. What do I need to do?”

  “It’s just like you would feed on a human, but I simply breathe on you and give you my energy rather than you actively taking it from anyone. It doesn’t hurt and it should feel the same as when you normally feed.”

  “Do you need me to lay down?” asked Grant.

  “No, you can stay sitting.” Lauren got up and placed her hands on Grant’s shoulders. She could feel a softness to his form as if he were struggling to maintain a solid shape.

  “Is this good enough?” asked Grant.

  “That’s fine, just try to relax. I know it feels strange to have someone you don’t know breathing all over you.” Lauren smiled. “Promise you I don’t have bad breath.”

  Grant chuckled and shifted in his seat. “I’m sure your breath is lovely.”

  Lauren took in a deep breath and then exhaled a veil of pale pink mist, focusing on releasing her energy into Grant. The transformation was almost instantaneous and the holes in Grant filled out as his energy level rose.

  After ten seconds, Lauren let go and stepped back. “You already look much better.”

  Grant’s eyes glittered. “It felt incredible. I don’t think I’ve ever had such a concentrated jolt of energy in such a short amount of time. And this really is portal energy?”

  “That’s right. I discovered by accident that I absorbed some of the portal energy when I was repairing them for the Academy.” Lauren returned to her seat next to Charlie and curled her feet underneath her.

  “You can enter and leave a portal at will?” asked Grant.

  Lauren smiled. “That is a story for another time.”

  Grant grinned at them both. “Fair enough. So, my part of the deal. What exactly went on here last night?” He settled back in his seat. “I am the same as you, a ghost. I died about forty years ago and have been perfecting my abilities ever since. I now find myself a wanderer on this fair planet, trying to help out when I can.”

  “Help out how?” asked Charlie.

  “By stopping dangerous ghosts from causing others harm,” said Grant. “During my travels, I have encountered a number of ghosts who were not always so pleasant to the living or the dead. I’m not proud to say that there were times when I was also crueller than I should have been to others, thinking I needed to frighten people to get what I wanted. However, I decided that needed to change and I became something of a lone ranger, fighting injustice caused by any unruly ghosts.”

  “That doesn’t sound so different from what the Academy does,” said Charlie.

  “You were both officially at the Academy?” Grant held his hands in front of him and inspected them. “You have mentioned them before, so I assumed you were involved with them in some way.”

  Lauren looked over at Charlie who gave a nod.

  “We’ve been training there for a few months now, but things didn’t quite work out right,” said Charlie.

  “On a leave of absence, or absent without leave?” asked Grant.

  “The first one,” said Charlie.

  “I was at the Academy for a brief time as well,” said Grant.

  “They recruited you?” asked Charlie.

  “Don’t sound so surprised. They recruit students of all ages, although younger ghosts are normally believed to be easier to train. Although I imagine I was as shocked as you both were when you opened your eyes and found yourselves in a basement with no door.”

  Charlie smiled. “It was something of a shock when we all arrived in the Academy.”

>   “I stayed there about three months,” said Grant. “Even did some assignments for the Academy. It was years ago now. For me, time doesn’t seem to mean so much when you’re on this side of life.”

  “We are both kind of new to this, so still getting used to it all ourselves,” said Charlie.

  “The Academy takes in anyone they see serious potential in,” said Grant. “They picked me for my curious nature. Apparently being nosey is a good thing when you work for the Academy.”

  “Not sure we have quite the right kind of potential for the Academy,” muttered Lauren.

  “No, it isn’t for everybody,” said Grant. “In my short time there, several students left. Some chose to cross over, whilst others just disappeared.”

  “We did have some good assignment there,” said Charlie. “Most of our cases were a success.”

  “I didn’t mind doing the Academy assignments.” Grant sat forward in his seat. “It was just that some of the rules they expected you to follow were not to my liking. I didn’t really get them and I didn’t always agree with them. After a time, we both came to a mutual agreement that the Academy was not the right place for me.”

  “And they just let you go?” asked Charlie.

  “After some negotiation and me promising not to reveal their location to anyone. Not that I’d do that to them. I’m guessing they’re still in the same place?” Grant’s gaze shifted between Lauren and Charlie.

  “Maybe we shouldn’t say,” said Lauren. “It’s not that we don’t trust you, but we aren’t exactly a part of the Academy anymore. Revealing their secrets won’t earn us any stars from them.”

  “It’s fine, we’ve only just met, you don’t need to tell me anything you don’t want to,” said Grant. “I should probably talk less, but I don’t get to meet ghosts who have been a part of the Academy often, and it’s nice to talk to others. Can’t exactly talk to the living without giving them a scare.”

  Charlie grinned. “Yeah, most of the others at the Academy kept themselves hidden, so we didn’t have many others to talk to either when we were there.”

  “They still have that rule about students not interacting?” Grant shook his head. “That’s one I never got. What’s so wrong with us all meeting up now and again and swapping stories?”

  “It was supposed to keep us focused on the job.” Lauren shrugged, agreeing with Grant’s comment. “It just made me wary about who might be hiding in plain sight.”

  “So, you have also both left the Academy?” asked Grant.

  “Not by choice,” said Charlie. “Like you, we’ve been doing assignments for them but one went wrong recently and we had some family emergencies to deal with. It all got messy and we almost ruined a case.”

  “But we didn’t,” said Lauren sharply. “In the end, everything worked out okay.”

  Grant nodded. “They really don’t like you clinging on to the past. I have, or rather had, a girlfriend that I left behind. We were serious and had plans to marry. I kept trying to visit her but it was actively discouraged by Professor Templeton. Is he still there?”

  Lauren nodded. “He’s still there.”

  “I remember him as being something of a stickler for the rules. What about Mitch Mackintosh? We had a few run-ins whilst I was there. Is he still hopelessly hung up on that other professor, Storm?”

  Charlie grinned at Lauren. “It sounds like not much has changed since you left.”

  “That place really doesn’t change much, but they need to or they will keep losing valuable students like you. Their rules are too harsh. They really don’t have much hope for carrying on if they continue to be so inflexible.”

  “You think the Academy needs changing?” Lauren leaned forward.

  “I do, and have done for some time now,” said Grant. “Part of me is tempted to start up a new Academy. It would have fewer rules and regulations and would give new arrivals more time to settle in before sending them out on cases they don’t even understand.”

  “It would have been easier if they recognised that although we are now ghosts we did have lives, and did leave behind people we care about,” said Charlie.

  “I think the biggest issue with the Academy is that the professors have been there so long they have lost and forgotten about all their loved ones. They’ve all had to watch their families age and die, whilst they remained unchanged. I understand that is painful, but we shouldn’t deny it’s happening and shut ourselves off from our loved ones. Look what happens when you do that?” said Grant.

  “Would you seriously do that?” asked Lauren. “Set up your own Academy?”

  Grant smiled. “No, it’s a nice idea, but seems like a lot of hard work to me. How about Mitch, what’s he doing there?”

  “Making life difficult for everyone,” said Lauren.

  Grant smiled. “That guy really needs to get himself laid. He is too uptight and has martyred himself for the sake of Storm. And she’s never going to go back there.”

  “They dated?” asked Lauren.

  “Of course, didn’t you notice the way he watches her all the time and protects her like she’s made of china? The rumour goes that they had a relationship for about six months, but good old Mitch couldn’t get over his dead wife, it put something of a strain on them making any progress. Plus, his temper kept getting in the way. But he just seemed angry at himself all the time, as if nothing he ever did was good enough. I believe Storm broke it off with him in the end.”

  “I’ve run into his temper once or twice,” said Lauren.

  “It’s Professor Templeton you need to get around if any changes are going to be made and he is a tough nut to crack, a real traditionalist. Unless he decides that things will change at the Academy they won’t,” said Grant.

  “Do you miss it?” asked Charlie.

  Grant paused, his gaze drifting to the floor. “Can’t say I do. I miss the easy access to a feeding source and I do miss the camaraderie that I had with my team. I was part of a team of four.”

  “Much like us,” said Charlie. “We had two others in our team but they remained behind at the Academy.”

  “Same as my team,” said Grant. “They seemed happy there.”

  “What do you do now?” asked Lauren.

  “I go exploring, see the world. You can go anywhere you like as a ghost, you just need to know where you’re going. I’ve visited old family and friends and even travelled abroad. It’s a free life of sorts, but it can get lonely being on your own all of the time. It’s good that the two of you have each other.”

  Lauren and Charlie exchanged a smile.

  “You’re what the Academy call a rogue ghost?” asked Charlie.

  Grant nodded. “Yes, if you want to put a label on me, that’s what I am. I’m not affiliated with any particular group, but also not causing problems. I get the impression the Academy always thinks that rogue ghosts are going to cause trouble for the living, you know scaring them in their house or chasing them along dark alleys, that kind of thing. And I think some of them do, but on the whole, the other rogues I have met on my travels are content to simply be on their own, to remain undetected and to slip through this life without any interference or hassle from others. We really aren’t all hell bent on terrifying the poor humans any more than we need to. They have enough troubles to worry about.”

  “Did you ever try out the Deviants?” asked Lauren.

  “I’ve heard about them but they never contacted me, and I don’t think you get in without an invitation,” said Grant. “From what I know of them they are serious troublemakers and they have plans to alter the way the portals work if the Academy are to be believed. I met a Deviant on one of my assignments, but she didn’t really cause any problems. We were working near a portal that had gone wrong and she appeared and just observed what we were doing.”

  “We are hoping the Academy might decide to take us back,” said Charlie.

  Lauren shot him a glare. “We’re not sure about that. In fact, we’re not sure what we’r
e going to do. That may not be an option for us, returning to the Academy.”

  “Sounds like you have a tricky situation on your hands,” said Grant.

  “We’re working on it,” said Lauren. “We will know soon enough if we can re-join the Academy.”

  “I would imagine with your abilities they would be keen to keep you with them,” said Grant. “I’ve not met another ghost who can absorb portal energy and survive.”

  “It never gives me much of a problem,” said Lauren. “Charlie figured out that’s what I was doing before I even realised it.”

  “Your ability really is quite extraordinary. By rights, you taking energy from a portal should simply blow you apart. It should be too much energy for one ghost to handle. The portal energy is made up of the concentrated essence of hundreds of thousands, maybe even millions, of ghosts who have crossed over. Some of their energy is absorbed into the portal to ensure it can be maintained, and if you are taking some of that energy then basically you are taking and absorbing thousands of essences. You shouldn’t be able to do that, you should simply break apart, spontaneously combust.”

  “The Academy never explained it quite like that,” said Lauren.

  “Well, they should have, and they should have done everything they could to keep you with them. You could easily go into a portal and drain it if you wanted to. If you were to join with the Deviants, then they would have a powerful weapon that would ruin every portal you came across, taking in its energy and then distributing it to other ghosts whenever you wanted.”

  “That could explain why the Deviants are so interested in you,” said Charlie. “You could become their permanent feeding source and help them to wreck all the portals.”

  Lauren frowned. “I definitely am not interested in doing any of that.”

  “You have received an invitation from the Deviants?” asked Grant. “It’s not my place to advise you, but maybe joining them isn’t such a good idea. I witnessed first-hand a portal they altered. It spat out ghosts for weeks, individuals who had been having a wonderful afterlife, and were suddenly ripped away and cast back into this world. As you can imagine, the results were not pretty.”