Seduction of Souls

by Patricia Gauthier

  “You hear me, you bastard? You will not win this! In the name of God you will not win this!” Anger made his cheeks heat as he shook his fist skyward. Now he hoped Everett could help him back up his claims.

  When he hung up the phone after waking Everett, he found RayeAnn in the kitchen making coffee and some crustless snack sandwiches. The pile of crusts looked like busywork to him. When in doubt, feed everyone. He chuckled to himself as he put his arms around her waist, kissing the top of her head while she continued to fuss.

  “Baby, you know I love the look of your body, right?”

  “Yessss. Why?”

  “Well, as much as I love to look at you, I thought it might be a good idea for you to put something on before everyone else gets here. I don’t know if you noticed or not, but you’re naked from the waist up.” She looked down and laughed, putting one hand over her face she blushed a beautiful shade of pink before heading upstairs.

  When she came back downstairs she was dressed in shorts and a t-shirt that stretched snugly over her braless breasts. Sexy as hell. With a chuckle she tossed him a pair of shorts and shirt of his own.

  “Look down, ace. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black.”

  He glanced down at his nakedness and chuckled a deep baritone laugh.

  “My mother’s seen me naked before, you know?”

  “Yes, but Bryn hasn’t. I don’t want to see her start drooling worse than Lillyanna does. Besides, Tim might get jealous. I don’t even want to guess what Everett would think.”

  “Yes, dear. Anything you say, dear.” He spoke the words like a robot.

  “I don’t know who programed you, but I like what they did.” She kissed him as he bent to pull up his shorts. As he straightened he pulled her into his arms and deepened the kiss, leaving his shorts mid thigh.

  Just at that moment everyone walked into the house. She reached her hands down and roughly tugged up his shorts without breaking the kiss. Thank goodness they were behind the kitchen counter.

  CHAPTER 25

  With Everett’s arrival a few minutes later, they settled the baby into her crib and sat around the large library table to discuss their next step. Tim and Ryker told Everett about the happenings at both homes earlier in the night.

  “What happened earlier in the day to piss him off? Anything new or out of character for anyone?” Everett asked as he looked around the table.

  “RayeAnn and I got married down at the courthouse. We came back here and had lunch. This was the first time that Lillyanna has slept over at my mother’s.”

  “Congratulations! This is just an outside hunch…did you take any pictures?”

  “Yeah, on my digital camera. I haven’t downloaded the pictures yet. Do you want to see them?” RayeAnn offered.

  “Yes.”

  She moved over to the computer and grabbed her camera off her desk. Turning the monitor around so everyone could see, she inserted the memory card from the camera into the drive. Pictures taken at the courthouse came to life on the screen as she slowly scrolled through each one. When she got to the first picture taken at the house, everyone let out a collective gasp. Staring back at them was an evil, menacing image of Gideon Meriwether super imposed over everyone’s face, taking up the entire space. His features were transparent but readable…and he was pissed.

  “He doesn’t look very happy about the wedding, dear. Did you forget to send him an invitation?” Ryker tried to make light of the situation, masking his revulsion and anger.

  “Apparently. I didn’t know a picture of a ghost could be so detailed. I always thought ghosts just appeared as a fog or dark shadow. I can practically count the eyelashes on this sucker.”

  The next picture showed the same thing as the last, with one exception. In the upper right corner there appeared to be additional entities. RayeAnn turned over the computer controls to Ryker as he zoomed in on the other images. Clearly there were two additional spirits, but who were they? Their images were just too blurry to make out.

  “What are you thinking, Everett?”

  “Let me just think out loud here. One difference from the last time Gideon visited is that this time he only destroyed one room in this house. Last time the entire house was wrecked. Another is that Lillyanna has been added since last time. When he did this in the nursery, he left Lillyanna alone, right?”

  “Yes…I guess. Her corner of the room where her crib is wasn’t touched. She was sleeping in the crib at the time, though.”

  “When he attacked at your house, Darcy, where was Lillyanna at the time?”

  Tim jumped in to answer. “She was in bed with Bryn and me. She had been a little restless, so we put her in bed with us.”

  “Was her crib wrecked along with the rest of the room?”

  “Yes. Everything except our bed. She was safe in bed with us.”

  “No, actually, I think it’s the other way around. You were safe because you were in bed with Lilly. My guess is he can’t touch her, for some reason. Almost like there’s a force field protecting her.” Everett paced the room now, deep in thought while everyone stood by and watched. No one said a word for a long while. RayeAnn finally asked the first question.

  “Is it possible that other spirits are protecting her?”

  “Yes, I think that’s the most logical answer. If we just knew who they were we could try to contact them. My guess would be that Gideon is much stronger than the other spirits, so they’re concentrating their protection on Lilly. If they were just as strong as he is, they would no doubt protect this entire house. He would have never gotten back in. Another wild guess would be that there are several spirits that are determined to protect her but they can’t see, or don’t realize, that they’re not alone. In other words, they can’t see or feel each other.”

  “Or they don’t know each other. My Aunt Juliet never met my mother or father. My mother didn’t even know she existed. To take that a step further, Charity Meriwether only knew about my Aunt Juliet. Logic would dictate that since Aunt Juliet was unaware of my parents, so was Charity and eventually Nathaniel. Heck, it’s even possible Nathaniel didn’t know about Aunt Juliet. Is everyone following me here? It’s getting a little complicated.”

  “I think I’ve got it. Each spirit only knew about the person he or she had contact with. Is that what you’re trying to say?” Everett spoke while everyone else just nodded in agreement.

  “Yes. That gives me an idea. Could you all give me some time alone with the computer and phone? I need to check out a few things with some of my colleagues. Why doesn’t everyone take a little nap, and we’ll all meet back here at, say, four o’clock. I hope to have some answers then.”

  “All right. Everett, can I get you anything? Would you like me to make you a fresh pot of coffee?”

  “No, thank you, RayeAnn. If I need anything I’ll just help myself. Now scoot, all of you. I’ve got work to do.”

  They all filed out of the room and went to their assigned bedrooms for their naps. Exhausted now, Ryker and RayeAnn went into the nursery and fell into a sound sleep for a few hours.

  By the time Lillyanna woke, everyone was fighting over who got to hold her first. RayeAnn won. Breast feeding was a very powerful weapon in the baby wars.

  ********

  At four o’clock on the dot everyone assembled in the library. Lillyanna played happily in her playpen, chattering to her ocean of toys. Everett stood in front of the desk, sitting on the edge as he began the meeting.

  “Well, I’ve had quite an enlightening day, I must say. First, let me confirm that RayeAnn’s suspicions were right. It’s not only very possible, it’s very likely each individual spirit is unaware of the existence of the others. If they are paired spirits like Charity and Nathaniel, for example, they know of each other but not about, say, RayeAnn’s parents. Vice versa. This is why Gideon is able to maintain his power over them. He’s very powerful, but only as long as the ‘good spirits’ don’t know about each other.” He sat, arms crossed over hi
s chest and looked for signs of understanding in the group. When there were no questions, he continued his oration.

  “Our job is to make the various ‘good spirits’ aware of each other. Once we do that they can pool their powers, hopefully making them more powerful than Gideon, and drive him out for good. Darcy is your spouse…deceased?”

  “Yes. Five years ago. Why?”

  “Because we need to call on everyone we can think of to help us. Even in the spirit world there’s power in numbers. I need a list of anyone any of you can think of who has passed. Don’t worry about wondering if they’d be willing to help or not. I want to ask anyone and everyone for help.” He passed out paper and pencils to everyone and waited for them to compile their lists. Once the lists were collected and merged, he continued his explanation.

  “Now that we have a list of possible good spirits, we need to have a séance. I’ve called a couple of other psychic mediums to help us out tonight. They should be here after dinner. At the séance we’ll try to contact our spirit friends and explain the situation and see if we can get them to communicate with each other. Since I have no idea how successful this will be, we’ll just have to play it by ear as we go along.”

  “What if it doesn’t work? What do we do then?” RayeAnn trembled in Rykers arms, afraid of the answer.

  “I honestly don’t know. Don’t get me wrong, that doesn’t mean we give up. We would just have to come up with a new plan. Lets not get ahead of ourselves. One step at a time.”

  They nodded their heads in agreement. No one moved for a long time, each person absorbed in his or her own thoughts. Every once in a while someone would come up with a question of little consequence. One by one they wandered off to do one task or another.

  CHAPTER 26

  At seven o’clock sharp the doorbell rang. Everett opened the door to his trusted friends and fellow psychic mediums, Skylar Hoffner and Jayson Allenton. He introduced them to everyone and asked them to have a seat at the large rectangular table they had set up in the downstairs foyer. From this vantage point they could see most of the first floor and the hallway of the second floor as well.

  Each medium was assigned a person or two, with the hopes of being able to facilitate the numerous spirits. Darcy and Ryker were assigned to Skylar. RayeAnn was with Jayson. Tim and Bryn were watching over Lillyanna in the nursery and Everett was the facilitator. Each team had a list of spirits the medium was asked to try and contact. If a spirit got too anxious or pushy, it would fall to Everett to intercede and deflect any negative emotions that might interfere.

  Once the readings began Everett walked soundlessly around the room, and tapped into the progress being made. When each psychic had assembled his listed spirits and had explained the situation, it was time to introduce everyone to each other.

  If it hadn’t been so important, RayeAnn may have burst out laughing as she eyed Ryker, who looked as skeptical as she felt. What could the mediums be telling their spirit relatives? RayeAnn hoped they’d be willing to help and keep Lillyanna safe. When the house started to vibrate on its very foundation, the amusement passed. Someone wasn’t happy in the spirit realm.

  “Sounds like we have a visitor. Could everyone please join hands.” Everett sat down at the table quickly and reached for the hands extended to him on both sides of the table. He was the glue that was going to hold this together. “Remember everyone, no matter what happens do NOT break contact with each other.” Silently he bent his head and said a private prayer, informing them that he prayed for strength and guidance. “Let us all pray together,” His booming voice began. “OUR FATHER, WHO ART IN HEAVEN…”

  RayeAnn could feel the power building in the room. She could feel her hair stand on end. Occasionally a crackling sound accompanied a flash of light. Electricity sizzled through the air, pressing heavily on her chest, restricting her breathing.

  Before the prayer was over the temperature in the room dropped drastically. RayeAnn could see the fog of everyone’s breath as they recited the prayer. Quietly Everett explained that the room would feel like a freezer because of all the spirits present at the same time.

  “JULIET MERIWETHER HARVEY, DO WE HAVE YOUR SUPPORT AS EXPLAINED TO YOU BY YOUR PSYCHIC MEDIUM?” Everett’s voice boomed through the house.

  Jayson Allenton’s voice came out as if he wasan elderly woman. “I’m here to do whatever is necessary to help.” RayeAnn began to shiver, but she wasn’t sure if it was from cold or fear.

  “ALLAN WHITCOMBE, WILL YOU HELP US?” This time a deep baritone voice boomed through the room, so deep and rich it made her chest vibrate. She squeezed Ryker’s hand with understanding, knowing how much he and his mother missed him.

  RayeAnn watched and listened as each name was called, some she had never heard of. She was awed by the love she felt in the room, amazed that people she had never met from generations past were stepping forward to help.

  “RAYMOND TRENTON, ARE YOU WITH YOUR WIFE, ANN?”

  Two voices spoke at the same time through Skylar Hoffener. Her heart lurched and her hands tingled, feeling a gentle touch from an unseen entity. She knew, without a doubt, that she felt her mother and father touching her hand for reassurance. God, she missed them.

  The room was freezing now, the power was almost palpable. The frosted walls of the room began to undulate, as if they had a pulse, while the flames of the candles flickered and flashed. They cast a haunting glow around the table, the power and flames getting larger and larger with each undulation of the walls. The fog of heavy breathing mingled with the smoke, as it rose in the air, outlines of the spirits present could be seen. RayeAnn watched the fog miraculously coalesce into one giant entity, completely engulfing everyone at the table like a dome. And she felt love, pure and absolute.

  “All right everyone, I’m going to summon Gideon now. Hold on tight.” Everett warned. When her fears should have been heightened they were replaced with a calm determination and purpose. They could do this. She watched the glow that encased them all, no gaps, just solid strength.

  “GIDEON MERIWETHER, I COMMAND YOU TO SHOW YOURSELF.” She waited, scanning the room nervously. Nothing.

  “GIDEON MERIWETHER, COME OUT AND FACE YOUR FATE. YOU CANNOT HIDE ANY LONGER.” Still no response. “AS I THOUGHT, YOU ARE A BULLY AND A COWARD. NO MAN OF HONOR WOULD SHY AT THE CHALLENGE I LAY BEFORE YOU.” The stench of death became overwhelming. RayeAnn and Darcy both gagged at the fetid smell but never let the grip on their neighbors loose.

  That did it, all right. An angry roar filled RayeAnn’s ears and her head. Furniture began to vibrate and pictures flew from the walls, whirling violently before hitting the floor. She glanced at Everett and saw his determination, he was going to win or die trying. She fought the urge to break the chain and cover her ears. The noise growing by the second, she could feel the vibration in her chest. The frost continued to consume everything in the room, the candles sizzled with the moisture, but didn’t go out.

  “MAINTAIN CONTACT WITH EACH OTHER, NO MATTER WHAT,” Everett commanded.

  Ryker felt the fog of good spirits strengthen their hold. He glanced nervously at his mother. She sat with her head down and eyes squeezed tightly shut. She had guts.

  To his right he looked at RayeAnn. Her head was tilted all the way back, looking up at the high ceiling. She was in her own world. As if watching a movie, she tracked and followed things he couldn’t see. Occasionally a smile graced her face and tears leaked out of her eyes and rolled into her hair. Not sad tears. Not really happy tears either. Someone was telling her something. Briefly a portion of the fog took on feminine features and kissed her lovingly on the cheek.

  A roar as loud as a train followed the materialization of a dark, ominous mist. It didn’t hover calmly like the fog. It swirled and whirled around the room, ricocheting from the ceiling to the wall to the floor and back to the ceiling at a high rate of speed. The angrier Gideon got, the larger the fog became and the louder the roar. When Gideon attempted to ram the good spirits, fl
ashes of light lit the room from the impact. Then the lights went out and the candles were extinguished. It took a few moments for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. He watched the chandelier above them sway unsteadily, its heavy chain creaking with the strain. Gideon was no longer visible in the darkness of the room. The table lifted several inches from the ground, but Ryker could feel the strength of the others still connected. Thank God the others refused to break their grasps. Together they all pushed down on the table, forcing it back to the floor with a loud thud. The floor began to undulate beneath them, joining with the walls. It felt like a giant roller coaster ride in complete darkness. Instinctively their grip on each other tightened.

  Everett began to recite the rite of exorcism from memory. His eyes closed and his head tilted back on his shoulders and faced the two story ceiling.

  “EVIL SPIRIT OF THE DARKEST REALM, BY NAME, GIDEON MERIWETHER, ABANDON YOUR QUEST. IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST, I COMMAND AND COMPEL YOU TO YOUR DESTINY AS DETERMINED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT. GO TO YOUR PRISON OF HELL AND DARKNESS, NEVER TO ESCAPE YOUR DAMNATION.”

  Gideon howled and moaned. The sound echoed off the walls, completely surrounding them.

  “I CALL ON THE HOLY SPIRIT TO SHELTER AND PROTECT YOUR FAITHFUL SERVANTS. CAST THIS DEMON OUT OF THIS HOME. KEEP THIS FAMILY SAFE FROM EVIL. I ASK THIS IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST.”

  The angry spirit swore at the top of his lungs, furious. “DAMN YOU ALL! I WILL SEE YOU ALL IN HELL. YOU CANNOT BANISH ME! I AM TOO POWERFUL AGAINST YOUR PITIFUL SPIRIT FAMILY.”

  “I CALL ON THE ARCHANGEL MICHAEL TO DO BATTLE WITH THIS DEMON. CAST HIM AWAY AS YOU DID IN HEAVEN!”

  “MICHAEL CANNOT SAVE YOUUUUUUU” Gideon whirled around the ceiling like a tornado, the momentum tearing the wallpaper off the walls.

  Gideon’s spirit began to assault the spirits protecting them, each blow was repelled and sent him whirling away as he roared with outrage. Flashes of lightening exploded around the room, the brightness making him see spots in front of his eyes. Ryker was sure the house would rock off of its foundation as the entire room tilted. The candles slid off the table and fell to the floor with the tilt of the floor. Each time Gideon tried to attack a different spirit, the other spirits rallied and united to protect them. Ryker could sense Gideon’s power weakening with every strike. Pride surged through his heart at the valiant efforts of the good spirits. Out of the corner of his eye, Ryker noticed a very small glowing light. It was bright and…warm. Frost melted around the entity and he could hear the drips hitting the floor.