Are you sure, Christabel?
Don't worry. I won't let anything happen to you.
Theo swallowed and smiled tremulously at Romero. "Shall we?" she asked. Christabel's presence--a fleet, cold zephyr-- left her, and she felt somehow incomplete.
Chapter Fifty-four
Body House: 1:10 A.M.
"I can't believe you let them go down there," Amber said as soon as Pelinore and Romero were out of sight.
"Me either," Melanie added.
"I guess I shouldn't have, but what the heck, they both signed liability waivers." He chuckled sickly. "I wanted Theo out of my sight and giving permission seemed like the quickest short-term answer."
"What are we going to do if they don't come out?" his daughter asked as the three walked over to the couch and sat down.
"You've got me, kiddo." Since the moment they'd left the room he'd regretted his decision to let them go, and now her question doubled his misgivings.
Vaguely, he heard the thrum of an engine, then headlights flashed through the window.
Amber hopped up and peeked out, then turned back to David and Melanie. "They're hee-erre," she sang as she went to open the door.
"Who's here?" Melanie asked.
"The cavalry, I assume." Despite all of the goings-on tonight, David hadn't been able to take his mind off Melanie's heart-shaped face, off her green eyes, off the laughter that lived in her voice. He wanted to take her hand, but still unsure, he refrained. "Craig and Eric Swenson were going to come by to watch the fun, but Craig had some things to do first. I didn't think he was going to make it. Fortunately," he added as he heard the men's voices, "I was wrong."
"Craig Swenson's the police chief, right?"
"Right."
"He seemed like a good guy," Melanie added as they rose to greet the newcomers.
"Chief, Eric, you remember Melanie Lord?" David asked as they joined them in the parlor.
"Of course." Swenson looked from Melanie to the portrait of Lizzie and gave a low whistle. "Sure she's not your grandmother?" he asked.
"It's the clothes," Melanie said, shaking his hand, then Eric's.
Everyone sat down. "So, we missed the show," Swenson stated. "Was it a bust?"
"Only Pelinore was a bust," Amber said dryly.
David didn't even try to hide his amusement. "It was quite a performance," he said, but before he could begin to tell them about the séance, Eric interrupted.
"Where's Miss Pelinore? She's still here, isn't she?"
Melanie was staring at him in amazement and Amber said, matter-of-factly, "Eric's a real psychic, not like that witch Pelinore."
"Yes, she's still here. So's Romero," David said. "They're looking for the dungeon."
"You're letting them wander around--" Swenson began.
"They bulldozed him," Melanie explained.
"Nothing's likely to happen tonight," David went on, feeling horribly sheepish, "and Romero wanted to see what he was in for."
"That's right..." Craig said slowly. "You found the secret passage..."
"Thanks to Patton's letters, I know where it's supposed to be. I have a schematic of the latch. But, frankly, I haven't had any desire to check it out."
"Did you give the schematic to Romero?" Swenson asked.
"No." David paused. "Theo says I showed her, that night that she was possessed by Christabel."
Craig cracked his knuckles. "Yeah, I think you said you don't remember much about it?"
"No, I don't." And he'd revealed even less of it to Swenson, primarily because it was just too embarrassing to retell. "All things considered, I guess it's likely that I told her. Christabel was trying to get us into that dormer room..." His stomach did a slow, nauseating flip as he realized that he'd seen the dark misty form the specter favored enter Theo tonight--but that he hadn't seen it come out again. It was dark, he told himself. And just because a ghost usually takes a particular form, that doesn't mean it has to. It might be invisible, or it might look like something else.
"David," Eric said.
He looked up, saw the young man's pale face, saw the terror in his eyes. "What's wrong, Eric?"
"We have to get them out of there."
"We've never had more than one incident occur at a time, Eric," he said gently. "We had major phenomena here tonight. If I didn't think Christabel's going to have to rest up before performing again, I'd never have let them go down." He looked at the others. "Maybe this séance was a good thing, after all. It should still be safe around here tomorrow."
"She wants you to think that," Eric said bluntly.
"Theo?" Melanie asked.
Eric shook his head. "No. The other."
"Christabel," David said. He ignored Eric's warning look, but his stomach was growing sicker and sicker. The boy’s right, his guts insisted. He’s right. Telling his misgivings to shut up, he said, "Let's give them a little while. I'm sure they'll be back soon. The locking mechanism probably doesn't even work."
Melanie and Amber had been speaking quietly to each other, and now they stood up. "Dad, we're going up to my room for a minute. I want to show Mel Lizzie's doll."
"I'm not so sure you two ought to go wandering off by yourselves," David said.
"We'll be right back, Daddy. You said yourself nothing's going to happen."
That was true. "Okay, but hurry back down and don't go anywhere else."
Amber rolled her eyes. "We won't." She turned to Melanie. "Come on, Mel."
As they walked away, he heard Amber tell Melanie that her dad was a worrywart. Melanie's gentle laughter trailed down the stairs.
"So, tell us about the séance," Craig said. "And Theo's big bust," he added, his face deadpan.
Chapter Fifty-five
Body House: 1:25 A.M.
"I can't wait to see the whole place," Melanie told Amber as they approached her room. "This house is like a museum."
Amber laughed. "It's weird, anyway. Here's my room," she added, her hand on the knob.
They entered the room, and Melanie was surprised by the strong scent of lavender which permeated it. Amber glanced at her, then said calmly, "That's just Lizzie. I guess she wants us to know she's here." She opened a beautiful oak wardrobe, then knelt in front of it, her hands inside, fiddling with something Melanie couldn't see.
"This is Lizzie," Amber said, rising to show Melanie the doll she held carefully in her hands.
"She's beautiful," Melanie said.
Suddenly, the air turned chill and Lizzie's lavender fragrance was overwhelmed by the sickly sweet odor of jasmine and decay.
"God!" Amber cried, pulling the doll protectively against her. "No! Get away!"
It looked as though Amber was fighting with herself, as if her hands and arms wanted to throw the doll, while the rest of her wanted to keep it safe.
She looked at Melanie with wide eyes. "Help me!"
Before Melanie could respond, the maniacal sound of Christabel's laughter filled the room and the doll flew from Amber's arms. The girl screamed as it crashed against the wall with a sound like breaking dishes.
"No!" Amber cried again. "No!"
Melanie grabbed her. "Come on!" she ordered over the sound of Christabel's laughter. "We've got to get out of here!" The putrid odor of decay was so strong now that Melanie had to fight down the urge to retch. "Come on!"
A dark cloud swirled into existence in front of the open door, blocking it. As Melanie watched, it took shape, forming quickly into the image of a young, dark-haired woman. "Christabel," Melanie said softly.
Abruptly, Amber was yanked from Melanie's grasp. She landed at the feet of the spirit's now faded, flickering image.
"Amber!"
The girl moaned.
The ghost laughed, the sound echoing in Melanie's head. Then it spoke and, though its mouth didn't move, she heard every insane word. You can’t hide from me now, Mama. I broke your little house. Your little doll house. Again, the terrible laughter rang out.
"Lizzie," Amber whispe
red. "Lizzie, where are you?"
Melanie barely detected the lavender scent beneath Christabel's overwhelming stench. "She's here."
It doesn't matter if she’s here--she can’t help you anymore. Christabel laughed. maniacally. You can 't hide from me, Mama. Get out of this house, or I'll destroy you!
The lavender, like a cool breeze, descended upon Melanie, and faintly, she heard Lizzie's desperate voice in her head. She’ll kill her, she'll kill Amber! Stop her!
Stunned, Melanie thought one word: How.
Her body lies in the dungeon, Lizzie explained. Destroy it. Cut it up, or burn it. Melanie could feel Lizzie's agony as if it were her own. She cannot reenter her own body until the Erzuli doll is broken. She will try to do this herself while possessing the body of another. Once it is broken, she will immediately move into her body and then she will be too strong for anyone to fight and all those imprisoned in the dolls will be her slaves for eternity.
You must not let her break the doll. You must do it--you must take control, because you must destroy her body and her soul. It's the only way to free the others and make this place safe. · You interfering bitch! another voice screamed in Melanie's head. When will you learn you can't stop me, Mama?
Christabel's laughter rang in Melanie's ears and she looked up to see that the spirit's image, though still soft and translucent, had lost its flicker. It was already regaining some of the energy it had used during its attack.
I must go now. I will try to help you. Remember. Remember . . . Lizzie's words faded away.
Christabel, her expression so evil that Melanie could barely look at her, was nearly solid now. Slowly, she moved forward, her feet floating right through Amber. The girl, nearly unconscious, shivered and made a tiny mewling sound as the spirit moved through her, toward Melanie.
I hope you’re not foolish enough to listen to my mother.
You can't stop me. No one can. You re going to die, bitch, and I'll have your heart for my breakfast!
Suddenly, laughter filled the air and the spirit raced toward her so quickly that Melanie had no time to move. The last thing she felt was something that felt like a cold sheet of ice slamming her down to the floor.
Chapter Fifty-six
Body House: 1:42 A.M.
She left the red-haired woman who was dressed like Mama on the floor and entered Amber's body. Though the girl gave little resistance, forcing her to rise and walk to the third floor was difficult because Christabel had expended so much energy already this evening.
There was no time now for recuperation, but what she had just accomplished had been well worth it. By planting the notion in Amber's head to show Mama's doll to the other woman, she had normally gained access to it, effectively destroying her mother's power to fight her. Mama knew it, too. That had been obvious by the way she'd fled after making her small, pitiful attempt to communicate. Later, if she continued to stay in the house, Christabel would seek her out and drain her down until she became nothing more than a cool breeze.
She had also decided to procure Amber now, since it was imperative that she have her for the sacrifice. As she reached the third floor and turned toward the dormer room, she felt relief. As soon as Christabel had her safely in the room, she would leave the girl there and have Theo carry her down and put her in bondage.
Soon, the others would follow, but by then she would be ready to trap them, and since Eric and his uncle had shown up, she would have enough bodies to completely finish the reanimation ritual tonight. There would be no more waiting!
She used Amber's hand to close the dormer room's door, then left the girl's body, laughing as she watched it fall to the floor. She looked forward to the not-too-distant moment when she would tear the girl's beating heart from her chest with her own reanimated hands, a process that would give her almost as much pleasure as slipping back into her own body again.
Chapter Fifty-seven
Body House: 1:59 A.M.
"We need to go upstairs," Eric said suddenly. "Something's happening."
"With Theo?" Swenson asked.
Eric shook his head. "It's Amber, I think."
David leapt to his feet and ran for the stairs, vaguely aware of Swenson and Eric behind him.
"Amber!" he shouted as he made the landing. "Melanie!"
Turning the corner, he saw that Amber's door was open and her light was on. "Amber!" It's okay, everything's okay--they’ve only been gone fifteen minutes! "Amber! Melanie!"
"David?" It was Melanie's voice, soft and uncertain.
He tore into the room and rushed to help her as she pushed herself up off the floor. "Melanie."
Dazed and disheveled, she looked at him with little comprehension as he helped her to Amber's desk chair.
"What happened?" asked Craig Swenson.
"Where's Amber?" David added.
She looked from man to man but didn't answer.
"Christabel's been here," Eric said from behind them.
"Yes," Melanie said, understanding coming back into her eyes. "Christabel. She hit me."
"Hit you?" Swenson repeated.
"A psychic slug," Melanie said dryly. "She hit Amber, too. Amber?" Frantically, she looked around. "Where is she?"
"You don't know?"
She shook her head. "She was here."
"Okay, tell us what happened," the chief said gently.
Melanie took a deep breath and exhaled noisily. "Amber was showing me the doll. We could smell lavender, and she said Lizzie was here, but then that horrible odor drowned it out, and something--Christabel, I guess--made her throw the doll."
David followed her gaze across the room and saw the shattered, but bloodless, effigy of Lizzie lying there.
"Christabel materialized. We saw her. She knocked Amber down, and then I could sense Lizzie again. She sort of got on me." Shocked, she looked into David's eyes. "She can't protect Amber anymore, David. She told me Christabel will kill her." She rubbed her forehead. "Oh, God, I remember now."
Quickly, she told the men what Lizzie had said they had to do to stop Christabel and save Amber. "She must have taken her away somehow."
"She can possess," David said. He turned to Eric. "You and Melanie stay here. Craig and I are going downstairs. We'll be right back with flashlights."
Swenson followed him out, silent until they reached the first floor and David pulled two small flashlights from the parlor cabinet. Then he shook his head. "Those won't last ten minutes. Bring them for spares and come with me."
He led David out to the cruiser and took two huge fluorescent lights from the trunk, and his revolver, twelve-gauge shotgun and billy club from the cab. "You know how to shoot?"
David shook his head
"Damn, Eric can't either. Guess you can figure this out though." He handed him the billy club, then replaced the rifle in its rack, withdrew his holster, and fastened it around his waist. He slipped the handgun into it with practiced ease.
"Let's go."
"I don't think a gun's going to stop what we're after," David said as they dashed into the house.
"Can't hurt."
David couldn't argue.
Melanie and Eric came out of Amber's room as they approached He handed one of the smaller flashlights to Eric then turned to give the other to Melanie. Suddenly, he halted. You idiot! In his worry over his daughter, he'd forgotten to get Mel out of there. "You've got to leave. Come on, I'll see you safely out."
"I'm not going anywhere," she replied sternly, "except into that damned dungeon. Give me the light. And the nightstick."
David knew what her tone of voice meant, so he didn't waste time arguing with her. "Let's go," he said grimly.
He felt only the barest trace of fear as they entered the dormer room, and he was relieved that it felt empty and undaunted. "Damn," he said as he studied the bookcase that Patton's notes said contained the hidden latch.
"What's wrong?" Swenson hissed.
"I should have brought the schematic. I don't remember how it wor
ks." His words trailed off as he caught a faint whiff of lavender. "Lizzie?"
The scent strengthened and then he sensed, more than saw, a slight turbulence in the air, like heat waves undulating above a desert highway. Slowly, it approached, then paused, hovering a foot from him. "Lizzie," he said softly. "Help me."
She moved onto him like a cool, fresh breeze, and then he felt her in his mind, shared her sorrows over her failure to first redeem, then her failure to destroy, her own daughter. And he knew her fears for Amber's safety, which were so like his own.
Let me use your hands, she ordered. At first, he didn't think he could let go enough, but somehow he did and, a moment later, he watched as she directed his fingers to the proper places. Suddenly, the opening in the floor slid open on the cool, rancid darkness below, and then Lizzie vanished.
Find the trunk and destroy her body. Destroy the doll. The looks on the others' faces revealed that they, too, had heard the words.
Chapter Fifty-eight
Body House: 2:17A.M
They were coming now, but Christabel was not yet ready for them. Perched in Theo's mind, she urged her host to move quickly. The woman was enjoying her task--tying Amber Masters to the table that would become her sacrificial altar--and was lingering over it. Normally, Christabel would have approved, but not now.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Jerry Romero yelled again. He'd been yelling from the moment he'd laid eyes on the skeletal corpses scattered around the room. To get him out of the way, they'd quickly tied his hands then pushed him down and trapped his legs in a set of stocks located in a shadowy comer about ten feet away from Amber. Theo glanced back at him.
Ignore him! Hurry! Christabel urged as she sensed the trap door four stories above them slide open. Hurry! She suspected enough of her strength had returned to allow her to take over Theo’s body instead of relying on the woman's cooperation, but she didn't dare waste it, not now. You can have your fun with Amber later; she promised Theo. You need to open the cabinets now.
Far above, the stairs creaked.
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