Ghost of a Summoning

by J E McDonald

  On top of the new inventory of antiques, Relics was going to expand its scope a little. Aubrey had started featuring the work of local artists and artisans. Already the wall across from her was filling up with beautiful pottery, knitted garments, paintings, and hand-made books. And as the artists told people where to find their work, more and more people were coming into the store.

  More than one customer had stared at the moving swings, then looked at her with questioning eyes.

  “Ghosts,” she always said with a shrug. Most people took her answer in stride. It was ironic that now, after everything, her store was getting a quaint reputation for being haunted, when this was the first time since she’d opened that it wasn’t.

  Her heart thumped extra hard in her chest. She stared at the glass top of the counter, waiting for a message to appear and knowing it wouldn’t. Even though sadness swamped her every time she thought about Finn, she was happy for him too. He deserved to be at rest wherever he was, going on a new adventure, meeting others like himself—being a kid again.

  In his absence, she strove for a new normal. She had evenings filled with a little demon who liked to sit beside her while she read him picture books, Loki content to sit in the carnivore’s lap while having his ear gnawed. She’d watched more Brooklyn Nine-Nine in the past two weeks than she’d had in her entire lifetime and kept wondering why Moe liked it so much, since he never laughed.

  And her best friend was moving out. It had been coming for a while. The relationship she had with Lucas was serious. They wanted to live together and had decided to move into the house Nana had left her. Aubrey couldn’t blame them, even if she was sad she’d lose Stella’s constant in her life. Not that she saw her best friend any less. She came into the store just as much as she always had, and she sent her a check-in text at the same time every afternoon. And since Stella had been spending so much time at Lucas’s anyway, it would be a relatively painless shift.

  Aubrey’s cell vibrated on the counter beside her, grabbing her attention. She smiled at the text from Roman saying he was on his way back to the store. A little of the tension in her chest eased as she sent him back an emoji. Wherever he’d been off to this morning, it had been something he hadn’t looked forward to. She’d resisted the need to pry. If he wanted to tell her, he would.

  The door to the shop tinkled, and Aubrey lifted her head to see Zack Liller enter the store, wearing a grin and holding a long, flat box under his arm. It was odd to see such a big smile on the usually stoic man’s face, but it made her smile in return. A quick glance upward reaffirmed Moe had already disappeared.

  “Hey there,” she said. “You look like the cat who caught the canary.”

  “I feel that way.” He set the box down on the counter. “This is for you.”

  Intrigued, she frowned at it. Zack had never brought her anything before. “What is it?”

  “Open it up and see.”

  Squinting at him, she lifted the cardboard flap on the end and peeked inside. When she saw the edge of the canvas, she tipped her head at it, frowned, then pulled it out. Zack helped her by holding the other end of the long box.

  A gasp escaped her. It was a piece of artwork made from the broken bits she’d donated to his artist friend. The broken glass and metal spelled out the word “Relics,” but it was even more than that. Each letter took on the shape of an animal: an owl, a cat, a whale. She recognized a lot of the pieces used, the teacup shards and vase pieces. Her throat tightened.

  “This is unbelievable,” she breathed, totally amazed at the skill that went into making broken pieces look this beautiful.

  “I know, right? Maren showed me before she put it in the box, and I knew you’d love it. She’s an amazing artist.”

  “I need to pay her for this.”

  He shook his head. “She insisted she didn’t want anything for it because she’d been given so much material to work with, and if you insisted, I was supposed to take it away.”

  Aubrey clutched it protectively to her chest and couldn’t stop smiling. Look at what magic came out of broken pieces. “I need to carry her artwork in the store.”

  “Maren was hoping you’d say that.” Zack took a card out of his pocket. “If you want to give her call, she’d love to chat.”

  Setting the canvas on the front counter, she took it and read the name: Maren Granger, Lost and Found Art Canvases. Her gaze went back to the piece of artwork. “Wow. This is breathtaking.” Her fingers brushed against the smooth portions of cracked porcelain. “I’m going to hang it right behind the counter for everyone to see.” It both had her choking up and feeling lighter to see the pieces used in such a beautiful way.

  “She’ll love that,” he said, moving away from the counter to the door.

  Before he could go too far, she stopped him with her voice. “Zack.” He looked at her over his shoulder. “Thanks for everything.”

  When he nodded, his mouth quirked up in another rare smile, then he left, the tinkling of the door announcing his departure.

  She couldn’t stop staring at the artwork. It wasn’t just broken pieces. There were memories here, good ones with Finn and the new ones she’d make in the days to come. She didn’t think the artist could even understand how special that was to her.

  Exhaling, she turned and lifted it to see how it would look behind the counter. Perfect. Front and center was where it belonged. When Roman arrived, he could help her hang it.

  She couldn’t stop smiling whenever she thought of him. They’d achieved a strange day-to-day routine, one she could see herself settling into for a long time. She’d come to care for him more than any other man in her life.

  After what had happened at the church, she’d found it hard to function. It had taken her two days to get her butt out of bed, but Roman had been there, filling a different part of the void inside her. When she’d finally had enough energy to return to the store, he’d helped her with the day-to-day tasks, not asking for anything in return.

  Every day she fell in love with him a little more.

  With a sigh, Aubrey returned her focus to her computer and setting up more of the artisan items on her website. She’d taken pictures of each piece when they’d arrived, and with Stella’s help, had a whole page dedicated to the handmade items. While Moe jumped from swing to swing overhead, she listened to his light movements and concentrated on the work in front of her as much as she could.

  The next time her bell tinkled, Roman entered the store.

  The pace of her heart sped up, her whole body tingling in awareness at the sight of him. She might have seen him this morning before she left for work, might have spent the whole night in his arms, but her reaction to him never dulled. He wore the same brown jacket as always, a lightweight gray sweater underneath. She knew his knives were under there—the only time he felt comfortable taking them off was at home.

  Roman smiled at her, and her breath caught in her throat. There was something different about him, something about the way he moved. He seemed lighter, like he’d shed a burden.

  Before she could ask him about it, his eyes strayed to the artwork as he stopped on the other side of the counter. “What’s this?”

  With effort, she pulled her attention away from his face. “Isn’t it beautiful? Zack brought it. It’s made of the broken pieces I donated to that artist.” She passed him the artist’s card.

  “It’s perfect,” Roman agreed, his eyes shining at her.

  What was different about him? It niggled at her. She’d literally seen him only a few hours ago, but she couldn’t ignore that something had changed. “How was your morning?” she asked with a questioning smile.

  “Good,” he said with a nod, then came around to her side of the counter. “Even better now that I’m here.”

  When he wrapped his arms around her, all her nerve endings fired in awareness. She thought he was about to kiss her, but all at once, his face turned serious. “I talked with Grace Liller today.”

  “Oh?”r />
  “I let her know I’d be open to jobs from them.” He paused to absorb her reaction, then said, “I can’t stop doing the work I’m good at. There aren’t enough of us, and I won’t turn my back on people who need it. Either through the Church or through the Lillers.”

  “I understand.” She hadn’t wanted to change him in any way. “Even though it will be hard for me every time you take a job, it’s also what I love about you. It’s important. No matter how much panic I feel, I’ll work through it.”

  He cupped her face in his hands. “How is it you’re so amazing?”

  His kiss began soft and exploring, then turned into something demanding in the next moment. Her bottom pressed against the front counter as his hands ran up and down her body. She wished they were somewhere else, where they could strip off their clothes and take their time showing each other how much they cared.

  After a time, he lifted his head and gently brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. “There’s something I’ve been wanting to talk to you about.” His eyes held hers, intent. “Stella told me yesterday she was officially moving in with Lucas.”

  Aubrey nodded, her throat tight.

  “Maybe you’d want some new renters to help with the mortgage, since you’ll have an empty room?”

  She pulled back a little. “You want Stella’s room?” Separate bedrooms was not what she had in mind.

  His grin was quick. “I was thinking Moe could have Stella’s room.”

  “Of course.” A short laugh escaped her, and her heart swelled like it was about to explode. She wrapped her arms around his ribs tight and didn’t want to let go. He tucked her head under his chin, stroking her hair with gentle pressure. Closing her eyes, she reveled in the sensation of his body sheltering her and breathed deep. They stayed that way for long moments, his hand moving up and down her spine.

  “Ah, Aubrey,” he breathed, squeezing her tight. “I was lost before I found you.”

  She hugged him back, her ear above the beating of his heart. “I love you so much it scares me,” she whispered. They’d said the words to each other before, but right now it seemed more important than ever. After everything, she knew she didn’t deserve to be so lucky, but she would take it and never let go.

  He leaned back to cup her face in his hands. “Having the privilege of sharing your life, of holding you while you sleep, of waking up in the morning beside you, of spending the days with you here, of loving you…I’ve never been more content.”

  “I’ve wanted you to officially move in for days now. I thought there was something holding you back.”

  Shaking his head, he said, “Not anymore. You won’t be able to keep me away.” He stroked her jaw with light fingers. “But if you ever need to kick me out of your house, that’s your right. Of course, I’ll try to change your mind, but you still have the right to make me leave if you need me to.”

  A rough laugh escaped her. “I can’t see a reason I’d ever kick you out.”

  “Just wait, you haven’t seen me try to bake anything yet.”

  She snorted. “That’s what Theo’s bakery is for.”

  He took an unsteady step back, like he was trying to resist ravishing her on the countertop. He kept his hands on her shoulders. “Now, what would you have me do today, boss? I’m at your disposal. You can punish me later for being late.”

  Trying to keep a serious face, she said, “You can stay right here and kiss me again. And after that, you can help me hang this canvas.”

  “Yes, boss.”

  As his lips covered hers, she shivered at the promise in his voice, that this role-play would be resumed when they found a moment of privacy. This kiss was filled with a searching tenderness and yearning. Aubrey melted into him, unable to hold anything back.

  When they broke apart, she bit her bottom lip and looked up into his eyes. “You know, a while ago I thought I might have to put up a “no kissing” sign on my door, but I think I’ve changed my mind.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Yeah, this can be a kissing zone whenever you have the urge.”

  “Promise?”

  She pulled her head toward her until his lips brushed hers. “Promise.”

  Epilogue

  Ander Martinez threw the file on his desk, almost spilling his half-empty, lukewarm coffee in its disposable cup. The screen saver on his laptop, the iconic cat poster with “Hang in there, baby!” written along the bottom, mocked him. Frustration made him jittery. He stood, trying to shake it off. Something big was coming, something worse than what had happened a couple of weeks ago, but no one else seemed to see it but him.

  Pandora’s box. That was what his superiors were calling the thing Aubrey Karle broke. A vessel of destruction. It had waited thousands of years for the right moment and right woman to do the job, like a submerged crocodile waiting for its prey to take a drink from the swamp.

  What was next? Unicorns? Leprechauns?

  It kept feeling like the world was about to tear itself apart.

  His superiors lacked imagination. Ironic, considering the reports he kept sending them. They couldn’t seem to see the same patterns he saw. Sure it was an escaped chimera here, a few dead demons there, an endless crack that kept spreading. No big deal. But Ander knew it meant more.

  Stone, his partner, saw it too. Something big was coming for them. They both just didn’t know what. Every time a case turned up in one of the four paranormal division’s desks across the country, Ander took note of it, tracked it. Everything swirled toward an epicenter—and that epicenter was Wickwood.

  Ander let out a half-laugh, half-groan and ran a hand through his curly hair. He was beginning to see conspiracy theories everywhere. The job was making him paranoid. Grabbing his black bomber jacket off the back of his office chair, he headed to the common room separating the three offices.

  “Heading out for some fresh air,” he murmured to no one in particular, striding to the glass door at the front of the space. Wiley and Ridon were fighting as usual, something to do with the Bermuda Triangle. Funny thing was, a year ago, Ander would have been on the side of the skeptics. Now he didn’t know what to believe. He’d seen too much shit to discount aliens.

  As soon as he stepped onto the sidewalk running the length of the strip mall, he took a deep breath. God, that office sucked. They’d had much better accommodations in Langport, but when they’d focused their attention on Wickwood a couple months ago, they’d gone with the closest space available to the Langport Financial building down the street.

  Hands in his pockets, Ander walked aimlessly, needing to clear his head. There weren’t any pressing cases at the moment, but he knew that could change in an instant. His whole life had turned upside down in the past year, first with the promotion to the Paranormal Division, then with this move back to Wickwood. It wouldn’t be so bad except that the strange things happening weren’t only affecting him. They were affecting his family.

  Thankfully, Stella was none the worse the wear for her encounter with demon energy at the cathedral two weeks ago. But combined with the incident with her father, it was a lot. Lucas was having a hard time with it. He wanted to protect her from evil. He wanted to do something. Ander knew the feeling.

  Lucas felt powerless, like his job as a police officer restricted him now he knew what evils lurked in the world. He wasn’t wrong. Since working with the FBI, Ander had been privy to a lot more information and resources than he would have thought possible.

  Just yesterday, his brother had agreed to send his application to Ander’s division. Since he was already trained as a police office, the additional training would take less time than it would have if Lucas had tried to join the FBI right out of college. It had been the same for the rest of his team. They all came from one background or another, allowing them to skip the queue as it were. Still, he knew leaving Stella, even for a short time, weighed on Lucas. Ander didn’t blame him for being nervous.

  He stopped walking at the edge of the park and let out a
breath. What was he doing here? How could he, an ordinary guy, fight demons and chimera? How was he supposed to stop whatever was coming for them? No wonder his position had a high turnover.

  Shaking his head, he turned around and headed back toward the office. A groaning noise stopped him in his tracks. Ander glanced down at his feet. Had it come from beneath him? He waited, expectant, for the sound to repeat itself. It did, but this time it seemed to come from farther away. He swiveled on his heel, following the sound, glancing around to see if anyone else heard it. All was quiet. No one seemed in a panic.

  But he’d seen too much in this job to brush off a strange noise as something born of his imagination. He stopped when he came across a section of road where the crack was visible. Not fifty feet away, the yellow tape surrounding the Langport Financial building marked the restricted area. He peered up at it, shielding his eyes from the autumn sun. The reflection off the thirty-story chrome and glass building almost blinded him.

  Another groaning noise reverberated beneath him, this one accompanied with a shaking of the pavement beneath his feet. Ander caught his balance, but the shaking continued. The groan turned to a deafening roar, making his ears ring.

  Just when he thought it had stopped, the building in front of him shuddered, the metal beams bending as though a massive weight pressed down on them—then broke apart like a house of cards.

  ***

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