Kindred Spirits

by Phoebe Rivers

  Henry darted across the kitchen.

  What’s he doing? Where’s he going?

  Nothing stood in his way. No pans, no pots, no spilled sugar. His feet never touched the ground.

  He was heading right for Lily!

  Chapter 4

  I had to stop Henry!

  “No!” I cried. Henry was inches away from Lily.

  Suddenly he dropped to his knees. His small, shimmering hands reached out. Then he turned to me. “It’s a doggie,” he said, his voice a breathless whisper.

  “What?” Lily asked me. “Why’d you yell?”

  Buddy sprawled contentedly by Lily’s feet. Henry pointed to him. His mouth formed an O of surprise. His outstretched arms twitched.

  “I thought I saw a bee,” I told Lily, swatting at the air. “It’s gone.” I hated lying. My stomach was on fire.

  “May I pet the doggie?” Henry asked. He leaned closer to Buddy.

  Neither Lily nor Buddy seemed to sense Henry. Buddy stayed fast asleep.

  Would it be okay? I wasn’t sure. I nodded ever so slightly at Henry.

  He scooted even closer to Buddy. His small hand, visible only to me, tentatively touched Buddy’s back. He gently rubbed the dog’s brown fur. Slowly at first, then faster. Long, loving strokes. Henry’s body relaxed with each stroke. The electric current around him dimmed.

  Eyes closed, Buddy rolled onto his back. Henry rubbed his belly. Buddy’s hind legs fluttered with delight. His stubby tail wagged furiously.

  “Check out Buddy.” Lily tipped her chin toward her dog. “He’s awfully happy.”

  “What do you think he’s dreaming about?” I asked nervously.

  Lily’s eyes gleamed. “I totally know.”

  “What?” Could she sense Henry?

  “Mason. He’s excited to see Mason tomorrow, and he’s excited because he knows you’re going to get together with Mason!”

  “Oh, please!” Relief, fear, and my guilt snowballed together in a laugh.

  “The perfect couple!” Lily singsonged. “You and Mason!”

  “Stop it.” I gave her a playful shove, even though I liked the thought of us together. Lily’s phone buzzed. She glanced at the screen. “Mom’s home already and needs me.” She looked at the kitchen floor smeared with milk and sugar, the bowls of chocolate now hardening, and the open cabinets. “I’d stay and help, but I have to clean my own room. That’s looking a lot easier now that I’ve seen your mess.” She toed Buddy with the tip of her sneaker. “Time to go!”

  Henry gazed up in horror as Lily clipped Buddy’s leash to his collar. He wrapped his arms tightly around Buddy’s neck.

  Lily tugged the leash. Buddy opened his eyes but didn’t move. Lily tugged again. Buddy stayed rooted to the spot. How could he move? He had a determined eight-year-old ghost holding him down.

  “Buddy! Come!” Lily called. “Come!”

  I bent down and pried Henry off Buddy. I tried to make it look as if I was nudging the dog. “Time to go home,” I said, then pushed Buddy toward Lily and out the back door.

  I shut the door before Henry could follow.

  “Doggie!” Henry wailed.

  “The dog will be back, but you cannot be down here,” I said sternly.

  I spent the next two hours dragging Henry up two flights of stairs and safely into his closet and then cleaning the kitchen. Lady Azura stayed in her room with Mrs. Merberg, Eleanor, Dwight, and who knew how many other spirits. Their session was taking way longer than usual. I stood outside the purple curtain but could only hear the murmur of Lady Azura’s voice.

  What are you doing in there? I wondered.

  I hoped she was figuring out how to send those nosy spirits on their way, now that my best friend thought our house was haunted.

  “Whatcha doin’?”

  I ignored the question and folded a thin strip of paper like an accordion.

  “Whatcha got there? Can I see?” Dwight leaned over me. He would’ve cast a long shadow in the afternoon sun, except spirits don’t have shadows.

  Dwight and Eleanor were still here, nosy as ever. Lady Azura hadn’t been able to help them yesterday.

  I ignored Dwight while I sat cross-legged on our front porch, trying to make an amazing birthday card for Lily. It was going to be a 3-D card. Once glued in place, the folded strips of paper would make the glittery cupcake that I’d drawn and painted spring out from the background.

  Dwight wouldn’t stop. He opened and closed the metal mailbox hanging on the side of the porch. He lifted the welcome mat. He peeked under every piece of colored paper I had by my side.

  The double swing that hung at the far end of the porch swayed slightly, even though there was no breeze. I never sat on that swing, because the knitting spirit always sat there. She never talked. She never moved. She just knit. The scarf she knit never got any longer. I used to find her creepy. Today I liked her silence.

  I folded another strip and stared at my cell phone. Buzz, already! The Meyers’ car—a white SUV with tinted windows so I couldn’t see inside—had driven by my house fifteen minutes ago. Now it was parked two doors down at Lily’s. I’d heard the Randazzo family exclaim and greet the Meyers. Buddy barked. Lily’s brothers yelled.

  I’d heard it all but couldn’t see anything.

  Should I get off the porch and take a peek? I wondered. I was so curious about Mason. But if I stood on our walkway, anyone in the Randazzos’ yard could spot me. Our plan would never work then.

  I smoothed the silky orange halter top Lily and I had chosen. Orange was bright and sunny like yellow. My straight hair lay smooth and shiny, falling just past my shoulders. I wondered if I should put on more lip gloss. I’d probably bitten it all off.

  Mr. Randazzo’s deep laugh floated down the street.

  “What’s in this box? Markers?” Dwight asked.

  I didn’t want to stay here, waiting by myself. I bent to gather the markers Dwight sent rolling across the porch floor.

  “Hi.”

  Markers in each fist, I looked up. Mason stood on the bottom porch step.

  Mason!

  His eyes were even greener than in my visions. A deep green with flecks of gold. He smiled, and the air grew warmer. The back of my neck began to sweat.

  “Hi,” I said.

  “Lily told me to come by. You’re Sara, right?”

  I couldn’t understand why Lily had changed the plan, but it didn’t seem to matter. He was even cuter than I had ever imagined, and I had imagined major cute. He kept smiling at me. A warm smile that made my fingertips tingle.

  “Yes.” I couldn’t stop looking at him. Into those eyes. He stared back, unblinking. Neither of us would look away.

  Neither of us could look away.

  “You’re very pretty,” he said. “Everyone must tell you that.”

  I did hear that sometimes, but I wasn’t sure I really believed it. But the way he said it to me, I believed it. Happiness settled over me like a shawl. Mason thought I was pretty.

  I raised my fists. “Do you like art?”

  “Markers aren’t my thing, but I love photography. I also like to paint.”

  “Me too!” I exclaimed, blushing a little over his joke about markers. In addition to being totally cute, he loved art and was funny!

  I told him all about the photos I took. He liked still lifes and landscapes, too.

  He moved up the steps, closer to me. Our eyes stayed connected. “Did you see the movie Seasons? It’s a nature documentary using paintings.”

  “It’s my all-time favorite,” I exclaimed. Talking to boys usually makes me nervous. With Jayden, it took a long time for me to be able to talk to him without feeling like I was sticking my foot in my mouth every two seconds.

  But it was different with Mason. I felt as if we’d known each other all our lives.

  “What about—?”

  “Sara, what are you doing out here?” Lady Azura interrupted. I hadn’t heard her come outside.

  “I’m ta
lking to . . .” I blinked, then blinked again. I stood and scanned the porch, then the walkway. Where’d he go? Did he hide from her?

  “It’s okay,” I called out. Had he ducked behind a bush?

  “Who are you talking to? What’s okay?” Lady Azura asked. She stood by my side and gripped my arm. Her bony fingers pressed into my flesh.

  I heard Mr. Randazzo laugh again. Then I heard Sammy Randazzo yell, “Mason, let’s play keep-away with Buddy!”

  Buddy barked.

  Not here. There.

  Mason wasn’t here. I swallowed hard. He hadn’t ever been here, I realized. I’d been daydreaming.

  “No one,” I admitted. I was embarrassed to tell Lady Azura about Mason. “I was wondering something,” I said to change the subject.

  “Sure.” She lowered herself into the wicker chair near the front door. She was always careful not to get sun on her face.

  “Lily’s birthday is coming up. She loves my necklace.” I reached under the high-necked halter and pulled out the cord Lady Azura had given me when I first came to Stellamar. Seven different small crystals dangled on the chain. “Do you think I can give Lily a necklace like this as a present?”

  “I don’t see why not. What crystal shall we start her with? What power does Lily most desire?”

  I fingered the crystals around my neck. A ruby crystal for love, an aquamarine for courage, a hematite for self-confidence.

  “I can choose anything?” I asked.

  “Different crystals and gemstones help awaken or strengthen powers buried deep within,” Lady Azura reminded me. We had talked a lot about crystals over the past several months. When I first moved here, I wasn’t so sure that they could really do anything, but now I really believed in them. I knew my crystals helped me, and they were really important to me.

  Suddenly I knew what to give Lily. “Is there a stone to give Lily psychic powers? You know, to make her see spirits, or have visions or something like that?”

  “Why do you ask that?” Lady Azura asked suspiciously. “Does she know . . . about you?”

  “No, no, not at all.” Lady Azura believed I shouldn’t tell Lily. She liked Lily a lot. In fact, the two of them bonded over their love of fashion. But she felt that I needed more confidence in my powers before I opened myself to judgment. Even from my best friend.

  “Lily’s really interested in paranormal stuff. She’s always asking me about your powers, and she’s really obsessed with this movie about a haunting at some old inn.” I told Lady Azura about The Haunting at the Spalding Inn and Justin Drexler.

  Lady Azura let out a deep-throated chuckle. “I admire how open minded Lily is—not everyone is like that, as you and I well know. But even the most powerful crystal cannot jump-start what is not already there.”

  “Do you think it’s impossible that Lily might have powers too?”

  Lady Azura looked at me for a long moment before responding. I think she was deciding what to say. Or how to say it. “I do not think it’s impossible, but I do think it is highly unlikely. However, I can see why you might want Lily to have powers too.”

  “No, it’s not just that,” I insisted, unable to hold her gaze. And it wasn’t just me wanting it. Lily was really interested in paranormal stuff. She had told me so many times that she wished she could do what Lady Azura can do. What I can do too.

  “I do understand,” Lady Azura assured me. She reached over and squeezed my hand.

  “But, Sara, if it were so easy to talk with the dead, cemeteries would be as crowded as amusement parks.” She let go of my hand and leaned back. “It’s a nice wish for Lily to have. How about a gem that encourages wishes to come true?”

  “I like that. Does it really work?” Maybe I should get one, I thought.

  “The moonstone is a wishing stone with great mystical power. It’s not a genie in a bottle. It helps focus desire,” Lady Azura said. “I have a man I get my crystals from. His name is Hector. I will order the moonstone from him today.”

  “Thank you.” I knew Lily would love it. “Maybe she can—”

  A crash. Then another!

  We both swiveled in time to see a third clay flowerpot tip off the far side of the porch. It landed with another crash, smashing into pieces on the driveway that ran alongside the house.

  Eleanor shimmered into view. She clasped her hands to her round cheeks. “Oh, dear. They were heavier than I thought. I just wanted to take a peek under them.”

  I waited for Lady Azura to scold her. To tell her to leave our stuff alone. She didn’t say anything, though.

  “Eleanor and Dwight are out of control.” I told her about Henry getting out and the embarrassing mess in the kitchen.

  Lady Azura waved her hand. “No harm was done, child.”

  “This time,” I cautioned. “What happens if they let Henry out again? Do you remember last Halloween when he got out? It’ll be worse than spilled sugar next time.”

  “Sara, what we do comes with risks. There are elements beyond our control. Mrs. Merberg’s case is tricky and will take time. Did you know that she’s a published author? She may write a book about me and this experience.”

  “Really? That’s great! But when are Dwight and Eleanor going? How does sending them on work?” A blue sports car stopped in front of our house. The car had license plates from New York.

  “Who’s that?”

  “She should be my next client.”

  “Another one?” I couldn’t keep the disappointment from my voice. It had been a long time since Lady Azura and I had sat on the porch and talked.

  “Busy, busy.” Lady Azura stood and straightened her long gauzy white skirt. “Are you good out here until I am done?”

  I watched a thin woman with short blond hair and retro sunglasses climb out of the car. My eyes widened as three black cats followed her.

  Not living cats.

  Ghost cats.

  Seriously? I thought. We’re adding animals to all the other spirits in our house?

  “I—” My phone buzzed the special chime I had for Lily.

  Dwight peered over my shoulder at the screen. PLAN IS A GO! MASON TIME!

  This was it. I was finally going to meet Mason face-to-face.

  “I’m totally fine,” I told Lady Azura. “In fact, I’m going to Lily’s house.”

  Chapter 5

  The Randazzos’ front yard was empty when I got there.

  Had I missed him? Had they gone home?

  No. The white car was still parked out front. Then I heard voices from the backyard.

  I exhaled and tried to calm my nerves. He’s just a boy, I told myself. Relax. I strolled around the side of their white Victorian house, just like Lily and I had planned. Casual. Look casual, I instructed myself. I let my arms swing at my side as I forced myself to walk slowly. La-la, just wandering along.

  I spied Lily’s parents sitting on their back deck with Mr. Meyer and his wife. The adults sipped iced tea and talked. Mrs. Meyer gestured wildly with her hands. The sun shone brightly in the cloudless sky.

  Lily’s three younger brothers and her little sister played kickball with a blond boy and girl, who I guessed were the Meyers’ twins. The boy pitched the red rubber ball to Sammy. Cammie cheered for her brother.

  “Fetch, Buddy!” Lily cried.

  I swiveled toward the far end of the large yard. Lily stood next to Mason. He threw a navy Frisbee. Buddy raced after it.

  I swallowed hard.

  Mason was just as cute as I’d imagined. Short, spiky white-blond hair. Honey-tanned arms and legs.

  Buddy scampered back with the plastic Frisbee dangling from his mouth. Mason pried it loose and flung it again. He had a strong arm, and he stood with the confidence of an athlete.

  Lily looked my way. She grinned and nodded her head wildly.

  Mason kept his eyes on Buddy.

  Lily moved her eyebrows up and down. She nodded toward Mason. Then she wiggled her eyebrows again.

  Was that some sort of code?r />
  Buddy whizzed back to Mason, but I stayed focused on Lily’s odd twitching.

  Was I supposed to come over? Or stay away?

  “Watch out!” Mason yelled.

  The Frisbee jerked off course and rocketed straight for my head. I knew Mason was watching me now. This was it. I leaped in what I hoped was a combination of graceful ballet and athletic force. I threw my arms out and caught it. I caught it! I waved the Frisbee in the air. What a great first impression!

  Lily cheered.

  Mason just stared at me. Frowned. Clearly not impressed.

  A lump lodged in my throat. He was supposed to smile at me, not frown. That was how it’d always been in my daydreams.

  “Throw it to Buddy!” he called. No “Hello.” No “What’s your name?” No “You are so pretty.”

  I flung the Frisbee toward Buddy. It spiraled lamely, then dropped only a few feet in front of me. My usual bad Frisbee throw. I scooped it up and jogged over to where they stood.

  “Here.” I smiled brightly and thrust the Frisbee toward Mason.

  He took a step back and stared at the grass.

  I hesitated. Was he moving away from me?

  Lily’s hand pressed between my shoulder blades and gave me a push forward. A push toward Mason. My arm was still outstretched, as if I was jousting, and unless he wanted to get pummeled in the chest by the Frisbee, Mason had no choice.

  He reached out his hand, and our fingers brushed. Knuckles against knuckles.

  He grabbed the plastic disc, and we stepped away. Barely a second had passed, but in that instant, the sky seemed to darken.

  I looked up as Lily began introductions. Clouds had suddenly rolled in. The sky shifted from blue to steel gray in an instant. A weird weather coincidence.

  “And this is Sara. I was just telling you about her,” Lily was saying.

  “Hi! I love your dog, Buddy,” I said cheerfully.

  “He’s not my dog anymore.” Mason watched the kickball game, refusing to meet my gaze.

  “Well, he still kind of is,” Lily said. “You can come visit anytime. Really! Rachel and Ben, too.”

  He looked at her. “Thanks. That’s really cool of you.”

  “No problem. Hey, do you like art? Sara is incredible at crafts and photography,” Lily said.