GM sat forward in the chair across from the sofa. She had just placed a flat board on the coffee table. My gut tightened when I saw the familiar dark lettering and symbols. The Ouija board. When she placed the leaf-shaped pointer on the board’s surface, my heart began to hammer in my chest. Oh boy, here we go.
My eyes darted over to Lawrence before I slunk down onto the sofa. I barely dared to breathe as my grandmother’s words sounded in my mind—”a last resort.”
“Wait a second, GM,” I said. “Before we start, what exactly is the danger we’re going to be dealing with here?”
She looked over to Lawrence, and he nodded. Turning back to me, she said, “Did you see the movie The Exorcist?” When I nodded in reply, she said, “That pretty much covers it then.”
“Are you kidding me?”
“No, Keira, I’m not. If a demon is strong enough, it can fling things around, using household items like missiles. It can sow confusion in your heart and mind, and it can—if you allow it to—possess you and take over your body and make you do its bidding.”
Holy shit, this was real.
GM’s eyes met mine above the board. “Keira. What is the opposite of love?”
Was this a trick question? Anyone knew the answer to that. “Hate.”
“No, it’s fear. I can feel your fear and you’re right to be cautious. But fear... not only is it crippling, but it can be used as a weapon against you. I have found that facing your fear, instead of denying it, lessens its power. Accept your fear. Then release it with each breath, exhaling it. With every inhalation, you take in love, which is present all around and within you.”
I closed my eyes and tried to do what she said.
It didn’t work.
“Keira, look at me.” I opened them, and watched her eyes. They began to shimmer.
I WILL NOT BE AFRAID
FEAR IS THE SOUL DESTROYER
AND WOULD CONSUME ME
WERE I ALLOW IT
I REBUKE FEAR
TO ITS FACE OF MANY MASKS I STARE UNAFRAID
ONE BY ONE, I WILL WATCH THOSE MASKS FALL AWAY
CRUMBLE TO ASH
AND DRIFT AWAY
IN THE BREEZE OF MY LOVE
LEAVING NOTHING BY MYSELF
AND I WILL STILL STAND
ALONE AND UNAFRAID.
Her words echoed in my mind and a vision of a pile of ash wafting away from the surface of polished white purity filled my mind’s eye.
My mouth hung open. “You did that, GM? You projected your thoughts into my mind?”
“Yes, Keira. I was only able to because of how strong you’ve become so quickly. I can’t do that with anyone, only one gifted as you are.” Holding my eyes, she sent that litany to me again. Over and over we repeated it until I was... no longer afraid.
“Now breathe, Keira. Rebuke the fear from you and inhale the love which is this universe’s nature.” Together we did the breathing, our inner voices joined with each inhalation and exhalation, over and over.
Now let us begin
“Yes,” I said.
Her hands rose and then with just the lightest touch, her fingertips rested on the planchette. Oh God. This was it. My fingers joined hers on the small triangle. There was a tiny tremble in the object which I hoped was the result of one of us, rather than...
“Is there a spirit in the room?” GM’s voice almost made me jump out of my skin and my gaze darted around the room.
The planchette vibrated and then jerked to the right! It stopped on the word ‘Yes’. My fingers tingled, like there was a small current of electricity running from the small object to my hands.
“What is your name?” GM’s voice was soft yet there was a commanding authority to it as well.
The planchette slid across the board to the letter J and then to A and R.
It then slid to the center of the board. It began to vibrate under our fingers. I stared at it, then looked up to GM. She watched the planchette intently, so I dropped my eyes back down.
The object darted to the L. I tried swallowing in a mouth which was dry as dust all of a sudden.
The planchette moved quickly through the other letters pausing only a beat on each one—E, A, V, E.
My eyes met my grandmothers and hers became narrower with purpose.
“What is your name?” When there was no reply, she repeated herself, louder and more commanding. “GIVE US YOUR NAME!” The power in her voice startled me.
The candle flame flickered, then blazed up, casting long shadows to the corners of the room. The air became colder and—dense. It became harder to breathe, and a stench suddenly filled the room. My heart pounded faster. There was something here in the room with us! It was totally unlike what I’d experienced with Molly or Sam. Whatever this was... it didn’t like us one little bit. I will not be afraid... I thought to myself.
Once more the planchette jerked, moving so fast through the same series of letters that it was hard to keep my fingers attached to it—L, E, A, V, E.
GM’s nostrils flared as she took a deep breath. “Jarrod Blythe. Are you here with us?”
My eyes were marbles watching GM. She knew the name of the ghost, why did she have to ask its name?
The small object began to circle under the arc of letters, vibrating again. It started to drift toward the word YES printed on the board but was yanked back to its circling pattern. I could sense a struggle happening right under my fingers.
“Why do you not answer me, Jarrod?” GM’s gaze was like a laser beam on the planchette.
The movement was slow and tremulous—A, F, R, A, I—
The small object shot to the word on the bottom part of the board—GOOD BYE. Then it flew out from under our fingers across the room, bouncing against a bookcase.
We were cast into darkness when the candle flickered and died. I sensed movement to my right and Lawrence stepped by me. He picked up the candle and lit it again. “Pamela. You need to end this.” He picked up the bundle of grass and flicked the lighter, setting fire to the ends of it.
The acrid smell of the smoke drifted from where he held the smoldering herb. “Jarrod’s spirit was not alone, you know that. It’s time to cleanse the room.”
GM sighed and nodded, sitting back in her seat. I didn’t have to be asked twice to do the same. I took a deep breath and waited for her to speak. All the while, Lawrence wandered around the room, holding the smudge before him like a torch. I didn’t want to say anything about the fact that the smoke smelled like weed, although knowing Lawrence marijuana would be the last thing he’d ever have.
“And this, my dear, is why I dislike the Ouija board. Jarrod was here and would have communicated with us if not for that thing which managed to butt in.” Her hand rose to stroke her neck and she stared above, deep in thought for a moment.
“It was... a demon?”
“Some kind of demon, yes. When they refuse to give you their name, it’s a dead giveaway.” Her eyes rolled and she beat me to the punch. “No pun intended.”
“So what do we do now? Give up on this Jarrod guy?”
She nodded. “For the time being. I’ll keep trying to coax him from the shadows but as far as this bloody board goes, we’ll wait until the energy in this house has been rejuvenated.” She gazed over at Lawrence who was still waving the smudge through the air, walking around the room. “That’s what Lawrence is doing now, Keira. The sage smudge is something I picked up from Native lore. It helps to cleanse the atmosphere of negative energy.”
Lawrence pulled the drapes open, letting in more light from the gray day outside. Even so, the room seemed glum and heavy.
“Can we go back to the sunroom now?” There were things I wanted to know about these demons but asking them in here didn’t appeal to me.
“One moment, Keira.” Lawrence walked over and held the smudge high. “Stand up and let this cleanse you.”
I got to my feet and stepped closer to him. His hand gently fluttered the bundle of smoldering embers. Like i
ncense, the gray mist floated over my body and face. He ended at my toes and then turned to GM. For a moment, I wished it was marijuana. Getting a buzz would take the edge off for sure.
When Lawrence was done with GM, we headed back into the sunroom. Just entering the room made it easier to breathe. I could see why it was her favorite spot in the house. We both sat at the small table where we usually sat together, and Lawrence leaned against the entranceway.
I had to ask. “Where are these demons from, GM? You say you don’t know if there’s a hell, so where did they come from?”
“I’m not sure, but I’ve come to believe they are beings which battle the forces of nature.”
“Forces of nature?”
She nodded. “Yes. Nature is order, harmony and love. And the greatest of these is love. These beasts are chaos, conflict and fear. Their greatest weapon is fear. They’re the ones of the spirit realm who wish to weaken The Veil because they crave chaos.” She held up her finger to make a point. “They feed on fear, Keira. That’s why it’s important to go beyond your fear. You have to remember you are at one with the universe; all that is good. That will be the source of your strength.”
I nodded. “I will, GM.”
She looked past me to where Lawrence was standing at the passageway into the sunroom. They silently stared for a moment, and nodded in unison. Turning back to me, she took a deep breath. “How did you feel when we used the Ouija board? Think about your answer for a minute.”
I sat back and looked down at my lap for a little while. “It was frightening, even with the litany.”
“It would have been much more so without the litany. It’s a litany, Keira; not a magic spell. Go on.”
“I sensed the air change when that thing, whatever it was, started shoving that planchette around. I could feel a rage. It really didn’t want us trying to help Jarrod.” I blinked rapidly. “He’s a prisoner to that thing.”
She nodded. “Yes. It’s going to be a battle to help that poor soul. He was a weak man when he lived and he never changed.”
“Who was he? What do you know about him?”
“I managed to do some research. Back in the nineteen twenties, he was a crafty weasel. He was a bootlegger, but he was also an informer to the police. He played both sides against each other for his own profit.”
“Oh. A Wall Street broker, you mean?”
She flashed a quick smile. “Well, he was as much a scoundrel as they are, there’s no doubt of that. But he and his colleagues were murderous thugs, Keira. He took part in several killings; then framed an innocent man who was hanged.”
“And you want to help him?”
She was silent for a moment. “I want to protect The Veil,” she finally said. “Look, dear—we’re all sinners to one degree or another. We’re also saints. Yes, Jarrod did those things. But he also looked after people he didn’t have to. He provided for several families who lost husbands—fathers— in the Great War.”
“Oh.”
“I’m not,” and she pointed at me, “nor are you, in a position to be a judge of this man’s soul. I have a calling to protect The Veil.”
“I understand GM; this is bigger than Jarrod.”
The picture of a weasely, thinly built man, his beard rough and unkempt, with long stringy hair flashed in my mind. I gazed at GM and she nodded. That was the guy we were trying to help?
“Everyone needs help, Keira. Even Jarrod. But it’s The Veil we must defend.”
TWENTY ONE
FIVE MINUTES LATER, I pulled into Gwen’s driveway, parking behind her truck. The rain had really picked up; by the time I got to her front porch I was soaked. I knocked on the door and waited.
Nobody answered, so I knocked again, louder. After the third time, her dad pulled it open.
“Keira! What a pleasant surprise.” Leaning on his walker, he stepped aside and bade me to come in. As he closed the door, he looked down the hallway and back at me, his smile faltering.
“Were you at the door long?” he asked.
“Yeah, I had to knock three times. It’s no big deal, I mean with the storm—”
He cut me off. “A couple of minutes ago, Buster jumped up, started whining like crazy and took off out the back door of the house.” Devon stared at me like I was a specimen. “I don’t know how he managed to do it, but he opened the latch on the screen door with his snout and took off out to the backyard. He’s standing against the back fence and won’t come in. I came back in to get Gwen when I heard you knocking.” He looked back again toward the rear of the house, let out a small sigh and turned back to me. “He’s never done that before; he always knew when someone pulled into the driveway and would start barking at the front door.” He held my eyes.
“Yeah... that is weird, isn’t it?” I said weakly.
“Buster’s afraid of you.”
I bit my lower lip. “I know,” I mumbled.
“I mean, really afraid of you.”
I looked down at the floor. “Yeah.” I raised my eyes. “Dogs never liked me, but lately it’s gotten worse.” I shrugged. “Maybe I should use a different shampoo or something?” I tried to smile at my totally lame excuse and failed.
Devon looked toward the back of the house again. “Well, he’ll come in when he’s ready, I guess,” he said. “He’ll be soaking wet, but it’s not cold out and that’s where he wants to be... for now.” He turned back to me. “You left your phone in the bathroom.”
“Thanks. Can I talk to Gwen?”
His head turned and he yelled. “Hey Gwen! Keira’s here for her phone!”
Grinning, she came downstairs, holding my cell phone. “I was going to drive over to your place with this when the rain stopped.”
I shoved it into my pocket. “Instead of coming for lunch, how would you like to come for dinner tomorrow night? GM and Lawrence asked if you’d join us for dinner.”
She looked over at her father. His hand arced in the air and he turned. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll throw a pizza in the oven and catch the Jays game.”
Gwen turned back to me. “What time? I’d love to! Dinner beats lunch, any old day.” She tilted her head toward the kitchen. “Want a beer?”
There was a guilty feeling in the pit of my stomach. She didn’t know she was interviewing for Lawrence’s job. How much could I actually tell her? “Just a Coke.” I hung my jacket up and toed my sneakers before following her to the kitchen.
As I passed by the living room, where Gwen’s dad was now getting settled in his usual chair, I glanced in the corner where I’d seen her mother the day before. But there was no sign of her.
I took a seat at the table and waited for Gwen to finish pouring a large bottle of Coke into two glasses. “So... am I going to meet those ghosts? Molly and Sam?”
She got right to it. “No... they’re gone.”
She made a small frown. “That’s pretty convenient. You tell me about ghosts in that place, and just before I come over, they’ve gone.”
I snorted, thinking of the episode with Jarrod. Convenient wasn’t the word I was thinking of. “Sorry to disappoint you.” I pointed my chin at her. “What would you ever do if you actually saw one?”
She leaned forward and her eyes became wide. “Are you kidding me? That would be the most awesome thing.” Her smile faded. “I wish sometimes, I could see my mother.”
It was the perfect opening for me. My voice lowered, despite the din of the TV in the background. “What would you say if I told you I saw your mother here yesterday?” I watched her closely. But her eyes weren’t shocked, just a little sad.
She was silent for a few beats before she spoke, “If it wasn’t for what happened yesterday beside the pool when you read my mind or something, I wouldn’t believe you... but, I do. I’ve felt her presence but I’ve never actually seen her. I envy you that ability.”
I blew softly from puffed-out cheeks, my eyes on the glass in front of me. “It’s only happened since I’ve been with my grandmother. She’s s
ensitive about these things and it seems I’ve inherited it. And her house... if anything supernatural was going to happen, believe me that house would bring it out.” I took a sip of the pop. “You said so yourself, that house has mystical properties.”
She nodded and sat down opposite me. “Yeah, it does. I don’t know about your grandmother, but that rose blooming in the dead of winter is something off the wall, that’s for sure.” The flecks of her eyes were green in spots, rimmed by long dark eyelashes, devoid of any makeup. With the smattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose, she was the poster child for the girl next door.
I shook my head. “Ghosts in a bedroom? Flowers blooming in January? That doesn’t freak you out?” If anyone had told me this a few weeks ago, I would have been freaked out. Now, it was just another day at GM’s curiosity house.
She slapped the table lightly with her hand. “Are you kidding me? That would be fascinating!”
“More fascinated than scared? This stuff scares people, Gwen.”
“Not me.” She chuckled. “Maybe I’m too stupid to be scared.”
“Yeah, right. I think too curious.”
She eyed me. “I think there’s something going on with you and your grandmother and I’d like to find out more.”
I smiled, sipping my drink. That was one hurdle crossed. The interest and lack of fear was one thing but... what about her father? If I did take this up, and take over for GM, would Gwen be free to come with me?
God! Look at me! I was already planning a career with this!
More and more, my thoughts were turning to accepting the mantle from GM. Had I already made up my mind?
TWENTY TWO
I WAS WAITING FOR GWEN in the parlor when the doorbell rang. I didn’t want to take the chance that Lawrence would greet her stiffly, so I called to the back of the house, “I got it!” before he could appear.
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