by K E O'Connor
“I’ve got food.” Odessa sing-songed as she danced over with a huge brown paper bag in her hands. “You make the best cake, Albert. I’ve got four different slices to try.”
“I’m always happy to hear when my customers are satisfied,” he said.
“Let me know when you need some pumpkins for your window display,” Odessa said. “And when you’re getting low on pumpkin filling. I’m growing a new South American variety. It’s extra sweet and would be ideal in a sweet crust pie with coconut cream and chocolate shavings.”
“Thanks, Odessa. I’ll get an order in soon.” Albert’s gaze shifted to me, and he gave a small nod.
Odessa grinned at me. “Is everything good?”
I nodded. It wasn’t good, but I was feeling a bit better. And if there was the slightest chance I could catch this ghost and help Luna, then I’d take it.
She gave my arm a gentle squeeze and lifted up the bag full of goodies. “Perfect. Then let’s go eat.”
Chapter 10
“If we position a trap by the front door, the hallway, and then in the room where the ghost attacked me, that should cover most of the areas.” I stood outside Luna’s apartment door, peering at the light hazy smoke in the hallway with Odessa.
“Whatever you think best,” she whispered.
“Are you coming in this time?”
“No! I’ll stand here and give useful instructions.”
“Anyone would think you’re scared of this thing.”
“That ghost threw you out a window,” Odessa said. “I’m your functioning back up so I can run for help if it happens again.”
“Why can’t I be the functioning back up?”
“Because... you know, you’re so good at the dark stuff. If I throw sparkles at this ghost, it’ll probably laugh itself to death. If that’s even possible. Can you kill a ghost?”
“We’re about to find out.” I looked at the ghost traps we’d collected from Odessa’s house after eating our treats from the bakery. “You’ll have to talk me through how to set these things up.” Three innocuous looking brown wicker baskets sat by Odessa’s feet. I’d never seen anything that looked less like a ghost trap in my life, but she assured me they worked, and I could feel a faint hum of magic running through them. It had an Odessa-like vibe, warm, slightly fuzzy, and inviting.
“They’re super easy to use. Place the basket on the ground where you want it, stroke it five times, and say activate.”
“Why does it need stroking?”
“The magic needs coaxing. Kindness is the way to do that.”
“Got it. Stroke the magic into life.” I stepped over the threshold and into the apartment. The temperature instantly dropped, but I ignored it as I set the basket down. Five swift strokes and nothing happened. I looked over at Odessa, who remained firmly on the outside of the apartment.
“No! Not like that! Show the trap some love. And take your time. Don’t do a hit it and quit it move,” Odessa said.
“That’s one thing we don’t have. If this ghost comes for me again, I need these traps ready.”
“Then be kind to the basket, and the basket will be kind to you. You reap what you sow. I’ve learned that by growing pumpkins.”
I groaned and tried again, feeling uncomfortable as I gently stroked a basket. This time, it worked. The basket hummed and wobbled on its base, before sparkles of orange drifted from the surface.
“You got it,” Odessa said. “You see. You can still control magic.”
“It’s your magic. And it’s pure magic. You’re the whitest witch I’ve ever met.”
“Don’t be too sure of that. I’ve had to wrangle a fair few evil scarecrows in my time, and they don’t respond well to white magic.”
“I can’t believe you’ve ever used anything dark. It’s not in you.” Some of us were tempted by the darkness and others weren’t. Odessa was a hundred percent in the good witch category.
Her smile faded. “It’s in all of us when it needs to be. Hurry up and activate the next two traps. We’ve got a mean ghost to catch.”
I set the second basket at the end of the corridor, gave it five loving strokes, and then asked it to activate. It did. No problem at all. And there was no ghost bothering me. This could work.
“We’ve got this ghost running scared,” I said. “He must know he’s in trouble.”
“He does now you’re here,” Odessa said. “Did that trap work?”
“It’s glowing nicely. Two down, one to go.” I looked back at Odessa. The open door seemed a long way away. “Are you sure you don’t want to come in and lend a hand? I could do with someone who can cast an awesome spell if things go wrong.”
“I’ll stand guard here, just in case the ghost tries to get out this way.”
I shook my head, took a deep breath, and turned to face the living room. This was where things had gotten bad the last time I’d visited.
It was much colder this far into the apartment, and the end of my nose grew numb as I walked into the room.
There was a small amount of smoke in the air, but the ghost wasn’t stirring. Maybe I had weakened him during my last visit. He definitely hated the tiger opal. I should have brought more with me. Maybe I could have defeated him if I’d had enough. But then there was still the problem of trapping what was left.
Odessa’s traps would work. We were close to success. I could feel it.
I stopped in the middle of the room and set down the final basket. I stroked it five times and asked it to activate. Nothing happened. I tried again. Still no joy.
I headed back to the corridor. “Odessa, this last basket isn’t working.”
“Oh! I must have picked up the tricksy one.”
“You have a tricksy trap?”
“I have one that likes to be tickled before it activates.”
“You’re joking?”
“No joke. Tickle its bottom.”
“Seriously?”
“The traps are sensitive. They do dangerous work and need a little reward tickle. That’ll get it humming.”
Her magic was so bizarre. Still, I needed this trap to activate. I headed back into the room, knelt beside the basket and arched an eyebrow. “Don’t give me any problems, buddy. Odessa says you like a little scratch and tickle before you get to work.”
The basket trembled a fraction.
I tipped it on its side, gave it a little scratch on a rough patch and a pat for good measure. Then I stroked down the sides.
I fell back as a blast of light shot out the top of the basket and it bounced from side to side.
“It looks like you’re one happy little basket. Whatever works for you, I guess.”
“Did you get it going?” Odessa said.
“Yep. One weird, kinky basket activated,” I said.
“Perfect. Now all we need to do is wait.”
***
Three hours passed since I’d activated the ghost traps. Odessa was asleep, slumped against the door, snoring softly. The moon was rising in the sky, and I was bored rigid and freezing cold.
I’d positioned myself in the hallway, so I could see all three traps. Nothing had touched any of them.
My head jerked up, and I frowned. I couldn’t doze off on the job, not with some malevolent ghost waiting to grab me.
I tilted my head. Something had disturbed me from my unplanned snooze. The trap nearest to Odessa looked untouched, as did the one at the other end of the hallway. I peered at the one in the living room. It was moving.
I edged closer. “Odessa,” I whispered. “I think we’ve got something.”
She lifted her head and yawned. “About time.”
I reached the living room door and stopped. The trap was bulging and the orange light flowing from the top had turned gray.
“Get in here,” I said to her. “I don’t know if this has trapped a ghost, or it’s just broken.”
“Is it safe?”
“Probably not. But you need to see if this trap has activated.”<
br />
Odessa tiptoed over to me and grabbed my shoulder. She squeaked and bounced on her toes. “It’s worked. You got it.”
“There’s a ghost inside the trap?”
“Yes! The light changes color when something’s been caught.” She nudged me. “Go get it.”
I raced over to the trap and touched the side. I yanked my hand back just as fast. The basket was icy cold. I looked up at Odessa and grinned. “We’ve got one ghost inside here.”
She did a bounce in the air and jigged on her toes. “Well done. Now Luna will get better.”
“It’s a good first step, but we still need to make sure this ghost let’s go of her.”
“He’s in your control now. Whoever owns the trap, owns the ghost.”
“Then technically, this ghost is yours. Do you want him?”
She backed away. “Not a chance. I don’t want a ghost rampaging through my pumpkin patches and terrifying my scarecrows.”
“Can a scarecrow be scared? Aren’t they the essence of scare?”
She waved a hand at me. “You know what I mean. Grab the basket and let’s get out of here.”
I went to touch the basket again, but then stopped. “What do you normally do with the ghosts once you trap them?”
“Um, well, the things that take control of my scarecrows aren’t often mean like this ghost. I give them a stern warning and send them on their way. They’re usually just bored spirits looking for fun and take things too far.”
“You don’t know what we should do with this ghost?”
“We’ll figure something out. The basket will hold him for a while. We can work out what to do with the ghost once we’re out of here. Let’s move. This place is giving me the chills.”
“I can take him to Magda’s house. There’s plenty of magic there to keep him contained.”
“Yes! Great idea. We’ll do that, then go see how Luna’s doing. Even just trapping the ghost may be enough, and he’ll loosen his hold on her.”
I grabbed the basket, sucking in a breath at how icy cold it was against my skin. This had to work. We’d got the ghost. Now all we had to do was figure out how to get rid of him. Then Luna would get well, and I could finish my task and get out of Witch Haven.
There was no way I could get attached to this place again. It wasn’t my home. It was just a temporary stopping point. A short diversion. I’d soon be back on track. Then I’d be away from the unwelcome scrutiny of the Magic Council, back in my own space, my silence, and my solitude.
“Your days are numbered, ghost,” I muttered. “Once I get rid of you, I can get out of here.”
Odessa turned as she picked up the other magic baskets. “What was that? Did you say you were leaving?”
“Oh! Well, yes.” I lifted one shoulder, trying to ignore the concern in her eyes. “Odessa, there’s no place for me here. Apart from you and Luna, everyone hates me.”
“That’s not true. Well, it sort of is, but only because the rest of the villagers don’t know you. They remember the Indigo from the time before. You’re different now.”
“I’m not so different.”
“You must stay. Your place is here. You’re an Ash witch.”
I shook my head. “Not anymore. I’ve got a different life. And I’ve found a place where people don’t disturb me and I can be on my own.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Isn’t that lonely?”
“I’m not lonely.”
“What about your friends?”
I adjusted the basket in my arms. “What about them?”
“You have friends, right? You’ve made friends since you left Witch Haven?”
“You mean when I was dragged away and slung in rehab? There’s not much chance to make life long buddies in a place like that.”
“Um, yes. There must have been someone you bonded with. You can’t have been on your own all this time.”
“It’s not so bad. Besides, it’s not easy making friends as you get older.”
Odessa’s sad little sigh twisted my heart. “What do you do for fun at the weekends?”
I shrugged off her concerns. “I do just fine. The way I live now means no one else will ever get hurt. It’s better this way.”
“Not for you. I wouldn’t like living on my own,” Odessa said. “You should consider staying. I want you to stay.”
A tiny part of me did too, but it wasn’t happening, and I didn’t want to deal with any more of Odessa’s sympathy. “Let’s deal with this ghost, get the trap out of here and back to Magda’s house. Then we can see Luna and tell her the good news.”
I pretended not to notice the flicker of concern in Odessa’s eyes as we left the apartment. I’d made the right decision. There was no point in changing my mind. I wasn’t staying here. I was here to deal with a problem and then move on. End of story.
Chapter 11
Odessa and I must have looked like we were in a speed walking contest as we hurried away from Luna’s apartment.
I had the icy basket containing the ghost held out in front of me so I didn’t get ice burns. I tugged the sleeves of my sweater down over my hands to take the edge off the cold, but it was still seeping through and numbing my fingers.
“Have you any idea what we should do with this once we get back to the house?” I said to Odessa.
She glanced at me and bit her bottom lip. “I was hoping you’d have an idea. You were always into ghosts when we were younger.”
“Not trapping evil ones.”
The basket wriggled in my hands as if it were alive, and I tightened my grip. “We have to keep the ghost weak. And we need to find out why he’s after Luna and then make sure he lets her go.”
“We could try asking nicely,” Odessa said. “It’s what I do when the spirits take over my scarecrows.”
“That always works?”
“Most of the time. They see reason and go on their way. Most of them have simply gotten lost as they move on. I help to guide them to the right path.”
“From the feel of this ghost, I don’t think he’s ever been on the right path, even when he was alive. We need to zap his energy, force him to loosen his hold on Luna, and then destroy him.”
Odessa was quiet for a moment. “We could rehabilitate him. It worked for you.”
“Yeah, look at me. I’m living the dream.”
She squeezed my elbow. “You’re doing better than you think. You’re too hard on yourself.”
The ghost trap wriggled again, and I welcomed the distraction. Odessa had no clue about the mess my life was in, and I had no plans to tell her. “Let’s hurry. This spirit wants to get loose.”
We jogged the rest of the way to Magda’s house, which was my least favorite activity to do, but these were desperate times, and raced through the front door.
I dropped the basket on the floor, flexed out my fingers, and then rubbed them to get the feeling back in them.
Nugget uncurled from his pile of bedding in the corner and rolled onto the floor. “What have you brought in here? It smells terrible.”
“Hey, Nugget. It’s the ghost who’s been bothering Luna,” Odessa said.
Nugget sniffed the basket, then backed away, his fur bristling.
Russell squawked from his perch, then zoomed out the open window.
The basket bulged and tipped from side to side.
“Hmmm. It’s never done that before,” Odessa said.
“The ghost’s trying to get out.” I grabbed the basket to keep it steady. “Give it a magic boost.”
Odessa rolled up her sleeves and pressed a hand on either side of the basket. She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth.
The basket continued to wriggle, and the room grew colder.
“Keep going,” I said. “It’s not making any difference.”
“I haven’t had time to recharge,” Odessa said. “I infused these baskets with magic before I brought them over. I’m running on half power.”
“Don’t give up. We can’t let this ghost g
et out.”
Odessa’s face paled. “I’ve got nothing left. You try.”
“I won’t have any effect.” I waggled my fingers. “The Magic Council made sure of that.”
Odessa dropped her hold and frowned. “Try! See what you can do.”
Smoke drifted out the top of the basket.
I backed away. “He’s getting out!”
“Use your magic,” Odessa said.
I scowled at the basket. My magic was too weak to make a difference. If this ghost wanted to get free, there was nothing I could do to stop him.
“The magic is breaking down. Hurry!” Odessa gestured at the basket with a shaky hand.
I felt around inside me for flickers of magic that may do the trick, but with the recent drain from Olympus and breaking the house wards, I had nothing.
I stepped back. “It’s too strong for me.”
“Don’t give up,” Odessa said. “We can do this. We’ll try together. Put your hands over mine.”
I shook my head. “You’d better get out the way. The basket is about to open.”
I didn’t miss the hint of disappointment in Odessa’s eyes as she stepped back from the basket. I was only telling the truth.
A groaning came from the basket as more gray smoke drifted out the top.
“It’s going to blow,” Odessa said. “We should—”
There was a loud bang, the lid flew open, and smoke flooded into the room.
I ducked, covering Nugget and Hilda who stood beside me, just before a wave of gross smelling smoke covered us.
“What have you messed up this time?” Nugget said from beneath me.
“Nothing! I wanted to get rid of Luna’s ghost.”
The smoke swirling around the room increased in speed, before flitting out the open window.
I looked up to see Odessa standing upright. All her hair stood on end and her eyes were wide.
I raced over to her. “Did the ghost hurt you?”
She blinked rapidly. “No! I just got taken by surprise. My baskets have never done that before.”
The front door opened, and I tensed. Please don’t be the Magic Council. If they showed up now, there was no way I could conceal this mess. There was still smoke in the air, and a thick gooey residue encased the basket.