Temperance sighed. “I don’t see spirits in the sense you’re implying, and I didn’t keep it secret. As a matter of fact, until I met Avery, I didn’t even realize I could sense paranormal energy.”
Annie cocked a hip to the side, crossing her arms on her chest. “You must have had a hunch about your ability. You’re too perceptive not to.”
“Even if I had, I wouldn’t have told you.”
Hurt churned through her gut as she stared at her sister. “Why the hell not?”
Temperance stepped forward and firmly took hold of Annie’s hands, giving them a squeeze. “Because, no matter how much you wanted to believe…how many times you listened to the evidence or looked at footage of my hunts, you just couldn’t commit. It’s that brain of yours. It needs to experience everything in full color to believe it. And I didn’t want to drive a wedge between us because you couldn’t lie to me without losing part of yourself in the process.”
“I don’t doubt you…either of you, it’s just…”
Temperance nodded. “It’s just hard to get your head around.” She offered a lopsided smile. “It’s okay. I don’t pretend to understand even a fraction of what you do. I’d much rather piece together a ghost’s motivations than stare at people and puzzle out whether they had a good childhood or if their irrational fears are curable. Besides, I know your lingering doubts have no bearing on how you feel about me or Avery, which is why we thought it was a great idea to have you tag along with us. Maybe a few hours in a haunted house will settle your mind enough you won’t feel like you’re betraying me every time we talk about work.”
Annie clenched her jaw, hating that Temperance saw through her so easily. She’d gone to great lengths to hide her uncertainties, never wanting Temperance to think she didn’t support or value her sister's line of work. But no matter how hard Annie tried, she just couldn’t make that final leap of faith, not when she had a grocery list of scientific phenomenon that rationally explained the findings ghost hunters relied on.
Guilt and pain roiled through her, and she wasn’t sure which one to latch onto. Instead, she gave her sister’s hands a squeeze then pulled free, turning toward the open door. She needed space, room to think, or maybe not think. She promised herself she’d keep an open mind. And hiding behind science wasn’t going to allow her to experience the investigation from their point of view.
Temperance sighed behind her, but Annie didn’t turn around, more than aware the woman would see her conflicting thoughts written across her face. Avery tapped her on the shoulder, handing her a flashlight before flicking on the one in his hand and heading inside, followed closely by Temperance.
Annie released a sigh of relief. After watching a number of shows on television, she’d been sure she’d be donning night vision goggles or walking around with only the light of a video camera to guide her, and she was thankful they’d opted for a more reasonable option. She inhaled a deep breath then turned on her flashlight and crossed the threshold.
Long shadows danced around the ring of light, fading into various shapes as Annie took a few steps inside, waving the small beam around the room. It looked as if it’d once been a parlor, with large pieces of furniture hidden beneath moth eaten blankets. Wooden legs protruded below the fabric, giving hints of a time far grander than those of the current century. She ventured over to the mound closest to her, running her fingers along the top. Dust scattered through the air, and she coughed into the back of her hand as she moved decidedly away from what she guessed was a chair.
She took two quick steps when her hip bumped into a small table, rattling a number of trinkets still resting on the top. She grabbed at one of them, catching it before it fell, her heart racing in her chest. Great, she’d only been in the damn house a minute, and already she’d nearly broken a vase, the one thing Tempie said
not
to do. She took a calming breath and gently placed it back on the table, glancing at a silver frame lying beside it. Though the metal had tarnished, there was no mistaking the intricate swirls and beads around the edge, giving it a timeless look. She ran her finger along it, wincing when something sliced a line across the tip.
Annie pulled her hand back, sighing at the drops of blood already welling on her skin. Though Avery might have been joking about possible infections, it certainly wasn’t wise to invite trouble. She sighed, sucking on the wound, as she flashed her light around the table. A few drops had splattered onto the glass of the frame she’d been admiring, but she was able to dab most of it off with her shirt. Avery whistled, and she looked over at him, nodding when he pointed at an adjoining room. She glanced around one last time then picked her way through the remaining furniture until she was standing behind the couple.
Avery reached forward and pushed a button on the recorder still cupped in her other hand. “It’s always good to roll these from the start, so we don’t miss anything. And yeah. I’m more than aware you have several theories that can disprove anything we record.” He winked at her. “But it doesn’t hurt to try.” He paused, holding the finger she’d cut. “You okay?”
Annie huffed, pulling her hand free as she stuck the small recorder into her pants pocket, so just the mic was peeking above the fabric. “It’s nothing. And for the record, I never said I wanted to disprove your findings. Quite the opposite, actually.”
Avery gave her a smug smile she was tempted to smack off his face as she pushed past him into the next room, swinging her light around the large space. Like the previous area, there were a few scattered remnants of furniture covered in heavy cloths, a thick layer of dust coating the surfaces. She ambled over to the remains of a fireplace, most of the brick now crumpled on the floor. She bent down, thumbing a piece of rubble when a loud crash sounded on the other side of the room.
She tensed, her hand clutching her chest as she snapped her head toward the noise, her breathing a traitorous wheeze in the sudden stillness. “What the hell was that?”
As if on cue, something scraped across the floor, then fell in a clatter of dust and sound. The hairs on Annie’s arms prickled to life as a rash of goose bumps flared along her skin.
Avery’s hand settled on her shoulder, grounding her slightly. “Just the residents getting a bit restless. But all of our temperature readings are low, so it’s nothing to worry about.”
Annie coughed as she tried to swallow. “Temperature readings low? What would happen if they were high? And why the hell are you taking temperature readings?”
He patted her shoulder this time. “It’s just standard investigating. And let’s not worry since they’re low and keep going.”
Annie scowled as he walked away, running some kind of unit over a toppled chair. She pushed to her feet when it dawned on her. The chair had fallen over—by itself. That was the noise she’d heard and the source of the cloud of billowing dust. A surge of panic pulsed through her veins as she watched Temperance and Avery scour the area around the chair. They seemed completely unfazed by the incident, ducking when a piece of wood soared through the air, splintering as it impacted the far wall.
Her mind whirled as she mentally scrolled through every known scientific explanation only to come up empty. There simply wasn’t a logical reason for what was happening inside the house. She swung the circle of light around, trying to illuminate as much of the room as possible when something growled beside her.
Annie gasped and turned, backing away from the angry hiss that followed. She searched the fireplace, but only crumbling bricks glared back at her through the light. Fear churned in her gut, propelling her across the floor. Avery shouted her name, drawing her attention just as she bumped against a tall lamp. The glass covering swung sideways, the hinges emitting a shrill creaking noise. She grabbed at the tall pole, only to have it shudder beneath her grip. Her eyes widened as a swirling white mist appeared, taking the shape of a head, then dissipated, a disembodied voice pleading with her to leave.
Annie released the lamp, her hand going to her mouth just as the lantern lifted up then toppled on her, dousing her shirt in a foul-smelling liquid.
She reeled backward, tripping onto a covered chair. Her breath came in gasping pants as she fought to calm the pounding in her head. Shit. Had she really just witnessed a ghost materialize out of thin air?
“Annie. God, honey, are you okay?”
Temperance’s voice tickled the edges of her consciousness, but she didn’t do more than grunt a reply as she reran the events in her head—the angry growl, the swirling mist, the ghostly warning…
“Damn it, Annie, talk to me!”
Firm hands clamped around her shoulders, giving her a hard shake. Annie cursed and looked up, pinned by the fear flashing in Temperance’s eyes. She’d never seen her sister remotely scared before.
Annie took a quick breath, a cold shiver snaking down her spine. “You saw that, right? That…god, what was it? It can’t…I mean, it’s not possible…”
Temperance tightened her hold, stopping Annie mid-sentence. “Easy, sis. Everything’s going to be okay.”
“Okay? Something growled at me, told me to leave then dumped…” She paused to sniff the cuff of her shirt. “Shit! It dumped kerosene on me. How is that remotely okay?”
Temperance gave her a reassuring smile. “It’s okay because you’re still here, yelling at me.” Her mouth twitched slightly at the edges. “And yeah. We saw everything. Pretty extraordinary, really. I’ve never seen someone attract that much attention on their first hunt.” She tilted her head. “Maybe I’m not the only one with ties to the paranormal.”
Annie shook her head. “Oh no. I deal in science. Hard cold facts. This…” She waved her hand around the room. “This is way out of my league. I’m still trying to grasp just a shred of logical reasoning for what just happened.”
Avery’s mouth quirked into a slight grin. “You mean something other than ghosts.”
Annie sighed, accepting Avery’s hand as he yanked her onto her feet, nearly sending her sprawling to the ground again as her balance shifted. He grabbed hold of her arms, muttering under his breath until she regained her equilibrium and took a step back.
She glanced away. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to insult you guys, it’s just…shit.”
He gave her a genuine smile. “None taken, but Temperance is right. This is…”
“Insane?”
He laughed. “Impressive. Though we could have done without the kerosene.” He pulled at the soaked fabric. “You need to get out of this before it reacts with your skin.”
She stared at him, looking over to her sister and back. “I just witnessed something toss a piece of wood across the room. A swirling white mist dropped a lamp on me, and you’re worried if my skin might react?” She gave an exasperated sigh. “This is surreal. Ghosts…” She released a weary breath. “Besides, I didn’t bring another shirt. Call me crazy but I didn’t think ghost hunting would require a change of clothes.”
Avery chuckled. “You’d be surprised. And I have a shirt in the car you can borrow.”
Temperance tapped his shoulder. “I’ll go grab it while you stand watch.”
He nodded though Annie didn’t miss the amused look in his eyes. “Of course, darling. Though you do realize these are ghosts. Standing watch isn’t really going to help.”
Temperance cocked her head. “Just humor me.”
“Anything you say. Do me a favor and grab that UV emitter while you’re at it.” He glanced around the room. “Just in case.”
Annie shook her head. She didn’t want to know what Avery might need another device for. She inhaled, ignoring the pungent stench of kerosene surrounding her. “I’ll be fine, Tempie. Why don’t you let me go and grab the shirt and the UV thingy you need? Then no one will have to stand watch.”
“Are you sure?” She edged closer. “It’s dark out there.”
Annie grinned. “Believe me, at this moment, a dark, normal driveway sounds like paradise compared to in here. I’ll be fine.”
Temperance nodded. “Okay. The UV emitter’s in the trunk. It’s in a red bag by itself. And Avery’s shirt is on the backseat.” She tugged at Annie’s sleeve. “But take this off. Now. Every second you wear it more of that oil gets on your skin.”
“Will do. Good thing I wore my cute bra.”
She smiled at Avery’s chuckle, pulling her shirt over her head as she walked toward the first room. She draped it over one of the blankets, making a mental note to get it at the end of the investigation. They were right about one thing. Her top was ruined. And she could already feel the sticky residue leached onto her skin. She could only hope it wouldn’t leave a nasty rash behind. She needed a shower and soon.
Eerie shadows seemed to follow her as she crossed into the adjoining room, careful not to touch anything else as she wove her way through the furniture. Her skin beaded against a flutter of cool air, and she crossed her arms on her chest, trying to ignore the uneasy feeling building between her shoulder blades. As crazy as it seemed, she felt as if she was being watched.
A hushed scuffle sounded behind her and she turned just as a set of strong hands locked around her arms, spinning her away. She screamed then reacted, stomping on the creep’s foot before driving her elbow backward. It connected with hard muscle, and she grinned at the male grunt that followed. His hold eased, and she took advantage of the lapse to grab one of the blankets covering a small sofa. She pivoted, tossing the cover at the guy shrouded in darkness as her flashlight bobbed in her hand, making the beam look like a streak of light.