Grave Possession (Wraith 3) (25 page)

“Where are we?” he whispered.

“The laundry room?” I looked around the room. “Sort of?”

“Are you awake?”

“I’m not sure.” I struggled to my feet and looked down. My body didn’t move with me. “Not asleep. Projecting.”

Connor stood and we both stepped away from our unmoving forms. I looked for Darius and the others, but I couldn’t make them out. We were in the basement but everything felt off. Different.

“We shouldn’t be here,” Connor said. “Wherever we are.”

“No, probably not.” I scoped out the room.

He called out, “Evan?”

“No,” I said. “He isn’t here.” I’d had a hard time locating ghosts lately, but not Evan. He was as familiar to me as the back of my hand. Even so, he came with his own scent – sulfur – and the air smelled clean, no hint of the other side. In fact, I couldn’t even catch the overpowering scent of incense. Maybe the cleansing worked.

I turned and noticed a glint on the wall behind a rolling laundry cart. A faint line of light, seeping through a crack in the foundation, close to a large metal sign with laundry instructions provided by dorm management. “What’s that?”

Connor walked over moved the cart, kneeling in front of the wall. Light flickered when he ran his finger over the space. “It may be a door.”

“A door?”

“Yeah. See how the crack goes to the ceiling? Like a cellar or something. The original hotel was pretty old, maybe they used the same foundation. ”

“Can you open it?”

“I’m not sure if I feel comfortable opening a mystical door to an unknown place in a demonic, haunted basement, Jane.”

I rolled my eyes. “I don’t want to open it,” I said. “I want to lock it.” Connor held his hands up in confusion. “Evan told me to lock the door. A door. This must be it.”

“That was a dream. A confusing one. You said so yourself.”

“A dream that left me with a cut on my hand and this…” I reached in my pocket, fishing out the slim metal key and held it up. “A key.”

“Where did you get that?”

“Evan.”

Connor pinned me with a hard look. “We talked about this. What’s real or not. That may not have been Evan.”

“But what if it was? Look at us. We’re both projecting and there are no spirits around. No Evan. Maybe Darius cleansed the space and this is what we need to do. We lock that door and this is over.”

“Seems a little too easy, don’t you think?”

We stood across from one another, his arms crossed over his chest and my hands on my hips. We locked eyes. “Look, trust me, okay? I know Evan. He’s here to help and this may be our only shot. I’m willing to have a little faith in my best friend to protect everyone.”

“Your dead best friend who hasn’t been very clear in his information lately.”

“We just talked about doubt and how evil uses it against us.”

“Fine,” he said, sighing.

I walked past him with the key and ran my fingers over the wall, looking for a keyhole. The cinderblocks were smooth. “This may be moot,” I said. “I can’t find the lock. Maybe it’s not a door.”

“Hold on. This sign is smack in the middle of the wall,” he said, wedging his fingers under the wooden sign. Connor twisted and heaved the board, eventually cracking it in half. He wrenched it off the bolts holding it to the wall before tossing it to the ground with a clatter. “Well, that’s not a keyhole but it sure looks familiar.”

I looked at the marking hidden by the sign. Not just a marking, a carving of sorts that led to the space behind the wall. A glimmer of light shone through, illuminating the design. I held up my hand and flipped it over, revealing the image left by Evan on my palm during my dream. I was even more convinced he wanted me to do this.

“I guess that’s what you call a sign,” I said, taking a step closer and rising up on my toes. A quick peek inside left me blinded. “Okay, no looking in there. Man, it’s bright.”

I ran my finger over it and felt a warm heat from inside. The light quivered at my touch and I jerked my hand away. “Did you see that?” I asked.

“Yep. Touch it again.”

I traced the design with my finger and, sure enough, the light radiated again, warmer this time. The mark on my hand burned. “Something’s mystical back there. It likes this mark.”

“Something we want to keep in there,” Connor reminded me, but he didn’t need to. I felt what was back there in the pit of my chest. I inhaled and smelled the strong tang of sulfur. Evan was right. The door needed to be fortified. We needed to lock it tight.

The pain in my hand gave me the clue I needed and I placed my palm directly over the mark, sealing the two symbols together. Heat scorched my hand, but I didn’t as much remove it as it was released. “Ouch,” I said, shaking it off.

“Are you okay?”

“It just burned me a little,” I heard the sound of metal on wood and, in the middle of the door, a small hole appeared, morphing into a lock and keyhole. “There!”

Connor nervously paced behind me. “Okay, do it. Seal it shut.”

I took the key from my pocket and slid it easily into the keyhole. With a quick turn, I felt the tumbler roll over and lock, the bar sliding into position. The glow from behind the door dimmed until it extinguished entirely. I ran my hand along the seam and the heat disappeared.

I smiled and heaved a sigh of relief. “Done.”

Connor gave me a fast hug. “Let’s get back in our bodies.”

Feeling the disjointedness of being gone so long, we moved swiftly. I stumbled over my own feet and the key tumbled from my hand, skidding across the floor. “Connor!” I cried, watching helplessly as the metal sliced through the protective circle surrounding our bodies.

“I’ll get it,” he said, but his words were overshadowed by a loud banging on the door as it flung against the wall. I spun around and saw the dark cavern trailing to a pit of black. The air froze with a solid gust and every ounce of happiness drained from my soul. Fear iced my veins.

“No,” I whispered.

“Come on,” he said, grabbing my hand and yanking me into the circle. I settled into my body and Connor’s frightened blue eyes were the last thing I saw as a cloak of black turned the room dark as night. Darkness swarmed over my face and hands. They’d entered the circle, attaching themselves to our bodies.

We hadn’t locked the demons inside. We’d released the contents of hell.

*

The first thing I noticed was a dull buzzing in my ear. Like a fly or bee. Then someone whispered, “Jane,” and I snapped my eyes open.

“Nina?”

“Here,” she said, helping me off the ground. “Can you sit up? God, you’re freezing. Bring her a coat or something.”

“Ugh, my chest.” I winced at the sharp pain.

Nina pushed back my hair and gently moved the collar of my shirt. “Wow, the pouch burned you. The skin under it is pretty singed.”

She helped guide my arms into my coat and Misha put an abandoned, scratchy wool blanket over my legs. “Where’s Connor? Is he okay?”

“He’s fine,” Nina said, gesturing across from me. Darius was wrapping a coat around his shoulders. When he looked up, I saw his ashen, pale face. His lips had a purplish tint and his shoulders quivered from the cold.

“What happened?” I asked her. “What did you see?”

“We were preforming the cleansing and everything seemed fine. Darius completed the ritual and he said you could get up, but neither of you moved. It was like you were in a trance or something.”

“We projected,” Connor said.

“That’s what we guessed. Your auras were clean. They’re still clean,”
Misha said. Nina nodded in agreement.

“I thought you weren’t going to the other side anymore.”

“It wasn’t on purpose. It just happened,” I promised.

The two women and Darius looked at one another, concerned. I rubbed my hands trying to get warm. “What did you do while you were there?” Nina asked.

“There was a door.” I pointed across the room. The sign hung on the wall as though Connor had never torn it off. “Over there.”

Darius walked over and searched the wall. “There’s nothing here.”

“What did you do with the door?” Misha asked.

“Evan gave me a key and told me to lock it. He etched this symbol in my hand and it was on the wall. I locked the door. Or so I thought.”

“A ghost gave you a key,” she said warily.

“My best friend.”

“Who’s dead.”

Nina’s forehead tensed with concern. “What do you mean by, ‘So I thought?’”

“Let me see you hand,” Darius asked. I held it up and he shook his head. “This is a rune. And it’s not for locking anything. It’s an opening rune. You opened the door.”

I knew this already. I knew what I had done and from the nauseous look on Connor’s face, he knew it too.
Misha and Nina felt the disturbance when the spirits broke down the door and crossed over the protective circle.

“I’m sorry,” I said. “They got out. Bounced off me and through the opening I created when I projected.”

“We opened,” Connor corrected.

“Whatever,” I said, unwilling to let him take the blame, but also not interested in fighting about it right now. Hesitantly, I touched the burned spot on my chest. “What was in that pouch?”

“A specific spell to keep you safe from possession.”

“Did they try? Is that why it burned me?”

“Maybe,” Darius said. “I’ve never seen anything like that, but I’ve also never met anyone Shadow Bound before.”

“You may have cleansed me and Connor, but it doesn’t matter. They don’t need me anymore. The bad mojo is loose.”

“What do you think that means?” Misha asked.

“It means there’s a whole
lotta bad stuff out there looking for trouble and people to possess,” Connor said. “They probably thought Jane’s body would be available.”

“Now we have to figure out who they’re possessing,” Darius said. “It could be anyone.”

Connor stood and offered his hand. I struggled to my feet. He wrapped a protective arm around my shoulder and I pressed into him seeking heat. In a firm, clear voice, he said, “I don’t think it will be long before we figure it out. Big, bad and ugly is here and they’ll want us to notice.”

We agreed to lay low and go about our daily business while looking for any signs of trouble. What else could we do? Call the police? The Ghostbusters? We
were
the Ghostbusters and had no idea what to do about the mess we caused.

“Focus on school,” Ava said. “Get your project done. Plus, Tony’s show is tomorrow night. That will be fun.”

“I guess so.”

“You know, you do have one very, very handsome outlet that I’m sure wouldn’t mind being used as a distraction.” Ava flashed me a quick wink and smile as we walked down the shopping district. She was looking for a new outfit to wear to the show since Christian was coming down for the weekend. His first visit to Savannah, in the middle of a ghost-
pocaplyse. I could think of better timing.

“Now’s not the time, Ava,” I said. “Are you sure you really want Christian down here?”

“Do I want my skinny, bass-playing boyfriend with me if the supernatural world attempts some sort of takeover? I’m selfish. So, yes.”

I push past her into a small boutique. “I think you’re underestimating the seriousness of this.”

“Trust me, I’m not.” She flipped through a rack of dresses. “I just don’t want to let them win by freaking me out.
I
need a distraction. I admit it.”

I stopped her hands, frantically crashing the hangers into one another, and pulled her into a hug. “I’m sorry I brought you into this.”

“Don’t be sorry, just be safe.”

“That would be easier if I knew what we were up against.”

“Well, whatever it is, we can look good, don’t you think?”

“Since when did you get so into clothes?” I asked.

She shook her head and shoved a red beaded dress into my hands. “Distractions, Jane. Try it sometime.”

*

I lifted a hand to my cheek and stopped in my tracks. The gust of cold air felt like a slap across the face.

“What?” Ava asked. The paper bag from the boutique swung from her hand.

“Did you feel that?” I searched the street. Bluish haze drifted from across the street. From a distance, I barely made out a woman roaming the street.

“No. Do you see something?”

“Ghost – over there. I guess I’m not used to seeing them so often. Those parasites really blocked me. Connor was right, this city is pretty active.”

“Is that one good or bad?”

“She’s probably pretty benign. But I’m not approaching anyone right now.”

“Good plan,” she said. We continued toward the dorm and, before I could register what was happening, Ava squealed and took off running. “Christian!”

He broke into a wide smile. “Hey, babe,” he said. “Caught an earlier ride.”

“You did? From who?” She stopped his answer with a sloppy kiss. He caught my eye and dread settled in. God, don’t let it be Louis. Please don’t let it be Louis…

“Jane?”

I snapped toward the voice I knew so well, relief flooding every inch of my body. My aunt stood by the car, curly blonde hair and a dozen sliver bracelets on her wrists.

“Jeannie.”

The
calvaryCalvary had arrived.

*

“How did this happen?” I asked after giving both Jeannie and Christian a hug. Ava took Christian up to show him the dorm while Jeannie and I stopped in the lounge to give them some privacy. We needed to talk.

“Connor called me.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Did he?”

“Yes, we’ve kept in touch since the holidays.”

“About me.”

“Yes. I was worried about you. So was he.”

“He hooked you up as a ride for Christian so you could come down and check up on me?”

“He mentioned Christian coming down here and needing a ride. I came to help. Sounds like you’ve got some scary stuff going on.”

I’m not even sure why I felt hostile toward Jeannie. She hadn’t done anything wrong. She’d always been there for me, even when we’d disagreed. I exhaled and admitted, “I’m scared. I have no idea what we are facing. And I feel guilty as hell for causing it.”

She frowned. “Don’t blame yourself for this.”

“Uh, I opened the freaking door, Jeannie. After you and everyone else told me to stay out of there.”

“Evil spirits are called that for a reason. They’re evil. They trick people and manipulate. Their motives are impure. Think of Charlotte. Death made her even more desperate than she’d been when she was alive.”

“Well,” I said, leaning back into the couch. “Do you have a plan? Because I’ve got nothing.”

“I’ve been doing a little research and consulting some friends in New York. I’m meeting with Nina in the morning, but other than that, no, nothing concrete.”

“Why didn’t you tell me about the group here?” I asked.

“I’m not a member. Each group works differently. I gave Nina the heads up you were coming and figured she would reach out at some point. Is everything okay with them?”

“They’re fine. Just a little mysterious, I guess. I always feel like I’m one step behind everyone else, making stupid mistakes.”

Jeannie shook her head and reached for my hand. “Don’t think that. You’re young and all this is new. Your power is so much stronger than we ever expected. Way more than mine or my mother’s. It’s a lot to absorb. But we can handle it. That’s why it’s good to have a support system.”

“Yeah, I’ve needed a lot of that lately.”

She ran her hand down my hair, tucking it behind my ear. “Your aura is cleaner than I’ve
seen it in a while.”

“Darius did a purification spell last night and got rid of all the parasites. Connor, too.”

“Yes,” she said, eyes fixed just above my shoulder. “I can see his connection to you. It’s stronger than before. Very powerful.”

“Don’t start,” I warned.

“What? I can’t help but notice.”

I rubbed my eyes, fighting exhaustion. “Notice what?”

“You two are bound so tightly. It’s beautiful. I’m happy for you.”

“Let’s save the celebrations for when all this is over, okay?”

She smiled, wide and bright, ever the optimist. “Deal.”

Living on a student budget for the last eight months meant a lot of ramen, pizza and tacos. When Jeannie offered to take us to dinner at the swank restaurant in her hotel, Ava and I jumped at the chance.

“Invite Christian and Connor, too, if you think they’ll want to come,” she said through the open car window.

“And pass up a free meal?” I laughed. “Unlikely.”

“I’m going to rest before dinner. See you around seven.” She waved and drove off. I ran up the dorm steps into my room.

“Sorry!” I yelled when the first thing I saw was a lot of skin on top of Ava’s bed. Her skin. Christian’s skin. I slapped my hand over my eyes.

“Oops!” Ava laughed. I heard the covers rustle and Christian’s low laugh.

“I didn’t see anything,” I promised, hand still firmly in place. “Nothing. Swear. Just getting my coat. And bag.” I ran into the wall on the way out and slammed the door shut. Ugh, that was awkward.

I pulled out my phone and texted Ava.

Dinner at 7 with Jeannie. Please wear clothes.
;)

Checking the time, I realized it was only four and I had three hours to kill. I scrolled down my contacts.

Can I come over? My room is sort of occupied right now.

Occupied?

Ava and Christian.

Sure. I’m just working on a project.

I walked across campus to Connor’s dorm. Approaching Tony’s room, I couldn’t help but notice that his music was so loud the door shook. I hadn’t seen him since the night he found out about his dad and Ms. Frances. I stopped and banged on the door.

Through the pulsing music I heard him yell, “What”

“It’s Jane!” Two people in the hallway stopped and stared.

A guy next door looked out and said, “That crap has been going on all day. Maybe you can get him to knock it off.”

I twisted the doorknob and let myself in, coming to a stop once I stepped inside. For the second time that afternoon, I’d barged into a room and found myself speechless.

“Tony?”

No, I hadn’t stumbled onto him like I had with Christian and Ava, but into something else entirely. Half-complete canvases covered the room. Leaning against the bed and wall. Strewn across the floor. On one, I saw the tips of what must be sleek black bird wings. On another, a pair of hands tied at the wrists. Tony stood in the middle of the room in paint-smeared clothing, completely absorbed in his work.

“Hey,” I said, again trying to get his attention, this time by tapping him on the shoulder. He jumped and swung around, slashing me with a wet paint brush. A gash of cool, red acrylic landed on my cheek.

“Oh! Jane, sorry,” he said, dropping the brush onto the desk and rushing to turn down the music. He came back with a cloth and reached for my face. I stepped back. “Did I get it anywhere else? You startled me.”

“I was on my way to see Connor and heard the music.” I took the cloth and wiped my cheek, the red paint smearing into the paint splattered fabric. Tony had a wild look about him – panicked and stressed. The blue in his eyes was almost impossible to see since his pupils were dilated to the size of dimes. “Are you okay?” I asked.

“Me? I’m great. Been on a roll for days.”

He looked anything but great. I scanned the room and took in the absolute disarray and had a flashback to another time – another person – who’d acted like this. “Are you high?”

“What?” He gave me a wide grin. “No way, I’m just in the zone. I’ve got 24 hours to finish these. This will definitely be an all-nighter.”

My eyes landed on his current piece and I saw what the red was for. A set of blood-stained hands on a stark black and white background. “That one looks interesting,” I said, a little afraid of what it meant since all his paintings were based on past or future events.

He shifted and obstructed my view. “It’s really coming together now. Once they’re all up, I think it will tell an interesting story. I can’t wait for you to see it.”

“I can’t wait either. My aunt surprised me tonight by showing up in town. I’m going to bring her, too.”

“Your aunt is Jeannie Monroe, right?”

“Yep.”

“Oh great, just what I need, more pressure,” he laughed. His emotions bounced off the room like a rubber ball. He picked up his paintbrush and tapped it on his palm.

“I’ll let you get back to work. It all looks amazing.”

“Thanks, Jane.”

“Good luck, tomorrow night. You’re going to kill it,” I said, twisting the doorknob and letting myself out.

Tony didn’t reply or, if he did, any words were drowned out by the heavy music blasting from his speakers. Like that, he’d turned back to his art and was fully engrossed. If only I could find such a level of passion for my own work. Maybe it would happen if I didn’t have all this ghost drama hanging around my neck all the time.

Tony’s neighbor shot me an annoyed look as I passed his room. I shrugged in return. If Tony needed the music to keep the demons at bay and focus, who was I to tell him to stop?

*

Christian’s eyes flicked from me to Connor and then back to me as we approached the hotel hand in hand. There was no mistaking the accusation in his eyes. I’d proven Louis right, there was something going on between me and Connor.

“Hey, man,” Connor said, matching his stride to Christian’s.

“You never told him?” I whispered to Ava.

“Told him what? I have absolutely no idea what’s going on between the two of you,” she said, approaching the heavy wood and brass door leading to the restaurant. She hooked her arm through Christian’s and walked in.

The hotel restaurant had to be expensive. I didn’t know a lot about design and architecture, but I read enough of my parents’ magazines and spent time  in Connor’s historic home to confirm this place reeked of money. Jeannie waved me off when I suggested something cheaper.
“It’s been a very good year for me,” she said. “Let me treat you guys to a decent meal.”

“That’s very generous of you,” Ava said.

“I invited Nina to join us,” Jeannie said as we sat around the table. “Hope that’s okay.”

“Who’s Nina?” Christian asked.

“An old friend of Jeannie’s,” I said. “She lives here.”

Nina arrived a few minutes later, rushing in to give Jeannie a hug. I noticed the way their arms lingered and that Nina gently brushed the back of her hand against a strand of Jeannie’s long hair. I raised an eyebrow in Ava’s direction. The interested look on her face said she saw it, too. Huh.

Christian’s presence brought a much-needed reprieve from supernatural talk, instead allowing the conversation to drift to school and art. “Tell me more about this opening tomorrow,” Jeannie said.