Chapter Twenty-Two #3
‘Shit!’ I slip his gun into my jacket pocket and follow him, the glow from my flashlight bouncing off his back.
‘Over here,’ Jason calls, and at that exact second, Callum is hoisted into the air.
He shrieks, his flashlight smashing to the ground. ‘Holly!’ he calls as his body rises, twisting in space before he’s hurtled towards the wall. He slams against it, the air bursting from him in a loud grunt, then falls limp, bouncing on the dirt floor with a sickening thud.
I stagger backwards, falling heavily as I stumble over a wooden box. My flashlight rolls from my grip.
A spirit materialises from the darkness, a woman with jet-black eyes that glitter like pieces of coal.
Her dress is long and swishes noiselessly against the ground, her hair is pulled into a stern bun, and her face is gaunt and pale.
She floats across the room like nothing I’ve ever seen.
A mass of dark energy swirls around her with inky tendrils that reach for me.
‘You think you can take what is ours, foolish girl?’ Her voice bounces around the cellar like a guttural chorus. ‘He belongs to us.’
‘Nothing here is yours,’ I say, scrambling to get up. ‘Your time has passed, spirit.’
‘Our time will never pass, child. We are eternal.’
She flings her arms forward, and a burst of energy explodes against my chest, the force of it knocking me off my feet. I skid backwards, slamming into a wooden post, and groan at the pain that rips through my shoulder.
The spirit laughs.
I push myself up again and stand before the spirit, swallowing over the fear tightening in my throat. ‘I’m not afraid of you,’ I say, low and calm.
Her face twists into a sinister grin. ‘But you should be.’
An invisible force shoves me down and crushes me into the ground.
I gulp at the air, my lungs struggling to expand, gravel from the earth-covered floor digging into my skin.
Gritting my teeth and summoning all my strength, I push myself back up again, first to my knees, then slowly to my feet, every muscle burning and shuddering under the strain.
‘Is that all you’ve got?’ I say, a slight terror-filled tremor in my voice. I square my shoulders and jut my chin, doing my best to look defiant.
The spirit appears genuinely surprised. She growls, her lips curling into a snarl as she flings her spindly arms forward again.
But this time, I’m ready for her. I focus every bit of my psychic energy and hold her in place, fighting back her attack.
My body shakes with the effort of it, but my eyes never leave her face. I don’t even blink.
She snarls again. ‘You have power, but you are a fool if you think you can best us. You cannot win, stupid girl. We will enjoy the taste of your power.’
‘You talk too much,’ I say. I reach down, my hand trembling, and pull my rosary from my pocket.
The spirit sneers. ‘Please. You think I’m afraid of your god?’
‘To be honest,’ I say, ‘I don’t need these.’ I drop the beads to the floor, shore up my focus and begin my incantation.
‘Latin?’ the spirit scoffs. ‘Mere parlour tricks!’
‘Believe me, lady, I’m capable of a lot more than parlour tricks. I dragged you out of Callum, didn’t I?’
A mocking smile stretches horribly across her gaunt face.
I calm myself again, breathing out long and slow, whispering the Latin words in my mind as I allow my gift to rise.
But something new rises alongside it. Not just my usual power.
This is something different. It starts in the soles of my feet and surges up my legs, pulses in my chest and throbs in my temples.
I stumble over the incantation in my head as heat licks across my skin, the familiar words completely leaving me as energy flows down my arms, to the tips of my fingers, where it sparks like tiny bolts of lightning.
I lift my hands and stare at them in wonder and fear.
Then, somehow knowing exactly what to do, I thrust my hands towards the spirit.
She twitches, subtly at first, then a violent shudder shakes her entire grotesque form. Her expression shifts from smug disdain to mild surprise, then utter fury as she rushes at me with a roar.
I step back, plant my feet and, acting on pure instinct, throw my hands out again.
A force explodes from me and hangs in the middle of the room, disrupting the air.
I gasp, staring at whatever is swirling there, then I push back my shoulders and do it again.
Another burst of something, and this time the spirit howls.
It writhes and jerks, flickering in and out.
I step closer, power now pouring from my outstretched hands.
Beyond the wavering glow that shimmers in front of me, I see Callum, his mouth agape.
I glance at Jason and see horror on his face.
‘You will never stop us!’ the spirit warns as she twists and snarls.
I cock my head. ‘I wouldn’t be so sure about that.’ And with a deep breath, I ball up my fists and punch the air with everything I have. Another shockwave booms from my body, and the spirit yowls, giving one last bloodcurdling wail before bursting into flames.
I stare at the blazing spirit in utter shock, my eyes stinging and my heart pounding. When the light finally fades and the spirit is gone, in the silence that follows, I hear Callum whisper, ‘Holly?’