Chapter 15 #2
Brandon got the first circle laid, then we went to the next one.
The more we moved in the basement, the spookier it got.
Somehow dimmer as well, even though the lights were on down here.
The entire basement was carved out of rock, it seemed, and the floor was dirt and stone.
I knew the haunting here was out of control, but seeing the environment, it did make me wonder how many of the reported hauntings were residual.
With all of this stone about, I’d bet there was many a moment captured in time that still replayed.
From farther down the hallway, I heard Eli’s mad cackle, a good sign she was already exorcising things.
Fuck, I was glad Lachlan had sealed the stairwell, as a few ghosts scattered, shoving past us, like they were making a break for freedom.
I let them go. I couldn’t wear myself out already, and there was nowhere for them to run to. We’d catch them eventually.
There were two main hallways, with small hallways cutting through every now and again to connect the two mains.
I counted about a dozen rooms—some of them small enough to only hold a few shelves—before I stopped counting.
This place could get disorienting quick, as all of the walls and doors looked the same.
I kept a close eye on Gwyn because if there was ever a good place for an ambush, it was here. Much as I hated to admit it. Could be why Eli was already exorcising. Someone may have thought they could get the drop on her and learned the hard way you couldn’t.
Gwyn seemed hyperaware of it, too, as she kept looking over her shoulder.
I felt like I should boost her confidence. “Gwyn, don’t know if you’ve realized this, but there’s a reason why ghosts look so solid to us. It’s because our ability makes them semicorporeal, something we can manhandle.”
She blinked up at me. “Whoa, so there’s a reason for that?”
“Yup.”
“Wait! That’s how you got two hands into the chest of the ghost upstairs.”
I nodded in approval. There she went, putting pieces together.
Gwyn’s excitement grew. “Does that mean I can punch a ghost like Eli does?”
“Rather, ma chère, I wish you’d punch the ghosts who rush you. They won’t stand a chance against you.”
Oh, clear as day, this was the right thing to say.
The excitement in her eyes was unmistakable, her body language animated and bouncy.
I hadn’t realized opening up this possibility was what she needed.
I’d been too busy trying to hammer basic core information into her, but I should have given her this knowledge first.
She clenched a fist, cackling like a mad witch. “I’m going to punch ’em in the face.”
I might be creating a monster, but I’d rather her be gung ho. “Don’t try to exorcise just yet. There’s a trick to exorcising ghosts. But you can fight them off, scatter them for a few hours, if it means keeping yourself safe.”
Gwyn froze, head turning by degrees, eyes in danger of falling out of her head. “I can exorcise now?! I don’t have to train up to it?”
I scratched my cheek, not sure why I was getting this reaction? “I told you, you’re about as strong as I am and will likely be stronger in the future. I can exorcise at this level, so of course you can. Er, did I not make that clear?”
“Not one bit,” she breathed, still giddy.
“Rather,” Brandon pitched in as he kept laying down the salt circle, “I had the same question.”
“Oh.” Well, that was my miss, clearly. I’d thought it was obvious, but I should have voiced it aloud.
“Well, you can. Once I teach you how to do it. You’re strong enough to do it right now, no training up necessary.
But not for this case. Really, you should practice passing ghosts for a good three months before we move on to exorcising. ”
Gwyn didn’t seem dismayed by this, still bouncy. “That’s okay, I’m just happy I can do it soon!”
Wait until she realized it meant she had more work. Then her enthusiasm would fade, quick smart. But I wasn’t about to tell her that.
“For now, just fight them off physically if you have to.”
“Oh, uh, about that?” She lifted her wrist to show where a green bit of yarn had been tied on like a bracelet. “Booker soaked the yarn in salt and said if I hit something with it, the ghost will scatter because of the salt soaked in.”
I stared at her bracelet, then leaned past her to yell down the hallway, “Booker! If you know a good trick, share, dammit!”
His laughter floated toward us.
Gwyn pointed to the yarn. “Uh, this isn’t standard?”
“No, goddammit,” I said with a sigh. “But it’s ridiculously smart. I need do that from now on.”
The man himself appeared out of a side room, all innocent looking behind his glasses. “What am I not sharing?”
“Your yarn trick!” I lifted Gwyn’s arm in illustration. “Where was this smart idea in Scotland?”
“Didn’t know the trick in Scotland,” he said easily.
“Learned it two weeks ago, in fact. A witch friend soaks up her yarn in salt so she can lay down a casting circle without getting salt all over her floors every time. She just cuts the cord, burns it with the rest of the spell ingredients afterward. Not that you need to do that. You’re not casting a summoning circle, you’re just using it for ghosts. But it’s a grand idea, right?”
“It really is.” I felt some arts and crafts coming on strong.
Eli caught up with us. “Quinn’s gone back to the car for more lights. I swear, it somehow gets darker the farther you go. Mack, you need to keep Gwyn very close. There’s at least two ghosts down here who are right on the edge of going demonic.”
I closed my eyes and made unhappy growly noises.
“I know, I know, but I can handle them. I just have to lay hands on them first.”
“Either of them Joey?”
“No, trails aren’t dark enough to be him, although they are heading toward being demons. These two are others. That said”—she pointed to Gwyn’s bracelet—“the yarn will hurt them. Gwyn, if you see something spooky, punch first, send apologies later.”
Gwyn was back to being nervous, but she lifted her other wrist. “Booker, can I have more yarn?”
“Yeah,” he agreed, immediately rummaging in his bag. “Not that we want to scatter the ghosts, but I’d rather you be safe and we come back another day to finish the job.”
I couldn’t disagree with his analysis. It wasn’t helpful to us over the long run, but I’d rather Gwyn be safe.
And if there were two almost-demonic entities in here?
Then this was about to get gnarly. Fuck me, three ghosts turning demon was so much worse than one.
Deep down somewhere in my soul, I was crying sad, angry tears.
Why did this case just keep getting worse?
Wasn’t there an upper limit? How the hell was I supposed to keep Gwyn safe when danger seemed to be dogging our every footstep?
Swear to god, if I wasn’t surrounded by some of the best experts I knew, I’d already have Gwyn on a plane to Tennessee. Hannah’s advice notwithstanding, I wasn’t taking chances with Gwyn. Even with this bunch here, knowing how much she was learning, I was still of two minds.
The only thing really stopping me from sending her on was her not knowing a single living soul at home.
She’d already gone through a lot of change and stress; I didn’t want to put her through yet another major change in such a short amount of time.
Still, in Tennessee she’d be safe and cared for.
I knew the Havilis would make sure of it.
If today went sideways, I’d probably do so.
Girl had enough trauma, I shouldn’t be adding more to it.
That said, I got the feeling I’d be doing more exorcising than passing on. Thankfully Eli was with me. If I had to tackle it all myself, we’d be here until the zombie apocalypse. Maybe after.
With a sigh, I resigned myself to a long day. “Let’s get this started, shall we?”
The sooner we got through this, the better.