24. Aster
Chapter 24
Aster
“ W ake up, Sleeping Beauty.”
“No.”
“Come on, Chaser. You’re needed.”
I groan, attempting to pull the pillow over my face, but Otto is jumping on my bladder and Crash is relentless.
“What?”
“Shh,” Crash whispers. “Don’t wake the human. Come with me. You need to see this.”
“One sec,” I grumble, carefully untangling myself from Hudson. “This better be good.”
“I don’t know if good is the word I would use. More like useful.”
“Great.”
Climbing out of bed butt-ass naked, I practically growl at Crash, who covers his eyes but parts his fingers to get a look at me.
“Impressive.”
His comment makes me huff a laugh as I swing into the bathroom for a quick piss, then I pull on my briefs and follow Crash. Otto’s mood shifts from bouncy and happy to alert as we climb the third-floor stairs to the attic.
Crash swings the door open and I’m faced with a group of spirits who all turn to look at me at the same time. It’s… unnerving. They aren’t fully formed, so I can almost see completely through them. Two women wearing Victorian style dresses and the other spirit who screamed the Horror into submission before stand around a glowing mass.
“What’s going on?”
“That blob on the floor is the Horror. For now,” Crash explains. “The spirits realized it’s been drawing some of its energy from them. That’s how it was able to grow so quickly.”
“Oh shit.”
“They’re fighting it off, but as you can see, it’s taking a toll on them.”
“What can I do?”
“I did a little recon for you.” He bounces on his toes. “I visited some of my favorite Chasers and got some tips for you. I figured we could go over them because shit’s about to hit the fan.”
“Are the house spirits gonna be okay?”
“Yeah. They just can’t be seen or use their abilities much until they can replenish their strength. Of course, the Horror could attempt to drag them to the Below, and they really don’t want that.” He reaches out to clap my shoulder, a sensation I can almost feel. “They need you. That’s why they’re helping.”
I nod. “I understand. Let’s get to work then.”
“Okay. Let’s go back downstairs. We’re not sure how much the Horror can hear.”
“Sounds good. I’ll meet you after I get some proper clothes on.”
I head back to the bedroom and pull on my discarded jeans. Hudson, lying on his side, opens his eyes.
“What’s going on?”
His sleepy, somewhat worried voice draws me back and I slide in next to him, lean down, and kiss his cheek. “Keep sleeping, gorgeous. I’m just gonna work on some stuff. Nothing’s wrong.”
“Promise?”
“I promise.” I brush his hair from his face. “You look so damn good right now. It’s killing me not to spend the day in bed with you.”
He chuckles, nuzzling my hand with his lips. “You can make it up to me later.”
“Deal.”
Forcing myself from the bed, I grab my shirt and pull it on, glancing back at Hudson as he burrows deeper into his bedding. A growing sense of determination blooms inside me. If I want a chance at this life with him, I have to get rid of this stupid Horror.
The thought I just had replays in my head.
Wait. Do I want a chance with Hudson? A meaningful one? Should I even be thinking about that right now?
The love bond rules flash in front of my eyes like pages in the wind, and I nearly stumble on the steps. Maybe it’s the matchmaking spirit fucking with me and not anything real. That could be the case, right? I like Hudson, obviously, but we’re in a stressful situation, which isn’t always a good foundation for a relationship. Probably. I think I’ve heard that before.
Shaking those thoughts from my mind, I finish my descent and find Crash and Otto rolling around on the floor together. It’s so wild to me that my dog can directly interact with the spirit. Crash laughs joyfully while Otto playfully tugs at his sweater sleeve. It’s a damn shame the world is missing out on Crash’s energy.
He looks over at me, pulling himself upright and rubbing Otto’s head. My dog sees me and prances over to be picked up. I settle into an armchair, cuddling him.
“What do you have for me?”
Crash hovers in front of me, cross-legged as if sitting on a chair. “Okay, so one of the people I visited was my favorite grumpy Chaser. His name is Wilder. He’s been doing this for decades and has dealt with some really nasty Horrors.”
“Got it.”
“In addition to getting the Horror’s Below name, which you know about, he said you need to do something to bait it. You gotta get it so worked up it has no choice but to show itself. Then, when you’ve got it backed into a corner, you can use this technique called ‘strangle,’ which basically is the equivalent of choking the Horror until it spills the info you want.”
“Strangle. Okay. How do I implement this technique?”
“It’s not easy. You have to take on your Afterlife form, which is very taxing.”
“What the hell does that mean? I have an Afterlife form?”
Crash shakes his head. “Not real good at retaining information, are you, buddy?”
“The handbook?”
“The handbook. Page fifty-seven.”
After blowing out a breath, I mentally call up the book and flip through the pages.
Are you serious?
“Ketamine or meditation?”
“Ketamine is the quick way. Meditation takes a little longer but I’ve heard it’s a lot more pleasant.”
“I’m not taking drugs, so I guess meditation is the way.”
“Practice makes perfect. Once you’re able to project yourself to a different plane, you can physically interact with the Horror.”
“That sounds fun.”
“It’s dangerous though. The Horror will know what you’re doing and try to harm your physical body or trap your spiritual one so you can’t return.”
“Super.”
“There are a few other things you can try too. My Chaser friend Madeline has a spell that temporarily stuns the Horror but keeps it sentient. Not sure it’ll work, but you can try.”
“I’ll take everything you’ve got.”
“Make it fast, Chaser. The house spirits don’t have a lot of juice left to hold it back.”
“I know.” I rub my forehead.
A knock at the door makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. How is someone knocking with the spell on the house, and even more worrisome, who the hell is here at this time of morning?
Crash stands normally, staring at the closed front door with wide eyes. I walk over slowly, glancing back at Crash when the second knock comes, before carefully opening the door. A man is standing there, dressed in a black trench coat despite the warm weather. He’s got dark red hair and a beard, with piercing green eyes. His gaze is so intense, it’s like he can see inside me.
“Wilder!” Crash says, peering over my shoulder. “What are you doing here?”
“May I come in?”
His voice reverberates, like heavy bass through a speaker. “You’re Wilder?”
He nods. “I’ll explain why I came.”
“How did you get past the spell?”
A slight smirk pulls at his lips. “There isn’t much I can’t get past anymore.” He gestures toward the house. “May I?”
“Yeah. Sorry. Come in.” I step to the side to let the man enter, noting his height and incredible presence. If I didn’t know who he was, I’d be intimidated as fuck, and I’m not a small guy myself.
“I followed Crash’s ghost trail.”
“What the hell is a ghost trail?” The definition pops into my head. “Oh. Spirits leave remnants of their presence behind. Did you do that? Make the meaning flash in my mind?”
Wilder nods. “After Crash visited me I was hit with visions of your situation. I came to assist. Where is the Horror now?”
“Attic. He’s being held at bay by the house spirits.”
Wilder tilts his head back, gazing upward. “That explains the energy in this house. Lots of activity. And the mortal?”
“In bed still.” I cross my arms over my chest. “I’m sure Crash told you that I’m new to this.”
“He did, and your first assignment is the worst kind. Most Horrors want to cause general chaos and rarely have a specific target, but as I understand it, yours is particularly tenacious.”
“To say the least. Crash told me about your strangle technique. I need to practice though. I’ve never done astral projection before.”
“I thought about that. I come bearing something that will help.” He reaches into his coat and produces a small pouch.
“I don’t really want to do hallucinogenic drugs.”
“It’s not drugs. It’s a shortcut. I’ll do it with you. Can we boil some water?”
“Uh, sure.”
I gesture for him to follow me, noting Otto’s unusually quiet demeanor as he stares at the man. Wilder, following my gaze, turns to my dog, bends down and whispers something I can’t hear, but it has an effect on Otto. My dog perks up, his tail and ears alert as he moves to sit at the bottom of the stairs.
“What just happened?”
“Your dog is an excellent protector,” Wilder says. “I just encouraged him to remember how important his job is.”
“He has a job?”
Wilder’s face almost cracks into a smile. Almost. “He can sense things much sooner than you can. He just needs to be reminded to alert you since he’s new at this too.”
“The animal criteria is starting to make a lot more sense.”
“Indeed.”
Wilder follows me to the kitchen, where I start the teapot. It’s a total disaster in here still since we haven’t made any attempts to clean up.
Wilder stares at a spot on the floor and visibly shudders. “There was violence here.”
“Yeah. That’s where Hudson was attacked by the man who is now the Horror.”
Wilder walks over to the spot, kneels and runs his hands over the smooth tile. I watch, completely enthralled, as he pulls another pouch from his coat and sprinkles it over the spot. Whatever is in that powder causes a spark of light and a fizzling sound. Wilder then stands, tucking the pouch away again.
“That’ll help.”
“What did you do?”
“Cleansing spell. It removes the attachment to the spot so the Horror has no tether. It’ll weaken it a little.”
“Where did you get that?”
Wilder’s expression softens slightly. “I’ve been doing this for two hundred years, my friend. I’ve amassed some tricks along the way. Word to the wise, find a witch and keep them close.”
“I think I know one.”
“Good. They can be very useful. Use all the tools you can because when it comes to the actual banishment, no one can help you. It’s the major rule of soul chasing. It has to be you and you alone, but you can get all the help you need before that.”
“Good to know.”
The teapot whistles and I whisk it off the stove before it can wake Hudson. I find two mugs that haven’t been destroyed yet and fill them with hot water while Wilder opens his pouch and, using a dropper, adds a few drops of liquid to each cup.
The water turns deep blue and swirls like a whirlpool. Nerves seize my chest, but I know I have to be brave. I have to do whatever is necessary to fix this situation. My life literally depends on it.
“What’s going on here?”
I swing around to find a completely nude Hudson in the doorway. Wilder nearly chokes before turning away, while Crash wolf whistles before blinking out of sight.
“I’m sorry I woke you,” I say.
“Who’s this?” he asks, using his hands to cover his dick. “How is he even in here?”
“Um, his name is Wilder. He’s a Chaser like me. He broke the spell keeping us inside.”
“Oh.” Hudson’s shoulders drop. “And he’s in my kitchen because…?”
“He came to help me.”
Hudson walks in fully, opens the pantry and grabs an apron he wraps around his waist. “I’m covered.”
Wilder lifts his head, nodding. “Apologies for the intrusion. I’m only here to assist with the problem.”
“Thank you. Can I do anything?”
I start to speak but Wilder continues. “Actually, yes. You can watch over us and ensure the Horror doesn’t attempt anything malicious.”
Hudson’s brow furrows. “I’m sorry? Where are you going?”
“The astral plane,” Wilder says, as simply as if it’s the grocery store. “Our bodies will be here but our souls won’t be. We’re vulnerable.”
“How do I protect you?”
Crash chooses that moment to pop back in. “I’ll be here.”
Otto comes prancing into the kitchen, yipping as if to say he’ll be here too.
“You have company,” Wilder says. “Crash will call us back if something goes awry, but your Horror is weak right now; I doubt we’ll be missed.”
“Okay.” Hudson bites his bottom lip. “Should I be worried about this?”
“No,” I say. “You let me worry about things.” I walk over, unable to stop myself from carding my fingers through his hair on the side. “Everything I’m doing is for you. Wilder is a very experienced Chaser so I’m in good hands.”
Hudson nods, searching my eyes before he leans in and presses a soft kiss to my lips. “Come back, okay? I don’t think I could handle it if?—”
“We’ll be back,” Wilder says. “Before you know it.” He lifts a mug. “Time’s a wastin’, Aster.”
“Right.” I touch Hudson’s cheek before shifting into action. I take the mug and bring it to my lips. “Just drink it?”
“Just drink it and sit down. I’ll find you on the other side.”
“Bottoms up.”
With one last glance at Crash, Hudson, and Otto, I slam back the weird liquid and wait for whatever’s next.