Chapter 9 #2
The lights were still on, but Jake’s surge of ghostly energy hadn’t been contained to the bedroom—a few framed photos hung crooked on the wall, and one was on the floor.
“Are you okay?”
“We need to release him,” Gabriel commanded, his voice low. “Like we did with Florence.”
Miles blinked, caught off guard. “We—I know. But this was supposed to be information gathering. I don’t have any supplies for a ritual.
” He’d already decided he couldn’t leave Jake to wait for his dad.
But his backpack was full of tools for communication and—prepared for the worst-case scenario—protection.
There was nothing for releasing a spirit. He might have to run all the way home.
“Then we’ll get them. Or use something else.” Gabriel sucked in a low hiss through his teeth. “We’re not leaving him here. It’s wrong.”
The jagged edge to his words made Miles stop and really take him in: the tension coiled in his jaw, his balled fists, his lashes damp with unshed tears. Like a single touch could shatter him into a thousand pieces across the floor.
A rotten feeling curdled in Miles, suspiciously close to shame. He’d forgotten that Gabriel hadn’t done this before. He’d called him up to see Jake without thinking about the fact he wasn’t much younger than Bram.
“We won’t.” Instinct made him want to reach for Gabriel, but he knew it wouldn’t be welcome. “I’ll see what I can find here. Will you talk to him”—he nodded back at where Jake was waiting for them—“and make sure he’s okay with us doing this?”
Gabriel nodded jerkily and slipped away.
When Miles returned ten minutes later with an assortment of supplies, Jake and Gabriel were talking on the edge of the bed. There was a timid smile on Jake’s face as he fidgeted with his stuffed dog.
Gabriel spotted Miles hovering in the doorway and murmured something to Jake, leaving the bed to come over. He seemed more composed now.
“We good to go?”
“Yes. He was apprehensive at first, but after we spoke, he agreed to let us try.”
“What did you say to him?”
Gabriel shrugged, lacking any nonchalance. “That he shouldn’t have to stay here another day. That he could trust us to help him.” His gaze dipped to the floor. “That if it was my brother, I wouldn’t want him to wait.”
“Don’t ever feel bad for caring,” Miles said softly.
“He should never have been left here in the first place,” Gabriel snapped, bristling like an agitated cat. “Forgotten and alone.”
“I know. We’ll help him, don’t worry.” Miles mustered up a smile and lifted the bag of supplies he’d managed to gather. “This is about to be the jankiest ritual of all time, but it should work.”
“It will work.”
Miles wasn’t sure if Gabriel’s conviction was because he had faith in Miles, or because he needed it to so badly that he refused to accept any other outcome.
He gave Jake a broad grin. “You must be ready to get out of here, huh?”
The kid nodded. “Can you really do it?”
“I’ll try my best. I have a good feeling.”
“Is it going to hurt?”
“No.” This ritual was different from the banishing one they’d used on Florence. Gentler. The equivalent of holding a door open for the spirit to walk through, instead of stomping on their toes, kicking them in the knees, and shoving them through headfirst. “I promise it won’t hurt at all.”
Jake visibly relaxed, knocking his feet against the side of the bed.
“Okay, let’s do this.” Miles dumped the supplies onto the mattress, not missing the critical look Gabriel gave them. “Hey, I warned you I’d have to make do with what I could find.”
“I heard you, but”—he picked up a small glass bottle— “is the Italian seasoning really necessary?”
“It’s the only thing I could find with sage in it.”
It wasn’t the only compromise he’d had to make. Instead of moon-purified water, he had water from the fridge purifier. Overly expensive essential oils that weren’t even organic. Pink-handled kitchen scissors, instead of the Warren family heirloom shears.
They’d have to do. The only thing working in their favor was that this ritual mostly relied on the ghost being willing, and Jake was totally on board.
“This works better if we have something that belonged to the spirit,” Miles murmured to Gabriel. “Since we don’t have… you know.” The body or bones. But there wasn’t anything of Jake’s left in the house.
Over their shoulders, Jake whispered to his toy dog about leaving.
“You’re sure this won’t hurt him?” Gabriel asked, leaning in close so he wouldn’t be overheard.
“I’m sure. This ritual is different from Florence’s… no salt, no fire, no force necessary.”
“What about the scissors? Those aren’t the friendliest tool.”
“You wouldn’t say that if you saw how dull they were. But they’re just supposed to cut his ties to this world.”
He poured the water into a plastic bowl and set it on the desk, carefully avoiding the expensive-looking keyboard.
The Italian seasoning went in next, followed by a few drops of eucalyptus and lavender oil.
He’d prefer angelica or myrrh—for releasing a spirit and healing their pain, they packed the most punch—but neither was a common find in scent-focused essential oil packs.
Dipping the wilted sprig of rosemary he’d gotten from a bundle of herbs in the fridge—hopefully he wasn’t ruining anyone’s dinner plans—he swirled everything around to mix it.
Jake gasped.
“What?” Gabriel asked sharply. “Does it hurt?”
The kid shook his head. “It feels weird. Like a tug in my tummy.”
That meant the ritual was working.
“Okay.” Miles dropped the rosemary into the water and grabbed the kitchen scissors. “If this works, it’s the last part.”
Jake sucked in like he was about to jump in a pool, small chest swelling in his dinosaur pajamas. “I’m ready.”
Whatever was waiting for this kid in the afterlife, Miles hoped he’d find peace.
“Goodbye, Jake,” Gabriel said.
Miles held the scissors over the swirling bowl and gradually brought the blades together. There was a slight moment of resistance, like something solid hovering between them, before they closed with a snick.
The air prickled with electricity, the lamp flared, and when Miles looked up, Jake was gone.
Gabriel’s shoulders slumped.
They cleaned in silence—Miles picked up broken glass scattered across the carpet, making a mental note to have his parents warn the owners before their kids ran back up here, while Gabriel gathered the supplies.
Down in the kitchen, he rinsed lingering herb flecks from the bowl and put it on the drying rack.
By unspoken agreement, they packed up to leave—it was late, and felt wrong to linger. Miles checked the containment box before shoving it into his bag, making sure the grimoire hadn’t grown legs and scurried away while they were gone.
“Sorry we didn’t have much reading time,” he told Gabriel as they padded out onto the front porch.
The neighborhood was hushed, illuminated by porch lights as crunchy leaves blew down the pavement.
One house had carved pumpkins on their steps, grinning ghoulishly across at them. “I guess this was kind of a bust.”
“That seems to be a trend with us.” Gabriel sounded more tired than critical. He pulled out his phone and sent a quick text. “Edmund’s on his way. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Miles had been expecting the dismissal. “I’ll wait with you,” he offered, locking the door and tucking the key back under the mat. “You might need backup if the neighborhood watchwoman shows up again.”
He sat on the top step, Gabriel reluctantly joining to watch the unmoving street.
They’d done a good thing tonight. Despite all the other worries rattling around in his head and the chill radiating from Gabriel, Miles let that warm him.
“What I said to Jake was true.” Miles tilted his head back to look at the night sky. It was too cloudy for the stars to shine through. “Not knowing is the worst. When you were gone, I was losing my mind. And even though you’re back now, I still feel in the dark.”
Gabriel was silent, wind rustling the bushes lining the walkway.
“All I want to know is what’s going on in your head.
” Miles sighed, the whole day weighing on him.
“If you want space, tell me instead of just pushing me away. If there’s something I can do for you, ask me and I’ll do it.
If you’ve… changed your mind about your feelings for me, be honest.” A self-conscious laugh tumbled out of him.
“I’m not some self-centered dick who won’t take no for an answer.
And you don’t have to be scared I’ll leave you to the curse because you turned me down. I hope you know me better than that.”
The words were hard to get out, each one resisting. They felt too revealing, too confrontational, stripping him bare in the most vulnerable way. But he needed Gabriel to know he cared enough to be hurt. Enough that he wouldn’t let hurt control him.
“Knowing what’s in my head isn’t going to change anything.”
God, he was so stubborn. “Having an answer is always going to be better than worrying about every possibility.”
Gabriel stared resolutely across the street at the glowing pumpkins.
Despite his determination to keep calm, a swell of frustration rose in Miles. “Is this how it’s going to be between us now?”
“Maybe it’s how it should be.”
Surely he didn’t believe that, or he never would’ve kissed Miles. Never would’ve opened himself up in the first place. “If you’re going to lie to me, at least look me in the face.”
When Gabriel did, it was impossible to read his eyes with his back to the dim porch light.
“What an uncharacteristically self-assured response. Now that I think about it”—a razor-thin smirk curled his lips—“you’ve been rather presumptuous in assuming this is all about you.
Did this sudden arrogance grow while I was away? ”
Miles gaped, face heating with indignation.
“I’m not—of course it’s about me, you wouldn’t be such a jerk if it—” He caught himself.
Gabriel was trying to pull him into an argument and fluster him.
Combat was safe, familiar territory for him.
When pushed, he bit back and relished any blood he drew.
“Nice try, but I’m not going to fight with you. ”
“That’s a shame,” Gabriel deadpanned. “Tonight might’ve finally gotten interesting.”
If he was trying to be exhausting, he was doing a great job. But he’d forgotten one key thing—Miles lived with two preteen sisters and Charlee. It was going to take more than a few jabs to break him.
A shiny silver car pulled up to the curb with a purr, and Edmund rolled down his window. Despite the late hour, he looked wide awake, face split in a cheeky grin. “Look at me, always interrupting your cutesy little moments. Did you two have a good date?”
Miles winced and Gabriel’s smirk was replaced by his trusty scowl. “You’re always interrupting because you’re never invited. Perhaps you should ask yourself why.”
Edmund put a gloved hand to his chest. “Ouch. That one almost hurt.”
Miles expected Edmund to peel out as Gabriel climbed into the passenger seat, but he leaned farther out the window.
“Hey.” The usual playful look was gone from his face. “Thank you. For finding him. And bringing him back.”
Gabriel muttered something too low for Miles to make out.
Edmund ignored him. “If you need anything, don’t hesitate,” he continued.
A dog barked down the street, an inquisitive woof quickly followed by its owner calling it back inside.
Miles would bet one of the neighbors had already speed-dialed the HOA to complain. “I owe you one.”
Pleasant surprise bloomed in Miles. “No, you don’t. But thanks anyway.”
Edmund’s huffed-out laugh was almost identical to Gabriel’s. “You might regret that. I’m sure my brother hasn’t mentioned it out of petty jealousy, but I’m a man of many talents. You never know when one might come in handy.”
Miles didn’t doubt it.
He waited for them to pull away, Edmund’s cherry-red brake lights disappearing around the corner and into the night, before climbing into Charlee’s car and starting the long drive home.