Unruly (Soul Chasers #3)

Chapter 1

Farnsworth

Sitting at my desk, a single lamp lighting my work, I finish reading through the stack of status reports received from my assigned Chasers this week.

As usual, everything is fine. My current group is skilled and tenured, and they rarely require any input from me.

In fact, it’s been over a year since a new Chaser joined our ranks, making the workload heavy and constant, but we manage it.

I glance up when a shadow falls across my desk. It’s a messenger.

“Are you lost?”

It responds by handing me a manila envelope. I tilt my head, an amused smirk on my lips.

“Is this a joke?”

The messenger disappears as quickly as it appeared. There must be some mistake. I don’t actually chase Horrors, nor have I in many centuries. Is there a glitch in the assignment system?

No longer amused, I open the folder to find out where this assignment is supposed to go, but my stomach drops when I read my own name in bold letters at the top of the sheet.

“That’s impossible,” I whisper.

I scan the page, trying to make sense of the details, and as it slowly sinks in, my heart plummets.

“All the gods of lore.”

I continue reading as a sense of doom spreads through me. My first assignment escaped. How is that even possible? Never in my history of soul chasing have I heard of a banished Horror escaping.

I perk up again, sensing a new arrival. Now? Seriously?

Before I can rise from my desk, a tugging in my chest keeps my eyes trained on the assignment details. What I read next leaves me stunned. The newest Soul Chaser, literally just now arriving, is to partner with me. In fact, he’s destined for this.

Summoning my decorum, I stand, smoothing down my shirt and trousers before taking my jacket from the back of the chair and slipping it on. A folder drops from the chute beside my desk, this one containing our newest arrival’s details.

Leaving my office, I walk out to the main room, finding the man lying on the floor in a fetal position.

“Hello.”

The man gasps, pulling himself up and turning to face me. “Where am I?”

“Borja Diaz, of Cambridge, Massachusetts, born June 12, 1985?”

“Yes. Who are you? What is this place?”

“My name is Farnsworth Renard. This place is the Revival House, and your soul is lucky enough to have arrived here after your unfortunate demise.”

“Demise?” He gets to his feet, revealing his impressive height. His hair is dark and wavy, his eyes a soft green, and his features are unusually pleasant to me. “What are you talking about?”

I glance down at my information. “Ah. You didn’t feel a thing. Unfortunately, you’ve died.”

“Died?” He looks down at his hands, then around the darkened space. “I don’t believe you.”

“You will soon enough. You were enjoying an evening with friends, and then…?”

His brow creases. “And then I…”

I can see the moment the memories come back.

“A truck ran into us.”

“On the passenger side. You didn’t suffer.”

“Fuck. I’m really dead.”

“For now, but you’re in luck. I have a proposition for you.”

“What kind of proposition?”

“You see, your soul met the criteria for you to arrive in the Revival House.” My goodness, he’s handsome. It’s been a long time since a new soul has caught my attention for more than a passing glance, but Borja’s aura is… captivating.

I clear my throat. “As I was saying, you meet the criteria.”

“For what, my guy? The fuck are you talking about?”

“We have a program called Soul Chasers. You see, every now and then—or daily, actually—one of the souls from the Below escapes this realm and wreaks havoc in the Above. It’s a Soul Chaser’s job to get it back where it belongs.”

Borja pinches the bridge of his nose. “Uh-huh. You sound like you’re speaking English, but I don’t understand a word of it.”

“Right. I’ve jumped ahead. Apologies.” I’m flustered.

Why am I flustered? Most unusual. “When mortals die, their souls are sorted based on how they conducted themselves in life. Most often, souls bypass me here, but when the criteria is met, this is where you end up. The requirements are a premature death through no fault of yours, being of reasonably good character, and an animal lover.”

Borja stares at me, blinking rapidly. “Okay, I get the first one, but a good person and an animal lover?”

“Do those not fit?”

He shrugs. “I had a dog in the sixth grade. His name was Rudy, and I loved him, but I don’t even have any pets.”

“But you love animals?”

“I guess so? It’s not a trait I’d put in my dating bio.”

“Your what?”

Borja blows out a frustrated breath. “And good character? Based on what? I’m an atheist. I don’t really like people. I’ve broken a few hearts in my day, and I don’t talk to my parents.”

“I don’t make the rules, Borja, but if you’re here, you must have met the criteria.

Sorting mistakes are rare. If you were entirely bad, you would’ve bypassed me and gone to the Below.

” I point to the floor for effect. “If you’d died of natural causes or other reasons, you’d be sorted into the proper house. ”

“Right.” He glances around the dark space. “I hear clicking. What is that noise?”

“Oh. Come this way.”

I walk down a short hallway and open the door to the main workroom. Borja, standing beside me, peers in but pulls his head back quickly.

“What are those?”

“Workers. Busy sorting souls and assignments, processing reports, and keeping the Revival House in tip-top organized shape.”

“Are they, um, dead, I guess?”

“Well, yes, at some point, they shed their mortal coil. They end up here in various ways, some through choice, some through failure, but it’s not so bad if you don’t mind paperwork.”

“You’re their boss?”

“I run the Revival House.”

He turns his soft green gaze to me. “So, you’re dead?”

“I’m in between. Neither fully alive nor dead. But you, Borja, are dead at the moment. Would you like to hear the proposition?”

“Lay it on me.”

“The living always provide openings for aggressive souls to escape. Séances, spirit boards, mediums—the list of portals is endless, and a crafty soul uses that to their advantage. We call them Horrors. In the Above they’re called ghosts, spirits, poltergeists.”

Borja nods, even though he looks slightly shell-shocked. “Go on.”

“Millenia ago, we created the Soul Chasers’ Society—worthy souls who return to the Above to retrieve the Horrors and bring them back to the Below for banishment.”

“Ghost hunting?”

“To put it simply.”

“So, you’re saying…” He shakes his head. “Can you explain it again?”

“Borja Diaz, you’re being offered a position in the society.”

My workers all gasp with excitement, as they do every time a new Soul Chaser arrives.

“If you accept, you agree to dedicate your eternal existence to hunting and retrieving the Horrors to return them to the Below. In exchange, you’ll return to life in the Above.”

Borja, who was looking around, snaps his attention back to me. “What? I won’t be dead anymore?”

“No. In fact, you’ll be more alive than you ever have been. There are perks that come with the job, such as immortality.”

“Immortality?” He scrubs his hand over his forehead. “This must be some kind of weird-ass dream. Or maybe I’m in a coma. That could be it, right? I’ll wake up in a hospital. Right?”

“I’m afraid not, Borja. You’re awake, to some extent. Your body is being dealt with Above, but your soul is here and this conversation is indeed happening.”

“Uh-huh.” He looks around again. “So, you’re saying I could join your society and I’ll be alive again, but, like, forever, and all I have to do is chase ghosts?”

“Boiled down, that’s the essence of it, but you must understand that we call them Horrors for a reason.” And his first assignment is going to be a doozy. “Unfortunately, you don’t have a lot of time to consider your choices.”

“What happens if I say no?”

“Your soul will be further sorted and you’ll spend eternity in the appropriate house.”

“Could my soul escape? I could haunt people?”

I tilt my head. “I’m not at liberty to encourage such deeds.”

Borja nods, chewing on a bit of dead skin on his bottom lip. “And if I say yes?”

“You’ll go through orientation and return to the Above to await your first assignment.”

“How do I explain where I’ve been? Don’t people think I’m dead right now?”

“We handle all that. I believe it’s called a timeline shift in the Above.”

“Holy shit.”

“It’s not easy, Borja. Horrors are dangerous and there are risks.

You’ll never die, but those you love will.

Eternity is a vast, unending expanse of being that your mind cannot comprehend yet.

You must be committed, because the price of failure is an eternity in the Below, and no one wants to be there. ”

“Is it like a lake of fire?”

“No. It’s cold and dark and silent. The only thing that exists is your own mind, tormenting you over and over again until you go mad.”

Borja visibly shivers. “But if you’re immortal, how would you end up there?”

“Failure to banish your assigned Horror, trading your soul, or intentionally causing your own demise, all of which will be covered in orientation.”

Borja nods slowly, as if he’s taking in everything I’ve just said. “Okay, let’s say I agree. I get to go right back?”

“After orientation, yes.”

“And I’ll just pick up where I left off?”

“If you choose to.” I glance down at my tablet. “You’re currently unemployed?”

“No. I’m freelance.”

“Freelance?”

“I do jobs as they come up.”

“So, you have free time available?”

“Sometimes. I get busy too.”

I detect the defensiveness in his tone. “What kind of work?”

“I do a variety of things. Handyman services, yard work, snow removal. Lots of seasonal work at certain times of the year. Summer keeps me busy with the tourist season. I even go to Salem in October and do ghost tours around the city.”

“I see. That will make your transition easier. No coworkers or bosses to deal with.”

“I like my freedom.”

“That is something of a trade-off. As a Soul Chaser, your time belongs to the society. When an assignment comes up, it takes priority. It’s the only reason you are allowed to remain in the Above.”

“How many assignments do you get in a year?”

“Hard to say. It depends on many factors. Availability of other Chasers, how many Horrors are escaping, new recruits to the society. You can be very busy or very slow.”

“So, I’m, like, on call?”

“You could put it that way.”

“How many Chasers are there?”

“Thousands. You’ll meet them at the yearly gathering.”

“How long have you been here?”

“I’ve stopped counting, but suffice it to say it’s been a long time.”

“And you like it?”

“Like?” My brain stutters on that word. When was the last time I considered my feelings about my status? “I’m satisfied.”

“Satisfied. Okay. Do any Chasers say yes and then change their minds?”

“Rarely, but it does happen. They aren’t cut out for it and would rather take a chance on the sorting. Or they can choose the administration department.” I gesture to the workers. “There are options as long as you come to me and don’t take it upon yourself.”

“How would I come to you? You’re… here.”

“Details to be covered at a later date. I can give you a few minutes to decide, but then I’ll have—”

“I’ll do it,” Borja says firmly. “I’m not ready to die and it sounds kind of cool. I never believed in any of this stuff, but either this is one hell of a delusion or you’re real and this is happening.”

“I’m real and this is happening.” One task accomplished. “I’ll lead you to the orientation room so you can get started on reading the materials. I’ll be in to check on you.”

Borja nods, then follows me down the hallway. I can park him here for a bit while I figure out what I’m supposed to do next. Not only is there a particularly nasty Horror in the Above, but somehow, I’m the one responsible for getting it back and I have a partner who’s a brand-new Chaser.

Back in my office, I close my eyes to summon Elina, my personal guide. I concentrate on her name, relaxing as the scent of lavender swirls around me.

“Farnsworth.”

Opening my eyes, I smile at my guide. She’s as beautiful as ever in her flowing pink gown, tendrils of her brunette hair blowing in a breeze of her own creation.

“Hello, Elina. Have you heard the news?”

“Of course. I assumed you would call for me. Are you well?”

“Well enough, yes. The new Chaser is in orientation.”

“Another successful recruit for your stats.”

I lightly scoff. “It’s hardly difficult. Death is unbecoming.”

“I suppose. I much prefer it here to the Above. Living is so tedious.”

“It is.” I lean forward on my desk. “Do you know why I was assigned to partner with a Chaser?”

Her serene smile fades into a perplexed expression. “The hands of Fate are in this one, and I am not privy to their whims.”

“Yes, his file said it was his destiny to partner with me, but I don’t understand why.”

“Do any of us?”

Her answer frustrates me, but I know she would tell me something more substantial if she could.

“I’m centuries out of practice, Elina. I don’t even know what the Above looks like anymore.

What year is it? What season? How do they talk and dress?

How will I blend in among them while finding this Horror? ”

“You’re worrying over unimportant details. You were chosen because you’re the right one for the task. If you have faith in the system, as I know you do, then trust that you’ll find your way. As far as your partner… well, only time will reveal his purpose.”

“I suppose.”

“And as he’s recently dead, he can tell you everything you need to know about the Above.”

I sit back in my seat as her words sink in. I’ve been given a contemporary partner to help me. Of course. That makes so much sense.

“Yes, I see that now.”

“Trust yourself and your skills, Farnsworth. You were promoted to Guide because of your talent and tenacity. Your skills may not have been used recently, but they are not gone.”

“Right. Helpful reminder.”

“That’s why I’m here.” She smiles warmly. “Call anytime.”

“Thank you.”

Then she’s gone. She’s right, of course.

Borja’s destiny and purpose will reveal itself over time, and now it makes sense that I was paired with a modern Chaser.

I’ll teach him what he needs to know to be an effective Chaser, and he’ll help me adapt to the modern Above.

Odd way of doing it, but I’m not one to question the selection process.

As always, I accept my duty. I’ll train Borja, banish this Horror yet again, then get on with my normal duties.

Everything will be just fine.