Chapter 8 #2
The light flickered once again, only this time it stayed on and then glowed so bright that it made Faith’s eyes water.
She blinked rapidly, and when the light faded, a beautiful woman who couldn’t have been older than thirty stood in the reception area.
Her luscious strawberry blond hair fell in waves all the way to her waist and her pale skin was flawless.
She was thin but healthy looking with strong arms and shapely calves.
It was obvious she spent a lot of time in the gym, caring for her body.
“Hello,” Harlow said.
Hello.
“Were you here yesterday when the fire broke out?” Harlow asked, getting straight to the point.
The spirit nodded, looking troubled.
“Were you responsible for the fire?” Cash asked.
Sunshine shook her head.
“Was the fire started by frayed wire?” Faith asked.
I don’t know, the spirit said. Possibly.
“What about the attack on Faith’s husband by the jasmine vines? Were you or another spirit responsible for that?” Harlow asked. Her tone was so matter-of-fact, it was almost startling to Faith. Though she supposed when dealing with spirits, it was best to just stick with the facts.
Evil, the spirit said. Evil was here.
Faith froze. Her gaze darted around the spa as if the evil were going to suddenly appear.
“Another spirit?” Harlow asked.
No. Evil spell, the spirit whispered and then she flickered in and out of existence until suddenly she vanished.
“She’s gone,” Harlow said.
Faith stared at the spot where the spirt had been and then at Harlow. “She said there was an evil spell. Can we trust what a spirit says?”
“Sometimes,” Harlow said thoughtfully. “But not always.”
“I don’t think she was lying,” Cash said, walking over to where the spirit had been hovering. “Whether there was an evil spell or not, I’m pretty sure she believed that’s what it was.”
Faith’s head ached. “The investigators didn’t find any evidence of a spell or curse last night. I don’t know what to make of this.”
“It’s possible they missed it,” Harlow said. “Or it was a one-time spell that’s been depleted. But I’m pretty positive it wasn’t the work of the spirit. Her energy was too pure.”
Faith sank down into one of the chairs where her clients normally waited for their appointments. “So what now?”
Harlow nodded toward the door that led to the treatment area. “Let’s go check out the back area and see if there’s any spirit activity out there. Just in case.”
As it turned out, there wasn’t any activity in the pool area, nor did Sunshine return to answer any of Faith’s questions.
The three of them walked back outside to meet Faith’s sisters.
“Well?” Yvette asked, her expression anxious. “Do we need to perform an exorcism?”
Harlow chuckled. “No. The only spirit is one that just likes the tranquility of the spa. She’s harmless.”
“But she did say there was an evil spell cast,” Faith said, the pit in her stomach making her a little queasy.
“What?” her three sisters said in unison.
“What does that mean?” Abby asked.
Harlow shrugged. “It could mean anything. Maybe there was some sort of curse that has died out or the spirit is just speculating. The only way to find out is to do a magical sweep of the building.”
“That’s what we’re here to do,” Noel said. “We just wanted to make sure whatever was happening wasn’t due to another rogue ghost. Thank you for coming out and checking for us.”
“You’re very welcome.” Harlow gave Faith a hug and whispered, “Call me anytime if you think Sunshine is bothering you. But I think she’s harmless.”
“Thanks,” Faith said, giving her a slight smile. “I appreciate that.”
They all shook Cash’s hand and then watched as the pair climbed into Harlow’s Subaru and headed back to their office.
“Let’s do this,” Abby said, picking up her tote and heading for the door.
Faith reluctantly followed her. The morning was already weighing on her. She didn’t really like knowing there was a ghost at the spa, even if she was a harmless one. The spa had always been her sanctuary. Sharing it with a random spirit felt like some sort of invasion.
“Should we do the magical sweep here or outside?” Abby asked.
“Both,” Noel said, then opened her own bag and started to form a circle of white pillar candles.
Faith jumped in to help her sister. The faster they got this over with, the better.
It didn’t take long to form the circle. The four of them took their places behind their candles as everyone looked to Abby. As an earth witch, she had the strongest magic for sweeping buildings for spells.
Abby took out a bundle of herbs, held them up over her palm and then said, “Goddess of the earth. Hear our calls. The four of us, the Townsend sisters, humbly ask for your help in searching these premises for any active or spent spells that were cast by someone other than our sister Faith.”
Nothing happened.
Faith waited impatiently. Usually when they cast a spell, she at least felt the presence of magic in the air. But all she felt was dread.
Abby placed the bundle of herbs directly in the palm of her hand. “Give us a sign. If there are any active magical spells or curses in this building, please ignite my herbs.”
Still nothing.
“Light our circle, show us any lingering magic!” Abby cried.
Dead silence.
“This isn’t working,” Noel said.
Faith took a step back away from the circle. Frustration didn’t even begin to cover what she was feeling. Pure rage started to build up from the depths of her being, and all she wanted to do was scream.