I sense movement, and in the next moment Tracy throws herself at the barrier, a screaming, howling banshee. She fights against the magic barring her. Static electricity sparks through the room, zooming around, visible in the darkness. I push Kacie behind me as the manic ghost continues her relentless assault on the barrier. A deafening boom reverberates through the room, followed by a wave of energy. I push Kacie down, falling on top of her to shield her from the ghost’s wrath. Pain lances up my back like thousands of cat claws, making me cry out both in shock and pain. I glance back—Samson and Delilah hiss their displeasure at Tracy, their claws digging into my back.
The claws retract when I yell at them, and all the other pain surfaces. Ignoring the throbbing in my ribs, I roll to my side to free Kacie, sending the cats leaping away. Tracy lets out one last anguished wail before slumping and falling to the floor. My familiars circle her prone body, mouths open, scenting the air. The heaviness in the air lessens, but I continue to take in shallow breaths to keep from aggravating the pain. I watch Tracy, searching for… well not signs of life, but existence? Her form flickers like an old movie, and I wonder if she’ll just wink out of existence.
“Is she…” Blake trails off, pushing himself up on his elbows. “That was quite a blast. You both okay?”
“Yeah,” Kacie says, rubbing her head. “Where’s Mr. Kincaid?”
“Out here,” Mr. Kincaid says from the hall. “I got out just before the explosion.”
“Logan…” Kacie pulls on my arm while pointing at Tracy’s prone form. “I’ve never seen, I mean, she can’t…”
“Her spirit would’ve disappeared if she was destroyed.” I try to struggle to my feet but give up, sagging back down. Kacie leans against me, and I wrap my arms around her.
Blake eyes us. “You two are not okay.”
“When Tracy forced the barrier, she released a lot of psychic energy,” I say, resting my cheek on Kacie’s head.
“It drained all of us, not just her,” Kacie adds.
“I feel fine,” Blake says stretching his arms over his head.
“Yeah, why is that?” I ask, unable to hide the genuine surprise from my voice.
“Rebecca will be thrilled,” Kacie says.
Blake raises his brows. “Why, she like stamina?”
Kacie giggles. “Get your mind out of the gutter, Blake. She likes researching puzzles.”
“Oh, no. I ain’t no one’s guinea pig.”
Tracy’s spirit releases a soft sigh, like a light exhale of breath… if ghosts could breathe. She floats to her feet as though controlled by invisible strings. Still solid, her dark eyes scan the room. A smile crosses her face when she realizes that she made it through the psychic barrier. All I can do is stare at the ghost and wonder what that mysterious smile means. Maybe she’s as drained as we are. Kacie squeezes my hand, her aura flickering from exhaustion. I meet her gaze. Evade and stall for time to recover—I try to send the message to her in my expression.
“Now that you’re in here, love,” Blake says, gesturing at the room. “Care to share why you wanted in so bad?”
Tracy blushes at Blake’s obvious flirting. I had no idea a spirit could blush, even one who appears as human as she does. I mean, it takes blood to blush, right? More manipulation? She glides to one of the beds and reaches out to it. Her hand goes straight through. When she tries again, she lets out a frustrated growl as her hand once again passes through the mattress.
“I can’t touch anything?” she says, her words sounding more like a question than a statement.
One moment she’s by the bed and the next she appears inches from Blake’s face. He doesn’t flinch, which I have to admit is rather impressive. I’m pretty sure even I’d have reacted to her sudden appearance.
“Are you really a werewolf?” she asks, leaning so close they’d touch were she human.
“Yep.” Blake manages a blank face as the ghost circles him.
“Shift for me.”
“It ain’t a full moon, love,” he says, shrugging his shoulders. I’m well aware that Blake can shift whenever he wants. He’s a born alpha werewolf, not a bite victim. Blake’s features take on a look of complete innocence. Damn but he can rival Kacie and Daniel in the acting department. “Why’re you deflecting attention from that bed? What’s under that mattress?”
“Nothing,” she says, backing away, shaking her head furiously.
“Now we both know that ain’t the truth.” Blake saunters over to the bed and lifts the mattress.
“No!”
“Now what have we here?” Blake tosses a small book to me.
I open the book and flip through the pages. “It’s a journal.”
“It’s mine!” Tracy howls, making a grab for the book. But her hand passes through. She may have enough power left to look almost human, but not enough to manipulate physical objects.
Kacie takes the book, hugging it to her chest. “This is very private, but it could also be what’s keeping you from moving on.”
Tracy’s form flickers and sinks to the floor. She returns to an ethereal, misty spirit, and I can’t help but notice how much lighter she is now than before. Swirling white and light gray misty energy compose her figure, a sure sign that she’s close to acceptance of her fate.
“I’ll talk, but just to you,” she says, pointing at Kacie.
“No,” I say, unwilling to leave Kacie alone with this dangerous adversary.
“Of course,” Kacie says, directing a glare at me.
