Dark Spirits (19 page)

“Hi, Paige. Glad to see you’re finally up,” he said, flashing me his trademark goofy grin.

I tore the wrapper on my granola bar and took a bite. “Thanks,” I said, holding my hand in front of my mouth so I didn’t spray granola everywhere. The nuts and dried cranberries tasted yummy.

“Show Nathan what you can do,” Carrie told Tree. She looked at me, beaming with excitement. “Watch this.”

Tree picked up a knife from the pile on the floor and stepped two yards away from the upright dummy. He put one foot in front of the other and bent his knee. Lifting the knife by its black handle, he aimed it at the dummy. In one swift move, he threw it.

Thwack.

The blade was now sticking in the dummy’s chest where the heart would be on a human. He turned and lifted his eyebrows and had a
I’m badass
expression on his face. I couldn’t help but smile and clap my hands. He totally rocked.

“Do it again,” I said, sounding like a dazzled child.

“Excellent,” Nathan said.

Carrie stepped beside me and bumped her hip against mine. “Isn’t he amazing? He totally kicks ass with those knives.”

“It is amazing,” I agreed, feeling a sense of relief that Tree had a skill he could use to defend himself.

“Go for the neck this time,” Carrie told Tree.

Tree picked up another knife and resumed his position, aiming it at his target. He threw back his hand, whipped it forward, and released.

Thwack.

Holy crap! The blade stuck where the jugular vein would be.

I clapped again. “Wow, Tree, that’s awesome!”

He grinned and strutted to Carrie, pretending to be cocky. Draping his arm around her shoulders, he looked at Nathan, appearing to be seeking more approval from him.

“I have to say, Tree,” Nathan said as I polished off my granola bar, “you impress me with your knife throwing skills.”

Tree glanced at the dummy then back at us. “I never even knew I had it in me.” He shrugged and started acting all humble. “There’s really nothing to it. It’s all in the aim.”

Nathan slapped a hand on Tree’s shoulder. “Don’t sell yourself short. I don’t know many people who can do it.” He dropped his hand and wandered to a black metal cabinet set inside a nook in the wall. It looked like a gun cabinet. He opened it and pulled out a drawer.

Carrie pinched Tree’s arm. “Yeah, don’t sell yourself short. I can’t do it.”

I looked at her. “I want to see you try it.”

She laughed. “I totally suck.”

Tree kissed her cheek. “You just need to practice some more.”

Carrie snorted and rolled her eyes, wordlessly saying,
whatever
.

Tree looped his arm around her neck, pulled her closer to him and rubbed the top of her head with his knuckles. She squealed and pushed her fists against his chest. Sometimes they acted more like siblings than boyfriend and girlfriend, but it worked for them, and I was glad they were back together and going strong.

Nathan came back holding what looked like a couple handheld tape recorders with headphones and two pocket knives. He handed the folded weapons to Carrie and Tree.

“Keep this with you at all times.” His turned to Carrie. “If you’re not good at throwing it, use your wits instead”–he pointed to it in her hand– “this will still come in handy.” Next, he handed them each a portable CD player. “There’s a disk inside these about combat fighting and how to think your way through a tight situation. It will also teach you how to understand Latin. This device is designed to play it continuously.” Carrie and Tree had a weird look on their faces, so Nathan went on. “Sometimes dark spirits like to speak Latin because they know nobody can understand them. And because it may have been their first language.”

Confusion settled on Carrie’s face. “But I don’t understand. How are we supposed to learn this stuff by listening to it? I don’t think I could focus on it for very long because my mind tends to wander.”

“You listen to it while you’re asleep,” Nathan replied, “and your subconscious mind absorbs the information. Secret agents in the military learned different languages this way, so it does work.”

Carrie ran her thumb over the top of the CD player, looking skeptical.

I sighed. “Just try it for a month, Carrie, and I’ll test some Latin on you to see if you can understand it.” It irritated me she was second guessing Nathan. I mean, if he didn’t think it would help them, he wouldn’t have them do it. I shared a look with him.

Carrie made a face at me. “I’m going to be pissed if this works.”

 “Why is that?” I asked, wondering why she’d feel this way. If anything, she should be impressed her and Tree could learn this stuff subconsciously. I know I was.

She sighed. “Because if I’d known this in high school, it would have made my life much easier.”

“No shit.” Tree laughed. “We could’ve skated through high school.”

I looked at Nathan and smiled. “They’re right about that.”

Nathan chuckled and shook his head. “You two still need to practice during your waking hours, but the subliminal messages you’ll receive at night will push you ahead of the game.” He paused and cocked his head to the side. “Now that I think about it, you’re right. It would have benefitted you in school.”

Carrie snapped her fingers and scrunched up her face. “Damn it,” she said in good humor, making us laugh.

And then the same ghostly voice I’ve been hearing since the age of four spoke:
“Shackled wrists to the stone wall, dripping with anxiety and fear. Words alleviate your suffering, but the light of day is out of your reach.”

My blood ran cold, and I caught Nathan’s eyes. They looked concerned. My gaze dropped to my feet, and I wondered if I should tell him. In that moment, I didn’t know if I should because I didn’t want him to worry to the point of excluding me again. But I knew I had to quickly make up my mind because I could feel three pairs of eyes pressing on me.

Chapter Nineteen

Nathan

Paige stared at her feet. I reached out and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. She didn’t move or acknowledge my touch. I could tell she had a premonition because her eyes were as round as her face, and she had a faraway look. Tree’s gaze was locked onto her. He knew. I could tell by the anxious look on his face, and his heart was pounding just like Paige’s. Carrie, on the other hand, didn’t seem to get what was going on. Her eyes were darting back and forth among the three of us.

“Why did everybody get quiet all of a sudden?” Her voice carried an edge of annoyance, like we were excluding her from an inside joke.

“Paige just had a premonition,” Tree told her.

Carrie gasped. “Omigod, Paige! What did it say?” She pushed past Tree and clutched Paige’s arm, tugging it like a child seeking an answer from her mommy.

 I was getting nervous now, and it bothered me Carrie kept pulling on Paige’s arm. I wanted to swipe her hand away and take Paige upstairs so I could be alone with her. It was obvious the premonition disturbed her, and the last thing she needed was for Carrie to behave like a dramatic teenager.

Don’t get me wrong. I liked Carrie, but sometimes her immature, don’t-have-a-clue moments, grated on my spine. She continued to tug, and right when I reached to remove her hand, Paige did it instead. She pushed Carrie’s hand into her own and held it. She was much kinder than I would have been.

“Um.” Paige’s eyes found mine, and I could see the struggle in them. My heart twisted. “It said, shackled wrists to the stone wall, dripping with anxiety and fear. Words alleviate your suffering, but the light of day is out of your reach.” She swallowed hard, the blood draining from her face.

I knew what it meant and so did she. I released a slow breath and ran a hand through my hair. My jaw tightened, and I grounded my teeth. I could feel the heat creeping up my neck when I thought about the connection to the premonition.

Carrie had a blank look on her face. “What?”

Paige turned to her and Tree. “Remember when Aosoth first approached me at the Lion’s Den?”

Tree nodded. “Yeah, the night Matt and I got into a fight.”

“That’s right,” Paige said. “Well, Aosoth told me if I decided not to help her, she’d shackle me away from those I loved until I succumbed to her demands.”

Carrie’s eyes widened. “Are you serious?”

Paige frowned, her face grave. “I’m afraid so.”

The mere thought of Paige being restrained against her will spurred a panicky rage inside me. I knew I had to get to Aosoth before she had the opportunity to make her move. If only I could get hold of Ameerah to see if she discovered any new information. But I knew my attempt would be fruitless because I hadn’t been able to get in touch with her since the night the dark spirits attacked us.

Damn it!

“You know what I think?” Tree’s confident voice caught my full attention. “Paige is stronger than Aosoth and can cast her out because Aosoth is a young dark spirit. So Paige--”

“Doesn’t matter,” I said, frustrated. “Aosoth is calculating and--”

“So.” Tree shrugged. “We keep Paige on a short leash then.” He smirked at Paige. It reminded me of the smug look my brother Thomas used to give me when I was told I had to do one of his chores.

Carrie laughed. “We can use Odell’s.”

“Yeah, right,” Paige huffed. She looked at me. “What are you smiling about?” I didn’t realize I was and wiped it off. “I’m not going to have you guys shadow me 24-7,” she continued. “And just because I had a premonition doesn’t mean it’s going to happen.” She crossed her arms tightly over her chest and raised her chin.

Tree’s cell phone vibrated, dancing across the balancing beam.

He picked it up and read the message. “It’s Brayden wanting to know how Paige is.” He looked at me apprehensively. “Should I tell him?”

“Go ahead,” I said. I may not like the guy, but he was Paige’s friend and had a right to know. Tree texted him back.

“I wish Brayden would leave Paige alone,” Carrie said. “I get he’s worried, but he doesn’t have to call every frickin’ hour. Seriously. He should know we’d call him if something were to happen to her.”

I didn’t say anything, although I agreed with her. I stared at Tree as he read Brayden’s response; his brow furrowed. With the cell in his palm, he stood frozen, debating on what to do. Carrie’s words hung in the air, the room wrapped in silence. Paige fidgeted next to me, each second becoming more awkward.

Tree hung his head and handed the phone to Paige. “He wants to talk to you.”

 I moved to her side, and she tilted it so I could read it. He wanted to know if she was really okay. Paige texted back with a yes, and he responded with a, “I miss you.” A flutter of jealousy went through me, a monster not caring how foolish it was to feel this way. Nothing in the world could sedate it, not even the security of our relationship.

She grabbed her hair in a ponytail and placed it over her shoulder. She shifted her weight, and looked at me. “What should I say?”

A couple answers raced through my mind:
You need to get a life. Or better yet, tell him to piss off.
But instead of speaking my mind, I shrugged and left it up to her. Besides, I was curious on what she would say. She sighed and texted back she had to go and to take care. She handed Tree his phone and laced her arms around my waist. I held her, feeling secretly elated she’d blown him off.

“Brayden wants to know when he can see you again,” Tree said, glancing at Paige.

I suppressed a groan and the urge to snatch the phone from Tree and type:

NEVER!

I knew it wasn’t my place to meddle in the affairs of two best friends who happened to have dated years ago and had a bond rooted in their hearts. However, Brayden was edging toward a line he shouldn’t be crossing, one that could cost him everything. A line if he were to step over, I’d be there, not as an adversary, but as a wall denying him access to his obsession. And if his reaction became bellicose, well then I’d have to teach him some proper manners, wouldn’t I?

Paige turned to Tree and stuck her hand out. Tree handed her his cell, and without pause, she texted Brayden back. To my surprise, she told him it would be best if they didn’t see each other for a while. Of course, Brayden persisted, wanting to know why.

Jesus Christ,
you’d think he’d get the hint and back off. But he didn’t, and when Paige responded by telling him there was too much going on right now and she didn’t want him involved, he retaliated by dragging Tree and Carrie into it.

Paige sighed and glanced at them. Carrie moved to Paige’s side to read what Brayden said.

She tapped her finger on the phone. “This doesn’t surprise me.”

“What?” Tree asked, curiously looking at Carrie. Paige handed him the phone. After he read it, he shook his head and passed it back to Paige. “He’s waiting for your reply.”

Paige’s eyes flicked to mine, and when I saw the emotional stress in them, furious anger whipped through me, stinging my face. If Brayden really cared about her, he’d take the hint and would leave her alone instead of forcing her into this position.

I held my hand out, palm facing upwards. “May I?” She hesitated, but then sighed and relinquished the phone.

“What are you going to say?” Carrie asked. She moved to my side and read aloud what I was typing. “Brayden, this is Nathan. If you really care about Paige, you’ll stop badgering her with questions and let this obsession of yours go. The more you pursue, the more you hurt her. Get a clue.”

 “That was tactful enough,” Tree said with a half-smile. “Maybe now he’ll lay off.”

Carrie made a weird snorting noise when she read Brayden’s reply to herself.

Fuck you.

“Not likely,” she said, taking the phone. She showed Paige, Brayden’s answer and handed it back to Tree.

I reached out and rubbed Paige’s arm. “I’m sorry.” She looked lost and frail, as if she were a child who took a wrong turn and found herself in unfamiliar territory. I silently cursed Brayden for putting her through this. “We should get you something to eat,” I told her. Without a word, she led us to the stairs. “Are you two hungry?” I asked Tree and Carrie.

“We are,” Tree answered, following us up the steps, “but we’re supposed to help my dad in the garage in about”–he looked at his watch with a skull and crossbones band– “an hour. So we better get going.”

Carrie picked her purse from the counter and deposited their CD players in it. Slinging her bag over her shoulder, she turned to me expectantly, like a soldier waiting for orders.

I felt kind of awkward being in this position, but then reminded myself I was the one who decided to take the baton and teach them what I knew to keep them safe. “Remember what you learned today and use those tape recorders like I told you to. Also, keep your wits about you. If you need anything, text or call us.”

“Actually,” Paige said with a wary expression, “I’d feel better if you texted me before you went to bed.”

Tree gave her a promising smile. “No problem.”

We headed to the front door, but then Carrie stopped and turned. She looked at Paige, worried. “What about the premonition you had?”

Paige pulled her into a quick hug. “Don’t worry about me. I’m immortal, remember? Just keep yourselves safe for me.”

“Don’t worry,” Tree reassured her with confidence. “We may be mortal, but we’re smart and made from some hardy stock.”

Paige’s brows lifted. “Hardy stock?”

Carrie laughed. “Tree heard his mom tell one of her friends that, so it’s his
new
saying.” She made air quotes while making a silly face. I could hear Paige snickering beside me.

The corner of my mouth curled, and I regarded Tree’s height and solid-built frame. “Well, she’s right about that.”

Tree grinned and drew himself up.
Jesus,
he was tall. “Yup,” he said.

Paige smiled and shook her head, looking like her carefree self again. “Okay, well, let us know when we can get together again.”

After they left, I made Paige and I grilled cheese and bacon sandwiches with some onion rings. We discovered after Brayden’s lowbrow “fuck you” comment, he’d been texting her cell phone like a famished person trying to talk his way into a free meal. I began to think I was going to have to make a personal visit to him and knew it could get ugly. But then Paige countered his incessant dribbling with an appeasing reply, which I didn’t much care for, but at least it would get him off her back. She told him she’d contact him as soon as things settled down, but for now she needed her space to work through some things. Finally, he backed off and stopped texting her.

We talked for a while about what our next move should be. Our best bet would be to find the incantations and destroy them. But where in the hell were they? I still thought the vision she had the other day was a hint to where the incantations were. So together, we went through the details of that vision: dark place, water dripping off of something and an earthy, damp smell.

Paige scratched her head, mussing it up in the back, reminding me of how she looked after a romp in the sack. I shifted in my seat as I felt a stirring in my pants and looked away, wondering if my eyes were getting bright. I thought of something repulsive to quickly diffuse my desires toward her: a seeping wound filled with blood and pus.

Paige stopped talking and gave me a strange look. “Why is your face scrunched up like that?”

“Huh?”

“It looks like you’re trying to take a crap,” she said, giggling.

I couldn’t help but laugh because I imagined she was right.

“So what do you think?”

“About?” She’d lost me.

She kicked my foot beneath the kitchen table. “About the vision.”

“Oh,” I said. “It sounds like it’s underground.”

She sat up, and her eyes widened. “You’re right. It does sound like that, huh?”

“But the question is where?”

She slumped in her seat, her face falling. “And how are we going to do that?”

I thought about it for a few minutes and couldn’t think. My eyes kept straying to her. She looked so damn cute and sexy that I had to get up and do something active.

“I think we should talk about this later.” I picked up our dishes and placed them in the sink. “Ya know, give our brains a rest for a while.” I peeked at her.

She rose from her seat. “Do you want me to help you?”

I shook my head and bent to get the kitchen cleaner from under the sink. “I got it.”

“I’m going to take a shower then,” she announced.

I made a grunting-like noise to acknowledge her statement, not daring to turn to look at her. I sifted through the cleaning products, pretending to be searching for the right one, until I heard her leave the room.

A while later with the kitchen clean and my hormones intact, I focused my attention on Paige’s vision. Why did she get a glimpse of a place appearing to be underground? And if we were right, where could it be? Did it have to do with the premonition spoken of shackled wrists and a stone wall? I sat on the couch in the living room and closed my eyes. Rubbing my temples, I pondered it some more.