Spirit [New Crescent 2] (BookStrand Publishing Romance) (29 page)

Inside, Travis’s mother Ruth Sinclair was finishing the set up for the kids’ party in the game room. Most years, they used the great room, but since both parties were on the same night, the kids got bumped to alternate digs. From the game room, it was an easy walk to the guest house, where the haunted house awaited them, so it worked out great.

Just before it got dark, Reggie used a guest bedroom to change into her costume. She wrapped bandages all over herself and used red food coloring and corn syrup to suggest oozing blood. The sling cradling her dislocated shoulder added authenticity. Using the mirror, she gave herself a black eye and drew stitches on her forehead and cheeks.

She was ready just in time. Toddlers and the younger children started to trickle in with their parents. Reggie knew most of them. Playing the gracious hostess, she wished everyone a happy Halloween. She pointed out all the goodies to the little ones and with a word of caution directed them to the haunted house. She could hear the nervous laughter and the delighted squeals as one monster after another jumped out at them. From what she could tell, Chase, Travis, and Sam had done a marvelous job. Now it would be expected every year. She knew they’d try to top the previous one every year. With a sigh, she wondered what her life would be like next Halloween. Pat Somers would be living in Bennett house and what would she and Chase be doing?

Soon, she was greeting older children. The little ones had all gone home with their loot. Recognizing Todd and his friend Jeremy, she told them to take their time through the haunted house. She knew they wouldn’t want to miss a single thing. As the hour grew later, the monsters became more menacing. In keeping with the age of their audience, the guys stepped up the blood and gore to more appropriate adolescent standards.

Around ten, Reggie heard the last peep out of the haunted house. Her feet were killing her, and she flopped onto one of the chairs in the game room. Chase had told her that once the haunted house was over he planned to go back to Bennett House and change into a more comfortable costume and meet her back in the great room for dancing. She hadn’t danced with Chase since that fateful night he’d kissed her when they were so young. She wondered how it would feel tonight. Would people be surprised to see them together? They’d made no secret of their relationship, but they hadn’t announced it either.

Taking a deep breath, Reggie stood up. She walked to the door and started to turn off lights when she heard a deep laugh. She spun around and saw Aidan Spencer standing behind her. He didn’t appear to be wearing a costume. Reggie narrowed her eyes trying to get a better look at him in the dim room.

He stepped closer, and Reggie saw what she wished she hadn’t. The vacant look in the young boy’s eyes made her stomach drop and turned her blood to ice.

On the way back to Bennett House, Chase smiled recalling some of the kids’ reactions. He was glad they’d toned it down for the younger crowd. It pleased him that they’d made no child cry, but had made a lot of them squeal with delight. The sound of their laughter made him happy.

Walking through the front door, Chase once more imagined the grand old house filled with laughing children. It was his fondest wish to live to see that. Instead, he could only expect to hear the sound of Pita’s meow of welcome.

All was silent. For a second, Chase worried that the cat had finally taken him at his word and walked out just as unexpectedly as he’d come. He called the cat’s name, the name Reggie had given him.

“Pita, kitty, kitty, where are you?”

Silence. Sam had told him once that some people did terrible things to cats on Halloween. Chase felt sick at the thought. Quickly, he walked through the house opening doors and calling to the cat. There was no sign of him.

With a sinking heart, Chase approached the library. Knowing that Vincent fed off the pain of other living creatures, Chase forced himself to hope that Pita was ok. With a great push, he opened the double doors. The smell assaulted him at once. It felt more concentrated than ever and Chase struggled to breathe.

Pita lay limp just outside the door to the secret room. He and Reggie had left it open in the vain hope of airing it out a little. Chase ran to the still cat. He didn’t make it. Just as he was half a foot away, Chase was thrown back and off his feet by an invisible force. The attack left him breathless and he struggled to get up off the floor. His heart raced as he fought the energy field that held him down. It crushed his chest. Chase heard a snap and knew he’d broken a rib. It hurt like hell, but he continued to fight against the weight mercilessly pressing down on him.

Unable to get up off the floor, Chase’s mind raced. He could see Pita’s body move almost imperceptibly as the cat breathed. He said a prayer of thanks. At least he was still alive.

The strange force he knew to be Vincent, had him pinned to the floor, but Chase couldn’t give up. Staying flat against the floor, he started to worm his way over to Pita. It was slow going, and he broke out into a cold sweat struggling against the pain of his broken rib and the weight crushing him. The hissing started, and Chase’s skin crawled, but it got worse when he heard the laughter.

* * * *

“Aidan?” Reggie asked.

The boy who had once been Aidan didn’t respond. He looked at her blankly. His eyes glistened, but held no life; his childish lips were red and wet; saliva dripped onto his chin. Reggie shuddered.

“What do you want?” she asked. Still no answer. “Vincent?”

He blinked at her and started to laugh. The sound was unnatural, deep and gurgling. More saliva dripped from his mouth. His eyes rolled back in his head, and Reggie was sure he was going to drop to the floor as he swayed.

Reggie’s stomach reacted. The kid’s breath smelled foul, and as he laughed, spittle sprayed Reggie. Frantically, she wiped it away.

With horror, she realized that they’d been fooled by Vincent. He hadn’t weakened a bit. He’d been waiting until this most hallowed night to make his move, and they’d been stupid enough to fall for it. Somehow, they’d missed it all. That secret room couldn’t have held his spirit. It was a red herring.

She commanded Pru to stay with the boy. Leaving Aidan behind, she sprinted toward the haunted house. There was nothing she could do for the kid alone. Racing at full speed, she almost ran Sam down. He tottered on his crutches for a moment and said, “Whoa there, Crash…”

He didn’t get anything else out as she demanded, “Where’s Chase?”

“He went back to Bennett House to change into his costume. What is it?” He was alarmed and he let go of his crutches to grab Reggie by the upper arms.

“There’s a kid in the game room with Pru, get him to a hospital. Give me your keys, I’ve got to find Chase.” Without hesitation, Sam put his keys in her hand.

She was already running to his car when she yelled, “Thanks.”

She drove Sam’s car like a madwoman. She was grateful that he hadn’t broken his right leg or she’d have lost valuable time trying to find another car. The Mercedes handled beautifully, taking the corners at the speed she demanded of it.

Finally, she squealed to a halt in front of Bennett House. To Reggie, the drive had taken forever, but in reality, it couldn’t have taken more than ten minutes. She’d barely come to a stop before she threw the car into park and raced for the house. She didn’t take the time to shut the door to the car or the house.

The hallway that led to the library was so cold that Reggie could see her breath, but she didn’t care. The doors jammed. She threw her weight against them and grunted when she hit resistance.

She yelled at the top of her lungs. “Chase! I’m here. I’ll get to you.”

She almost cried when she heard his voice, “Reggie! I’m pinned. I’ve got Pita. He’s barely breathing, but he’s alive.”

Reggie rolled her eyes and yelled back, “Are
you
okay?”

“Yeah.” She knew he was lying. She needed a distraction, something to make Vincent turn his attention away from them for a second so she could break through the doors and help Chase.

“Constance! Damn you, help us!”

She threw herself against the doors again ignoring the pain in her shoulder. This time they seemed to give a little so she tried again. Success!

She ran to Chase just as he was trying to sit up. He groaned when the effort reminded him of his broken rib.

Reggie kneeled beside him. “Liar! You’re hurt!”

He smiled at her, and the butterflies in her stomach danced.

“I’ll live now that you’re here.”

Reggie shook her head and helped him to his feet. It wasn’t easy because he didn’t want to let Pita go.

“He’s in shock, I think. He needs warmth.” Chase said.

They heard a loud bang and saw Constance bathed in a bright white light.

Despite his predicament, Chase gasped in awe. “I can see her!”

In a voice that reverberated in Reggie’s heart, Constance addressed her husband for the first time.

“Vincent Bennett, evil aberration, today, you have no more secrets. I’ve kept my guilty silence too long, and that’s given you power over me. My own guilt has been my curse, but no longer.”

Reggie and Chase saw a huge electric spark, and they heard a snap. Constance addressed them.

“Please, forgive me. There is so much to forgive.” She wept but miraculously managed to keep Vincent at bay. They could hear an inhuman raging and spitting as he struggled against the power Constance used to contain him.

Reggie said, “Constance, you’ve punished yourself long enough. There is nothing left to forgive.”

She cast a sad look at Reggie and shook her head. “No. You must know the truth. I loved my baby more than life itself, and I was prepared to make any sacrifice for him, but I had seen my son’s destiny. He would be far more powerful than my husband had ever dreamed. Combining our power was unnatural, and it created an evil beyond what this world could hold.”

Constance looked so sad that Reggie started to cry for her. “You shed tears for me, my dear? I knew you would, but there is so much more to tell. Then we’ll see if you can still cry tears for my sake.”

They could still hear Vincent’s hissing and snarling. He wasn’t going without a fight. Constance ignored him and continued her confession.

“I knew I would die in childbirth. I was not meant to have children. I knew that fact as a young girl and I rebelled against it. I felt power in Vincent and hoped he’d change my destiny.” She laughed without humor, “I was a fool. Finally, I was forced to accept my fate. I was prepared to die, but what would happen to my son? Every day my body nurtured his, and I loved him more and more. Regina, you know what I mean.” She pierced Reggie with her stare. Pita moved in Chase’s arms.

The butterflies in Reggie’s stomach fluttered, and for the first time, she understood what they were trying to tell her. This power, this unexpected power she had within herself, was life. She touched her belly and knew. She was carrying Chase’s child. She’d conceived the first night they’d made love. With knowledge came power, and Reggie was full.

Her face glowed with it, and she nodded at Constance to continue.

“I knew I had only one option.” Constance shuddered “I killed my baby.”

Reggie shook her head. “No! No, you didn’t Constance! You cannot kill something that was never meant to be. You took your own life to save your child to save all of us…your children.”

Constance whimpered. “Is there forgiveness for such a sin?”

Chase said, “Forgive yourself, Constance, and let it go. I am your blood, and I live because of you. We all do. You saved us by taking your life and freeing your son from Vincent Bennett’s madness.”

Reggie smiled at him. He got it. She said, “Tell us everything, Constance.”

In a somber tone, she told the rest of her story. “On the eve of my labor, I walked into the garden with one of my husband’s foul potions. I drank it. I knew it would kill me and my son instantly.” They could hear Vincent snapping as he fought against Constance and Reggie’s hold on him.

“He found me hours after my death, and by the light of the rising sun, Vincent Bennett, the monster I’d married, cut my dead baby from my body. He holds it still. His own diseased bones were laid to rest along side my son’s. Our child’s corporeal body is the source of his power. Find them and bury them before this night ends.”

Chase set Pita on the floor gently and grabbed a piece of solid wood that once belonged to the banister. He moved into the secret room. He looked over his shoulder at Reggie, and with all the strength he could muster, he struck the floor. The floorboards cracked. Chase gasped from the pain the contact had caused him. Reggie ran to his side. Together, they pried off the floorboards.

A gust of wind blew through the room dusting them with fine particles of the rich earth they’d uncovered. Reggie and Chase knew what they’d find, but still they gasped when they saw the bones of Vincent Bennett holding the tiny bones of the child who was never meant to be.

Reggie touched the tiny bones and felt an echo inside her womb. Reggie and Chase turned to see Constance crying tears of joy. In her ghostly arms, she cradled her gurgling baby boy. They saw a flash of bright white light, and Constance faded away.