Gone Ghost Read online

  “Siobhan is Emma's guardian,” Abel explained. “Emma's father lost custody when her mother died. He's an addict with multiple convictions. Siobhan has been a foster parent for many years, and she's helped to raise many young wolves left without parents, so it was only natural that Emma go to her.”

  “But her dad has refused to leave the picture entirely?” I prompted.

  Abel answered with a curt nod. “We've done our best to keep him away thus far, but he has eluded our grasp.”

  I laughed bitterly. “I imagine the grasp to which you are referring would come with some very sharp claws.”

  Abel nodded again, this time with a secretive smile.

  I smirked. “Is this whole foster parent thing even legal?” I asked skeptically, mainly because I wasn't sure how Abel would have otherwise managed to make sure that wolf children didn't end up with human foster parents.

  Abel chuckled to himself. “Emma was placed with Siobhan by the state of California, and the state also permitted their move to Oregon.” When I raised an eyebrow at him, he added, “You're not the only one with friends in high places.”

  I squinted at him. As far as I was aware, he was the only one with friends in high places. “I don't follow,” I admitted.

  “Well, you have me,” he explained, “and word on the street is that many of the upper demons are beginning to take an interest in you.”

  My mood instantly soured. “The last two upper demons that took an interest in me are dead. Three, if you include my father.”

  Abel bit his lip, and judging by his expression, if he was a little more flexible he would have lifted his foot into his mouth. “I didn't mean to bring up any hurtful subjects,” he said evenly.

  I shrugged and shelved the pain of my father's death and my grandmother's betrayal to the back of my mind, where it had been resting and gathering dust for the past several weeks.

  “Okay,” I sighed after a moment. “I assume we've gone over everything? I'll introduce Emma and Siobhan to the others, and Jason will make sure that Emma's dad doesn't come near her?”

  “That's correct,” Abel stated as he stood. “Devin and I will wait in town for another week or so, just to make sure we don't have any more . . . mishaps. Then you will be on your own.”

  “Peachy,” I replied, actually not looking forward to things getting back to normal. At least with the constant drama, I didn't have to deal with being a jobless, fatherless, high-school drop out.

  Abel shook Jason's hand as Jason stood, and I stood and offered my hand as well. At first I thought Abel was going to snub me, but then he leaned in and pulled me into an uncomfortable hug.

  “I truly am sorry about your father,” he said softly as he patted my back lightly.

  A moment later, the embrace was over and he headed for the door without another word. I scrunched my eyebrows at Jason in confusion.

  He shrugged in reply as Abel shut the door behind him.

  Jason and I had a moment of awkward silence before he said, “I suppose I should go find Emma, but . . . ”

  “But . . . ” I pressed.

  Jason sighed. “I know it's not my place, but I'd rather you not be alone after what happened in the kitchen.”

  My heart sped a little at the recent memory. Honestly, I didn't want to be alone either, but I couldn't ask Jason to stay with me. I had somewhere to be. “I promised Dorrie I'd visit today, so I won't be alone. Maybe I'll go to the demon library and look up invisible beasties that try to drown people in dirty dishwater.”

  “You can just tell me you're going to see Chase,” Jason stated bluntly.

  My mouth dropped at his accusation. Sure, I was planning on seeing Chase, but I really had promised Dorrie a visit.

  “He's still looking for Sam,” I replied, “and I can poof us around the underground much faster than Chase can run.” Okay, maybe I was making up excuses. True excuses, but excuses none-the-less.

  “I really don't think he believed your grandmother would hurt either of you,” Jason said sadly. “Maybe you should just let him go.”

  I felt a wash of anger, but forced it back down. “He may not have believed it, but he still tricked us. That trick cost my father his life. Sam will pay for that, if nothing else.”

  Jason shook his head. “Okay, I'm sorry for bringing anything up. It really isn't my place.”

  “You're entitled to your own opinions,” I assured, though the scowl I felt on my face probably didn't help to back up my words.

  Jason put his hands in his pockets and gave me a long, searching look. I wasn't sure what he found, but with another sigh he announced, “I'll go find Emma. Let me know when you're ready to introduce her to Lucy and the others.”

  I nodded. In the blink of an eye, Jason was gone, and the door was shut and locked behind him. I took a few steps forward and glanced into the kitchen to find Jason had cleaned up the water and broken dishes while I was in the shower. The light bulbs had been replaced as well, and there wasn't a hint of glass from their explosions. What I wouldn't give to be able to clean with supernatural speed and multitasking abilities.

  I looked at the clock to see that I still had a good five hours before my mom would get home from work. I wasn't sure if whatever had attacked me would go after her, but better safe than sorry. My visit to the underground would have to be a short one. Dorrie would be disappointed. Chase probably would too . . . so would I, but don't tell anyone. It will be our little secret.

  2

  I arrived in my dad's kitchen accompanied by a whoosh of red smoke. I looked around for signs of life, fanning my hand in front of my face to clear the air. The smoke didn't actually have a smell to it, but it obscured my vision for a few seconds after I popped into a different place.

  I watched the last of the smoke clear with a scowl. It was too big of a coincidence that I'd only learned to travel after my dad and grandmother were both dead. It was suspicious, to say the least. Then again, maybe it was just a trait passed on by death. Stranger things had happened. They happened to me on an almost daily basis.

  I left the kitchen in search of Dorrie and Chase, secretly hoping I'd find Chase first. I wanted a moment alone with him. My wish was not granted, as I reached the first room and found Dorrie mixing something at my dad's alchemy table.

  My heart hurt a little to see all of the things my dad had last touched moved around and getting used up, but it was good that Dorrie had found a hobby. I'd stolen her from her previous life, and it was the least I could do for her.

  The normally tidy room was strewn with open books and crumpled up pieces of paper. There were also a few new burn marks in the carpet around the alchemy table. In the center of all the chaos was Dorrie, translucent hair tied back to reveal her glittery white neck and ears. She turned her crystalline blue eyes toward me to display soot marks on her face and her white tee shirt.

  She'd recently started wearing normal clothes instead of the white jumpsuit she'd worn as a driver, but her jeans and tee shirt made her look even more strange in contrast. Chase had gotten the clothes upon her request, since she had a larger frame than me and couldn't fit into any of my hand-me-downs.

  “Pop Tart!” she exclaimed as she stood to wrap me in a scratchy hug.

  Her body felt hard and hollow, and I knew for a fact that it was, since I'd seen her shattered several weeks before. Her broken parts had remained where we left them in the bathroom, even after she'd been re-formed, unbeknownst to us, back in the dream realm. She'd passed it off as her being a construct of demon magic, but it still confused the heck out of me.

  “I need more library books,” she announced as she released me.

  “We'll have to return all of these first,” I said, gesturing to the books littering the floor. “And I'm pretty sure you've read all they have on alchemy.”

  Dorrie nodded excitedly. “I know, I want history books now. Demon ones and human ones.”

  I raised an eyebrow at her, waiting for an explanation.

  “I just
find it all so fascinating!” she exclaimed. “I was never allowed to learn new things as a driver. I was to remember where to go, and that was it.”

  “Whatever floats your boat,” I conceded with a smile.

  Dorrie smiled back, “It does float my boat, it floats my boat very much.”

  I laughed. I had to hand it to Dorrie, she always put me in a better mood. “Where's Chase?” I asked, unable to wait any longer.

  Dorrie frowned. “Looking for Sam. He got another lead, but I imagine it will be fruitless like all the others.”

  “He wasn't supposed to go looking without me,” I sighed.

  Dorrie tilted her head to the side and gave me a sympathetic smile. “You'll find that little rat soon enough, Dumpling. I want him to pay too.”

  “Yeah,” I replied, nodding to myself. “So do you want me to go to the library first, or do you want to play some Checkers?”

  “Checkers!” Dorrie shouted in excitement, just as I knew she would. She had become obsessed with the game, enough so that she beat me almost every time. I would feel little sadness when she finally got tired of it.

  We went into the den where the board was already set up on the coffee table from our last game. I sat reluctantly on the cushy leather sofa while Dorrie curled up on the floor on the opposite side of the board.

  As we played I told her about my morning, and the unfortunate incident with the kitchen sink.

  “Sounds like you're being haunted,” she commented, like it was perfectly normal.

  “Haunted?” I questioned. “Like ghosts?”

  Dorrie smirked at me. “You're a demon who hangs out with vampires and werewolves, and you don't believe in ghosts?”

  I shrugged. “Well I can see the vampires and werewolves . . . ” I trailed off, thinking back to Sam's little harem of spirits. I had seen those ghosts, and I had felt them too as they carried me to a cell in the human world, right where my grandmother had wanted me.

  Dorrie laughed. “Ghosts are really common in the dreamworld, and in lots of the other realms. Most of them are harmless though. Maybe a particularly powerful one tagged along with you when-” she cut herself off abruptly.

  “When my grandmother died,” I finished for her. “That's the last time I was in the dreamworld.” I had a sickening realization. “Right before we left, I remember something hitting me in the back. It felt like someone shoved me, but there was no one there.”

  “You don't think your granny . . . ” she trailed off.

  My eyes widened. “Is it possible? Whatever attacked me this morning tried to drown me in the sink. I wouldn't be surprised if my grandmother wanted a little vengeance.”

  “Oh Snickerdoodle,” Dorrie said softly, “this is bad.”

  I gazed off as I thought things over. “But if it was my grandmother,” I said finally, “why did she let me go?”

  Dorrie shrugged. “Maybe she lost her connection. Maybe you somehow booted her back to where she came from.”

  I shook my head. I didn't think that was it. I had been about to lose consciousness, and really didn't think I was capable of exorcising a ghost at that moment. I began to feel anxious as I thought of the possibilities of my grandmother hanging around in ghost form.

  “Do you think she'll try to hurt anyone else?” I asked, suddenly horrified that everyone I cared about was in a different place at that moment.

  Dorrie wrinkled her brow in thought. “If she hitched a ride, you're probably her only connection to this world. She might try to hurt others around you, but other than that, I don't think she would be able to.”

  “So my mom will be safe in the house as long as I'm not there?” I pressed.

  Dorrie nodded. “Maybe you ought to stay down here for a while. She can't drown me since I don't need air, and you and Chase can watch out for each other.”

  I sighed. It wasn't a bad idea. Of course, Dorrie could be wrong about everything, and maybe my mom's house just had a poltergeist.

  The front door opened and shut, startling me. Lost in the subject at hand, I had forgotten for a moment that we were waiting for Chase to get home.

  A few seconds later he found us in the den. Staying seated, I glared up at him.

  “What?” he asked as he nervously raked his fingers through his near-black hair. His dark gray eyes wouldn't meet mine, letting me know that he knew exactly what the glare was about. He straightened his neutral-colored flannel over his faded, gray jeans as he waited for me to speak.

  “You weren't supposed to go without me,” I chided.

  He came to sit beside me on the couch. His nearness raised my pulse a few notches, as was per usual of late. Things had been strange since we'd had our second kiss, but had decided not to date. Well, I had decided. It seemed like a bad idea to enter into a new relationship right on the tail of the last one. Not to mention that my life was in total shambles. I needed to figure some stuff out before I could be with anyone. Of course, logic couldn't stop the nervous pitter patter of my heart, just as it couldn't stop my constant over-thinking of, well, everything.

  “I had a time-sensitive lead,” he explained, oblivious to my inner monologue, “and you had your meeting with your new pack members. I really had no choice,” he finished as he batted his eyelashes at me sarcastically. “How was the meeting by the way?”

  I shrugged, still angry. “As good as could be expected. Siobhan and Emma both seem nice. Emma is around my age.”

  “Tell him what happened,” Dorrie insisted, before I could get to it.

  I scowled at her, then turned back to Chase. “Something tried to drown me in my kitchen sink.”

  Chase's eyes widened. “Come again?”

  “We think her grannie hitched a ride from the dreamworld,” Dorrie cut in, “and now she wants vengeance.”

  Chase looked at Dorrie, then turned back to me with an astonished expression. “You'd think you would have led with that.”

  “We don't know that it was my grandmother,” I explained uncomfortably. “but something invisible shoved me before we left the dreamworld, and now something invisible tried to drown me.”

  Chase shook his head. “Now we really need to find Sam.”

  “Why?” I said, not comprehending his train of thought.

  Chase rolled his eyes at me. “He has control over the dead, Xoe.”

  My mouth opened into an oh of understanding. “He's going to have a hard time trying to control my grandmother with me throwing fireballs at him. He'd probably have a hard time of it regardless. She was powerful in life, and I've no doubt that if this is in fact her ghost, she'll be just as powerful in death.”

  “He's our best bet without-” he cut himself off. People were doing that around me a lot lately.

  “Without my father,” I finished for him. “Normally we'd be running straight to him with this kind of problem.”

  Chase glanced at me, then quickly looked away. Dorrie watched us with intense interest like a little kid watching her parents have a conversation that she didn't quite understand. She knew that I was still mourning my dad's death, but she still didn't comprehend the need for tact when discussing said death. I actually appreciated her bluntness. Everyone tip-toeing around me was starting to get annoying.

  “Maybe you should stay down here until we figure this out,” Chase said finally.

  Dorrie nodded excitedly in agreement.

  “I'm supposed to introduce the new pack members to the old ones,” I argued. “They might get a little concerned if I just disappear.”

  Chase sighed. “Is Abel still in town? Maybe he knows a witch . . . one that isn't on the run from a throat-tearing demon.”

  I shook my head. “I've had my fill of witches for a few life-times.”

  Chase gave me a sympathetic look. “If we can't find Sam, a witch might be our only shot. It's probably not a good idea to wait around for it to happen again.”

  I shrugged. “Well I stopped it somehow. Or something did. Maybe we should wait for it to happen again so we c
an figure out if it was something I did.”

  “Then I'm coming above-ground with you,” he stated, his face making it clear that there would be no arguments.

  I snorted. “I could just poof out of here right now and leave you,” I jested.

  Chase frowned. “Please don't make me explain to your mother why she had to find your dead body face down in the toilet.”

  I punched his arm. “It was the kitchen sink!”

  He waggled his eyebrows at me. “This time.”

  I scowled back at him, but he was right. I didn't want my mom to find my dead body in her house, or anywhere for that matter. My life might have been in total shambles, but I didn't want to die. Still, I felt oddly numb about the whole situation. So many monsters had been out for my blood lately that it was becoming commonplace. That thought alone was enough to make me want to ask Abel if he knew any witches. Mortal peril shouldn't be commonplace.

  Dorrie stared at me and read my expressions as I thought things over. When I stood with a nod, she jumped to her feet.

  “Please get my library books before you leave!” she exclaimed. “It's so boring when both of you are gone.”

  I cringed, because I had completely forgotten about her library books.

  Chase stood and patted my back. “I'll get them if you promise not to leave without me.”

  I held up my hand in the salute for scout's honor. With a nod of acceptance, Chase followed Dorrie out of the room while she explained to him the types of books she wanted.

  I slouched back down onto the couch and let out a breath, knowing that it would probably be my last moment of alone time until we figured out the whole haunting situation. Sure enough, a minute later Dorrie came bounding back into the room to resume her seat on the other side of the Checkers board.

  “Chase says I'm not to let you out of my sight until he gets back, Apple Pie,” she began as she cleared the board to start a new game, “so I hope you don't mind company when you go to the bathroom.”

  I rolled my eyes. “I don't think that's what he meant.”

  Dorrie sat up straight and stared me down with her twinkling blue eyes. “Since your daddy isn't around anymore, the job of protecting you falls to me and Chase. I'm not about to fail on my half of the responsibility.”