Part 45 (2/2)
The breeze picked up, so strong it made me step back. I heard chanting in the distance, but I couldn't make out what was being said.
The wind pulled harder, and I had to lean into it to reach Henry. I wrapped my fingers around his arm just as lightning flashed, thunder rumbled, and Roland McHugh began to laugh.
The next thing I knew I stood in the clearing at Revelation Point. Jeremy was gone. Chief Deb too. Pru and the wolves were here, though they were eating ... a woman's arm.
That explained the absence of Deb.
The others were gathered in a semicircle around Raye, who was on her knees, bent over unlit candles.
”What's going on?” I asked.
Raye's head went up. Bobby Doucet stiffened, s.h.i.+fting his shoulders.
”Becca's here,” Raye said, though she didn't turn my way.
”Where?” Owen asked. He didn't look so good.
I hurried over. Reggie yipped.
”Hush,” I said to him, then touched Owen's hair. ”What's wrong?”
He didn't answer, didn't seem to see me, and I turned to Raye. I caught a clue an instant before I caught sight of my dead self still on the rock.
”f.u.c.k me.”
”Nice,” Raye said.
”I'm not a kindergarten teacher.” I hadn't had to watch my language even when I'd been alive. ”Why am I here?”
”I don't know. I summoned Henry.” She waved at the candles, which were set on a pentagram carved into the dirt. I wished, and not for the first time, that I knew half as much as she did about witchcraft. Maybe then I wouldn't be dead.
”If I'd been thinking clearly I would have just summoned you.”
”Why?”
”Physician heal thyself.” Raye pointed to my body.
”Huh?”
”Remember when you were attacked and Henry tossed your attacker into a wall?”
”A little random there, Raye, but ... yeah.”
”Henry's a ghost. With powers. Now, you're a ghost.”
”I still have my powers?”
”Why don't you try them and see?”
I didn't need to be told twice. I moved to my own side, got a freaky s.h.i.+mmy of dej vu when I stared into my own eyes. I laid my palm on my b.l.o.o.d.y chest.
Nothing happened.
No spark. No sickening slurch of skin coming together. Nada.
I pulled back my hand. Raye stepped up next to me.
”Try it again.”
I did, and understood. I couldn't touch things as a ghost. ”I'm not...” I didn't know the word.
”Corporeal,” Raye said.
”You would know. Now what? I need a body to heal my body.”
”Too bad I don't have your-” She stopped. ”Wait. Possess me.”
”Not,” I said at the same time Bobby blurted, ”No, Raye,” and Ca.s.sandra choked.
”Without you the three is two,” she said. ”Make that one since I have no clue where our other sister is. You think this is bad?” She waved a hand at dead me. ”It's going to get worse if I'm all that's left between the Venatores Mali and the witches.”
”You aren't all that's left. You have them.” I lifted my chin toward the others.
”They don't have powers.”
”Do too,” Ca.s.sandra muttered.
”And so do Henry and Pru.”
”That's worked out great so far. You're dead.”
She had a point. Still- ”Possession, Raye?”
”It got a bad rap because of The Exorcist.”
”Ya think?”
She closed her eyes. ”Do it.”
”Do what?” I had no idea how to possess someone.
She opened one eye. ”I don't know. Jump?”
So I did.
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