Page 53 of The Wishing Game

I gulp down, keeping myself absolutely still.

There are two canine-like teeth in the front, discolored and verging more on black than white. And as the creature releases a blood-curdling scream, a wave of pure force blasts me backward. I hit the side wall of the stage with a deafening thud. A gasp escapes me as the wind is knocked out of my lungs. Yet as I glance again at the spot, I find it empty.

What the...

"Luce?" Thea hurries to my side, worry etched on her features.

"I'm fine," I croak, slowly getting to my feet.

"What happened?" Cer materializes from behind Thea, his eyes narrowed as he surveys the area. His nostrils flare as he inhales deeply, his expression tense.

Thea looks back at him, her eyes widening as he gives her a brisk nod.

"It was...something. But it wasn't Olive," I say as I manage to catch my breath. I give them a quick description of what I saw, and the siblings fall silent.

Cer crouches to the ground, swiping the pads of his fingers against the floor and bringing them to his nose.

"What is it?" I frown.

"You and Thea should leave," he suddenly says.

"What? Why? What's going on?"

"This isn't a regular ghost." Cer gets up, his gaze swallowing up the entire auditorium. He doesn't explain further, and my patience runs out.

"Can you just tell me what's happening? Both of you," I say in exasperation.

Thea purses her lips as she takes a deep breath.

"I might have omitted some information." She flashes me a guilty look.

My brows rise in question as I tap my foot impatiently against the floor.

Thea gazes at her brother, nodding at him.

"Sometimes rogue spirits are...consumed by other beings."

"Other beings?"

"Demons."

I gawk at the two of them before I slowly shake my head, amusement bubbling inside of me. Of course there would be demons too. Just what I needed.

"Explain," I demand sharply.

Thea opens her mouth to speak, but Cer interrupts her.

"When the soul leaves the body, it's either led by a messenger to P'asala, or it refuses to move on and remains trapped on Earth. In this case, there are two outcomes. First, a collector comes and retrieves the soul. This usually happens within a short period of time after death. The more time passes, the stronger the soul becomes, and Collectors typically don't like to deal with them unless they interfere with humans directly. In the second scenario, the soul goes on to haunt whatever place or object they've become attached to until they become a demon themselves or they catch the attention of a demon. But it's rare for a soul to turn into a demon. That only happens when the soul is evil. Most often, souls become other demons' prey. Since unblemished souls are the purest source of energy, they are a delicacy for a number of beings."

I blink slowly, dread forming in the pit of my stomach. If what he's saying is true, then...

Nikki!

As a newly deceased soul, he's either going to be retrieved by a collector, or he risks becoming food for a demon. And if he's attached to me...

I might have led him straight into danger.

THIRTEEN

---