Page 37 of Haunting Phantom
Pippa steps toward it, head lifted, looking both relieved and hesitant.
“You are free, Pippa,” Autumn whispers. “Find the light and move on.”
The planchette bumbles along one last time, writing out the wordGOlike a child stumbling through its first steps.
“Go, Pippa,” Amber agrees. “I forgive you.” It comes out so soft that nobody but her can hear it, but she might as well have been shouting it to Pippa because the girl smiles, taking that first step to the light.
Then, like the breath silencing a candle, she’s gone, the light disappearing with her.
“So that’s how it works,”Damien exclaims in awe.“I always wondered, since I’ve never really seen it myself.”He turns to me.“You think that will ever happen for us?”
But I’m too focused on Phantom to listen to Damien’s ramblings. He’s hugging Autumn’s weakened body, kissing her forehead and then her temple, telling her how good she did.
Everyone looks relieved.
Drac exhales a laugh that is half sob, half relief.
Phantom’s fingers wrap around Autumn’s wrist, protecting her like he’s an armlet ready for battle.
That’s when everything shifts.
My jealousy turns to anger, a cold edge that slices through their cute little circle like an undercurrent of chaos.
The sage sputters and then flares, sending a sudden darker twist of smoke that burns like death and darkness.
Nobody’s touching the board, but the planchette jumps as if someone has slammed their palm down on it.
Me.
It can’t even keep up with my chaotic thoughts, the angry ramblings of a spirit scorned. The closer they get, the more I feel him pulling away, and I can’t have that, not when loving him is my whole reason for existing.
She won’t let me in. So, I use her doorway, screaming at them all through that stupid fucking board.
MINE!
MINE!
MINE!
Autumn and Blake jump back, just as the planchette moves to make more words.
“It’s Eve!” Autumn shouts. “And she’s angry.”
Blake tries to grab the planchette but misses, only stopping long enough to grab Autumn as her knees go weak and buckle beneath her.
“Eve,” she grits out, teeth bared in pain, the sound thin and worn. “Please stop this! This wasn’t for you. I didn’t invite you in.”
LIES!The planchette screams for me.LIAR!
“You’re not welcome tonight,” Autumn cries out, but she can feel the weight of my hands as they circle her throat and start squeezing.
For once, she let her guard down.
“Eve, don’t!”Damien shouts, moving up behind me.“Don’t do this!”
“She can’t have him!”I cry.“If he falls for her, I’ll die.”
“No, you won’t!”he shouts, trying to calm me.
