Page 62 of Left Hand of the Divine
A headache started to tumble around my brain, and I rubbed my temples to try and get it to ease off. “Look, let me just ask the ghosts a few more questions, and then we can go home.”
I went back inside the creepy ghost house and faced the spectres. They instantly started lobbying me with questions, but when Erebus entered the room behind me, they stopped immediately. It was a little eerie, and the silence felt overly loud while the ghosts took in the sight of the Primordial in their living room.
“This is Erebus. He’s with me and is on his best behaviour.”
Erebus tucked his hands away in his pockets and leaned against the doorframe. I was surprised the thing didn’t collapse under his weight.
“Lila was right,” I told them, and there was a mixture of gasps and mutters between them. “There is a mark in the sky. Did anyone notice anything unusual?”
“It would have been about four weeks ago,” Erebus added helpfully.
I gave him a grateful smile and completely ignored Lila’s little curious glance between the two of us. That woman was too observant for her own good. “Did anyone see anyone who looked like they didn’t belong? Hear anything that sounded out of place? Anything at all?”
Erebus moved away from the door and stood next to me, that comforting sensation fluttering behind my solar plexus again. “It could be anything small. Nothing is insignificant at this moment.”
“Four weeks ago?” Jack asked, his brow creased. “We had that house fire.”
“Oh yeah,” Penny added, her face lighting up. “The old Atwood residence. It was so strange.”
“What made it strange?” I asked.
“Well, for one thing, ghosts don’t need fire, but it was the colour of the fire. It had been green.”
Fuck. That was witchfire. What the hell was a witch doing down here in the Underworld?
“We need to get back and talk to the others.” I faced the ghosts and hoped that this wouldn’t be the last time I saw them. I pulled a talisman out of my coat pocket and handed it to Penny. “Since you can’t leave the district, if you need me, speak the incantation on here, and it will summon me to you.”
“Thank you. For this and for your help. If there is anything we can do, just ask,” Penny said as she clutched the coin in her palm.
“Come on,” I said to the others, not wanting to linger any longer than was necessary. Witches weren’t supposed to be in the Underworld. It was a space for the dead, for those who belonged and those somewhere in between life and death, like vampires. Witches couldn’t survive down here.
I grabbed my phone and pulled up my group chat with the twins.
ME:
Team meeting. Ten minutes.
RAFE:
Where the fuck are you?
Me:
Cemetery District.
Rayne:
WTF? Why?
Me:
I’ll explain when I get back. I have news about the ghosts.
Rafe
Thane says Erebus is missing.
I glanced at the supposedly missing Primordial and sighed. They weren’t going to like this.
