Page 45 of Ghosted

A snap of a twig nearby has the smiles falling and all of us scanning the trees surrounding us carefully.

“Move,” Eli hisses, veering us off to the left. My eyes stay trained on the ground, making sure I don’t step on something and give us away. The thought of someone lurking among the trees has my heart trying to beat out of my chest.

Each step we take is followed by movement somewhere in the forest. It almost sounds like we’re being surrounded, but even Stella doesn’t have that power, right?

“Don’t panic, it’s the echo of it, there’s not an army around us,” Jayce promises but even he sounds shaken.

“I know you’re out here!” The voice is a man’s voice, but he has the same taunting quality that Stella does. “Oh, Iris.”

“What the fuck?” I gasp. “Did she possess someone?”

“I didn’t know that was possible,” Lucien says. He’s so pale his freckles stand out starkly against his complexion.

This time, the steps aren’t walking, but running, and we all take off without a word.

“Follow me,” Jayce growls, taking us around the back and stopping just under a wrought-iron archway that has seen better days.

“Someone’s been digging,” Lucien says. “You don't think…” He trails off but we all know exactly what he’s thinking.

“I wouldn’t put anything past that crazy bitch. She can’t even grasp the fact that I’m not Iris,” I grumble but my words turn into a scream as I’m roughly jerked backward. My body slams into the rough stone of an old pathway and I gasp against the sharp pain.

The security guard over me stares down, his face twisted into a scowl. “So, you think I’m crazy?”

“I’m not the one possessing an innocent guard,” I challenge her despite how stupid that move probably is. She’s unhinged and goading her won’t end well.

“Get away from her!” Eli yells as he and Jayce yank me to my feet and keep me between them.

“Where did you put your remains?” I ask her. The smile spreading across the security guard’s lips is answer enough. But she couldn’t have taken them far, meaning we just had to figure out how to stop this guard, and how to find the fucking bones.

“Stella. You have to stop this.” Lucien’s words have the guard’s jaw dropping and his body rushing forward. It’s strange to see this big, burly guard hug Lucien and cling to him. Before I know what I’m doing, I rush forward and shove him away, pulling Lucien behind me.

“How dare you!” the guard hisses, lunging at me but meeting a wall of my men, all three stepping in to knock him back. Before I can process what is happening, Jayce has thrown himself down on the guard and they all wrestle him around, using Lucien’s belt to secure his hands behind his back. I’m not sure where Eli learned to tie someone up so easily, but it’s kind of sexy.

“You can sit out here while we go find your bones and burn them. Because the only thing you deserve is to burn in the fires of Hell,” I growl. “You love fire, right?” The scream that tears from the guard is primal and it is all the motivation we need to rush off toward the sanitarium itself.

“I got the keys,” Jayce announces, holding them up. We’re all pushing our bodies to the limit to run around the building, refusing to let the guard follow us inside. I bounce from foot to foot as I watch Jayce fumble with the keys. Lucien takes them from him and gives him a quick pat on the shoulder before unlocking the door and ushering us in.I guess we know who is the calm one in emergencies.

The foyer is coated in dust and debris. Leaves and dust line every surface thanks to the broken windows and holes in the walls from years of abuse, I don’t know why they even have a guard out here in the first place.

“This place is fucking huge, how do we find them?” Eli growls.

I turn on my phone flashlight and grin as it scans over fresh footprints. “We follow the trail.” They look where I’m pointing and Lucien rushes forward, me on his heels as I try to keep the light on our path.

“This is likely his normal route, though,” Eli points out.

“But if he veers off? We’ll know it,” I counter. “This is a well-worn path, but that isn’t.” I point to the right where only one fresh set of prints heads down a long hallway. Let’s just hope this isn’t a wild goose chase that sends us in circles. Stella is crazy, but also smart. She wouldn’t be careless in her actions.

* * *

Lucien

Comingon the hunt to find Stella’s body was probably not the best idea. I’m still getting used to having legs, I couldn’t imagine having to run if it came down to it. The others assured me it would be like riding a bike. I didn’t bother to mention it was even longer since I was on one of those.

For the most part I walk behind Raven and the guys. I have no clue about this ghost-hunting stuff they’re talking about. It all makes me feel even more out of touch with this current reality. I’m practically an ancient relic in comparison.

There’s an eeriness in the air and I can’t shake the feeling that we are being watched still as we walk through these halls. Honestly, I’m still disturbed by the stunt Stella pulled this time.

The moment I saw the security guard possessed by Stella, I was shocked. I didn’t even know that was a possibility, and honestly, it was terrifying. The biggest surprise was Raven jumping in front of me to protect me from the psycho. I fell even harder for her then.

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