A Strange There After Read online

  Exhaustion was causing me to sway. After using this anger earlier in Catherine’s bedroom, and again now, I felt the effect it was having on me. I wasn’t sure how much longer I could hold on to it. So, I ripped the scab off my fresh wound.

  “Who initiated things first? You or her?”

  “Why are you doing this?”

  I didn’t really know. “Because I need all the facts if I ever plan on moving past it.”

  “It was mutual, just kind of happened. Being with you, with her, wasn’t planned. One night, things progressed to a point neither of us wanted to stop.” He drew in a shaky breath. “I know I’ve done irreparable damage, and I understand the consequences, that I may have lost you forever. All I’m asking is for you to take some time. I don’t want this to distract you from the most important thing, which is finding a way to get your life back.”

  I barely heard what he’d said. My mind was saturated with visions of them kissing and touching, in bed together. It all became too much. As if it had a mind of its own, the simmering anger reared up, becoming almost impossible to contain.

  “You should leave,” I warned him.

  “No, I have more to say to you.”

  “Go. I don’t want to hurt you again.”

  This made him tense. “What do you mean?”

  My gaze refused to reach his eyes, and I stared at his chest. “Wait. Where is your amulet? The one from Meena?”

  He reached for it absently. “I had to take it off for a photo shoot. I think I left it in my trailer on location.”

  “Find it,” I ground out. “It will protect you from me.”

  “You won’t hurt me,” he said stubbornly. “Not again.”

  “I can’t always control the anger. Not anymore,” I shouted, feeling the heat building inside me. “Get out! Please!”

  For a second, I didn’t think he would listen, but his entire body slumped in defeat. Right as he got to the entrance, he looked back at me. “This isn’t over.”

  I watched him leave, feeling more torn and confused than ever. He was right. I needed to process all this. It wasn’t going to resolve itself overnight. I let go of the anger and shook my hands, hating how oily they felt afterward.

  Relationship drama was for later. Now I had a crazy ghost to confront and a deal to make.

  On cue, Kalfu materialized out of thin air, grinning from ear to ear.

  “My respect for you has grown even more.”

  “Why?”

  “For not letting him off the hook so easily. You deserve to be heartbroken, to wallow in your hurts. He should treat you better.”

  I blinked a few times, processing the kind statement. It seemed so out of character for him. Immediately, I was suspicious. Regardless of his cooperation and the gift of making me real enough to confront Jason, I understood who he really was.

  “I have a question.” He raised an eyebrow and waited. “What if I sign this contract of yours and can’t go through with it, with getting rid of Cora or doing one of your requests later on?”

  He frowned, one of the rare unfriendly expressions I’d seen on his face. It made him look very much the part of the villain. “Going against me once we have a written agreement would be very bad indeed. Your soul would belong to me, to do with as I choose.”

  I struggled not to shudder. “How is that different than me owing you favors?”

  “You’d still have your free will, love.”

  Kalfu didn’t elaborate, and to be honest, he didn’t have to. Without free will I’d be his puppet and not just when he needed me. I’d lose all control over my life and become Catherine. Or worse.

  “Okay, what now?” I wiped my sweaty palms on my jeans, realizing I was still in my human form. As unsure as I was about accepting this deal, I was sick of being a ghost, of being hurt both physically and emotionally. Even if the only benefit of working with Kalfu was getting rid of the traitorous Catherine, I’d be perfectly fine with that.

  The loa pulled out the blank parchment again, brandishing it with all the flourish of a magician. “Now, it’s just a matter of the signing. Hold out your hand.”

  Tentatively, I reached out and focused on not letting my hand tremble.

  His smile became predatory. “In exchange for ridding me of the frightful Cora and three yet-to-be-named favors in the future I, Kalfu, Watcher of the Crossroads, swear to return you to your body and dispose of Catherine Roberts. Quinn Roberts, do you accept my help and agree to this bargain?”

  I nodded.

  “You must say the words, love.”

  “Yes, I accept.”

  He waved his hand over my outstretched palm. A flash of pain erupted there. I glanced down to see a cut opening across the skin. A dark red gash appeared. I hissed in reaction.

  “Blood is binding,” Kalfu said as he winked.

  Wrapping his long fingers around my wrist, he held my hand over the blank contract. A drop of blood fell, hit the paper, and suddenly words appeared. My signature, the deep red color of blood, graced the bottom.

  “It is done.”

  He flicked his arm again, and the cut on my palm healed over, tickling slightly. I gasped, and my chest heaved. The weight of what I just did hit me. The room spun. Reaching out, I grasped my old computer desk for support. Oh, God, what did I do?

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Once I was alone, the sounds reverberated through the door again. Abby and Boone. I sighed. They were going to go nuclear when they found out about the contract. And I had to tell them, didn’t I?

  “On the count of three,” Abby said through the thick wood.

  “One, two, three.”

  The door creaked open the same moment they went to ram it. My friends tumbled into the room, tripping over one another and falling to the floor in a pile of limbs.

  “Who unlocked the door?” Boone asked.

  “Hey, watch the broken arm, you big oaf,” Abby fussed, pinned beneath Boone’s weight.

  So wrapped up in my own impulsive decision, I listened with half an ear. Sickness swirled around in my belly as my body shook, unable to be controlled or calmed.

  After some grunting and scuffling, Boone rushed to my side. His static touch told me I’d returned to my ghostly form. I swallowed a phantom wave of nausea. When he knelt in front of me, I shied away from his stern gaze. Unbidden, a totally inappropriate vision of the nakedness I’d seen earlier resurfaced and my cheeks flushed.

  “What did you do?” he growled, not paying any attention to my mortification.

  Beside him, Abby slapped his head, fumbling with her ear buds and recorder. “Way to be patient and understanding like we discussed.” She elbowed past him then crouched down next to him, staring through me. “Quinn, have you crossed over to the dark side?”

  Exhaustion caused me to giggle, which was joined by Boone’s own chuckle.

  “Seriously? Are you going to tell us why you tried to choke Jason?”

  And just like that, my mirth died. My first instinct was to wait until Boone wasn’t around, but against all odds, I did trust him. And it wasn’t like he hadn’t already seen me at my worst.

  Plus, at this point, I didn’t really care who knew my secrets. Once they heard about Kalfu, something as trivial as my virginity would be nothing.

  I took a deep breath and dove in. “Catherine and Jason slept together.”

  “Oh, okay, I’d choke the loser too,” she fumed. Boone cut her a sharp look. “What? I would!”

  “What an ass,” Boone muttered.

  “Hey!”

  He grinned at Abby. “Not you. Jason.”

  Abby returned her attention to my general direction. “Quinn?”

  “The thought of him kissing her. Touching her.” The rage built inside of me, a beast with no leash. “And lying in bed with her.”

  “Ew!” Abby cried, interrupting. “Don’t put those images in my head. It’s vomit inducing.”

  “Exactly!” Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Boone staring at me
, his dark eyes flashing behind his glasses. “What?” I almost snapped, reigning it back in at the last minute.

  “You’ve never...?”

  I shook my head rapidly so he wouldn’t have to say it, and he answered with a low whistle. “I’d be pretty angry, too.”

  “I tried to choke him.” Dropping my head in my hands, I said, “Angry is an understatement.”

  “Right, stupid statement. You know, technically, you’re still...ah...you know. One.”

  “Like she cares about that!” Abby cried in indignation. She chewed on her lip, obviously mulling something over in her head. “So, earlier, when you were all solid, and I saw you, was it just because you were so pissed the bad energy made you human?”

  Instead of answering, I ambled a few paces away to gather my thoughts and come up with a rational sounding explanation. Lethargic, I tripped on the threadbare rug in the center of the room. Recovering my balance, I realized there was no easy way to say it. Not really. I started small.

  “Kalfu allowed it to prove his good intentions.”

  “Are you out of your damn mind?” Boone roared.

  “I think Kalfu and the word good are, like, an oxymoron or something,” Abby added.

  Impatient, and frustrated with my own blind trust of a disgraced loa, I snapped, “Nothing else is working. I’m so sick of just standing around waiting. He has the power to give me what I want. I’d be a fool not to consider every option.”

  “As long as all you’re doing is considering.”

  As Abby spoke, Boone watched me closely. “I don’t think that’s what she’s saying.”

  I crossed my arms over my chest, trying very hard to appear confident. “What he asks for in return is simple in comparison.”

  Boone swore and walked away, arms folded over his head and jaw clenched so hard I thought it would shatter. He stared at the sloping ceiling for a long time.

  “What does he want?” Abby broke the silence.

  Concentrating on my friend, who I hoped was more rational, I said, “He wants Cora gone. Since she’s already dead, it doesn’t seem as immoral as I expected. She’s hurt me, badly, on more than one occasion. It’s not like I’ll be killing her.”

  “Cora’s presence is what keeps Kalfu’s power muted.” Boone shot me a glare.

  “Maybe. We don’t really know for sure.”

  “You’ve lost your mind!”

  “Boone, calm down,” Abby warned. “Quinn wouldn’t do anything rash. Give her some credit.”

  Guilt crept in, and I dipped my head in a feeble attempt to hide behind my hair.

  He stalked back to me, and I felt his ire before he even opened his mouth. “She already accepted his deal.”

  Each word hit me like a physical punch, and I flinched. Abby gasped, “No.”

  My mouth opened and closed, a fish desperate for air. Just because I had buyer’s remorse and considered my deal an epic fail, I didn’t want them to see it that way. Besides, if I acted positive, maybe they wouldn’t be so uptight about it.

  “So what if I did? Nothing else has worked. The waiting is killing me. When...”

  Boone cut me off. “Give Meena a chance to come up with something before you throw in the towel.”

  “This isn’t about giving up,” I bit out. “Neither of you can understand what it’s like to watch your life pass you by. To stand on the sidelines and be hopeless! Catherine is stealing everything from me, and I’m done with it. Yes, I could have been patient, but what would I have missed out on then? College graduation? Marriage?”

  “Now you’re being overdramatic,” Boone argued.

  I advanced on him and through gritted teeth said, “You have no idea what I’m feeling. I’m not dead! But it’s like I’m slowly drowning. Every day that passes, I lose a little more of myself. I am forgetting things, what it felt like to be alive and happy. I don’t care if I’m taking the easy way out. All I care about is living!”

  “You were able to get your body at the party,” Abby began. “With a little practice, maybe it could stick.”

  “I shouldn’t have to practice at regaining something that is mine! And say it works. I manage to kick Catherine out of my body. Do I wait around until she regains her strength? Until she makes another deal with Kalfu? Will I never sleep for fear of waking up a ghost again?” I shook off the disturbing thought. “This way is what is best. It might not be the most morally acceptable, but I’m okay with that. Catherine will be gone...”

  Again, Boone interrupted me. “What do you mean gone?”

  “I mean she won’t bother me, or any of you, again.” I shrugged a shoulder.

  “Are you really that stupid? You let Kalfu in. Do you not understand the repercussions of your actions? Dealing with him comes with a price. Are you prepared to pay it?”

  As soon as the words left his mouth, I lashed out. Rage coiled around my body, a powerful snake hungry for action, and I hit him square in the chest. Not with my fist, but with the energy balled inside me. He flew backwards and landed on the bed. If not for the soft mattress, I might have really hurt him. Remorse flared inside me, dousing the anger with a cold rain.

  Shocked and disgusted with myself, I cast a quick glance at Abby who stared at Boone in horror.

  “If you’re not with me, fine. But with or without your help, I’m doing this. I have to.”

  Without another word to either of them I fled, ignoring Abby’s soft sniffles. I’d worry about busted friendships later. Right now I had a crazy ghost to confront.

  Chapter Thirty

  After fleeing the attic, I made my way downstairs and left the house. I needed air. And help. In no way was I even remotely prepared for confronting Cora. The chick studied voodoo growing up, for goodness sake. Who knew what kind of tricks she still had up her sleeves.

  I stopped in the middle of the sidewalk.

  “Meena,” I whispered.

  Of course. She’d have information, maybe even a way to protect me from Cora and possibly Kalfu. Sure, I’d let him in, listened, allowed him to sweet talk me into signing a contract, but I wasn’t a hundred percent positive I could trust him. Exhibit number one—Catherine. She accepted his deal and look what she turned into. Exhibit number two—he was a disgraced loa. I had no clue what his agenda was. My desperation just overpowered any misgivings I had about his motivations. Until he gave me a reason to be suspicious, I considered him an ally. A potentially hazardous ally, but those were the details I chose to ignore.

  Squinting up at the sun dipping low on the horizon, I hoped Meena was still at her shop. What day was it? What time? Everything got away from me so easily, like hours and days. My life, I grumbled inwardly, and stalked forward. With my destination firmly in mind, I set off toward historical downtown Savannah. The farther I traveled from home, the more the crazy events of the last few hours faded. Away from Jason and Catherine, I relaxed, unwinding from the coil I always seemed to be in, ready to spring open at any moment. I missed having a few moments of solitude, a second to gather my senses.

  Passing into the touristy areas, I cast a longing glance at a family of four laughing and sharing ice cream cones. After being a spirit for two months, at least I assumed it'd been that long, I was having a hard time remembering what normal felt like. Human. The kind of person who enjoyed a leisurely snack with my friends.

  I brushed aside the frivolous notion. There’d be plenty of time for that later. Kalfu would keep his word. He might be powerful and a huge mystery, but I trusted him to not go back on our deal. As long as I kept my end, I reminded myself. That was the tricky part.

  As I neared the City Market, I searched the storefronts for Meena’s place. I doubted an actual voodoo shop would be located inside the historic market, a four block open-air marketplace full of restaurants, galleries and entertainment.

  I was drawn to an eclectic storefront with a window display of jewelry, dried herbs and a sign that read, Juju’s Jewelry and Trinkets, Apothecary. Psychic Readings Inside.

&
nbsp; This had to be the place.

  Pushing through the glass door, I noticed the lack of customers and the faint scent of lavender in the air. Tiny bottles lined the shelves, each labeled with precise handwriting. Other displays were stocked full of necklaces and bracelets, unidentifiable objects in glass jars. Near the counter a thin wisp of smoke rose from a stick of burning incense. A beaded curtain led to a back room. The far wall held more shelves, literally sagging under the weight of dusty old books.

  I was investigating what appeared to be an alligator foot in a clear jar when I heard the beads rustle. Looking up, I saw Meena coming around the side of the counter. Her gaze pierced me with its intensity. A bright purple and green scarf was wrapped around her head, emphasizing her large, dark eyes and sculpted cheek bones. The most random thought came to me—this woman had to be fifty years old but hardly looked thirty. Had to be some magic voodoo cream.

  “What have you done, child?”

  Immediately my false bravado over the alliance with Kalfu dissipated, and a hot lump lodged itself in my throat. Blinking back my tears, I shook my head from side-to-side. I should have counted on her being able to sense it.

  Meena sighed deeply and strode to the door. She flipped the sign to ‘Closed’ and turned the deadbolt. After drawing the blinds over the windows, her attention returned to me.

  “Tell me.”

  I couldn’t. Not quite. So I said, “Your store looks exactly how I imagined it to.”

  She let the heavy stuff slide for a bit and went along with me. “The tourists expect to see voodoo so I give it to them. Most of it is silly. Mixtures of herbs and powders that merely smell pretty. The powerful potions are kept in the back.” Motioning to the curtain, she indicated I should follow.

  On trembling legs, I passed through the beads into a bright room that reminded me more of a pharmacy than a store catering to the occult. White shelves were lined with more bottles and jars. A counter was topped with various beakers and Bunsen burners.