Page 82 of The Neighborhood Ghost

“What I wouldn’t give for my arcane energy right now,” Alice said.

“How about a couple pieces of leprechaun gold?”

“Funny,” Alice said in a sarcastic tone.

“I’m serious,” he said as he motioned with his head. “Look.”

The soft orange glow of a lantern appeared off in the distance of the cave. The ferryman’s boat appeared at the end of a long stretch of the cavern. The ferryman drove his long oar into the water and propelled the craft forward. The lantern swayed back and forth as the boat rocked up and down with the current.

“I take it the light up ahead is the ferryman?” Hugo asked.

“He’s the one,” Alice replied. “Time to pay the toll.”

“Do you have enough for Gally?” Hugo asked in a worried tone. The thought of Alice only prepared to retrieve one soul ripped through his mind.

“You can thank Oliver. He insisted I bring more than enough just in case.”

“You brought them with you?” Hugo asked, glancing over his shoulder.

“They insisted. Ez is there too. Max as well.”

“You brought Max?” Hugo yelled.

“Who else was going to watch her?” Alice asked.

“I guess that makes sense,” Hugo replied. “It’s a good thing you did, so we had extra gold.”

The broomstick raced toward the ferryman with the rider in hot pursuit. Alice let go of Hugo with one hand and clutched his waistband with the other. She removed six coins from her pocket. She rubbed them on Hugo and Galahad.

“I don’t know how this works, so I’m touching you with them to be safe,” Alice said.

“And if it doesn’t work?”

“Then you two will turn to ash when we leave, and I’ll be powerless forever.”

Hugo gulped. “Based on everything else, I’ll take the risk.”

Hugo pushed down on the broomstick, hovering above the water. A V-shaped wake formed in the water as they flew past. His toe dipped ever so slightly into the water, and a hand reached up to grab his foot. With quick thinking, Hugo yanked up to rise out of the water.

“That was close. Get ready,” Hugo said.

The broomstick rapidly approached the ferryman’s boat. Hugo could almost touch the cloaked figure on the back. They were so close to the end. So close to their salvation. Hugo could only focus on the soft glow of the light ahead.

“I offer you these gold coins in exchange for the souls of Hugo Dodds and Galahad, as well as my unique gift—my arcane powers,” Alice shouted. She dropped the gold coins into the boat of the ferryman.

The ferryman let out a scream. The piercing sound echoed off the cavern walls. There was a rumble in the water below. He let out two more screams and then returned to silence.

A great pain ripped through Hugo, as if something was being extracted from him. The sensation of the wood stake being pulled from his back. His chest and back burned where he was stabbed. A great deluge filled him. He could breathe air again. Blood pumped through his veins. While he was in the land of lost souls, those were only sensations. His internal organs were inert. It was a memory in his soul, but this . . . this was real.

Hugo’s body teemed with warmth and exhilaration as air filled his lungs and was then expelled. His sensations renewed. Senses heightened. His chest was whole and complete. He was alive once again.

“Hugo!” Alice shouted. “Hugo, the hole in your back is gone.”

“I feel different. Everything is pumping through my body once again. Try your magick.”

Alice snapped her fingers, and a great light appeared on the end of Galahad.

“Headlights,” she said with a gleeful smile.

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