Page 26 of Christmas Spirits

That’s what I was thinking, too. But then why had it suddenly let go and disappeared? It had me right where it wanted me, yet it flew off. It didn’t make sense to me.

Did that weird colorful filter over my eyes have anything to do with it, I wondered. And the bag of Marc’s remains… Were the insides really trembling or had I imagined that?

As we started down the stairs, Laurence held onto me to help me with each step, and I was grateful. My knees were still a little wobbly.

In the shop, I found Zach sleeping peacefully in his pack and play behind the counter. The other baby monitor was beside the register, along with a large crystal and a lit candle. Must have been another protective measure from Arianna. I’d have to ask her about it later.

As we walked further into the storefront of Divine Magic, Arianna pushed in front of us, staring at a shadow outlined in the window of the door. As if someone was trying to peer past the shade and see inside.

“Someone’s here?” I whispered. Reaching up out of reflex, I felt the rosary around my neck again and squeezed the cross. I really owed Arianna for getting it back for me.

“Aren’t you closed?” Laurence asked, skeptical.

She nodded. “And I don’t have any appointments. Must be a curious passerby. Give them a minute. They should go away.”

A knock on the door. Zach began to squirm, waking from the noise.

“Maybe not…” Cautiously, she crept toward it. Holding her hand up and muttering in Latin, a cloud of artic air appeared in her palm. Just in case.

With everything that had happened, it looked like we were all a little skittish.

As she ran her finger along the doorframe, she whispered the spells needed to undo the magical locks she’d placed on it. Then she grabbed the handle and ripped the door open.

There stood a middle-aged man, with a long trench coat on. The fedora on his head was tilted low to conceal most of his face, and he held a duffle bag in hand.

He said nothing as he slowly lifted the hat, revealing cloudy, completely whited-out eyes.

Arianna stepped back. I gasped—I couldn’t help it. It was a shocking thing to see.

Ignoring our gawking, he said in a gruff voice, “Good evenin’, all. I was told you had a little spirit problem you needed help with?”

The necromancer.

“Rhys.” The spell extinguished in Arianna’s hand, and instead, she waved for him to come in. He did. After reinstating the magical locks on the door again, she said, “I thought you weren’t able to come for another day. We didn’t expect you—”

“Yes, well, the misses decided last minute to visit family for the holiday, so I took the red-eye over,” he said. “I tried to call the store, but since no one picked up, I left a few messages.”

Arianna threw Laurence a glare. He shrugged as his way of saying, “I’m not going to take a business call. I’m not a secretary.”

She sighed and turned back to Rhys. “Well, we’re glad you’re here. And yes, our spirit problem is getting out of hand.”

He pointed to the gash on her forehead. “I can tell.” When his gaze swiveled my and Laurence’s way, he paused. Without irises or pupils, it was hard to tell who he was looking at exactly, but unease ran through me at his unnatural, eerie stare. I’d never met a necromancer before, but I couldn’t help but wonder if they all had eyes like that. Could he be blind?

Stepping toward us, his head dipped, as if he was skimming us over, seeing something normal eyes couldn’t.

Okay, maybe he wasn’t blind. Maybe it was enhanced vision?

“You’re the one this spirit latched onto?” he asked.

Laurence and I both stammered, unsure who he was talking to. When he slanted his head my way, I nodded.

“Y-Yes… It’s me. I’m Kay, and this is my boyfriend, Laurence,” I replied, rambling in my embarrassment. “On my walk home one night, I found some college kids chanting and opening the veil unknowingly. I stopped them before it got out of hand—at least I thought I had. The next day, I was attacked by this thing.”

“Is that your baby?” he asked and pointed to the crib behind the counter.

I glanced at Zach, who was awake now, kicking his arms and legs and babbling. “Yes.”

To my surprise he smiled, his entire face lighting up. “He’s about the same age as my grandson. Maybe a little younger. What’s his name?”

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