Page 36 of Séance

No, Hicks is right—we need to focus on keeping her safe, not getting our dicks wet.

I’m used to abstaining, since sex is just an itch I can take or leave, but I suspect even I’m going to struggle to be around Rue and not react to her allure. Even when she’s not close, she haunts me. I’m not sure I like the disruption to my life, but I can’t deny she has a positive effect on the guys.

I suspect she’s going to turn our lives upside down.

Hopefully, we’re all still standing when things settle.

Chapter Ten

RUE

After waking up from a mostly sleepless night, it’s a struggle not to drown in thoughts of what happened last evening. Just when I let my guard down, thinking I was safe, shadows slowly thickened and spilled across the stones of the patio.

The insidious darkness slipped ever closer, snaking around furniture, climbing over any obstacle, leaving tiny shards of ice in its wake. A paralyzing cold sliced through my veins as it inched toward my feet until my insides felt like a block of ice. Sure, nighttime is supposed to be dark, but shadows aren’t supposed to move like they have a mind of their own.

It was only when I saw black fog slinking over the walls guarding the backyard that my breath caught in my lungs and the chilling truth slammed into me with the same force as my father’s fists—the spirits found me.

I’d hoped when I moved, that part of my life would be behind me. Unfortunately, my hopes were for nothing. It appears that no matter where I go, they will follow.

There is no escape.

The thought sent me spiraling.

I did my best to ignore the shadows as they crept closer, but it was like trying to look away from a spider crawling across your arm. One second of distraction could cause it to spread even faster. Unfortunately, the closer the dark fog came to our little circle, the more the shapes took form in the inky darkness—nearly transparent silhouettes of a shambling zombie horde as they slowly shuffled across the yard.

With every step, they became more solid.

I did my best to pretend they didn’t exist, but experience has taught me that if I don’t acknowledge them, they will only become more persistent and demanding.

Some may want help with their unfinished business, but others are more malicious. They linger around humans, feeding from their emotions. The more chaos they create, the stronger they get.

Any interaction with the physical world is never a good thing.

The thought of them touching the guys causes a bolt of panic to kick in my chest.

The last thing I want is for the horrors of my past to touch the one good thing in my life.

I purposely looked away from the spirits as they surrounded us, waiting for them to lose interest. Eventually, the crowd thinned out, and I took a cautious look around the patio.

Then, I freaked the fuck out when I saw a trio of spirits leaning over to whisper into Jaceson’s ears. My eyes widened when I realized the longer they spoke, the more Jaceson tensed.

It was almost like he could hear them on some level.

Fuckity-fuck-fuck!

I was so floored by the interaction that I was unable to tear my eyes away, much like being unable to look away when you’redriving past an accident. That was when I noticed the spirits looking straight at me.

Smirking.

Taunting.

Horrified, I shot to my feet, the need to flee impossible to resist, and nearly slipped on some ice on the patio.

A quick glance revealed Ellis and Gunner were oblivious. Gunner scanned our surroundings like he was searching for a threat, while Ellis looked at me with gentle brown eyes. When he took a step toward me, I panicked, mumbled some excuse, and fled like my ass was on fire.

After I arrived home, I watched their backyard like some creep, but the spirits seemed to depart when I left. That didn’t stop me from staring for another hour just to make sure. Even this morning, the first thing I did was scan their backyard, but everything seemed quiet.

As I wander downstairs, I absently fiddle with my rings, unable to organize my thoughts. It’s late in the morning, nearly eleven, and I shuffle toward the kettle on the stove, filling it with water before starting tea.

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