Page 54 of Deadly Deception
While I wasn’t a medium, necromancer, or anything in between, I figured I understood well enough to follow. “You said if they’re willing to go, it would be easy. Are they willing?” I asked.
“I get the impression some are. Some not so much. It will take time to tease out who is who.” Tabitha’s mouth pinched. “There is something else to consider here as well. What will removing the souls do to Navarre?”
Boone’s spine straightened and he shot me a confused look. “Hopefully it will get him some peace. With them gone, he’ll be able to tell who’s really alive and, in the room, and who isn’t.”
“Yes, yes.” Tabitha waved Boone off. “But what you aren’t taking into account is that this is Navarre’s normal. If you remove all of them, the quiet might become deafening.”
“I—” Boone started to speak but slammed his mouth closed. “I don’t understand.”
Tabitha leaned forward and placed a hand on Boone’s knee. “I know, dear. That’s the point. None of us can truly understand. All I’m saying is that removing them all might not truly do Navarre any favors. It might actually make the situation worse. He needs to understand what we’re doing and why. He needs to be aware of their loss. Otherwise, the emptiness may be too loud.”
Boone sucked in a painful breath. I reached out reflexively, entwining our fingers. “I think I speak for everyone in this room when I say that’s not our desire.”
“Of course it isn’t,” Tabitha quickly answered. “But as we all know, best intentions don’t always equal the best results. It’s a damnable thing that sometimes, trying to help makes everything a lot worse.”
“So, you’re saying we shouldn’t do it?” Boone asked, his tone heartbroken.
“No dear, that’s not what I’m saying. I simply want everyone here to be aware that even if I’m able to clear all the spirits, we may not truly get what we want.”
Well, shit. That hadn’t been at all what I was expecting.
Slapping her thighs, Tabitha stood gracefully, purse still clutched to her body. Snagging her mug off the table, she said, “I’ll be needing more of this, freshly brewed if possible.”
“I can manage that,” Tompkins answered as he headed for the kitchen.
“No time like the present to start weeding through this spiritual garden.” Tabitha grinned and winked before she turned and headed back down the hall.
“Franklin, what…?” Boone’s soft voice trailed off as he watched Tabitha fade from view.
“I know,” I answered, even though I didn’t have a clue. “It’s the best we can do.” I simply hoped that was true.
Boone and I quietly made our way back to our hotel. I considered getting takeout but thought better of it. I knew I wasn’t hungry, and Boone would let me know if he was. We could always get something delivered later.
Occasionally, I heard a heavy sigh from Boone’s direction. There were a couple of times I was certain he wanted to say something, but nothing was forthcoming. Most likely, he didn’t know what to say. I knew that was how I felt. I did know one thing for certain. Tabitha Clark was right when she said that attempting to do the right thing didn’t always make it the correct, or maybe best, option. No one had a crystal ball, noteven fairies, and oracles were more cursed than blessed. Far more cursed. Parsing out what was worthless babble and what was true prophecy was a pointless endeavor nearly everyone had given up on. If there was one species that garnered universal sympathy, it was oracles.
My eyes scanned the road and our surroundings as I made the drive back to the hotel. Nothing suspicious popped up on my radar. That didn’t mean we weren’t followed, but if someone nefarious was around, so far they hadn’t acted on their ill intentions.
I parked near the entrance of the hotel and turned off the vehicle. Boone silently opened the door and slipped to the ground. The SUV was smaller, but Boone’s shorter frame still meant the ground was more than a step away. He waited on me, and we walked into the hotel together. The silence continued as we entered the elevator and made our way to our room. A quick check indicated everything was as we’d left it.
“I’m gonna take a shower,” Boone finally said while gathering a change of clothes.
“Are you hungry? Do you want me to place an order?”
Boone shook his head. “I don’t think I can eat.”
With slumped shoulders, Boone headed for the bathroom. I sat down in a nearby chair and scrubbed my hand over my short, ginger hair. Checking my phone, I saw I had a missed message from Captain Cicely. It was brief and said that if I needed more time, to take it. It was the answer I expected but was no less grateful for.
I also had a voicemail from my sister, Lynn, and was just bringing it up when my phone rang. Nana’s picture and number digitally came to life on the screen. “Hey, Nana,” I answered. “I was going to call you later tonight.”
“No doubt you were,” Nana huffed, and I could hear the anger in her voice. I was instantly on alert while rackingmy brain trying to figure out if I’d reneged on another promise. I opened my mouth, ready to apologize without fully understanding why when Nana said, “I have no idea what’s happened to your sister.”
My mind twisted with possibilities. Nana sounded angry rather than worried, which made me think Lynn was physically okay.
“I can’t believe she actually called you and told you she won’t bring the girls to Christmas if Erasmus is there.”
My heart stopped and I swear my brain cut off too. It was like everything in me hit a brick wall. Just as quickly as my brain and body went offline, it came back with a thunderous roar. Teeth gritted, I barely managed to say, “She said what?”
There was a pause on Nana’s end before she said, “Lynn told me she called you.”
