Page 96 of Dead Wolf Walking (Bad Moon Academy 1)
“Right, well, I can see spirits of the dead. I’m a medium.” I press my lips together and wait for them to laugh.
They don’t.
“What happened on the second floor, Raven?” Carter asks, voice heavy with dread.
Everett glares at Draco who merely tips his head to the side as if to saywhat?
“There’s a phantom who comes to visit.”
“What’s that?” Draco asks.
I sigh. “A phantom is a strong spirit who can move around and touch things or people. Have you ever felt a sudden rush of cool air?”
Everett nods.
“Phantoms are the ones who bring the cold of the afterworld with them.”
“Hell is supposed to be hot.” Carter shifts on his feet. “Why would they be cold?”
“The other world is like an echo of this world. It’s the plane which houses spirits until they move on to wherever they belong. There is no hell in the other world.”
I only know about the spirits while they’re here. I don’t know what happens to them after that.
“So a phantom plane?” Everett asks.
Moving to sit, I arrange the blankets over my legs and lean my head against the wall. “I don’t know if it has a name, but yes. Phantoms, ghosts, memory spheres, they’re all from the same place.”
“And you can see them? Talk to them?” Draco climbs across the bed to sit next to me.
The intrusion isn’t entirely unwelcome, but now my thigh is brushing against his, and his body heat is seeping into me. The sudden awareness of his nearness makes me forget his question for a second. Then my brain catches up and I nod.
“I can.”
“So this phantom came to visit,” Carter prompts me, redirecting the conversation.
“Right.” I blow out a breath then explain everything except my little necromancy stunt.
I’m not sure I trust them enough to tell them about that particular power. Especially when I hardly understand it myself.
“I think my wolf was overwhelmed, and she forced a shift while I was dealing with the phantom.” There, that’s close enough to the truth.
“You’re sure that’s all?” Draco nudges me. “You can trust us.”
“Said the cat to the canary,” I mutter, then bite my lip. That wasn’t meant to come out.
“Canines and felines are distinctly different, Little Red.”
I scowl at him. “You know what I mean.” Then I turn to face Everett and Carter. “I don’t trust any of you. I hardly know you.”
That’s not entirely true. I trust them, a little, but not enough to tell them everything.
“She’s probably tired.” Everett’s face is lined with worry.
Carter shakes his head. “I’ve never heard of a shifter with medium abilities. The only mediums I know of are—”
“Dark witches,” Draco says, cutting him off. “Are you a dark witch, Raven?” He twirls a piece of my hair around his finger. “Naughty little thing.”
I scoff and slap his hand away. “I’m not a witch.”
