Page 105 of Ghostly Touches

Kwil says nothing for a moment. I can’t tell if he’s processing this information or just stunned, but he stands there wordlessly. Around us a breeze picks up. I shiver at the sudden chill. When the silence stretches, I turn to the spirit with a frown.

“LeAnna, is there any more information you can share with us—”

Kwil suddenly goes down on one knee and bows his head. His right hand comes up to cover his heart.

“LeAnna of Brindleflair, thank you for your service to the Brotherhood,” he tells her. “I’m devastated you are no longer with us, but appreciate your commitment to keeping the rest of us safe. I will alert my brothers at once.”

LeAnna covers her heart with her right hand and bows her head.

“Thank you.” To me she adds, “They speak in code, so I don’t have much more information, other than what I’ve shared.”

Nodding, I turn to Kwil, who rises to his feet. “We need to get out of here.”

A sudden blast of cold air hits us from our left. Thanks to Kwil’s quick reflexes, he catches me before I topple over completely. Bumps along my skin rise and frost appears under our feet.

“Oh, shit,” Kwil whispers as he helps steady me.

On my feet, I turn to see what he’s looking at. Immediately, I wish I hadn’t. Because there, walking towards us down the driveway, are four Utikyie walking two by two. Their black swords are drawn and raised. Around their feet, scurrying through the grass and down the drive are demons, over several dozen of them.

“Willow Harvest.” A voice from the Utikyie drifts across the space between us. “It’s time to come home.”

Chapter29

VIKTOR

“—didn’t mean anything by it!” I protest as Jonah hits me with his tail for the second time.

The pain that radiates up my face is nearly as bad as the shame I feel. My hand flies up to catch his tail as he tries to hit me again. My other covers the red mark blossoming on my face.

“You guys want to kill us? Really? What were you doing, plotting in here and Willow overheard?” Jonah yanks his tail out of my hand before winding it back up to strike me again.

“Enough Jonah!” Theodon snaps. “Viktor put his foot in his mouth. His words came from a place of frustration and were harmless. Willow mistook them for something else. We’ll speak to her.”

When my leader looks at me, I feel the full weight of his glare. It bears down on me but not as strongly as the guilt that sits on my shoulders. I shouldn’t have said anything. Weary and angry are never a good combination for anyone, but they’re even worse for me. There just doesn’t seem like there’s a time when I’m not one, or both, of those two things. Not unless I’m touching Willow. And that’s not an excuse. Whatever fucking power Willow has over us, I should still be able to maintain civility and grace. What is wrong with me?

“You two are real pieces of work.” Jonah glares at the two of us. “Why can’t you guyspretendto be—” He waves both of his hands in the air. “—I don’t know,decentpeople? All you care about is you and yourselves. She’s feeding you like family and not like the kidnappers you are. You want respect from her? Fromus? Show some in return!”

He slaps my plate onto the floor.

“Damn it, man!” I snap as my food splatters across the floor. I had been looking forward to dinner.

“Oops.” The smug smile on his face is directed at me, but he swings it in Theodon’s direction as he reaches for the other plate on the table. Before he can knock it off, a horrible and familiar shriek echoes around the house, coming from outside.

I grab for the sword at my waist at the same time Theodon does.

“Jonah, get to the van. We may have to make a quick getaway!” Theodon roars. “Keys are already in the ignition. Stay out of sight in case the others show up!”

Neither of us wait for Jonah to respond as we run through the house and burst out the front door. We both skid to a stop as we stare at the scene before us. There are four Utikyie, spread out in a loose formation surrounding Kwil and Willow. They try to grab for Willow, but Kwil pulls her out of the way while also managing to slay a few demons that are corralling them away from the house. Willow is trying her hardest to keep the demons from overwhelming Kwil, a portal opening and closing quickly, as they leap for our brother when his back is turned.

With a shout of determination, I rush forward, bringing my sword up as I brace myself for battle. Theodon is there by my side as we cut through the strange, rough skin these creatures have. Their hot, foul breath hits me straight in the face while I cut them down to size. The exertion is fantastic. I don’t realize I’m laughing until I’m yanking a blade out from the back of a dead demon. They are easier to kill than Tanglelings or Mornstrikes. The way my blade slices through them with ease is both satisfying and amusing. I spin, ducking low as I do, to cut one off by the ankle. But I misjudge the distance. My vision blurs, and my depth perception is thrown off. The creature leaps out of the way as another one slams into my back, taking me to the ground.

I buck it off and roll to my back, bringing up my sword in time to slice a limb off another demon. I roll again, this time to get to my hands and knees. I blink rapidly, trying to clear my blurring vision. A screech, too close for comfort, warns me that I’m about to get hit from my right. The scratching of its claws as it rushes across the cement driveway grows closer and closer. I turn my head just in time to see it leap for me, its mouth wide open. Before it gets to me, a dark mist opens up to the Realm of the Dead and the creature vanishes.

“Get up!” Willow’s arm hooks under mine, and she tries to pull me to my feet. I brush her off and get there myself. “Watch ou—!”

Her screech is cut off with an “oof.” I turn to see that one of those massive black knights has finally caught her in its grasp.

“Willow!” I race after her as her scream pierces the air around us.

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