Page 23 of Ghostly Touches

Nothing happens.

“Everyone alive?” Theodon’s voice is raspy as he climbs to his feet.

I don’t answer right away as I do a mental assessment of myself. Something feels off. The pain is still there, though it is starting to subside, but that’s not what feels strange. I run my hands over my body, unable to figure out what exactly has happened.

“Viktor? Where is he?” Kwil asks as he pushes himself off the ground.

“I’m here,” Viktor groans from the bed.

Theodon sighs with relief as they both move over towards the bed to check on their friend.

I ignore them as I try not to panic. Something is wrong, I can feel it in my bones. I’m not right. I’m not… whole? Or maybe I am? I groan and fall to my knees. I feel sick. My head swims as my body tries to adjust to this strangeness. No, no, no, something’s really wrong.

“Willow?”

I don’t hear his approach, but suddenly, Kwil’s there, crouching down next to me.

“What’s wrong? Where are you hurt?” His gloved hand cups my face. The contact is terrifyingly and unexplainably comforting. But it doesn’t ease the strange wrongness causing my body to shake.

I start to shake my head when Georgina comes floating through the wall into the room.

“The Elders are barreling down the street!” Her shrill voice sends a wave of fear through me.

Shit, they were probably waiting close by to see what I’d do the moment I was free from their binds.

“You have to get out of here,” I tell Kwil through gritted teeth.

“But you’re hurt. Let me—”

“If you don’t want anyone to know about your existence,go,” I snap as I squeeze my eyes shut. I’m starting to lose sensation in my fingers and toes. Is this what fainting feels like? I’ve never done it before, but the room is getting dizzy, and I’m getting strangely lightheaded.

Viktor moves off the bed and grabs his clothes from the dresser. Quickly, he gets dressed while Theodon moves towards the door,

“I’ll grab the Shadebroode—”

“Jonah,” I correct with a deep breath.

“Jonahand the book. Kwil, Viktor, we’re leaving.” Theodon disappears out of the room following his declaration.

“We can’t just leave you like this.” Kwil’s hand lingers on my cheek. “This feels—”

“We can and we will. She’s fine.” Viktor yanks Kwil up by the back of his cloak and pushes him towards the bedroom door. Kwil turns his hooded head to look at me over his shoulder as Viktor continues to push him.

“We won’t forget what you’ve done for Viktor. We owe you, Willow,” Kwil yells as he disappears out of sight.

Swallowing down bile, I call after them, “Go out the back door.”

They move on such light feet I don’t hear them as they descend the stairs, but I know they do because of Jonah’s loud stomps and the sound of his tail sliding against the hardwood floors.

At the front door come multiple hard knocks.

“They’re here!” Georgina whispers frantically, pacing back and forth in front of me.

“Are the Ghosts gone?”

The spirit floats over to the massive hole in the wall that had, until just recently, been a window.

“Yeah, they’re slipping away into the woods n—”

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