Page 46 of Ghostly Touches

His voice sounds off, like he’s gritting his teeth, but I can’t be sure.

“Good. Once you guys are gone, I’ll elevate it, and I should be good as new in a few days.”

“We’re only moving to another safehouse,” Kwil says as he applies first aid cream. “And you’re coming with us. If Theodon wanted to leave you behind, he would have said so.”

I shake my head. “I’m not gallivanting after you. This whole fighting monsters and uncovering the mystery behind that book with ink that moves isn’t really my thing.”

“Ink that moves?” Kwil repeats. “Those pages aren’t blank to you?”

My gaze shifts from the ceiling to the hand holding my ankle. I wonder what’s hidden in the shadows his hood creates.

I shake my head again. “No, there is definitely writing on that page that moves and turns into a picture the closer you get. I noticed when that Shadebroode thing forced me to touch it.”

“It made you dowhat?”

The grip on my ankle tightens, and I wince. He must have noticed because he instantly relaxes his hand.

“Yeah, that’s why Theodon is pissy.” I roll my eyes. “He thinks I know why it would do that.”

Kwil’s snorts in what I am positive is amusement.

“He’s annoyed because things have gone from bad to worse and he can’t control any of it,” Kwil says softly. “This attack is the icing on the cake and proves the theory that your curse is attracting them to us. We can’t afford the attention. With so many monsters popping up, it means there are either ripples we don’t know about where they are coming through, or a post where another group of Ghosts have been stationed has been compromised and they are getting in that way. No matter what, this is bad.”

I have a hundred questions about these monsters, the Third Realm, and the Brotherhood.

Kwil watches me in silence and then sighs and shakes his head. “We’re not allowed to talk to outsiders about what we do. Theodon’s already told you too much, but that’s his call.”

I sigh and sag in my seat. Kwil patches me up, and when he’s finished, I can see the way his shoulders relax.

“But…” Kwil hedges. “Things are different now. I’m not sure how the rules apply to us anymore. Even before we came to you for help, we have been...bendingthe vows of our Brotherhood. Theodon is a stickler for rules, but our situation requires some flexibility, and he has done the best he can. Now that our souls have become intertwined with yours, I’m not sure if we can follow the vows we took much longer.”

Gently lifting my leg, I remove my ankle from Kwil’s lap.

“Well, I suggest you keep your secrets. This whole thing has been a mistake,” I tell him. “We’ll just have to figure out when and where to meet up occasionally to get our… oursoul fix.” I half smile at the term I’ve invented. It fades though as I realize a visit once or twice a year won’t work for us. It has to beconstantcontact. “I’m sorry I got us into this.”

I go to stand up, but Kwil’s hand shoots out and grabs me gently. Kwil’s thumb gently rubs circles on the inside of my wrist, and I find the motion weirdly soothing.

“May I ask you something?” he asks me softly.

I try very hard not to heave a long, heavy sigh and roll my eyes since the guy was nice enough to patch me up.

“Go for it, Mystery Man.”

Kwil takes a deep breath before letting it out and asking, “You’ve seen my soul. What does it look like? Is it… tarnished?”

I blink, not expecting this from him. Does this have anything to do with the strangeness of his face? I didn’t know what to expect when I reached into his hood, but when my hands brushed against a strange mutation along the lower half of his face, I wasn’t all that surprised. Why else would he keep his identity hidden while the others have forgone their cloaks for more modern attire?

“Tarnished? Why would you think that?”

“Please… just tell me. Was there anythingoffabout it?” he pushes.

I huff impatiently. “No, Kwil, your soul was perfectly normal. Well, besides the fact that you now have a piece of me welded to it.”

He says nothing to this, and there are no physical signs this news affects him in any way. I wait a minute wondering if he is going to explain himself, but when that minute stretches, I give up. I begin to move away. The sensation he’s causing by rubbing that same spot is making my blood pump faster. But when I try to pull my wrist from his grip, he only holds me tighter.

“You will not understand this.” He audibly swallows. “But you cannot imagine the weight that has been lifted off my shoulders with your reassurance.”

The sincerity in his voice causes my heart to squeeze painfully in my chest. Whatever inner demons Kwil is battling, I’m glad I am able to give him a little bit of solace.

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