Page 63 of Ghostly Touches

“Well, good tokind of see you again,” Jaydon corrects. “Do you wear your warrior’s attire all the time?”

I glance at their attire. They are all wearing modern, plain, long sleeve shirts and jeans under their cloaks. They lack the gloves we’re supposed to be wearing and their boots have been replaced with sneakers. It’s definitely not the typical wool shirt, tunic or leather pants given to us. The modern attire me, Theo, and Kwil are wearing can be attributed to the fact that we’ve taken the clothes supplied here to wear while our uniform is being washed. But them? Why are they wearingthat?

“Are we not Ghosts, all the time?” Kwil counters easily.

Jaydon rolls his eyes. “But to keep your hood up all the time?”

“I’m a humble man, Jay. I would never flaunt my looks every time I run into another Ghost,” Kwil, reaches up and grabs a handful of plates as our guests laugh.

“You’re too kind,” Boxton says as he drops his heavy bag.

My eyes drift to it again. If I’m not mistaken, it sounds like there might berocksinside their sacks.

“Want some breakfast?” Kwil offers.

“Sounds divine,” Jaydon says as he sits down at the table. “I didn’t know you could cook.”

Kwil scoffs. “I can’t. This was just me throwing ingredients into a pan and hoping for the best.”

The others gather around the table, and Kwil passes them plates full of breakfast. If we weren’t in the presence of men who could very well kill us if they catch a whiff of something amiss, then I’d probably be drooling over the meal.

We all talk as the three Ghosts eat. As we interact, I catch the way they discreetly trade looks with one another, communicating without words. Years of working together makes it possible to have a full conversation without uttering a single word. We do it all the time. But what are they saying? Or rather, what aren’t they saying? I make it a point not to make eye contact with Theodon. I have to trust he’ll guide this conversation in the appropriate direction.

“So, tell us what’s got you cooking in the comforts of a safehouse, rather than cooking over a fire in the Third Realm?” Campbell asks between bites.

I lean against the wall as Theodon dumps an empty plate into the sink.

“We stumbled through a new ripple chasing after a Shadebroode a week ago,” Theodon says. “Since then, we’ve been finding more and more monsters. We’re just making sure this area is safe before returning back to the Third Realm.”

Boxton grunts as he eats, and Jaydon nods.

“Have you let our superiors know about this ripple and the influx of monsters over here? More Ghosts will need to stick close to this area if monsters are making their way over,” Campbell comments, his fork scraping his plate as he finishes his meal.

“Not yet, but I planned to. Since you’re heading to see them, would you mind relaying the message?” Theodon asks.

Jaydon pats his stomach with one hand as he pushes away his empty plate with the other. “I’m sure they’d love to hear it from your own mouths since your absence has been a thing of mystery for everyone.”

Before Theodon can respond, the ground begins to tremble. I straighten, my hand going to my sword as a familiar screech pierces the air. Every Ghost in the room leaps to his feet. Theodon grabs his sword perched against the table and unsheathes it.

“The monsters have arrived,again.” Kwil’s voice is strained with exasperation as he hurries out of the room.

The rest of us follow suit.

As we burst outside, we all freeze. Surrounding us from every angle are monsters of all sizes. Full blown adult Shadebroodes, as large as horses, creep towards us. Mornstrikes hover a few feet off the ground. And yet to reveal themselves are Tanglelings, screeching from the shadows. Where the hell did all of these monsters come from? I just searched the property. There is no way I would have missed so many creatures.

“Huh, looks like you really do have yourself a monster problem over here,” Boxton mutters as he braces himself for trouble.

A heavy thump comes from above us. I whirl around to find a Mornstrike crouching on top of the roof. Its large, heavy front claws smash through the roof before it disappears into the house. I curse.

“You got that Viktor?” Kwil asks as he crouches beside me.

I don’t say anything as I turn and hurry back inside to go after the thing. The buzzing of its wings leads me through the house. As I turn down the hallway, I find it breaking down the door to the bedroom Willow occupied last night.

It roars as the door breaks apart. I raise my sword and charge forward with a battle cry. Before I get there, a Shadebroode slams into the Mornstrike, causing it to fly backwards into the wall of the hallway before the two of them disappear out of sight. Jonah. A brief relief washes through me as I come to a stop. I shift my weight, ready to turn back to help the others. Even through the house I can hear the clanging of their swords as they meet the wall of monsters charging us.

Just before I’m about to return to the battlefield, Willow steps out of the bedroom. She stops for a moment, her body swaying. What the hell? The hair on the back of my neck raises as she stands there. Her feet move again, turning to walk down the hallways in the opposite direction from me.

“Willow!” I chase after her. “Get back into your room.”

---