Page 71 of Haunted Hearts

“No one, why would he be in a closet?” That’s Caveman’s voice.

“Remy isinthose stones!” Brock snaps. Softer he adds, “Shit, I should have warned you all about Fulton the minute I had the chance. Now Remy is gone.”

“Fulton?” Tootsie replies.

“Wait, Remy is in one of those stones and you’re saying you know who’s behind this?” Caveman snarls. “Thiswas why you were telling us to be careful. You knew something, or someone, was behind Remy’s disappearance!”

I hardly listen to them talk as I focus on the stones in front of me. Ice gathers in my veins. The coldness stretches towards my racing heart. If these stones are here, so is Fulton. If Brock had an inkling that Fulton was behind his friend’s disappearance, why didn’t he tell me right away?

Fear and rage well up in my chest. Why didn’t he warn me? Is Fulton nearby now? Can the warlock sense me? Would he come looking for the source of power humming under his roof? As much as I want to see the warlock dead, my fear intensifies at the thought of Fulton walking into the room. I can’t be caught by him again. Fulton wanted me alive to use my power for his own. But dead, he could use me like he used the reapers. I can’t get caught like this.

I don’t realize I’m shaking until a hand lands on my shoulder.

“You’re safe, Willow,” Kwil’s breath hits the shell of my ear.

His words settle me. As Brock answers his friend’s question, I block out their conversation. Remington is in trouble, and he needs help. I focus on the stones. My attention seems to make them grow brighter. I’m pulled towards all five, drawn in like a shark to blood in the water.

My connection to Remy intensifies as one stone grows particularly bright.

“Is that… is that Remy?” Brock asks in a hushed voice.

I don’t answer, I just stare at the stone in horror. Yes, Remy’s in there, but the other stones that glow around his contain beings, too. I can feel them. Are they other reapers, or simply other spirits? Does this mean they’re still alive while Fulton holds them prisoner? How long have they been trapped? What type of hell are they facing in there? Can Remy hear? See? Or are his senses cut off? I don’t know what’s worse. I consider my own imprisonment that Fulton forced me into. Immediately, nausea causes my stomach to roll.

Brock’s hands tighten around mine again. “Willow? Are you ok? You’ve grown cold.”

A nod is my only response as I shake off my discomfort. I can panic later. Concentrating hard, I reach out to each spirit within the stones. When I’m locked on with them, I pull. It’s a strange sensation to yank at something without hands. But while strange, progress is made. In my ears a humming starts, like a refrigerator running. It grows louder as I pull harder. Each stone glows brighter and brighter. The more power I use, the more the humming intensifies. Brock says something and someone else responds but I can’t hear them over the sound.

Tapping into my power one more time, I let it consume the small space in the closet. The stones crack. Screams erupt from within, slipping through the crevices. I shiver at the terror and helplessness in the sound. My power slips through the cracks, reaching for those spirits.

Then I yank.Hard.

The stones shatter. Five spirits break free, emerging from the blast of energy. Still locked on to all five spirits, their emotions come tumbling through the connection. Horror, helplessness, relief, and joy bombard me. I choke on it all. I act without thought, needing to bring them back before I’m jostled out of the moment. With the spirits in my clutches, I drag them through the Veil and into the Realm of the Dead.

But I use too much power and immediately regret it.

It feels like I’m falling from a thousand feet in the air, tumbling through nothingness. I yelp. Thankfully, the fall is short-lived. My eyes fly open as Brock pulls me forward before I fall backward off the stump.

“Oh shit!” someone yelps.

“Remy!”

“I-I’m free? Fuck, holy hell, I’mfree!” a new voice shouts.

I don’t pay attention to the flurry of activity that unfolds around me. My heart races as I open my eyes and blink away the fuzziness in my vision. Under my skin my power glows faintly. The humming in my ears has vanished but now there is a dull ringing as my head spins.

“Willow, how are you feeling?” Theo asks, crouching down in front of me.

Kwil leans forward and kisses my cheek before demanding, “Tell me you’re fine.”

Suddenly, Jonah and Viktor are there too, hovering close and blocking out the chaos around me. I’m grateful for the intervention. In Brock’s hands, my own are trembling. My throat feels dry.

“Jeez, Willow, you look like you’ve seen a ghost,” Jonah teases gently.

At that, I laugh. It’s a bit hysterical but at least it’s better than falling to pieces. “Yeah, I’m ok. Just… a bit overwhelmed.”

There, words. Overwhelmed doesn’t even begin to touch upon what I’m feeling but it gives them the general gist.

In the far distance a shriek cuts through the excitement.

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