Page 116 of Haunted Hearts

The air moves. At first, it’s just a slight breeze. It moves the hot air around, pushing it every which way. Overhead, large gray clouds form. They stretch and spread, blotting out the two suns. The temperature drops. The moving air turns frigid. Green lightning cracks across the sky in a magnificent display of unharnessed power. The answering thunder booms and shakes the ground.

Mist sprinkles across my face.

Beneath our feet, the ground freezes over. Closing my eyes, I continue to let the power inside of me go. The energy spills out in a controlled fashion. It’s so different from the first few days I’d been here. It feels good. Like a limb I haven’t been able to stretch. Though it’s cold, a warm flush gathers in my cheeks.

“Brock.”

“Right here, baby girl.” His hand squeezes my shoulder.

“Open the Veil.”

My reaper says nothing but as attune as I am with the Realm of the Dead, I feel the shift in the back of my head as the Veil begins to part. The moment it opens, it's like the stopper in the sink has been lifted and my power drains from the Realm of the Dead and floods the Realm of the Living. My attention narrows to that small opening.

There’s only one way to stop Fulton.

Any plan we came up with involved us going to the Realm of the Living. But it was clear from the beginning that going to Fulton would pose too many problems. Fulton would have access to all of his power, he would know and have the advantage of the playing field, and I would have to be overly cautious not to disrupt the realms. With spirits unable to kill the living in the Realm of the Living also posing an issue, our hands were tied behind our backs.

The answer to our problems was so obvious that when I told the others, they were instantly in agreement.

To weaken our enemy, fight him on our own turf, and for me to work without being encumbered by rules, we’re going to have to bring Fulton to us. The bones that still litter the beach back on Dad’s property are proof that I can do this. I can reap without having to step foot in the Realm of the Living. All I need is a little bit of help focusing all this power.

“Alright, Willow,” Brock whispers. “Do it.”

Power detonates from my body. It’s an explosion of pure energy that shoots out and up. The force of energy shooting from me pushes me downwards. Beneath my feet, the ground cracks and bows. Kwil’s hand lands on my lower back to steady me. The hisses of fear, excitement, awe, and wonder coming from the reapers behind me are muffled as I concentrate. My power funnels through the split between the realms and reaches for the warlock.

Though I can’t see Fulton, through my power, I can feel when I find him. His soul radiates an oily toxic energy that’s revolting. I can also sense the Death Magic preventing me from grabbing him. It’s wrapped around him like the barrier that surrounds the house he has fortified himself in.

A hiss slips past my lips in frustration.

“What’s happening?” Kwil demands softly in my ear.

“He has a shield of Death Magic keeping me from latching on to him.”

There’s a pause.

“Can… can you…” There’s a moment of silence before he finds the words he’s looking for. “Is it possible to bring the entire house through?”

Brock swears violently. “Thatmight be pushing the boundaries of what the Realm of the Living can handle when it comes to Willow’s magic.”

“There’s only way to find out,” I counter swiftly, letting my power stretch away from Fulton. My power slithers and slides around the area around the warlock, then further away. The entire house is spelled with Death Magic. This forces me to spread my power out further away from the warlock’s spirit. I expand my power outwards until finally, I find the outer edge of the protection barrier that surrounds the house.

I chuckle. “Got you, asshole.”

Brock’s hand tightens on my shoulder. “Easy, Willow. Don’t go psycho on us.”

My power moves like tentacles, wrapping around the dome-shaped barrier that surrounds the Windom vacation home. When I have a hold of it, I warn the others,

“Here he comes.”

I yank with all my might, bringing my power and the entire house through the Veil. A deafening crack booms above us. The world trembles. Both of Kwil’s hands grab my waist to hold me as the ground rolls and buckles. Another crack follows shortly after the other. In my ear, I can hear the realm whisper to me in urgency. It’s just as eager as I am for Fulton to come home. I can feel my power wrap around me, using me as an anchor as I tug and pull. Wind howls and hail the size of baseballs, pelts down from the sky.

“Oh hell, look at her! What’s happening?”

Kwil’s answering growl rumbles against me as he presses his chest to my back. “It’s her second form.”

Huh, have I switched over to Super Badass Willow? If so, I can’t tell, not with my attention so wrapped up in my task at hand.

“Shit, watch out,” someone warns. “Bones are falling from the sky.”

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