“No.” I put the letter down and rest my fingertips on top of Ethan’s again. “Spirits, heed my call. Bring forth the voice of Estelle Fowler to this time and place.” I think of the recurring dream about walking through the forest. Darkness surrounds us, but I’m not scared.
“Come along, Anora.” The woman next to me reaches behind, holding out her hand for me to take. The door that appeared out of nowhere swings open, and I see the familiar brick building that brings a sense of belonging.
“Aunt Estelle,” I whisper and suddenly I get hit with another memory. I’m in the forest, just like in my dream, but this time I step through the door. Aunt Estelle looks down at me, smiling. It’s the first time I’ve clearly remembered her face. It’s jarring and my eyes fly open.
I open my mouth to tell Ethan, but then another familiar feeling creeps over me, causing my nerves to prickle down my spine. Hunter jumps off the couch, growling, right as the blonde-haired boy appears, standing behind Ethan.
The EMF meter starts to buzz, and Ethan makes a move to get up.
“Don’t break the circle,” I tell him, linking our fingers. “There’s a spirit.”
“Where?” He jerks his head around.
“About a yard behind you. It’s not my aunt, but I’ve seen him before.”
“I don’t like this, Anora.” Ethan’s brows push together, and his eyes go to the iron fire poker.
“No,” I tell him, giving his hands a squeeze. “Wait. Let me try to talk to him.” I swallow a lump of fear and stare at the blonde-haired ghost. “Can you hear me?” I ask, voice wavering. He looks completely corporeal to me, with his skin paled from death.
His head bobs up and down as he mouths the word “Yes”.
“What do you want?”
His lips move as if he’s talking, but no sound comes out.
“What’s he saying?” Ethan asks, looking at a spot on the wall that’s not at all where the ghost is standing.
“Shush,” I tell him and focus my concentration on the ghost. “What do you want?” I repeat and realize I’m holding up one more mental shield. I keep myself so tightly guarded, being tense all the time feels natural. I shut my eyes and shove it down, and instantly, I’m hit with flashes of someone else’s memory.
Screams echo around me, and the smell of damp fall leaves fills my nostrils. Pain plagues my body, and it’s like I’m on fire. Letting out a yell, I jerk my hands from Ethan’s, doubling over from the pain. More memories flash before me like a strobe light, going so fast it’s hard to tell what’s happening.
Blood.
Hands. Dark hands. Pulling me down.
Kill her.
More blood.
“Anora.” Ethan’s arms wrap around me and he pulls me against his chest. Hunter barks and the blonde boy vanishes. The pain subsides a second later, but the feeling that I was being brutally murdered hangs heavily on me. I’m shaking, sucking in air so fast I don’t get any oxygen.
“Breathe,” Ethan soothes and brings me into his lap. We’re on the floor, crammed between the coffee table and the couch. Closing my eyes again, I rest my head on his firm chest. Ethan runs his fingers through my hair. “Is it gone?”
I nod, still too shaken up to speak. He holds me a little closer, combing his fingers through my hair again. A moment later, I open my eyes. Heart still racing, I direct my attention to Ethan’s tattoos, using admiring them as a distraction. They’re varying shades of black and gray, and the Lord’s Prayer is tattooed on his right bicep. Maybe that’s a hunter protection thing?
“I’m okay,” I breathe.
“Are you?”
I tip my head up, looking into his eyes. “Yeah. I felt myself get murdered and I think dragged through the woods, but I’m okay. Oh, and I heard a voice saying kill her.”
“And now you’re officially casting a protection spell.”
“I don’t think he wanted to hurt me.”
“You just said you heard the ghost saying to kill her, but it doesn’t want to hurt you?”
“Yes,” I say and take in another breath, holding it for a few seconds before exhaling. I start to feel more like myself again, and it’s making me aware of just how very close I am to Ethan. “The ghost, which looks like a teenage boy, by the way, didn’t say it. It was just this…this voice. I can’t really explain it.”
“It was like one of those memories you download?”
“Kind of.”
“A protection spell isn’t a bad idea, you know.” He rests one hand on my thigh and brings his face closer to mine. “I hate the thought of anything bad happening to you.”
“I do too,” I breathe, heart speeding up.
“There’s still so much about you I don’t know. It really would be a shame if you got ripped apart by demons before then.” His tongue darts out and wets his lips, and he drops his gaze. Reaching out, he goes to push my hair behind my shoulder, fingers trailing along my collarbone.