“I thought I saw it, too,” he said, focusing again on the laser grid. I saw him adjust the lens dial on the camera, likely panning out a bit to get both the grid and the screen we had set up.
“Who do we have here with us?” Lark asked, walking a little closer to the lasers. “You can use the energy of that machine to manifest. Show yourself.”
Once again, I swore I saw some of the lights blink out, but there still wasn’t anything displaying on the projection screen. Maybe the device didn’t work the way Van and Lennie hoped it would. That would suck.
Just as I had the thought, more lights blinked out and stayed that way, and a shadow in the shape of a man appeared on the projection screen. I heard Lark let out a little whoop and took her in. In just the glow of the camera’s light, her face was ethereal as her expression morphed to one of awe and wonder. It amazed me that things could still take her by surprise and delight her, even with everything she could do and all she’d seen.
“Well, would you look at that?” she said. “Seems we do have someone visiting us.” She turned to the camera. “And we can tell the Arnots that their device works great.”
She turned back to the grid and the shadow on the screen. “I still don’t see anything, though—more than you see at home, that is.” She took a few steps closer to the screen and away from the grid. “Don’t be shy,” she said. “I’m a medium. If you would like to talk with me, you can manifest. I will be able to see and hear you.”
I took in the shadow figure on the projection screen and saw it moving a bit before another took form next to it. This one was smaller and not quite as defined, but there were clearly two apparitions there. Excitement ramped up my heart rate a bit.
“There you go,” Lark said. “Welcome. We’d love to talk to you. If there’s anything we can do for you, please, just let us know.”
I saw even more lights wink out in the grid, and even more shadows took form on the screen, the projection looking almost like a Rorschach test now, a large, indistinct blob of grayish-black blotting out the white canvas. For some reason, I felt a spike of panic laced with a bit of fear and looked at Lark. She still seemed calm, but I saw an edge of concern in her gaze that hadn’t been there before.
“Lark?” I said, and she turned my way, Aaron following her movements. “Is that supposed to happen?”
“There are no rules when it comes to paranormal investigations,” she said. “Having this many manifestations all at once is unusual, but it’s also groundbreaking.” She turned to the camera. “We’re making history tonight, folks. In a few ways.”
As she faced Aaron with her back to the grid and screen, I saw Aaron flinch and jump back.
“Jesus!” he exclaimed and pointed with his free hand.
I turned to where he indicated and didn’t see anything but what I’d seen before. When Lark turned, however, I both saw and heard her let out a whoosh of breath and a little cry. Her hand went to cover her mouth, and even in the dim light, I saw the glimmer of tears in her eyes. I so badly wanted to rush to her, pull her into my arms, and ensure that she was all right, but we were in the middle of filming a TV show, and I couldn’t do that. I bolstered my nerve and rooted myself to the spot, every muscle in my body tense with the need to move. She took a half-step forward and then stopped, seeming to freeze.
“Maeve?” Lark squeaked. “Joshua?” She shook her head. “Erin, Melissa, Seth?” She shook her head harder. “H-how? Why?”
Those names made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. Once again, I wished I could see the spirits as Lark and Aaron could.
“I’m cutting,” Aaron said and lowered the camera. “What the fuck, Birdie?”
“I . . .” she began and then reached out a trembling hand. “I know them.” She curled her fingers into a fist and lowered it slowly to her side. “I mean . . . I knew them in life.” She turned to me, and I saw a single tear slip down her cheek. “You knew them, too.”
My stomach plummeted, and I felt nauseated. That was why those names had niggled something in my brain. Every single one of them was a member of Balance of Light.
Lark was right. We’d both known them.
So, why then were they here? And why were they all dead?
I didn’t stop myself then. I rushed to Lark and took her into my arms, holding her close.
Chapter29
~Larken~
Iwas shaking and couldn’t control it. The feeling of Kholt wrapped around me helped to calm my raw emotions and frazzled nerves, but knowing that so many of the people I used to know stood behind me—as ghosts—in the last place I would have ever expected, had sort of short-circuited my brain.
Why were they here?
“Hey,” Kholt said, cupping the side of my face and rubbing away some tears with his thumb before tipping my head back. “It’s okay.”
I let out a watery laugh, the sound a little manic. “Definitely not okay.”
“Yeah, all right, fair point,” he said and kissed my forehead before turning to Aaron. He hadn’t let me go, and I couldn’t even turn to see the spirits hovering just inside the walkway. I imagined that was intentional.
“Aaron,” he said to the other man. “Can you contact the rest of the team on the walkie?”