A Strange There After (22 page)

He smiled, a cunning and threatening gesture.
“Do you? Truly? Who is living your life right now? You, love, are
on the outside looking in. We are the same.” He waved his hand,
indicating the two of us, silver rings adorning his fingers. “We
can get everything we want.”

“How?”

The words were out of my mouth before I could
stop them. Kalfu had undeniable charisma. His manner of speaking
drew me in, captivated me. Against all odds, it made me curious. It
didn’t matter that he’d more than likely ask me to do something
terrible in exchange for his help. Well, it didn’t matter enough to
walk away and say no, yet.

“I propose a contract. I shall give you all
you desire, and, in turn, you rid me of a pesky annoyance.” He
flashed his smile. “There are plenty of details to iron out, of
course, but that is the gist of it.”

“You mean you want me to kill someone,” I bit
out. The possibility slicked over me, an oily sensation I couldn’t
get rid of.

He lifted a thin shoulder. “Hard to kill
someone who is already dead.”

My mind raced, struggling to connect the
dots. It didn’t take long for it to hit me. “You want me to get rid
of Cora.”

He beamed at me. “Precisely. Once she is
disposed of, I will have the resources I need to return you to your
body, to give back all that Catherine has taken.”

“And what about Catherine? Didn’t you strike
the same kind of deal with her? How do I know you won’t betray me
when we’re done?”

“A contract is a binding transaction. I am
bound to it. Catherine has displeased me, broken the rules. She is
selfish. I see much more potential in you, Quinn.”

I shuddered. The other day in the laundry
room, I used some kind of energy to stop Cora’s attack on Jackson.
Kalfu saw. I’d heard him in my head afterward. My biggest worry was
being indebted to him for the rest of my life. What good was having
my life back if I had to spend it doing his bidding? I wouldn’t
really be me anymore.

But I’d have everything I wanted, a small
voice reminded me.

I didn’t give in. “All those times Catherine
hurt me, in the months before she took my body, did you help
her?”

Something glinted in his eyes, too quickly
for me to label, but it gave me chills. “Catherine acts on her
personal whims, impulsive. I did manage to keep her from going too
far, from killing you. I’m not responsible for what she does with
the gifts I give.”

Not much of an answer. I buried it, though.
Water under the bridge. I could forgive and forget if it meant I
got what I wanted.

“Is this the third time you’re asking
me?”

“No, child. Today is simply a way for you to
get to know me better. Others will attempt to alter your opinion of
me, but I believe you must make your own decisions. Free will is
one of our greatest gifts. Don’t let your friends take it from
you.”

I opened my mouth to argue that they
wouldn’t, but something slammed into the doors of the carriage
house. They must have figured out where I was.

“It seems our time is at an end. Think about
all I have said.”

With a smile, he slowly faded into nothing.
Conflicting emotions boiled through me. I hated how tempted I was
by his offer, but I’d never accept unless it was my final hope. It
would feel a little rewarding to use Catherine’s actions against
her.

Shaking my indecision aside, I strode over to
the doors. Best let my friends know I was okay and figure out a way
to explain what just happened. Then I paused. Would they do as
Kalfu predicted and attempt to sway my thoughts?

Chapter
Twenty-Four

The doors to the carriage house continued to
rattle. Once I’d managed to corral my wandering thoughts regarding
Kalfu, I stepped through the wall. Boone and Jason were ramming the
entrance over and over with their shoulders. Abby’s face was red,
stained with tears, Meena hovered nearby, her expression a mask of
shock, while Catherine lingered behind, watching from the shadows
of the doorway to the house.

Boone noticed my presence first, freezing
mid-lunge and changing directions.

“Are you okay?” My arms tingled where he
tried to grasp them.

“Yes. Fine. A little light headed.”

“Is she alright?” Jason demanded.

Ignoring him, Boone did his best to direct me
over to the step and motioned for me to sit. I cast a wary glance
at Catherine then slumped down.

“Answer me,” Jason bit out.

“She’s fine. Looks exhausted, but she’s
good.”

“Oh, thank goodness.” Abby drew in a deep
breath and gathered herself. “What the heck happened?”

“What did you see, child?” Meena asked,
walking up to me.

“Kalfu. He’s real. He’s the one Cora
summoned. He’s not trapped. He likes it here.” I rubbed my temples,
buying time and figuring out how to proceed. “Kalfu mentioned that
Cora is becoming more of a problem, disobedient, acting on her own.
With Catherine posing as me, there’s nobody to bring him souls,
whatever that means. He didn’t go into much detail about how it
worked.”

“What else did he say?” Catherine asked, her
question tinged with notes of worry and fear.

I cocked my head and studied her. “Why?”

“Don’t believe anything he says.”

“Kind of convenient for you to say that,”
Jason grumbled.

“Maybe she’s afraid of everyone finding out
what she gave him,” I suggested.

“Shut up right now,” she screeched.

I did. Part of me didn’t want to tell them
she’d been an accomplice to murder. I wasn’t even sure of the exact
details. Plus, if I shared that part, they’d never let me even
entertain the idea of taking Kalfu up on his offer.

“Cora limits his power,” I said to divert the
subject from Catherine’s actions.

“Which makes sense. If she’s the one who
brought him here, I’m sure she put restrictions on him.”

I glanced at Jason in admiration. Maybe he
was finally settling into this crazy situation.

“He’s obviously found ways around her
though,” Boone added.

Abby piped in. “Because he’s had over a
century to experiment.”

“So all that drama and we don’t know much
more.” Jason shook his head in frustration and dropped his head to
stare at the ground. Catherine continued to watch me closely, as if
she suspected more went on in the carriage house than I let on.
Sooner or later, she and I were going to have to have a serious
discussion about Kalfu and what he is asking of me. If I accepted,
what happened to her?

Meena regarded me with a sullen expression.
“This may be more than I can handle. I need to contact some other
priestesses I know. Together, we might be able to come up with a
solution, some way to battle against this loa. Quinn, may we speak
in private?”

The word ‘battle’ solicited a shudder from
me. I nodded and followed her away from my friends.

“Tell me the truth.”

I couldn’t do that. Instead, I gave her a
vague answer. “What does it mean if he offers me a deal, a
contract?”

Her eyes widened momentarily. “Loa are
notorious tricksters. Their method of cooperating always comes with
a terrible price. He will find your weaknesses and prey on them,
use them to his advantage.”

And my weakness is my desire to get my life
back, I added silently.

“He feeds my anger. I know whenever I let it
in, I’m letting him in, too, but it’s such an easy emotion to latch
onto right now. I think that darkness has always been inside me,
but it’s worse now. I used it to save one of the ghosts here. A
wave of energy exploded out of me and chased Cora away. That’s bad,
huh?”

“Very bad,” she gasped. “We all have both
good and bad inside of us. It’s only natural. Most humans just
cultivate the good instead of the bad. In your current state,
you’re more susceptible to emotion—all emotions. A loa can sense
these weaknesses. I’m sure he’s showed you things that you’ve lost
or that he can give you.”

“Yes,” I whispered softly.

“Don’t fall for his tricks. I fear things
will only get worse before they get better. Do not let the anger in
again. The more you do, the easier it will be to tap into—and
harder to escape.”

I merely nodded. After all the warnings, I
wasn’t sure how I felt about giving in to the temptation. It was so
nice to
act
instead of waiting for someone else to do it for
me. I took matters into my own hands, in a way I never dreamed of
before.

She continued. “Until I return, if you ever
need me for any reason, come to my shop. It is down near the City
Market, on Barnard Street. You are always welcome.”

I nodded mutely, hoping it never came to
that.

Moving back toward the others, Meena reached
into her bag and pulled out three amulets. She addressed Abby,
Jason and Boone, handing them each one as she spoke. “Each of these
is charmed with a heavy protection spell. It will keep you safe
from Kalfu’s influence, in any form. Do not take them off while in
this house.”

I watched my friends solemnly slip the
necklaces on. The pendants were simple, amber stones affixed to a
thin leather rope. Boone regarded his as if it held the secrets to
the universe.

“How’d you do it?”

She gave him a warm smile, lighting up her
craggy face. “I won’t share my recipes with you, Mr. Internet.”

He actually blushed and tucked the amulet
under his plaid button-up.

“Where’s mine?” Catherine demanded, leaning
over Jason’s shoulder to peer at his.

“You, my child, are beyond the help of a
simple protection spell. I will try to work something stronger for
you. We must keep the body safe until it can receive its proper
owner.” Catherine’s lips fell into a pout. Meena returned her
attention to me. “I’ll be in touch.”

I watched Meena leave and tipped my face up,
hoping to soak in what little warmth I could from the setting sun.
Despite being surrounded by all my friends, I wanted to flee, run
away. This was the last place I wanted to be. Heavens, I wished I
was able to sleep.

“
I have to go.”

Turning at the sound of Jason’s voice, I
noticed Abby gaping at him. “Do you have some place more important
to be?”

“Actually, no, but I can’t get out of it. I
have a photo shoot for the movie.”

“A photo shoot?” Boone snorted.

Jason sneered at him. “I have obligations. It
doesn’t mean I won’t be back.” He followed Boone’s lead and slipped
the necklace under his polo. “I can’t deal with all this crap on a
continuous basis. I just...need a minute.”

“What about Quinn? She deals with it every
second of every day!”

Jason’s clenched jaw was the only indication
Boone’s remark affected him. He didn’t answer. His eyes searched
our little group, and I should have been used to it, but it still
hurt when he failed to notice me. Then he stalked around the side
of the house and disappeared. Pain shot through my heart. He left.
Again. And he didn’t say goodbye. Everything I’d been worried about
was coming true. Jason came to Savannah to film a movie, but he
also came looking for answers about the afterlife, about what might
have happened to his brother when he died. The other stuff, with
Marietta, he handled fine. Granted, this was infinitely worse, but
I was still here. Didn’t he understand? I did have feelings, even
if I was just a ghost.

“Rude,” Catherine grumbled before heading
inside the house.

I watched her leave. Staring at her back, I
felt the anger stir and narrowed my eyes. She tripped, almost
tumbling into the house. Immediately, guilt set in, and I shoved
the emotion out of me. Did I do that? I shook out my hands, trying
to dislodge the lingering pleasure I got from seeing her
stumble.

“Don’t worry about him. It’s a lot to get
used to,” Abby reassured me. “He’ll be back.”

“Maybe next time you can share your recorder
with him, Abby. Then, he won’t feel so left out,” I chided, short
on patience. “Including him might benefit us all.”

“I’m not sure he’s earned it yet.” She
sighed. “But, okay. I see your point.”

Boone, on the other hand, was still grumpy.
“Doesn’t matter. He should realize what his doubt and inability to
deal does to her. I think he forgets she can hear him.”

“Not all of us are as perfect as you,” I
muttered, even though I agreed with him.

“You’re obviously feeling better.” He beamed,
his attitude doing a one-eighty. “If you’re strong enough to send
me snark, you’re strong enough to come with me to the Historical
Society. Abby, I need you to gather some equipment for me. I want
to do some more tests on that carriage house. I have a feeling it’s
Kalfu’s nest.”

“Ew, nasty visual. Do you mean like where he
keeps this collection of his?” Abby squeaked.

“Maybe.” Boone shrugged.

“Why are we going to the Historical Society?”
I asked after he rattled off a list for Abby.

“Research, of course.”

His grin was contagious. “Yeah, no duh. What
are we looking for?”

“Any Roberts who have died mysteriously,
suddenly. Maybe any other unexplained deaths in the immediate area.
If we know who this Kalfu guy is collecting, maybe we can assist
them with passing on. I’m not sure it will work, but at this point,
we have to try anything.”

“So, what? On top of all your other skills,
you can also direct souls to the light?”

He shook his head. “No faith in me. Sad.”

Abby’s giggle interrupted our back-and-forth.
“You two are hilarious.” She pulled out her ear buds. “Alright, I’m
off. I’ll see you guys tonight.”

Chapter
Twenty-Five

In a far corner of the Georgia Historical
Society building, one of my favorite places in Savannah, I peered
over Boone’s shoulder and read the yellowed newspaper in front of
him. The place smelled of musty manuscripts and preserved paper
and, even with my watered down senses, it drove home the spike of
yearning. I used to spend hours here, poring over records of my
heritage. I missed the simplicity of it.