The earth rumbled, but it was more of a rolling sound.
Earthquake?
An acrid scent wafted over me.
Shastas. A restless spirit interfering with my work was going to be a problem I didn’t need. The Carters’ job was a simple one. We should be out of here in twenty minutes or less. Ranth stroked his jaw, his eyes darting around the gravestones. He’d felt it too. I’d have to speed up.
“Ooiekjdo Jloijn klewope Ikllsiin,” I said, smearing my face with powdered herbs mixed with the dirt from the grave. I closedmy eyes and chomped down on maca. Spirits bubbled into my consciousness.
The first words that rolled over in my head were, “What happened?” The voice was male, which gave me a good shot that it was Billy, who’d either been lost to a terrible accident or murder. Hard to say, but the Carters were paying well to find out.
Billy Carter,I thought rubbing the signet and searching for a spirit that had more present energy than the others. Billy’s body was barely cold. He would have a stronger tie to his corporeal form as his death was recent. My spirit vision was enhanced by the earth and powders I’d smeared on my skin.
I stood up and rummaged in my basket. The basics of spirit raising didn’t have much firepower, and that was planned. Using too much connection could end up with a spirit fighting to return to a body. I had the emergency kit and a bunch of basics. Mugwort, cornflower, pineapple sage, rose petals, and dried Buddha’s Hand peels. The spirit surged forward, and I connected with it.
The ground under me lurched.
Essifers?
We were in trouble. I glanced at the parking lot as the earth rolled again.
“Was that an earthquake?” Mrs. Carter asked. Dread crept over me. Humans shouldn’t be able to feel the effects of the demon interaction world unless it was connected to ours…
“Maybe. Seems mild. Shouldn’t interrupt us,” I replied. It wasn’t an outright lie.
“Why do you call me back, witch?” Billy’s voice was smooth and well educated. Not the streetwise-type his parents had painted him.
“I need to know who you were with before you passed,” I said as the earth shifted. This time the Carters seemed unconcerned. Still, an unnatural ground movement didn’t bode well.
Ranth’s voice cut through me like he was next to me. “There is danger, Sorrel. You need to stop and leave,” he said at the same time Billy responded, “I was not with anyone.”
“How did you end up passing?” I asked, aware that I was burning seconds.
“I walked to the bar. I stopped thinking and then—white light and then red light, then rays…”
“What have you been doing since then?” I yelped in surprise, teetering as the ground undulated. Cold sweat beaded at the small of my back. Ranth was right. We had to go. I righted myself, knelt, and swept the runes into the earth, then took the water from my flask in my pocket and covered the holes with it.
Billy’s voice came a second before I got out the last drops. “She wasn’t with me. She was with someone else.”
I wanted to ask another question, but as the water dissipated, the spirit faded.
It was still something to share. “I’m terribly sorry, Mrs. Carter.” I stood up, brushing the dirt from my skirt.
When I stepped out of the salt circle, I could see the smoking-hot Ranth again, but his eyes flashed blue, and his outline shimmered faintly as if he wasn’t quite in this world. Glowing was never good.
I looked down. My feet were glowing blue too. The Carters’ faces were grim. Whatever expression I’d given apparently hadn’t elicited confidence.
“Did you see him?” Denise asked, clinging to her husband.
“Yes. He said he wasn’t with anyone, but there was a woman. Did he have a girlfriend?”
“Cindy?”
“She might have been there. He didn’t say who for sure. Maybe call and talk to her? I can come back and talk to him some more, but maybe we should try for a night without seismic activity.” I handed the signet ring back to Denise. I still wasn’t buying that this earthquake was a natural occurrence, but for the Carters’ sake, I was going with it.
Denise wiped her eyes. “You promised you’d find out.”
“I did and I will. It’s important we do this with the right timing, and the timing is off. I won’t charge you for this session. Let’s schedule another rising, and I’ll pay for the permit.” A second filing would cost me, but I wasn’t staying in this graveyard a moment longer.
