I raised my hand. “The only thing that’s stopping me from helping y’all to the other side is the fact that I don’t care. I’m here for Lucky. I need to talk to him. He doesn’t have to cross. I want that to be clear right now. I want to come to some sort of truce with him. He can stay. He doesn’t have to go on, but I need to talk to him.”
Not exactly true but they didn’t need to know that. Once I had Lucky captured somehow—that part I still hadn’t worked out—I’d make sure Anita saw him and then I’d make the spirit cross.
Natural order.
The ghosts exchanged concerned looks. Finally Kency the Farmer floated forward. “Lucky will come to you when it’s the right time.”
I slapped my thigh. “When it’s the right time? What do I have to do, prove myself?”
The ghosts murmured a round of “yes.”
That was ridiculous. Frustration built inside me. “I don’t have time to prove myself. Actually I don’t have to prove myself to anyone. I’m a helper. I will help you move over. All I want is to talk to Lucky. I don’t need the rest of y’all.”
“I think you do, ma’am,” Captain Blount said.
I crossed my arms. “Why? Tell me, why do I need y’all?”
I must’ve been brain-dead because when the answer came, I could’ve smacked my forehead.
“Because we’re friends with the ghost who lives inside Xavier Bibb’s house.”
I shot Susan a dark look. “You told them.”
She shrugged. “They can like totally help.”
Then the realization of what Captain Blount said hit me. I nearly tripped over my own tongue. “Xavier lived with a ghost?”
If Xavier lived with a ghost it might be easier to get into his house, check it for his computer, get my life back. I might not need Lucky Strike after all.
Blount nodded. “Another Blount. A man dedicated to the cause.”
“What cause would that be? Never mind.” I held up my hands to stop them from talking before they even started. “I know what cause. The whole ‘we deserve equal rights’ thing, right?”
“That’s the one, my lady,” Blount said.
I glanced over my shoulder. Susan stood to the side, quietly laughing. “What’s so funny?”
She shrugged. “See? I told you that you’d need them.”
Blount extended his hand. “You’ll need to prove to Blount that we sent you, of course.”
“How will you do that?”
The captain flattened his palm over my knuckles. Hot, searing fire scorched my skin.
“Ouch,” I yelped, jerking my hand away. I blew on the flesh. My knuckles burned like I’d dipped my hand in honey and then let an army of fire ants bite the dickens out of me. “What in God’s name are you trying to do? Brand me?”
“That is exactly what I did,” Blount said. “Consider it my ghost gift to you.”
I blinked. Ghost gifts were serious business. Even though Susan had pretty much squandered hers, they weren’t given lightly. Or at least they weren’t supposed to be.
“Did you just give me the mark of a ghost?” I said.
Blount sniffed. ”It will help you. When you need it, the mark can make a ghost help you. It’s entirely up to the spirit. Some don’t acknowledge the mark. Others do.”
I stared at my blazing skin. It was cooling, though not as quickly as I would’ve liked. My flesh was still red, but in the very center knuckle I noticed a small swirl.
Captain Blount clicked his heels. “Like I said, not all spirits will recognize you for a friend, though some will. Henry is one of them.”
