Page 62 of Ghost

The girl paused, watching me with an evaluative expression. As if she couldn’t decide what to make of me. As if she was debating on if she should trust me.

I couldn’t let her leave without trying.

“Please let me help you,” I said, trying to look as unthreatening as possible. Considering I was still naked in the tub, the feat was fairly easy to accomplish.

Her expression cleared and she tilted her head.

“I’ve originally come to warn you that you need to leave this place.” Her voice was soft—as whimsical as its owner. But the sound pierced through the atmosphere, making it impossible to miss a word.

“Please,” her eyes held mine, “it’s too late for me. You need to escape before he returns.”

The fear in the room became stifling. The heavy weight must have become noticeable to others, because Julian shifted slightly.

“Why do I need to leave?” I asked, trying to ignore the shaking of my arms. “Why have you been hiding?”

Her hands grasped in front of her chest, and her eyes flickered from Julian back to mine.

I had seen that expression before.

“He won’t hurt you, I promise,” I tried to reassure her. But from her appearance she had died a long time ago, and I didn’t know if it was possible to move past emotions one had died with.

Then, something occurred to me. “Have you not come out because the boys were here?”

She only drifted closer to me in response. And as she also became closer to Julian, her fear grew. Her focus returned to me, and she repeated her earlier statement, “You need to leave.”

But there was something on her face now, as if she wanted to continue. So I didn’t speak, afraid the sound of my voice would cause her to flee.

After a long moment, she squared her shoulders. Her mind made up. “You should leave. It’s my duty to protect… but I want you to stay. I’m fading. And you’re the only one who can fix this.”

“What do you mean?” This was not what I had expected to hear.

“You’re in danger no matter what now,” she continued. “The summoner frightened him before, but he was taken by surprise. He’ll be back, and he won’t be so easily swayed.”

“What do you mean?” I shivered now, the brand on my ankle aching in response.

“He’s targeted you,” she said, frowning. “You’ve been marked. And now he’s tasted the power. He will do anything to win.”

“Marked?” I couldn’t stop my horror, the violation causing me to feel cold. “When did he have a chance to taste me?”

“Probably the mark on your leg. I didn’t realize it was curse-based,” Julian mused. He was on his phone, a call in progress. “What else is she saying?”

The girl’s attention had turned to Julian. “I don’t like them. You frighten me too, but they are dangerous. Especially the dragon.”

“Don’t be silly,” I told her, distracted by the idea of a mark. Besides, there was no such thing as dragons. “They are completely harmless.”

“I will put up with them, to help you.” My words didn’t seem to reach her, and her eyes returned to me. “You’re the only one who can break this curse. And if I don’t help you, then you’ll become one of us too.”

One of them? What was that, a ghost?

“What do you mean?” I asked, my heart pounding in fear.

An instant later, a vibration shimmered through the air, and the room became darker. Julian was beside me, his arm over my shoulder before I could even speak.

“What’s going on?” His voice was low, but tense.

I was just as lost. “I don’t know.”

“He’s back…” the girl shook furiously. “I need to go before he notices.”