Ghostly Howls, page 7
I look over my shoulder while frying an egg in a skillet to see Cormac walk into the kitchen in only a t-shirt. Her hair’s all askew, making her even more adorable than usual. I smile at her while she fills the coffee maker with water. Then she wraps her arms around me and kisses the back of my neck. Working late hours makes sleeping in a superb option.
“You seem happy this afternoon.” She takes a seat at the small two-seater table in the kitchen.
“I’m nervous. I want to ask you something.” I lift the egg and place it on a plate that already has bacon and a roll.
She has her chin in her hand and elbow on the table when I set the plate in front of her. “So, what is it?”
“Will you be my date to the Ethel Festival of Samhain?”
She has the audacity to actually smirk. Damn her. “I would love to.”
I scarf down my food with only one pause. “We need to get ready soon?” My excitement is making my stomach sour with nerves, but this delicious food overrides it.
After we're dressed, she walks behind me, and wraps her arms around my waist pulling me against her chest. “If you don’t start walking now, we will definitely be late for work.” She kisses the side of my head on the spot that always makes me weak in the knees, then releases me laughing on our way out the door holding hands like giddy teenagers on their first date.
We walk into town hand-in-hand, finding Kyle at his usual spot behind the bar. “What’ll it be?” he asks with a wink knowing we can't partake in any spirits before a shift.
I sit on a stool next to Cormac, and we both order coffee; then I notice the pile of pumpkins in the center of the bar.
“What are all these pumpkins for?” I ask while watching him move around behind the counter like a ninja preparing our drinks with ease and finesse.
“Tomorrow is Samhain so they put out extra decorations to get people into the mood." He winks at me again, "You know what that means?"
I shake my head, knowing he's about to tell me. “No, I don’t. What does it mean?”
"It means you can cast spells on anyone or anything that pisses you off!" He laughs while placing our drinks on coasters, then snags his rag from under the bar and starts wiping down some spilt beer.
“Why would I ever want to do that?”
He takes a deep breath while cocking his head far back and closing his eyes. “You can make it rain on their wedding day...so long as it's not mine! Be creative like my favorite witches, Willow and Tara!” He laughs again with me joining him after a moment of being teased. Buffy the Vampire references always have a way of calming me down. “What about you, Cormac? Are you going to try anything fun with that magic of yours?”
She sips her coffee, then places it back on the coaster putting an elbow up on top of the bar, resting her chin in her hand again. “You know, I have heard there's a gathering of witches just before the festival."
How does she know about that? "Looks like the band is ready to warm up." I point to the stage.
"Guess it's time to clock in. Thank you for the coffee, Kyle."
"And your tables are filling up," Kyle tells me, letting me know I need to begin my shift too.
The bar’s alive with a buzz. Everyone’s discussing Samhain. I get to hear what costumes some of the regulars are planning to wear. I enjoy the laughter and companionship that I’m surrounded by. Hours tick by, and the sun sets.
The crowd suddenly becomes noisy with commotion coming from the parking lot. The singing stopped, and Cormac’s heading toward the exit. The rest of the band continues in an attempt to keep the crowd calm.
"I'll be right back," Cormac says while placing her hand on my shoulder to reassure me she'll return soon.
Kyle is standing in front of me, processing whatever he's seeing from outside even though it looks like his face should say something other than what it does. He steps away for a moment then returns with different eyes. "There's fire on the island."
I don’t hear ringing, so hopefully, that means all are okay... unless my power’s somehow suddenly stopped. It was slow last time. "Is the fire chief aware of that?" I ask, wondering if it’s too late to shelter Cormac from hearing about the fire.
He looks out toward the crowd then speaks with a voice of shock and concern. "I don't think the fire chief is here. Remember she had to travel out of town."
I stare at him for a long moment trying to figure out what he's not saying; now concerned with people's lives? The hair on the back of my neck raises in fright. What in the hell are we going to do? "Call anyway so the rest of the firefighters can get the fire boat prepped!"
The music’s stopped and those of us inside have all gathered around a table where a customer has a scanner pulled up so we can hear the emergency messages and follow what’s happening.
Shortly after the call, we hear the crew sending the boat to extinguish the fire. Everyone continues to listen until the last flame is reported to be extinguished, and then Kyle persuades everyone back to their seats.
"I think that might have had to do with the spirits that have been visiting Oliver's crew." Cormac's talking to a table toward the back. I notice her hands shaking but am at a loss as to why she’s mentioning him again.
This I have to hear. "Oliver?" Oliver Oliver Oliver Oliver Oliver, I think.
"Well, Oliver's been seeing ghosts since the turn of the season." She pivots toward me. "I've been helping him communicate to them, as you know. Lately, the ghosts have been talking about destruction so when the island goes up in flames, more than likely it could have something to do with a spirit or ghost."
I tear my eyes away from her and turn to the window watching the rest of the crowd disperse. It sounds like all of the volunteer firefighters have gone that way, and no one was hurt. I’m hopeful for our plans for tomorrow night on Samhain, but that quickly deflates when Oliver enters the bar.
He makes his way through the crowd until he reaches us near the back of the pub. "I need to talk to you." Oliver points at Cormac then me while trying not to raise his voice. "Both of you," he adds when neither of us moves from our places.
"We're all ears, Oliver," I tell him, playing along.
Oliver motions for us to step away, and we do so and head toward what's known as 'Kyle's office'. It's a small dark room containing an old desk and some chairs used for storing extra glasses and other dishes out of sight but easily accessible in case we have any large events or parties without enough seating in the dining area.
Oliver closes the door behind us and sits in one of the chairs. "I just heard about what happened to the island." Oliver speaks with a sense of calmness, but I can see it's an act. His eyes are desperately searching for secrets. "Do you know anything about it?" he asks Cormac, who quickly turns toward me, looking like someone has slapped her across the face.
"What secrets do you want, Oliver?" she says to him. "I'm your friend, not your messenger lady."
"Then what message did they give you that there was destruction coming? That could have been me, Cormac; my house is on that island!" Oliver yells out, pointing to his chest and then at Cormac.
"That is the message, Oliver," she says in a calmer voice.
"Doesn't that piss you off?" Oliver asks me, accusatory sounding. "I know for a fact it would have pissed me off. Her hiding so much.”
I know that Cormac would be mad if I go easy on her because of her family so I follow Oliver’s direction, but I’m ready to embrace or run after the woman I love if it seems she needs that instead...actually, I wish she did... "It does, but I'm not going to make a scene about it." I pause and then address Cormac instead of Oliver. "I want to hear it all too."
"Fine, fine, jeez." I can tell Cormac wants to pace but there's no room for that. "You know how they mentioned something about not having papers?"
"Yeah, I remember that." Oliver rubs the back of his neck.
"Well, they've also been talking about how an attack of an island off a port would be most advantageous."
"I thought you mentioned torture instead of a fire before,” I can't help but raise my voice a little.
“I was hoping to have it all figured out before worrying anyone. You see,” she takes a breath, “something clicked when you told me about your visions.”
“This has to do with my visions too?”
She nods. “I’ve just noticed some similarities, what with this being an Irish town. We’re a port, smaller, near a larger one, Salem. Ireland has two such ports. A large one being Belfast and a smaller one named Drogheda.”
It feels like the air has been knocked out of me. “What does this mean?”
“Well, I’ve done some research on Drogheda. Have you ever heard about the siege that took place there?”
It feels as if a fist grips my heart when I hear the name Drogheda.
“Oh yeah, the Cromwellian conquest.” Oliver lights up.
“You know about it?” I ask while rubbing my chest.
“It was awful.” Cormac looks pretty distraught. “Not only did the military attack and win but they kept on killing even after the battle was over. They didn’t stop with those who had fought against them but everyone in town.”
I think back to the visions of Cormac being bound, ready for execution. I also remember the dead body discovered in town recently. Something is definitely going on. “Are the ghosts trying to warn us or is it more like a premonition?”
“I was hoping to figure that out before telling you.”
I pull her into my arms. “But now we can figure it out together.”
Oliver opens the door. “I need to tell the crew.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN – ORLA
“May the road rise up to meet you, may the wind be always at your back, may the sunshine warm upon your face...”
― An Irish Blessing
"You what?" Dave asks.
"I possessed Ben's soul just by touching you while you were thinking about him. I've never been able to do that before."
"What does that mean?"
"I need to ask someone with more experience." Luckily, there will be plenty with more experience here soon.
"Is he okay?"
"He seemed to be okay, at least for now. I just saw him in the museum like usual."
"Well, that's good." Dave fluffs the pillows on the couch between us and gives me a sheepish grin. It probably would be best if we went back to sleep. We'll need the rest, but I don't know if I can after the vision with crossbows and learning about a new possession possibility. I might be able to possess without touching someone because Dave might have powers of his own. I must be more worn out than I realize because I drift off before too long.
Dave's alarm wakes us up, but we decide to play hooky for a day. We sit close together by the firepit, rehashing memories.
“Remember when Cormac and Molly almost got kicked out of the fair at the end of summer?” I ask.
“Yeah, guess it’s against the rules to use it as a place to make out and hold up the line forever.” Dave mocks a look of shock.
We both laugh, thinking of our two friends.
“Remember when Ben put Sue in her place?” he asks me.
“Wasn’t she saying something bigoted as per usual?”
“Yeah, but Ben and Kyle put her in her place.”
The fair had been such a lovely time. Back before our town was haunted. Before a murder victim was found in our borders. Cormac and Molly were getting along. But it was also before Dave and I could touch. After our day gallivanting around his property, Dave and I fall to sleep free of any nightmares. We’re closer together this time and allow a touch to sneak through every now and then.
In the morning, we both need to head into the dock for work. I wish we could just spend more time at his place instead. A memory of him removing his shirt before we went on the kayaks as teens surfaces, and I’m instantly hit with a longing to touch him again. It had taken my breath away when he’d advanced the two steps closing the distance between us at my house and held me. I want to revisit that euphoric feeling. I want to grab him and release this tension. I want to feel the tingling of his touch again.
Driving in together after we're both ready feels different than when he picks me up from my place, in a good way. There's chatter all around as we head our separate directions once he parks his truck. Most of it is about a fire on the island last night. I hadn't heard a thing about it. Molly was working at the bar. She should have at least heard about it. Why didn't she call me? Samhain’s tonight so maybe she’s busy but still.
The day seems to trudge by, but I’ve got a smile plastered on my face just about the entire time. Part of me feels like a fool for it, but the other is glad. I seem to sell more cockles throughout this shift. As I’m closing up shop a bit early, I hear something that has my interest piqued.
"They identified the body from Bethel’s Landing," one of the guys from Dave's crew says.
"No way," another responds.
"You're shitting me! Who was it?"
The first guy shrugs. "Some chick from out of town. Said she seemed to be some kind of artsy hippie."
With my heart pounding in my chest, I want to grab him by the arm before he can walk away. "Do you know her name?" The guy looks at me curiously but shrugs. Someone else gets a hold of him and starts asking a bunch of questions at the same time making it hard for either one of us to hear each other through all the commotion going on around us. We eventually break free from the crowd, Dave arriving just in time to stop the guy from his crew who announced the finding. Dave asks me what's wrong with a look of concern on his face.
"They identified the body."
Dave's expression changes immediately. "Who is it?"
I swallow hard. "I don't know, but they said she was from out of town. I guess she's an artistic hippie. I wonder why she was in Ethel?"
"Jenny?"
“Yeah, that’s her name,” the guy from Dave's crew says.
"Our old roommate?" Thinking of her brings back so many memories. Remembering how our garden has never been so good since she moved out has a pang hitting my belly. She can't be dead. Why? She's harmless.
"Kind of sounds like her, right?"
"That's just too close to home."
"Yeah, plus the visions."
"Could Cormac or Ben be next?" Was killing Jenny a way to get to Molly and me? It's not right. She was so sweet always. She constantly had her long hair down and wore sandals, no matter the temp. It's just not fair. Even though she was never a fan of staying in one spot long, she was rooted in our memories. I can’t believe we’ll never have another visit from her again.
We both take off, running back toward Dave's truck. I feel like everything is moving in slow motion as I try to keep up with him. Then he's speeding out onto the street toward Cormac's house, which is only about ten minutes away, depending on how fast you drive there. Dave parks on Cormac's street, and I'm out of the truck almost before it stops moving. Dave grabs me by the arm, but let’s go quickly on my way inside Cormac's house, and it's enough to stop me but luckily not cause me to possess his soul. "We've got to be smart about this."
I nod with a serious expression, certain I will regret not doing something crazy like barging into Cormac's house if she or Ben were hurt or worse. Cormac opens the door with slow movements looking extremely tired. Her eyes are bloodshot yet glassy along with dark circles. She looks like a walking zombie in Cormac's clothes.
"What happened?" Dave asks Cormac, looking her over once more before turning his eyes on me with a worried stare. Cormac explains the situation and what she remembers happening, but it all seems to be coming from a long way off. Her voice sounds distant and muffled as I focus on Cormac again. I can't believe someone broke into her apartment. She claims that it appears nothing's been taken even though the place is ransacked. What were they looking for? Cormac's still talking—something about alerting the authorities.
"So, they don't know who did this yet? How can that be possible? This is Ethel, for crying out loud," I say in disbelief. Cormac looks at the ground when I make eye contact with her before glancing my way apologetically, then down again, avoiding eye contact all together. Then it dawns on me. “Hey, where’s Molly?”
“She’s at your place,” Cormac bites out.
Dave pulls me aside, appearing nervous about Cormac's behavior. "Hey, I think Cormac needs to be alone for now. Can you go home and talk to Molly or something?" Dave asks with hopeful eyes for me to agree so Cormac can be left alone. I'm not sure why he feels the need to defend Cormac, and, even though my heart is beating fast, wanting answers, I nod in agreement.
"Okay," Cormac responds with a bit of relief in her voice, making me wonder what she really thinks about all of this. What is she hiding?
"I'm just going to walk home," I tell Dave as soon as we're outside. I need to think through everything we've just learned. "But then we're going to Ben's, all right?"
"Good," he says. "Meet you at The Daily Grind."
I nod, and we walk in opposite directions. I turn back once to watch him go. I miss Boomer's bark when I walk into our house. We left him at Dave's with Nessa. "Molly?"
I walk through the house and to her room before yelling again, "Molly?"
Panic begins to set in as I make my way back downstairs. Were we wrong thinking the targets were Cormac and Ben?
"What?" she asks as she enters through the back door while pulling boxing gloves off her hands. She must have been punching the bag we have hung out back.
"I couldn't find you."
"Sorry." She shrugs with a frustrated huff.
"What are you so upset about?"
"Cormac blames me for her house being broken into."
"Why?"
"She says I distract her—that I should trust her and let her work with Oliver because it's important."
"I thought you two had made up."
"So did I."
"Want to come with Dave and me? We're going to Ben's house to be sure he's okay. Not only are you having visions of Cormac bound, Dave and I had a vision about Ben being captured."
"Yes. Let's go."
She locks up behind us. "Dave's at The Daily Grind."
