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“Ithought of that, of course.Butshe and herKindredare on another planet right now—he wanted to take her toOgi’oPrimebecause they have an extensive culture devoted to life after death.It’sin a closed system and you need special permission to go there.She’sgoing to be unreachable for at least another week.Andby thenI’mafraid it will be too late!”
“I’llgo then,”Hannasaid, though she could feel her stomach fisting into something that felt like a chunk of ice as she spoke the words. “Ican speak to spirits too—Ijust generally try not to, because most of them are so unpleasant.ButIcan do it whenIhave to—maybeIcan find the little girl and bring her back.”
“Hanna, no!”AuntLunaexclaimed. “Idon’t want you going back down toEarth—you’rehappyhere.Andsafe.TheDarkEntityhasn’t bothered you since that first night whenWraithdrove it away!”
“Youraunt is right, little one,”Wraithsaid quietly. “Youwon’t be safe onEarthandIcan’t go with you.Iam bound to theMotherShipandIcannot leave it, no matter how hardItry.”
Hannafelt even more frightened, but then she pictured the young mother standing beside her daughter, seeing the tubes and hoses and the almost lifeless little body in the hospital bed and sheknewshe had to go.
“I’llbe fine,” she said, lifting her chin. “TheDarkEntityhas only ever bothered me at night—he can’t stand the daylight.Sowe’ll go during the day—I’msure that’s when the hospital has visiting hours, anyway—right?Andthen we’ll be sure to come back up to theMotherShipbefore it gets dark.”
AuntLunablotted her eyes on a tissue.
“Areyou certain you want to try this,Hanna?It’sno light thing to intervene between death and his prey.”
“I’msure,”Hannasaid firmly, even though her insides now felt like a solid block of ice.Sheturned toWraith. “Please—try to understand.”
“Ido.”Puttingan arm around her, he dropped a kiss on the top of her head. “Iunderstand that you have the heart of a warrior, little one.Iknow that you have to try and help if you can.”
“Thankyou.”Hannafelt a rush of gratitude.She’dbeen afraid he would be upset with her for wanting to put herself at risk.Buthe understood her—healwaysunderstood.Itwas one of the best things about him.
AuntLunablotted her eyes again and blew her nose.
“Ifwe’re going to go, we need to leave at once,” she said. “Bruincan fly us down right away and we should make it during daylight hours.”
“Allright.”Hannanodded.She’dbeen sitting on the couch but now she stood on shaking legs. “Let’sgo.”
“Wait—before you do…”Wraithstood as well and took her in his arms.Hekissed her deeply and looked into her eyes. “Justbe sure you’re back before darkness falls, little one,” he murmured. “Icouldn’t bear to lose you.”
“I…Idon’t want to lose you either,”Hannawhispered. “Don’tworry—I’llcome back before dark.I’llbe aboard theMotherShip, back in your arms before you know it.”
Shehad no idea how wrong she was.
19
HANNA
Thehospital had a sterile, chilly smell—the smell of disinfectant and death,Hannathought.Sheusually avoided it as much as possible—in fact, she hadn’t been to a hospital since the death of her parents, many years ago when she was only thirteen.
Unfortunately, both her mom and dad had been killed instantly in the wreck that took their lives and their spirits must have gone directly to the afterlife.Soshe andSamhad only been able to see their bodies—a terrible sight thatHannawould never forget.Butshe had looked anyway—hoping against hope that the policeman who had come to their door was wrong and that the people under the bloody sheets in the morgue weren’t her parents.
Ithad been her parents after all though, and while she andSamhadn’t seen their spirits, they had seen plenty of others during that visit.
Thehospital wascrawlingwith dead people.
Hannawinced and looked away as a gray man with a huge, open wound in his abdomen walked past her.Hewas naked and the look in his eyes was dull and confused.Therewere still a few surgical instruments sticking out of the open cavity.
Toher right a teenager with a gunshot wound that had taken off half his head was muttering to himself.Hannacouldn’t hear what he was saying and she didn’twantto hear—she just wanted to get past him.
Shesaw the ghosts of a few children too, but none seemed to be hovering near any particular room, trying to get back into their body.Theywere mostly playing quietly to themselves, but always alone—for some reason, the dead didn’t often congregate together.Maybebecause most of the spirits who were stuck in theEarthlyRealmwere confused—too confused to find the afterlife.Often, they were even too confused to know that they were dead.
Casein point,Hannasaw a gray, translucent man who looked to be in his sixties striding importantly down the hall, holding a ghostly chart in one hand.Hewas wearing a long white coat and it was clear he’d been a doctor during his lifetime and he thought he was still seeing patients, even now, years after his own death.
Hannahadn’t missed seeing ghosts one bit.Butone thing she’d missed even less was theImpsand they seemed to beeverywhere.Shesaw a fewLustImpsclinging to the nursing staff and most of the doctors hadPrideImpsriding on their shoulders, assuring them in hissing whispers of their own importance.
Oneof theImps—a red, wrinkled one with long teeth and glowing green eyes—jumped out and made a face atHannaas they rounded the corner and she had to fight not to gasp out loud.No, shecertainlyhadn’t missed these little bastards one bit!
Atlast they made their way to thePediatricICUwhere the little girl was.WhenAuntLunasaid they were visitors, the nurse in charge was reluctant to let them in.However, when she explained that they were there for the grieving mother, the nurse reluctantly allowed them to enter.
