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With one more push, he tries to get in the circle but dissipates faster than it had formed. I have no clue what pulled him away but I let out a breath of relief and sit, waiting in silence as I watch for a second assault.
“Eli? Jayce?” I call out after a few minutes.
“We’re still outside.” Jayce replies. “And safe.”
“He’s gone,” I call as I stand up. My legs are a little shaky from the experience but I know we need to search the barn more.
Both of them rush in and don’t stop until they have me wrapped in their arms. I melt into the embrace, using them to ground myself. The encounter has shaken me more than any other and I don’t realize I am trembling until they are holding me together.
“I knew we shouldn’t have left you alone,” Eli comments as he pulls me in tighter. Jayce’s hands run over my arms, trying to calm the shaking. In a few moments, I feel myself calm down and let out a breath of relief.
“I’m fine, the wardings held, but there is something in this barn. My uncle was trying to tell me something but whatever evil thing that’s here besides him showed up. We need to search the barn again. My uncle didn’t say that Pandora was in here for sure but there is something here,” I tell them, snuggling in their embrace.
“Do we wait for Lucien?” Jayce asks.
“As much as I would love him to be a part of it, I want to find whatever it is. Now,” I pull back a little just to look into Jayce’s face.
His compassion is just what I need at the moment.
“There is nothing to feel bad about. Lucien will understand. It’s not like we are running off and getting married or something,” Jayce jokes.
“Not yet,” Eli comments with a little laugh.
I love that both of them know just what I need to hear.
“Okay, let’s grab some more sage and smudge the shit out of this barn,” I tell them quickly. Now I’m all business, ready to kick this ghost’s ass and find my cousin. We are so fucking close.
“Remind me to get a gas mask,” Eli jokes as we break apart. They lead me out of the barn as I recount the encounter in detail.
Jayce runs and grabs the sage and a lighter. He hands me the lighter and I spark it to light the sage bundles, glad he grabbed three. Jayce hands one to Eli and me before we start to cleanse the barn.
It may not eradicate the evil ghost but it might keep us safe long enough to find her. Then we can focus on ending his reign.
“Whatever evil that is here is not welcome. You are to leave this place now,” I say as I head in a different direction than the other two.
They both mutter a different variation of what I say and it’s not long before we have this place purified and ready to search even deeper than before.
“Okay let’s divide and conquer. Search every square inch, look for the smallest thing out of place. My uncle told me that she or something related to her is here,” I tell them. “I don’t trust him, but this seemed genuine.”
They don’t even argue, just accept my judgment and go with it.
“Holler if you find something,” Jayce says as he gives me a little kiss on the cheek before he goes off to search. Eli does the same, though he leaves a bit more reluctantly after the last separation.
My steps are careful, yet every movement is followed by an ominous creak. Reaching out to the wall next to me I balance myself, carefully; the last thing I need is a splinter or two.
“Jayce, do we have a flashlight in here?” I call, not taking my eyes off the wall. Something about it seems off. I can’t pinpoint it yet, but I know in my gut this is it.
“Yes, I left a couple in here from the seance,” he replies when I hear his footsteps near me, holding one out to me. “Here you go, did you find something?”
“No, but there are some dark corners in here and I don’t want to miss anything,” I tell him, smiling up at him.
“Smart thinking,” he grins at me, but his eyes narrow slightly.
“Get your cute ass back to searching,” I tell him and give him a little smack on the butt as he heads off.
It isn’t a lie, I don’t know anything is here and I don’t want to waste time if my gut is wrong. I can call them when I know that it’s here.
Whatever it is.
