“About?”
Erickson pointed at Flo. “Her.”
“Her has a name,” Flo said gently.
“Right. Flo. I remember about that night.”
“Yes, Lottie told me you tried to save me. I appreciate that.”
Erickson nodded, acknowledging her. “Yes, but also something else vastly important.”
“What?” Sven asked.
“Her father was a wizard, but he was cursed as well. It’s why he built the room of iron to repel us. He was hiding the fact he wasn’t pure-blooded. He had monster in him. Wraith blood, but then again, his bloodline was not strong, nor was his magic. The Tallowfield mages only help purebloods. He was ashamed of his wraith.”
Flo gasped. “That’s why he built that room?”
Erickson nodded. “Yes. And why all these ghosts channel here. There’s a barrier. I can show you. It’s plugged, so no one can get out or in. That night she was cursed it became blocked.”
Flo was excited. “I think we need to call Mercedes and tell them what we discovered.”
Sven nodded. “I’ll text Magnus, but I think we also need to see this barrier with our own eyes.”
Erickson laughed heartily. “Good man. I will show you both. Follow me.”
Erickson promptly walked through the wall where he’d entered. Flo was chuckling softly.
“What’s funny?”
“It’s a good thing we can follow him. If it was Magnus or Mercedes…”
Sven laughed. “Right. Well, let’s go see this barrier he’s talking about.”
He took her hand and they followed Erickson through the paneled wall. He was waiting on the other side. Through thatpaneling was another passageway. This one wasn’t trying to pull him back or lock him in, but there was an energy weakly pulsating through it.
“See,” Erickson said. “This hall.”
“Another secret passage?” Flo asked.
“This was your house first,” Sven teased.
“And do I have my memory?” she quipped right back.
“Come.” Erickson floated down the passageway. “It’s best to stay this way. It can get narrow.”
He was not kidding. Sven didn’t let go of Flo’s hand as they navigated the labyrinth contained within the walls of Room with a Tomb. Then he saw green light glowing through the darkness and heard an audible hum.
“Ooh,” Flo murmured, squeezing his hand. “I can feel that energy.”
Erickson glanced back and grinned. “See.”
Sven peered over his shoulder and saw what looked like a tear in the darkness. He wasn’t sure where it was coming from, but it was there and Erickson was right, it seemed to be blocked by shadow or a veil.
“The spirit world,” Erickson said. “It’s always been here, but it was tiny before this house was built. As evil and death became a part of this ground, it grew, but was never fully opened, and then that night…BAM, a shadow descended.”
“Why haven’t you said something about this before?” Sven asked.
Erickson shrugged. “I forget things. When I was speaking to Lottie about that night, I recalled this.”
