“What do you mean?” Mike asked, looking at Marie with a confused expression.
“You have what you need to banish the ghost? Or ghosts?”
“Oh,” Mike said, sounding even more confused. “We don’t usually use anything other than ourselves.”
Marie blinked. “Really? You don’t use stones for protection or burn sage to cleanse the areas?”
Mike shook his head. “We have these.” He showed her our wrists. “But that’s about it.”
She shook her head and started driving away from the station. “Please just be careful, then. I don’t wish to see anyone getting hurt, and so far, five mediums have left the castle, all injured and incensed. I would hate for you to end up like them.”
With those ominous words, we just nodded and stared outside as the busy city turned into highway and then into grassy areas with houses showing up every once in a while.
“We’re nearly there,” Marie informed us. “There’s a medium there already, waiting for you to help him out.”
I glanced at Mike. We hadn’t been informed we would be working with others on this case. It wasn’t as though the thought irritated me, but out of worry I sought Mike’s reaction to the news. Things couldn’t be good if they needed more mediums on the case, and with five already leaving injured….
“The more, the merrier," Mike replied, smiling kindly at the woman.
She sighed with relief. “I’m glad you see it that way. We didn’t want to risk this going badly, so we called him in to help.”
“What is the problem, exactly?” I asked, needing to know the basics before we arrived.
“The castle is famously known as being haunted,” Marie began, her eyes firmly on the road ahead. “But then things changed suddenly. What used to be a few meek hauntings, like pictures moving, or the sound of footsteps, turned into objects being thrown at guests. Thenthe employees started reporting the same things: feeling watched, having things thrown at them. One was pushed while walking down the stairs but luckily had a firm grip on the railing and didn’t end up hurt. The owner is beside herself with worry and fury over what was once a safe and fun place for people to visit. Now they either fear it, or show up to try and annoy the ghost into retaliation.” Marie sighed. “It’s turned into something bad that no one knows how to fix. Not even the mediums before you were able to help.”
“We weren’t even aware others had tried,” Mike told her. “We had no idea, honestly.”
Marie gave us a weak smile. “I fear that was intentional. Who would want to work a case where others had given up?” She let out a weak laugh. “Just promise to be as safe as you can in there. And if things start to look bad, leave. I don’t want you to risk yourselves. You’re far too young to end up dead because of one rogue ghost.”
We nodded, both in clear agreement. I stared out at the castle before us as we approached the property. Why had they lied to us? I knew for certain that they’d lied to Rino as well. He would’ve never sent us here without warning us. It left me feeling a tad ill facing the unknown ghost. I could do my best to be there for Mike, but he wasthe medium, not me. The medium they called in was a stranger to us, and I couldn’t put my trust in someone I didn’t know. All I wanted to do at this moment was to leave and go back home where it was safe.Where Mike would be safe. But I couldn’t. This was what Mike was born to do, what he wished to do with his life. Helping others, ghosts and humans. I couldn’t very well ruin that for him, not when he’d finally accepted this part of himself.
“This is the castle,” Marie announced, parking next to another car.
A man paced in front of the front doors, looking agitated as he yelled at someone over the phone.
Mike let out a gasp next to me, staring in my direction, but not at me. He was likely looking at Erik. “That’sMarcus?!”
“What?!” I exclaimed, then looked at the pacing man again.
“Oh, yes,” Marie tittered. “You know Marcus Nielsen already, I take it?”
Chapter Twenty
Mike
I all but flew out of the car, Erik right beside me as we approached Marcus. The way Erik had choked out Marcus’ name, the ache I’d felt when I heard the emotion behind it. I couldn’tnotrun to the man. I felt like I needed to finally give Erik what he’d longed for. I thought of myself being in Erik’s shoes and seeing Dylan after five years apart. I couldn’t even fathom what he must’ve been feeling.
“Marcus,” Erik sobbed as he ran closer. Marcus turned and to my surprise, he wasn’t looking at me but at—
“Erik!”
What?! He couldseehim?!
“You can see me?” Erik sobbed, now right in front of Marcus, his eyes wide and full of tears.
“Of course I can, skat, but where the hell have you been?! I looked everywhere for you!” Marcus sounded angry but his face was fond as his eyes filled with tears of relief and love.
“I was locked away in… a box,” Erik explained.
