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He nodded. “I would if I didn’t have another job lined up. There’s a mom desperate to get some answers for her daughter who’s being haunted nonstop.”
“You’re better off there then,” I agreed. “Do you go on trips like that often?”
“I do. It doesn’t pay as well as yours probably do but I get by. When my grandma died, she left me enough to keep me going,” he said. His smile was sad now.
“I’m sorry, it sounds like you were close. When my grandfather died, I left town. Nothing replaces a bond like that.”
“She was the only one who ever believed me,” he admitted. “She visits me from time to time still, which is weird and kind of awesome. It’s like she can tell when I’m struggling with things.”
“That’s amazing, Hale,” I gasped. “There’s so much I feel like I don’t know about ghosts still.”
“The group will help a lot with that. I’ve learned more from them than I have doing my own research.”
“I have to get out of these clothes,” I complained, picking at my shirt that was still dripping and now I was getting cold.
“Same,” he agreed. “Remind me to steer clear of Claire from now on.”
“Ward your room,” I warned. “She doesn’t seem fond of boundaries.”
“Noted,” he laughed as we wound our way back to the front of the castle and up the stairs, parting ways to go to our respective wings.
“What happened to you?” Ben laughed when he saw me.
“Claire thought it would be fun to end our tour with a tidal wave from the pool,” I said as I started to strip out of the dripping-wet clothes. “Where are you headed?”
“To Patrick’s room with the tourmaline. Want to join?”
“Let me shower while you get it ready,” I said, slipping into the bathroom and taking a quick shower. Now that I was clean and free of chlorine, I put on dry clothes.
“Ready?” he asked as I joined him again. He had a bag full of thick, black stones.
“To go visit Patrick? Especially after him slamming into our wing earlier? No. But it has to get done, right?”
“Right,” he said, looking just as nervous as I was.
We managed to get the rooms surrounding his loaded with the stones. The air in these rooms was musty and felt heavier than the rest of the castle. He definitely was tethered here or something important was kept here.
Though, I wasn’t willing to explore his quarters without our full team.
“He’s been quiet during this,” I hissed, almost afraid he’d overhear me.
“The castle is usually pretty calm this time of day. I have a feeling he’s building his energy up for tonight. Let’s hurry.”
Just as we placed the final rock it was like Patrick woke up. A rumbling filled the air as we hurried from the wing.
The door slammed shut behind us and a loud scream filled the air. Patrick was making it known that we would regret returning.
What other choice did we have?
ChapterTwenty
Brea
The walls shook as we walked down the hallway toward Patrick’s room. Paintings shifted on the wall, dropping to the floor one at a time.
“Duck!” Lincoln yelled, putting his hand on my head and forcing me to crouch down just as a small statue flew across the path, slamming into the wall and shattering into a million pieces as it hit the floor.
“Run!” Hale demanded as a new one lifted into the air. His order had us moving faster, trying to outrun the attack.
