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He shrugged. “I told the chief that I needed a month off. I have enough time built up that it wasn’t a problem.”
“Good,” she said. “I don’t really know why, but I need you close.”
The wind shifted direction, and Layla felt a shiver run down her spine as an icy gust blew from the north. Her eyes snapped shut involuntarily, and she was immediately plunged into the depths of a vision far more powerful than any she had experienced before.
“Jake,” she whispered, feeling his strong arms wrap around her as the world around them faded away.
In her vision, Layla found herself standing in a dimly lit room filled with the scent of roses and candlelight flickering on every surface. She saw Charles Harrington, his dark eyes filled with malice, as he approached a terrified woman bound to a chair. Clarissa lurked in the shadows, her cruel smile a stark contrast to her husband’s predatory gaze.
“Please,” the woman sobbed, tears streaming down her face. “Don’t do this.”
“Silence,” Charles growled, raising a hand to strike her.
“Stop!” Layla shouted, surprising even herself as her voice echoed through the vision. She felt the bonds of time and space twist around her, and for a brief moment, she was truly there, a part of the past. The scene froze, and Charles turned his gaze toward her, eyes widening in shock. Layla locked eyes with him, determined not to look away.
“Who are you?” Charles demanded, his voice echoing through the stillness.
“Your end,” Layla replied, her own voice steady and unwavering.
As if her words had shattered some invisible barrier, the vision began to crumble around her, and Layla was pulled back to the present. She opened her eyes to find herself wrapped in Jake’s embrace, their surroundings unchanged.
“Are you okay?” he asked, concern etched on his handsome features.
“I...I think so,” Layla murmured, steadying herself against him. “I saw Charles and Clarissa, but...I was able to stop them. At least for a moment.”
“Could that be the clue?” Jake wondered aloud. “Maybe your power is the key to banishing the ghosts.”
“Or at least stopping them from hurting anyone else,” Layla added thoughtfully. “But how do we use my visions to defeat them once and for all?”
As if in answer to her question, a sudden gust of wind blew through the trees around them, rustling the leaves and dislodging a small, leather-bound book from a hidden crevice in the trunk of an ancient oak. It landed with a soft thud at their feet.
“Another message from the wind,” Layla murmured, bending down to pick up the worn tome. The pages were yellowed with age, the ink faded but still legible.
“Look here,” she said, pointing to a passage near the end of the book. “It talks about a ritual to banish malevolent spirits, performed under the light of the full moon.”
“Then it’s settled,” Jake declared, his eyes filled with determination. “We’ll use this ritual to put an end to the Harringtons’ evil once and for all.”
Together, they went into Jake’s house and began to pore over the ancient text, both of them excited for the ghosts to be vanquished and their lives to be normal. Perhaps soon, they could focus on their feelings for one another, and not just the mystery before them.
As they flipped through the pages, they found themselves reading the heartbreaking story of one of the murdered women, her life filled with love and betrayal. Layla couldn’t help but feel a kinship with the woman, their lives forever intertwined by the ghosts of their pasts.
“Listen to this part,” Layla said, her voice cracking with emotion. “‘I thought I loved him, but he betrayed me. Now, I’m left here to face my death alone.’” She looked up at Jake, his blue eyes filled with determination and understanding.
“We need to find a way to stop this, Layla,” Jake said softly, placing a hand on her shoulder. “No one else should have to suffer like these women did.”
“Agreed,” Layla nodded, closing the diary. As she did, a vision flashed before her eyes—Max, Fiona, and Bella gathered around a table, their faces etched with worry. “We need to meet up with the others. There’s something important we need to discuss.”
