“What do you want?” I asked, taking a few steps forward. Currents of air continued to brush against my face and arms. There was no way to know how many were here with me.
“We want to be free,” a voice whispered right next to my ear.
“Outside. I want to go outside.”
“My mommy is calling. Can’t you hear?” Something shook my pant leg.
Baby ghosts?
Did I really need to be assaulted by infant specters? I tried to rack my brain for a reason why I deserved to have tiny invisible children haunting me, but I came up with nothing.
Vicious Trows were worse than being trapped in a tunnel with a few ghosts, right?
I needed some perspective. These ghosts obviously wanted something from me and I needed to find Naomi. Maybe they would make a trade and leave me alone. “I don’t know if I can help you,” I called around me, cautiously moving forward. “But if you help me, I will try and help you. That’s all I have to offer.”
“Power.” Something glided by my face, shifting the air currents around me. “So much … power.”
“Come with us.” The voices sounded far away yet close, like an invisible hand was toggling a huge volume control knob.
“We will show you the way.”
“You will take care of us.”
Invisible fingers prodded me forward and I let them guide me. I addressed the crowd at once. “I’m looking for a vampire named Naomi. Do you know where she is? Medium height, chestnut hair, pretty features, smart as a tack?”
“Yes.”
“We know her.”
“They brought her here.”
Hope pricked along my senses. “Is she being held somewhere close? Do you know if she’s safe?” I asked.
“Awful.”
“Sad.” A ghost started to cry.
Jesus, when ghosts cried, you knew the news was going to be as shitty as possible. “How badly is she hurt?” My voice rose several octaves, and even though I had no idea where I was going, I started to trot down the tunnel. It leveled off after the first small hill and started to twist and turn. “What is this place? Where are we?”
“The House of Death.” Voices clamored around me, echoing the word “death.”
Well, that was nice.
I tried to project my inner voice out to Rourke and my brother. If we were all out of the mansion, it may work. Can you hear me, Rourke? I switched channels. Tyler, are you out there? What’s going on?
“They cannot hear you.”
“The Queen prevents it.”
“Hey,” I yelled. “Stay out of my brain!” I couldn’t feel them floating around in there, which is what I guessed they were doing, but I wanted my thoughts to stay my own. “Why can’t my Pack hear me?”
“The same reason we cannot get out.”
“And?” I asked. “What reason would that be?”
“The barrier.”
“Is stifles us.”