Spooky Business (The Spectral Files #3) - S.E. Harmon Page 0,107
hang on to control.
Danny. Joseph. Danny. At one point, both projections merged into some strange hybrid creature, sending a shiver of revulsion down my spine. His eyes bulged out in stark relief, the whites almost eclipsed by blood.
A bright beam of light started to open up in the middle of his face. He grew even more ashen than before, as though the very life was draining out of him. He opened his mouth to scream, and golden light poured out of his mouth like he was roaring fire. The last of his golden light flowed through my hands.
And then he went fucking supernova in my face.
The pressure on my chest drained almost immediately, like pulling the plug out of a sink. All that was left was the faint remnants of a headache. My hands were warm… so unbelievably warm. I looked down to find a ball of light, levitating a few inches above my open palms. I was momentarily transfixed by the blindingly bright sphere—blue, purple, and white streaks swirled across a clear circle of electricity. It was almost hypnotic as the glowing ball of plasma cast a brilliant light on everything around me.
I was pretty sure the energy was supposed to be absorbed by my handy dandy pendant, the one that was currently somewhere in Nick’s bushes. The sound of approaching sirens startled me, and I fumbled the ball of plasma.
“My God,” Nick choked out. I spared him a glance. He looked like an overexposed photo, completely blown out to white, his dark eyes the only spots of color in his entire face.
Frissons of energy exploded from my fingertips like sparks, and I jerked my gaze from Nick’s face to the rapidly growing ball of electricity between my hands. The center started to grow electric pink, and Nick took a few hasty steps back.
"Get rid of it," he managed to splutter.
I swirled my hands around the ball of white-hot energy, working on instinct alone, and then threw it upward. The virulent ball exploded in a blinding flash of light where it cracked and split the sky. Little ribbons of electricity branched out from the source and raced along the clouds like a brain map of neurons.
Apparently, I was a distant relative to Thor. I looked down at my hands, almost expecting them to be charred.
Nick’s mouth was agape. “Fuck,” was all he could manage. “Just… fuck.”
“Well,” a voice said behind me. “That was certainly different.”
I was almost afraid to turn around. If it was Joseph and I hadn’t managed to vanquish him, I had no idea what I’d do. I was fresh out of ideas and strength. But when I mustered up the courage to turn, the ghost standing there was much worse.
Danny.
A soft “no” was about all I could manage.
Danny blinked at me, then down at his body. He looked back at me with a disbelieving expression. “Holy shit, am I—”
“No,” I said again, shaking my head like I was in a fog. I could still hear Kevin counting between breaths as he gave Danny CPR. “You can’t be.”
“And why the hell is St. James kissing me?”
“He’s giving you… trying to save you,” I managed.
“Oh,” Danny said faintly as he realized the truth of it, too. Resignation crossed his face before he gave me a half smile. “Let’s face it, we both knew this was a possibility.”
I reached for him, and my hand passed through his arm. I gasped. It felt like I couldn’t quite get enough air in my lungs.
“Baby.” He tried to touch my face, but I couldn’t feel a thing. “Stop freaking out. It’s okay.”
“How can I not freak out?” I practically yelled. “You’re a… a….”
Kevin looked up grimly in between breaths. “Please tell me you’re not talking to who I think you’re talking to.”
I didn’t have any words. I don’t think I’d finished a fucking sentence since I’d seen Danny’s ghost.
Kevin went back to his grim task, his eyes glassy with unshed tears. “Fix this,” he muttered.
I spread my fingers helplessly. “I don’t….”
“Fix it,” he yelled. “He believed in you. Now don’t let him down. Fucking fix this, Christiansen.”
“You’re not helping,” Danny snapped. “You’re just upsetting him more.”
I laughed humorlessly. “Oh, you’re going to try and protect me even in death?”
“I love you,” he said, smiling that little half smile. “I just need you to know that.”
“Don’t.” I let out a breath that was as close to a sob as I’d allow myself. “Just don’t.”