that he didn’t trust her judgment, and it was clear she was trying to help Rose through this . . . but they really needed to board.
At least his other two companions seemed okay with each other. The tense moment from the kitchen had passed as soon as Philip dried his hair and donned his usual designer clothes. Wade had no idea what transpired between them in the kitchen, but he certainly didn’t have time to worry about it now.
Robert was still carrying the narrow canvas bag over his shoulder, and Wade had packed his gun and Philip’s machete into the same brown suitcase.
“Can you see Eleisha coming back yet?” Philip said. “I can’t see her anywhere.”
Robert swiveled his head to look around, and just then, Wade was hit hard by what felt like a telepathic shout.
Rose is running! She’s in the ground floor parking lot. Hurry!
The shock made him buckle forward, tripping over two bags and falling to the floor. He caught himself on his hands.
“Wade!” Philip shouted, reaching to help, and people around them began to stare.
Wade grabbed Philip’s arm. “Go,” he managed to say. “Rose is running, and I think Eleisha’s chasing her. They’re in the ground floor parking lot.”
Robert was rushing toward the far exit doors before Wade completed his last sentence.
“Don’t leave that brown bag, Wade!” Philip called, running after Robert. “Don’t lose it.”
Only then did Wade think to reach out and try to contact Eleisha. But he couldn’t feel her anywhere. She just seemed to be gone—or maybe out of reach. He struggled to his feet, grabbed the brown suitcase with their weapons, and started running, leaving the other bags behind.
Eleisha ran after Rose, dodging between cars and debating on whether to call out or not. The parking lot was nearly empty of people, but she could see a family half hidden by a column about seven rows down, all climbing into an SUV.
Eleisha ran on, catching a glimpse of Rose’s black dress vanishing behind a white van up ahead, and she ran faster.
“Rose!” she called, throwing caution away. “Please stop. We’ll go back to the apartment!”
She would have promised anything in that moment.
The air in front of her shimmered, and a brightly colored form appeared from nowhere . . . a transparent girl with magenta hair, waving her arms and baring her teeth. Eleisha swerved and smashed into the side of a car.
She bounced off and hit the concrete ground, rolling quickly to try to get up. The girl ghost was coming toward her, making snarling sounds. Eleisha crawled backward in confusion and a surprised fear that made thinking difficult.
What was going on?
“Seamus!” she called.
He flashed into view beside her.
“Go!” he barked at her in his hollow voice. “Get to Rose!”
Then he focused on the girl ghost, his angry eyes narrowing. They were both transparent, but here in this modern parking lot, Seamus looked even more like something from a bygone era with his draped plaid, hand-sewn breeches, long shaggy hair, and the sheath on his belt.
The girl ghost drew back at the sight of him. She stopped snarling and waving her hands. Her eyes widened.
“Oh, geez . . . ,” she said. “No way.”
She vanished from sight. So did Seamus.
Rose screamed, and the sound echoed off the concrete columns stretching down the lot. Then Eleisha heard a loud clanking sound. She dashed forward, skidding around the back of the van, and she could not believe the sight before her.
Rose was crawling backward, trying to use one of the garage columns to protect herself . . . and a slender man in a long coat was chasing her with a sword. He swung hard but missed her by inches, smashing the blade against the column. Eleisha sensed no life coming from him at all.
He was one of them.
“Get away from her!” she yelled.
He stopped, letting the tip of the sword drop when he saw her. Rose looked lost and frightened, still crawling backward up against the column. Eleisha didn’t hesitate.
She let her gift flow and tried to permeate his mind. She didn’t know him. But if he was telepathic, he’d be able to resist the kind of attack she’d used on Julian, and he was standing so close to Rose that Eleisha didn’t want to take any risks.
She let her gift flow, and she worked to soak it inside of him. He shouldn’t hurt her . . . he should come to her . . . walk over to her . . .