Bound to the Spirits by T. Strange

Author:T. Strange [Strange, T.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: LGBTQIA Romance Fiction
Publisher: Totally Entwined Group
Published: 2023-09-22T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

The Centre should have been dark, with all the students in bed and most of the staff at home. It was alarming to see it so brightly lit at that hour.

They passed a few ghosts. They were harmless, but Harlan felt dangerously close to a panic attack every time he saw one inside the Centre itself—what had been his sanctuary.

Benjamin sent the spirits on their way with a tiny burst of power, like a small electric shock. As far as Harlan could tell, Benjamin wasn’t terribly drained, but it made sense for him to conserve his strength in case they needed it later.

After a few wrong turns, Benjamin led them to the infirmary, and Harlan’s pulse sped up. Were a lot of students injured? He remembered Hamilton telling him there’d been a death an eternity ago in his apartment.

As soon as he pushed the swinging doors open for Hamilton, Benjamin and the still-limp man they were carrying, Harlan could see why they’d chosen this room for what he tried not to think of as their last stand. Of course, the second he thought it he couldn’t get it out of his head.

The infirmary was one of the largest rooms, besides the gym and the dining hall, and there were cots for sick or injured students. Someone had dragged a few extra mattresses in from the nearby bedrooms. Every bed was full, occupied by wide-eyed children and teens. Some sat alone, but most were huddled together with a friend or two. All the lights were on and only a few were lying down, let alone sleeping. The staff moved among them, talking to them quietly and probably trying to reassure them.

All eyes turned to Harlan and the others when they entered. Harlan ducked his head and shifted a little so he was beside Hamilton instead of at the front of the group.

Charles was sitting on a chair in the middle of the room like a pillar, silently supporting everyone, his power reaching out to surround and protect them. He looked tired, with dark circles under his eyes and beads of sweat on his forehead. His power was usually passive, but he’d never had to use it this long or this intensely. Harlan wondered how many ghosts Charles had turned away already.

Harlan ran over to him, standing a few inches away without touching him so he wouldn’t break Charles’ concentration if he needed it.

Charles wrapped his arms around Harlan’s waist and pulled him close, burying his nose in Harlan’s chest and inhaling deeply. “You’re here. You’re okay.”

“Yeah.” ‘Okay’ was a bit of a stretch, but he wasn’t going to tell Charles that, not now. He was used to leaning on Charles, and while he very much wanted to, he knew that Charles needed his support more at this moment than the other way around. Whether he liked it or not, his part in the night was finished. He had nothing left to give.

“You?”

Charles shrugged. “I’m all right. A lot of ghosts have been trying to get in here, but so far I’ve been able to hold them off.

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