Scatter of Light by Diana Pharaoh Francis

Author:Diana Pharaoh Francis [Francis, Diana Pharaoh]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bell Bridge Books
Published: 2022-07-09T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 22

Riley

TOURAY ENTERED the spirit realm with a flash of blinding white light. I had a moment where the urge to yell, “Don’t go into the light!” nearly overwhelmed me, but I kept my mouth shut and tumbled in right after him with no fanfare whatsoever.

As usual, the vicious cold bit its sharp fangs into my flesh, sending piercing aches plunging deep within. I figured I had maybe a minute before I’d have to leave. I didn’t want to damage myself so soon after healing myself up.

Touray’s spirit remained amorphous, looking like a hank of yarn a cat had attacked. It was the complete opposite of the two women who came at me as if they’d been waiting. They probably had. My mother, and Mel.

Looking at them together, I was floored. They looked like sisters, or maybe mother and daughter. A good twenty-five or more years separated their actual ages—my mom remained the age she’d been when she died—but the similarities of build, features, and hair were significant.

Vernon had a type.

I started to hug Mel, the pain and joy at seeing her fighting in my chest. She held up a ghostly hand.

“Don’t. It isn’t a good idea here, and especially while you are attached to him.” She gestured toward Touray. He bobbed at the end of his trace like a helium balloon. His colors had gone gray in my house, but now they’d returned, jewel-bright.

“What is happening?” my mom asked. She looked strained. I didn’t think a ghost could look like that.

I caught them up in a few sentences that left out a whole lot, but then, time wasn’t on our side.

“We’ve got to stop the senator, which means we have to get the brain-jockey out of Touray. And that’s what we’re doing now.”

Neither asked for details, not that I gave them time.

“Is Kensington here? Can you find him? I need his help.”

“It’s possible. I have never seen or heard of him here. He may have let himself disintegrate or been restored to the world in some fashion.”

“Reincarnation?”

“Or possession. A ghost. Things like that.”

“Can you see what you find out? We need the artifacts, and he’s the fastest way to find and understand them.”

They both nodded, watching warily as Touray’s blob of spirit settled over my shoulders like a cloak. I felt a simultaneous tugging and pushing at my spirit. As if he wanted in.

“I have to go. The cold is too much.”

“You look better than before.”

I nodded. “I am, but that will change if I don’t get out of here. I’ll be back.”

With that, I firmed my hold on Touray and dove back toward the living room.

And hit a brick wall.

I fell back, sensation radiating through me, like I’d hit an electric fence. Only with acid mixed in.

“The veil that separates our worlds is impassible for us,” my mother offered. “I thought maybe with you . . .” She trailed off, the rest of the sentence obvious.

Shit. I had to get us both through and fast.

“You said ghosts get out.

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