Voodoo Shanghai by Kristi Charish

Author:Kristi Charish [Charish, Kristi]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Random House of Canada
Published: 2020-02-18T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 12

PORTLAND AFTER DARK

An hour later, after I’d been cleared by a first aid attendant, Stephan drove me to my hotel in Portland. The attendant had hemmed and hawed about discharging me, but with little more than bruises and a bad case of the shivers, there was really nothing she could do but order me to get rest and stay warm. I hid my relief. I had an ulterior motive for getting away from everyone, Aaron and Stephan included—one I didn’t care to share…I had somewhere else to be tonight.

If Dane attacked again, well, Liam and Ingrid were at the swamp. I tried not to think of that eventuality.

“We need to account for Dane’s original victims. All of them,” I said. “Once we’ve got a complete list, I suggest you send any other practitioners you have on contract to the places their ghosts were last seen—or, if they haven’t been seen, then where they were murdered. Tell them to look for Otherside, even the slightest amount. Let them know the symbols might be buried or hidden—on furniture, floorboards, even old possessions, like clothing.”

Stephan kept his eyes on the road, but his brow furrowed as, I imagined, he worked out the logistical nightmare of accomplishing this task. There weren’t a lot of licensed practitioners who had the necessary skills to assay the sites. That’s the problem when your profession is considered a social taboo: there’s never enough talent around when you really need it.

“I’ll work on it. See if Liam knows any practitioners who can do it on short notice.” We reached a stoplight and he looked over at me. “Anything else? Information I should pass on?” he added, more than a little coldly.

I bit my lip and swallowed. “They’ll be looking for soothsayer-style bindings—commands, holds, traps—any- and everything a soothsayer would use to hold a ghost in place or bind them.” I cringed inwardly at the thought. Even I didn’t understand how the symbols worked. I really would need Ingrid’s help deciphering them, and it irked my sensitivities and conscience in all the wrong ways. Yet another damned deal with the devils…“Ingrid and Liam are the experts,” I said, not quite hiding my resentment over the fact that I needed them. “They can fill everyone in on the details.”

If Stephan sensed my discomfort, or even cared, he gave no indication. “I’ll get their input.” The car was moving once again, and his eyes were fixed on the road.

I took a deep breath and considered for about the fifth time whether I should try to smooth things over. Instead, I covered the shaking of my hands by gripping the now-empty coffee Thermos tightly. Now that I was away from the fog and the adrenalin from my meeting with Dane had dissipated, my nerves were jittering. It was too soon, too soon after the death of my friend, Cameron, and Randall’s betrayal, too soon after the wraith, to be facing my own mortality once again. Even though I’d taken every measure to protect myself, I could have—would have—died without Liam’s help.

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