GhostlyPersuasion (20 page)

Katie and Seamus had just polished off the sandwiches they
grabbed from the lobby café when Katie’s phone rang.

“It’s Riona,” Katie told Seamus when she saw the phone
number on the screen. “Good timing. We just finished eating,” she said into the
phone.

“Excellent. Can you meet me outside the sitting room in the
east wing? Seamus should know where it is.”

“Sure. Do I need to bring anything?”

“If you have anything you use for focus or protection, you
might bring it. Otherwise, no.”

“Okay. We’ll be there in a few minutes.” Katie clicked off
her phone and turned to Seamus. “You still look pretty tired. Maybe you should
stay here and rest.”

He tossed his sandwich wrapper in the trash. “No.” He held
his hand out. “Let’s go.”

Katie smiled and took his hand. Together they went to the
room Riona had told her to go to. They had to pass through a “this area being
serviced” blockade and several staff members before they found Riona.

“Ah, good. There you are,” Riona said in greeting. “Sure
you’re up to this?” she asked Katie, but glanced at Seamus.

“I think so. Just tell me what I need to do.”

Riona gestured for them to follow. “Like I said earlier,
I’ll handle the actual banishment spell. I just need you to help balance the
flow of energies and support the protection.” Riona looked at Katie from over
her shoulder as she led the way to the sitting room. “Did Aunt Deirdre teach
you any protection charms?”

“Yes, but I’m sadly out of practice,” Katie told her.

“You might be surprised how quickly it will come back to
you,” Riona said.

As they walked to the door, the hair on Katie’s arms stood.
She glanced around uneasily.

“You’re probably sensing the wards I created earlier,” Riona
told her. “Most people could walk through them and at the most feel a slight
chill or discomfort. You are a Mac au Bard so you are more sensitive to them.”

“Does that mean I can’t just walk through them?”

“These you could,” Riona pointed to the sitting room door.
“But it would always depend on who or what the ward was created to repel.”

Katie looked back at Seamus to see how he was handling all
the hocus-pocus. His lips were pressed into a firm line and his shoulders were
rigid. He was clearly uncomfortable.

She squeezed his fingers. He met her gaze and returned the
squeeze.

“What did you bring for protection?” Riona asked Katie.

“Me,” Seamus answered for her.

Riona seemed startled by his answer. Katie gave him a warm
smile as she slipped her arm around his waist. “I also have mother’s necklace.”
She held up the delicate gold cross that was suspended on a thin chain around
her neck. There was an extra charm hanging with the cross. It was a simple,
single pendant with Katie’s birthstone.

“That will do nicely.” Riona nodded. “I can tell you feel
very strongly about the piece. It will aid you well.”

“You mentioned a third to balance the energies. Who did you
get?”

“That would be me,” a deep voice said from behind them.

Katie turned to the familiar voice and found Callum standing
behind them. His arms were folded across his chest and his normally somber
expression was even more pronounced. He didn’t seem any happier about their
gathering than Seamus. Perhaps less so.

“Thank you so much for agreeing to help us. Again,” Riona
said smoothly.

“Here.” Callum stepped past Katie and Seamus and handed an
aged leather pouch to Riona. “It’s ground sea salt. Thought it might be better
than whatever you found in the kitchen cabinet,” he told her gruffly.

Riona’s mouth hinged open in surprise. “I… Why thank you,
Callum.”

“Don’t mention it,” he grumbled.

Katie shared a smile with Seamus. She was getting more
curious about Riona and Callum’s history.

“Okay. Is everyone ready?” Riona asked.

The four of them looked at each other. Katie answered for
them. “Looks like it.”

“Since there are four of us, when we go in, why don’t each
of you take a position on the compass? I’ll take the north, Katie, you take the
south.”

“Which wall is that?” Katie interrupted.

“It’ll be the one on the far side of the room after you walk
in.” Riona told her. “Callum, you take the east.”

He nodded once in agreement.

“And, Seamus, you take the west.”

“Me? I know nothing of these practices,” Seamus protested.

“You’re a part of Etain’s history and you’re here. You might
as well contribute to the circle.” Riona said. “Don’t worry. We’ll tell you if
you need to do anything.”

Seamus looked to Katie. She was sure her worry showed on her
face.

Once again he pressed his lips into a firm line but said
nothing, just followed Riona into the room that held the psycho ghost.

Riona had said the chamber they entered was some kind of
sitting room. It was smallish with floral-patterned walls and furniture. The
chairs were scattered about a few strategically placed tables where a butler
might leave trays of tea and cookies. Katie could well imagine a handful of
Victorian ladies chatting about the latest gossip from town in here.

In the center of the room, a silvery figure hovered below
the room’s ornate light fixture. Katie hoped the fixture was a gas replica and
not the real thing. She wouldn’t put it past Etain to set the room on fire.

“Slowly take your positions around the room,” Riona said
softly. “Make sure you’re directly across from your opposite.”

The four of them took their places, each keeping a wary eye
on Etain.

Etain’s attention was fixed solely on Seamus. The expression
on her face was eerie. It alternated between childlike confusion and
unadulterated hatred. Katie immediately regretted not insisting Seamus stay in
their room.

Riona followed behind, moving furniture out of the way so
she could make a complete circle. She made one more pass around the room, this
time with the leather pouch in hand. Katie guessed she was casting her circle.
As soon as she returned to her position at the north, she set the pouch aside
and murmured a few words. Katie couldn’t make out what Riona said, but the hair
on her arms stood up on end.

“Etain Chichester, your actions have created discord at
Tullamore and the owners have deemed your presence to be dangerous. They have
asked that you move on to your rightful plane of existence.”

“My rightful plane of existence? This is my rightful plane
of existence!” Etain’s chin lifted as she spoke and her hands clenched into fists
at her sides. “I’m here, am I not?”

“Will you go willingly to take your place on the other
side?” Riona continued as if Etain had not spoken.

“Where is it that you think I should go? This is my home.
You cannot force me to leave.” Etain looked down her nose at Riona.

“What keeps you here at Tullamore? Is there something you
are tied to?” Riona asked.

Etain glanced at Seamus.

Katie shook her head. She knew Seamus felt only anger, scorn
and resentment for Etain. It was sad how Etain twisted a feeling as beautiful
as love into something ugly and virtually unrecognizable. Then again, what
Etain felt for Seamus should never be labeled as love. Her actions seemed to be
based more on the fact that she had been denied what she wanted rather than a
deep, honest caring for another person.

“I don’t know what you mean,” Etain said.

“You are a spirit. Yet you remain on the mortal plane. Why?”
Riona pressed.

“I…” Etain looked at Callum then Katie then back to Riona.
“I don’t know,” she whispered in a childlike voice.

“Will you allow us to help you?” Riona pressed.

“No… I…” She glanced about the room wildly, as if searching
for something. “I don’t need help. I believe I will return to the battlements
now.” Etain tried to float through the circle they created but was stopped by
an unseen force. “What is happening? Why am I not permitted to leave?”

“We cannot let you return to the battlements,” Riona told
her softly.

“You have no right to keep me here!” Etain shrieked.

“On more than one occasion you have frightened guests who
were staying at Tullamore,” Riona said.

“I did no such thing,” Etain protested. One of the small
tables near Etain began to shake.

“The fire you set in one of the rooms today could have hurt
many people,” Riona continued. “If you have remained because of your part in
the curse that affected Seamus, consider yourself unbound. The curse has been
broken. It is time for you to move on.”

“It cannot be.” Etain looked stricken. “I was supposed to be
the one to save him. Seamus was supposed to love me.”

“I told you long ago I didn’t love you,” Seamus told Etain.
“You putting a curse on me only proved that you didn’t love me.”

“But I do love you!” Etain wailed as she flung herself at
the invisible barrier between her and Seamus. “And I know you could love me if
you would only try.”

Seamus shook his head. “After spending the last three
hundred years in a half-life of your making, feeling anything more than
contempt would be asking the impossible.”

A second table near Etain began to vibrate, making the
statues and books fall to the floor. “You are cold and unfeeling!” Other things
within the circle close to Etain began to shake. Some of the smaller objects
flew in Seamus’ direction but were stopped by the invisible barrier.

Seamus ducked in reaction.

“Do not break the circle,” Riona warned. She began to mumble
something under her breath.

Katie felt a ripple of electricity in the room. She
instinctively visualized a blue light surrounding herself as her mother had
taught her to do. It was one of the most basic protection charms she knew.

Etain must have sensed the ripple of power as well because
her attention shifted from Seamus to Riona.

“Seamus,” Katie called out above the clattering of furniture
and things, “I know you aren’t familiar with this sort of thing, but can you
humor me and do some visualization with me?”

“At this point, I’m willing to try most anything you think
will help get us out of here,” Seamus yelled back.

Katie smiled. “Imagine a bubble of blue light around your
body. You need to be able to see through the light, but it should act as a
shield to keep anything negative off you. Can you do that?”

“Sounds easy enough,” he said as he kept an eye on what was
transpiring between Riona and Etain.

Etain and Riona appeared to be locked in a battle of wills.
Etain had created a whirlwind inside the circle. Debris and furniture were
being tossed around and most of it seemed to be directed at Riona. Yet Riona
didn’t flinch or waver. She stood still with her arms outstretched and her lips
continued to move. Katie assumed she was saying some kind of chant or
protection spell.

Katie looked to Callum. His face was set in a grim
expression as he too watched the pair of women square off. Katie could tell if
he was given even a split second, he would pounce and take Etain down. How, she
wasn’t sure.

When a jagged-edged plate went hurtling directly at Riona
before Katie could call out a warning, the plate shattered into dust. From the
corner of her eye, Katie would have sworn she saw Callum make an unusual
gesture with his hand at the plate just before it shattered.

Katie shook her head to clear it and returned her focus to
reinforcing the protection shield. When she felt her own shield was complete
she stretched it toward Seamus. She visualized her shield merging into his and
enveloping them both.

“What just happened?” Seamus asked. “It was cold and windy
but now it feels warmer and smells like you. Did you do something?”

“You know that bubble I told you to imagine?” At his nod,
she continued. “I merged your bubble with mine.”

“You can do that?” Seamus asked.

She wasn’t sure if he was intrigued or alarmed by the
possibility. “It’s a basic protection shield. Mother taught me how to do them
when I was little but I haven’t done one in years.” She laughed. “I guess it’s
kind of like riding a bike.”

“A bike? I wouldn’t know. I haven’t ridden one,” he said
with a shrug.

Oh the things she was going to have to show him. She smiled
to herself.

“I’m going to try to encircle Callum and Riona in the bubble
also,” Katie told Seamus.

“What do you want me to do?” he asked.

“Keep imagining the blue light around you but include me now
as well.” She smiled at him. “It helped me merge with yours when I focused on
how much I love you.”

“I can do that,” he said matter-of-factly, which set her
heart to fluttering.

Katie focused on extending her blue light around to Callum.
As her push of energy got closer to Callum, he switched his attention away from
Riona. The look he shot her was dark and menacing, but when he realized what
she was doing he reached out his hand and drew her energy closer. Making their
connection no longer seemed like an effort on Katie’s part. It felt more as
though Callum was pulling it toward him.

When it snapped into place, the two men exchanged a look
across the circle then turned as one to Riona.

Katie continued to focus on the blue light surrounding them.
She ignored the furniture and debris floating in front of her and concentrated
on reaching Riona from both sides. She could feel the flow of energy expanding
around the circle that contained Etain then finally it reached Riona.

Her head snapped up and she met Katie’s gaze across the
circle. Riona flicked both of her wrists upward and drew the band of energy to
her. The connection snapped into place. Katie could feel the change in the flow
around them. It was like a blending of flavors into something new, something
stronger and yet still delicious.

Now that Katie and the men were maintaining the protection
around them, Riona would be able focus her energy and efforts on sending Etain
over.