Demonically Tempted (Frostbite) Page 6

  Kipp stepped forward, as if he were prepping for a fight. “Watch what you say to her, medium.”

  Dane groaned low, undoubtedly affected by the strength of Kipp’s wrath. “Back off, ghost. I’m saying it to protect her. She’s not knowledgeable enough to deal with anything that isn’t friendly.” His fists clenched at his side. “In fact, she could get herself into a world of trouble if she entered something like this alone.”

  I restrained my smile. What was Kipp going to do? Touch Dane and freeze him to death? Still, though, what Dane suggested unnerved me. “What do you mean I’d be in danger?”

  “Your gifts make you vulnerable.”

  I glanced at Zach, who appeared befuddled, and even Kipp seemed speechless. I finally looked at Dane who remained expressionless. “You’ve totally lost me.”

  “You have an open connection with Netherworld,” he said, concisely. “Meaning, the fact that you can see ghosts and talk to them, says on some level your soul is touching that place.”

  “What. The. Fuck?” was all I managed to say to that complete nonsense.

  Dane cocked his head, and studied me. “Max told me you were in car accident, died, but were revived, and have held this gift ever since. Right?”

  I nodded, unable to find my voice.

  “What that means is you lived for even a split second in Netherworld. Your soul entered that realm, and at the time, you chose to stay there—”

  That got me talking. “Are you suggesting that I wanted to die?”

  “Maybe not before. Maybe not after. But at the time you did die, you accepted your death, which brought you into Netherworld.”

  I glanced at Kipp, damn sure my eyes were huge. He merely nodded in agreement that this was right out there. “So how did I end up alive again, if I decided to die?”

  “It’s all timing really. Whoever saved your life must have done so in the exact moment you made the decision to go into Netherworld, but you hadn’t been purified and their actions forced you back into your body. But seeing that you accepted it, wanted death, your soul took a part of that realm with you because you wanted it. It’s why you can do what you can do.”

  Zach asked, “Are you saying that she’s present in not only our world, but the Netherworld, too?”

  I nodded at him. “Good question.”

  “It’s much like that. But you’re not dead so you are not actually there.” Dane ran a hand over his gelled hair. “In basic terms, it means that the process was started, but before it could be completed you’re soul returned to your body. It’s something that once you’ve gained, you cannot release.”

  “Do you have a connection there, too?” I asked.

  “No. I can only feel ghosts. I’m a medium. I tap into energy and am sensitive to it. You and I, are not the same.”

  Why did that sound like an insult? I parted my lips to offer a rude response, when Kipp interjected, “Ask about me.”

  I looked at him and his gaze was lit up. I understood. This could explain everything we’d wondered. With serious hesitation, but curiosity, I asked Dane, “How does it work for ghosts then, are they in this world or in both?”

  “Ghosts are different than you. When they cross into the shadows, if they fight their death then they’ll return to this realm and finish what they need to do to settle their souls.”

  My head hurt. “Are they still part of the Netherworld, though?”

  “They will hold some connection and return whenever they want, but the process won’t begin for them unless they choose it. It’s why being a ghost is not preferred. Why stay in limbo? Forever stuck.”

  “That must be the place I told you of,” Kipp said.

  “Dark, but filled with spirits,” were his exact words. Sounded accurate. A long-time question I’d been dying to ask rose in my mind. “Do you know what happens after they pass through the Netherworld?”

  “How would I know if I’ve never been there?”

  “Don’t get snarky with me,” I snapped. “I’m asking because you know about the Netherworld, so I figured you’d know about everything else, too.”

  “I don’t,” Dane replied, brisk tone. “I, unlike you, have met many other mediums and such. I’ve learned what I know from them and it’s information that is important. Beyond that I can only make guesses as to what happens in the Netherworld process.”

  I rubbed my temple. “It only gets more confusing.”

  Zach and Kipp laughed.

  Dane didn’t. His gaze remained absorbed and steady. “It’s really quite simple. Netherworld is a place for souls to cleanse before they cross over to Heaven or to be punished. But if a person decides they aren’t ready to find their peace and move on, they’ll return as ghosts to finish what they need too.”

  Simple—not. “Explain this then, all the ghosts I’ve met follow that line of thought. They only know what they need to so they can move on. But what if a ghost remembers everything about his life and doesn’t act like normal ghosts do?” I wouldn’t let this opportunity pass me by. Kipp wanted answers and I’d get them for him, no matter what my heart said.

  Dane nodded, as if I confirmed his thoughts. “I’m feeling that in the ghost too.”

  “The name is Kipp,” my lover said, through gritted teeth.

  I glared at Dane. “Yes, really, can you do without the ghost business and just call him Kipp.”

  “He’s a ghost. Not a person.”

  Kipp took a step forward. “You—”

  Zach’s knuckles against Dane’s jaw cut off his words. Dane dropped to the ground. Zach stood over him, scowling with tight fists. “Say anything like that again, and cop or not, I’ll make you regret it.”

  Dane sighed, rubbing his jaw and stood. “I’m not here to make friends. I’m taking time out of my schedule, and I’m here to help Tess with her abilities. Punch me again and I’ll fucking walk out on her. Understand that?”

  I pulled Zach away and kept my hand on his arm in hopes to settle him. Why were men so difficult? “Can we stop with the pissing contest?” I pondered, more than happy to understand a bit more of this, and actually had a thought rise. “Do you think it’s possible that Kipp refused to die and somehow his soul fought to stay, then because he didn’t have a body it got stuck?”

  Dane stretched out his jaw. “It’s possible, and would make sense. I’d imagine he’s here for something, and the more I’m with you, I suspect that reason is you.”

  I blinked. “Huh?”

  “You said it yourself that he’s totally different than any other ghost. You both seem to have a strong connection.” Was that anger flashing in his features? “If he’s not here for himself, if his soul doesn’t need to be settled then he’s staying for another reason.” He gave me a pointed look. “You.”

  I glanced at Kipp, who seemed as confused as I before I turned to Dane. “But why?”

  “I cannot answer that.”

  I didn’t believe him. Maybe because his eyes shone with hidden secrets.

  Before I instructed Zach to punch him again to get the information out of him, Kipp said, “You see it, don’t you?”

  I wanted to laugh at him for whispering since no one could hear him but me. Instead, I gave a soft nod. Dane’s expression, though, fighting to remain lax showed a hint of knowledge he tried very hard to keep private.

  “I’ll go with you and see what we’ve got,” Dane said, only confirming he wanted to change the subject. “I can help you understand how to deal with this ghost if it’s troublesome.”

  I pushed away my suspicion of Dane. We had matters that were more serious. “Yes, speaking of that, if this ghost isn’t friendly, why would I be in danger?”

  “Let’s see what we’re up against and then go from there.” Dane sighed. “There’s a vast amount of information to tell you. And I don’t want to overwhelm you. Taking it step by step right now is the best way to proceed.”

  It might have seemed like he was being courteous of me, but I didn’t believe that for a stink
in’ minute. He withheld information and I hoped to hell, it wouldn’t bite me in the ass later.

  Kipp stared down Dane as if he wanted to flatten him where he stood. He finally glanced at me. “Let’s get this over with. The sooner you learn what you need to, the sooner this fucker can leave.”

  That seemed simple enough, but the tight knot in my gut made me quite aware, it wouldn’t be that easy.

  Chapter Eight

  Midafternoon settled in. The sun rested halfway in the sky and the day was lovely. Too bad I wasn’t in the mood to enjoy it.

  After plugging the address into the G.P.S. and driving for a while, Dane rounded the corner onto Poplar Avenue then arrived at Overton Park. The Memphis Zoo was to the south of us, but Dane continued driving toward the parking lot that led to Veterans Plaza.

  By the time he entered the parking lot, I already spotted the ghosts waiting by one of the memorials to the Veterans killed during the World Wars. The park was lovely. The ghosts were just absurd.

  Everyone had it wrong. I always wondered why paranormal investigators hunted for ghosts at night. They were as active during the daylight hours as they were at night. It only made things creepier in the dark. I might see ghosts, but being in the pitch black, being unable to see them was far scarier.

  Dane drove into a parking spot and cut the ignition of his rented car. He drew in a deep breath, which I took to mean he felt the energy here. Hell, even I could feel an increased energy causing the hair on my arms to rise because of the hoard of ghosts present.

  Not only our group awaited us standing by a statue of a solider, but by the soldiers—ghosts—walking along the fields and looking upon the memorials.

  I was out of the car in a jiffy and strode toward the group. Dane might feel their presence, but he’d have no idea of their location. I wasn’t so lucky and could see the twenty ghosts staring at us.

  “I think there are more of them now,” Kipp said.

  “I really hope that doesn’t mean this situation has gotten worse in a day,” I grumbled.

  Once I reached the ghosts, I scanned their faces, and again was surprised at how afraid they appeared. Not a settling thought since whoever had scared them was a ghost they wanted me to deal with.

  “You’ve come,” Holly said with a smile that didn’t hold happiness, but appeared to portray a friendly air. “Thank you.”

  “Don’t thank me yet. I haven’t gotten rid of it and right now, I’m beginning to think I don’t want to.”

  Her smile grew. “But you’re here, so that’s a start.”

  “They’re quite afraid, aren’t they?” Dane said. “The energy here is thick with fear.”

  I didn’t bother looking at him to agree. He might feel them, but I could see the fright in their expressions. That worried me. “I take it the ghost is still around?” When they nodded, I added, “And he still feels threatening?”

  “Very threatening,” Holly replied. “But things have changed a bit since last night. We’ve realized he’s not a ghost anymore.”

  I gawked at her. When that got me nowhere, I glimpsed at Kipp. Even he appeared taken back.

  “What do you mean, he’s not a ghost?” he asked.

  “It’s quite strange, really. He has always come into existence, his presence is strong, but then he fades away.” She studied the others before focusing on me. “But we haven’t actually seen him.”

  I wanted to smack my forehead. “You’re making no sense at all.”

  “He doesn’t look like us,” the elderly gentleman said. “He’s shadow-like.”

  “A shadow?” I repeated.

  Dane frowned. “What’s a shadow?”

  “The ghost.” I glanced at Holly. “Can you explain what that, in terms I’ll understand, means?”

  “When we saw him before, he had no distinguishing features. I know how strange that sounds, but he looked like a shadow.”

  I shivered, not sure why, but iciness crept up my spine nonetheless. “I’ve never seen that before.” I focused on Dane. “Have you ever heard of a ghost that looks like a shadow, but who isn’t a shadow anymore?”

  His gaze darkened, yet instead of answering me, he simply said, “If the ghost isn’t this shadow anymore what is it?”

  “It was the strangest thing,” Holly said. “Last night, we all went by the house he stays at to make sure he was still there. When we were there, a man—a living one—came out of the house.” She visibly shuddered. “But it was him.”

  “The man was a ghost?” I gasped. “I mean, the ghost was a man?” Was my head screwed on straight?

  “I know that sounds weird, but it’s true.”

  I almost laughed—almost. Weird was my standing in the middle of the park, in the daytime talking to a bunch of ghost, but what she said was just fucked up.

  “Did he say anything to you?” Kipp asked.

  She shook her head. “He only stared us at, smiling, and it was enough to spook us. We left.”

  Unable to help it, I rolled my eyes. “You were spooked by a ghost or a man-ghost?”

  They all nodded.

  I pondered. A ghost wasn’t a ghost, but a shadow. The shadow wasn’t a shadow, but a man. Had anything ever been more confusing? I turned to Dane. “Have you ever dealt with a situation like this before?”

  He parted his mouth to reply when a few of the soldiers approached, then he sucked in a harsh breath, clearly reacting to the spirits.

  Uniforms decorated their bodies, and confusion spread across their faces. By the look of their uniforms, they’d been here since World War I.

  “You can see us, can’t you?” one of them said.

  My heart clenched. These men fought for the freedom I held. It hurt to see them lost like this. “Yes, I can—”

  “You, ghosts who just appeared, are to leave her alone,” Dane interjected in a curt tone. “Be gone with you. Now.”

  I blinked, and to my utter shock, the soldiers vanished from sight. The ghosts around me all gasped and appeared more afraid than I thought possible, considering they all looked scared shitless a second ago.

  Before I had a chance to understand what had happened, or deal with Dane appropriately, he continued, “Tess has offered to help you—which is kind of her—but after this you’ll not approach her again.”

  I jerked my head toward him, totally stunned that his words held that much strength and that he made those ghosts vanish from sight. “What did you do to them?”

  “Yes, what the fuck did you do?” Kipp sneered.

  “You need to put up some boundaries,” Dane replied, unnerved. “They are ghosts and need to be treated as such. They have no right coming into your house, approaching you anywhere they want, and making demands of you.”

  My mouth dropped open at the rage that seethed off his tone. Now I understood his reaction earlier when we discussed this. Sure, I’d always thought of ghosts as annoying, but I thought of them as people. And no one deserved to be talked to that way. “Listen you, show a little more respect to the dead, will ya?”

  Dane shook his head. “You need to stop opening yourself up like you do. It’s dangerous. You’re the one in control. Not them.”

  “For someone who’s a medium, you’d think you would show a little more compassion.”

  He arched an eyebrow in the most arrogant of ways. “I do have compassion. I’m willing to help them and I’ve done so on many occasions. But it doesn’t change the fact they are ghosts and I help them on my terms. So should you.”

  “Fuck off,” Kipp all but spat.

  I kept my attention on Dane. “Yes, well, they were afraid and needed help.” Why was I defending them?

  “Which you’ve offered and that’s your choice. But there are rules they must adhere to. If you never define those rules, you’ll be controlled by them. That’s not right.”

  “What do you mean rules?”

  He sighed, exasperated. “Your lack of knowledge seriously worries me. You have the strength to tell them to go away.
Tell them not to enter your house. You have to put rules up they must follow. For some reason you don’t seem to do it.”

  “I don’t do it, because I didn’t know I could,” I retorted with a bite to each word. “So how ‘bout you stop being such a jackass and explain it to me.”

  Kipp chuckled. “That’s my girl.”

  Dane clearly didn’t share in Kipp’s amusement since he scowled at me. “If you tell ghosts to stay out of your house, they won’t be allowed in because you’re the living person and remain in this world. They do not.”

  “Oh,” I replied, mainly because I hadn’t known it was that easy. For years, I ran and hid from ghosts following me. Ignored them. Was it just that easy to tell them to go away and they would?

  Dane glanced around, clearly not seeing what I could, but appeared to stare at each ghost here. “I’ve made it known that they’re not to bother you again.”

  My jaw tightened at the indifference he portrayed. I understood why he made that point, but I wasn’t sure I liked it. As much as ghosts had gotten to me over the years, I’d accepted my path now and if they were in danger or needed help, I’d chosen to assist them. “Ignore him.”

  “What?” Dane shot back.

  “It’s my choice how I do things. Sure, I don’t want them in my house—at inappropriate times—but if they need my help, I’ll never turn them away.”

  “It’s one thing to help. It’s another to let them control you. You let them have the power. And that’s not their right.”

  I narrowed my eyes on him. “I’d prefer if you would stop talking like that. Either find something nice to say, or shut the hell up.”

  Kipp laughed.

  Dane sucked in a deep breath and focused on me so intently, searching for something. “You’re going to get yourself into trouble.”

  I waved away his remark. “Yeah, what else is new?” Done with him, this conversation, and his anger, I said to Holly, “Tell us where this ghost is?”

  Holly looked around frantically, seemingly stunned by the conversation with Dane. “At an abandoned house on Chelsea Avenue.” Her attention came fully onto me. “Trust me, you’ll know the house the second you walk down the street. I suspect you’ll sense his presence, just as we have, but he tends to come out of the house. So we all avoid that area as much as possible now.”