“Stop it! Why are you doing this to her?”
Finn wanted to be by Violet’s side as she tried to stand from the last attack, but if he could redirect the ghost’s attention, gain her some time, he would take it.
Bohn looked at him with contempt, even disdain. “You know nothing, vampire. She was destined for greatness, but only great minds would’ve been able to accomplish it. She should’ve understood and not escaped but embraced her fate.”
“So, you were the ones who took her, you and Dennis Weir?”
“We were chosen for this task, a sacred and world-changing one. Too bad Weir was too sensitive.”
“What do you mean?”
“He allowed the witch to escape!” Now the voice became clearer, his shout louder. “He said that it wasn’t working, that all our efforts were in vain and she was suffering for nothing. Because of him, all that was to be, fell. Weir tried to escape, but I knew his life was about to end. And because of him, mine would too.”
Finn pointed to the floor. “This is your blood? And Weir’s?”
Bohn’s face turned into a mask of fury. “I tried to explain to him what had happened, suggested that if we found the witch again, the process could be finished. Jove agreed and promised to kill Weir for being a coward. I just didn’t expect the fool to come to me. When Jove learned about it, there wasn’t any more explaining, and he killed us.”
Finn looked around. “Who is Jove? And where is Weir?”
This time, the ghost sniffed in disdain. “You don’t deserve to say that name. As for Weir, the man felt liberated by his death and disappeared. I don’t know where. I’m not leaving. Not when I have the chance of finishing what we started, and if I’m not able to accomplish the plan for Jove, at least I’m going to kill the damn witch.”
Chapter 20
The words sounded like an echo against her skull, but despite the pain from the ghost attacking her, Violet knew she had to act. It was incomprehensible that a ghost, a remnant of a living being, could even touch her, hit her that way.
She’d interacted with ghosts before, through specific spells, as they could be a reliable source of information on a specific place. However, this was different. She’d never seen a ghost fully formed before, without transparency, or one that had the ability to make contact, even less, hurt someone through direct contact.
What made her curious, was how it passed right through Hunter and Finn as if it was nothing while slapping her face with force. Being material and immaterial at the same time. How she wished Layla were there, or Abrams. Those two may have had the answers to what didn’t make sense.
Hunter said that it was Leroy Bohn, one of the two men who had kidnapped her. Her memories couldn’t place the face, but names held power, and that could be used.
When Hunter helped her up as Finn talked to the ghost, she saw the dark mark spread over the back of her hand and almost whimpered. She was being consumed, and there wasn’t anything she could do about it. The tears that blurred her vision weren’t caused by her physical suffering, but by the agony of what she was about to do.
When she had gathered her powers a few minutes ago, revealing Bohn’s ghost form to Finn and Hunter, it was clear the only solution to take control was to accept what was happening to her.
Hunter was whispering something, but her mind retreated inward, focusing on the new kind of power forming in her cells, using the channels of the magic she had known as a witch. She expected to be engulfed by a bottomless pit of shadows, but instead, the feel and texture weren’t what she’d expected. The magic had a lot less light than what she was used to, but it was softer, shimmering like a precious jewel. It made her think of shiny onyxes and the crushed diamonds in a moonless sky full of stars.
Where her witch magic was bright and bubbly like champagne, this one tasted more like deep and potent whiskey. Now having free rein inside her, this newfound power melted into her existing magic, invading her cells like a seduction.
Nothing made sense, but it felt right.
It was a cry of victory that returned her to the present and she opened her eyes to see Hunter hunched over after clearly being punched, with Bohn looking at his ethereal body with surprise.
“I thought I wouldn’t be able to touch anything, but the longer I stay close to you, witch, the more powerful I become. I think I’m going to haunt you and your little friends for some time.”
Rage exploded inside her when she saw Hunter wince and Finn with a bloody mark above his eyebrow. The ghost was gaining power no one of its kind should have, and he had to be stopped. Violet didn’t know how, but her powers told her that she could, that there was a spell she could do.
As she was still down, the ghost seemed to delight in attacking the men, allowing her to steady herself, and the flow took her. The summoning was quicker than she expected and so new it felt almost like a burn. It mixed so well with her anger and fear for her friend and her love, it quickly got out of hand.
“Enough!”
Her voice reverberated like an earthquake in her head, but as soon as she opened her eyes, it poured out of her and hit the ghost like a sonic wave. Surprise registered on his face, but a second later, whatever she had done, made the specter scream.
“Arrgh! Stop it!”
His next yell was a pure expression of pain and fright as he charged in her direction. She braced for impact, but he flew through her, as ghosts normally did.
Violet kept what was emerging from her directed toward Bohn, aiming it like a gun, and through it
