“Now you’re talking.” I can hear the grin in his words.
Marco catches up with us and we turn toward the path that will take us around the lake and through the woods and home. A raven lands on the grass near the trees, followed by another, to make a pair.
“Oh no.” I can’t do this again. Not right now. But I know that I’m a conduit here. There’s a larger purpose in play and I have a duty to do my part.
“You all right?” Marco asks.
I tip my head toward the ravens. He takes one look and then looks up as another pair of birds comes in for a landing. “Wow…”
Two more blackbirds land on the grass, these two further along the quad, as if they’re forming a path for me to follow. They’re not going to wait.
“What are you going to do?” Angus asks, looking between me and the increasing number of ravens.
I feel the pull of the birds but it isn’t like the time they wanted to take me flying. I get the distinct impression that they want me to walk. “Connect the dots, I guess.” I take a step toward them.
The dots lead me back across campus, and through the woods to the creepy maintenance shack yet again. “What is it with this place?” I say.
Marco shivers. “Okay. I’ve officially had enough of the torture palace, thank you.”
“Come on. There’s nothing here that can hurt you,” I say, pushing the front door open and walking in instead of climbing down the hatch. Although I have to agree, I’ve had about enough of it as well.
The room where Underwood had tortured the guys is completely bare. The guys removed Porter Allbright’s body and buried him in the cemetery in town. They broke down the stone coffins and dismantled the gallows device, and they even managed to take care of all the vampire dust. The hole in the wall is still there, but it’s not as dark now with the sunlight beaming through the small windows. I can’t focus with the noise. It’s not loud, but it’s insistent, demanding to be heard.
“What was that?” I say, cocking my head to get a better listen.
Angus shakes his head. “I don’t hear anything.”
Marco shrugs. “Me neither.”
“It sounds like…” I step through the hole in the wall and into the space where Tobias’s coffin once sat. The guys got rid of that as well, so there is nothing really to see.
I turn to leave when the sound comes to me again. It’s like a chorus of voices singing words but they are too far away to understand. Like before, I can sense that they will not be silenced. I turn back and step deeper into the space and as my eyes adjust, I realize just how big the room is.
I pull my phone out of my pocket and turn on the little flashlight, and I’m immediately bombarded with the noise. Not noise, I realize, but voices. Hundreds of voices.
“Okay, okay. Slow down! I can’t understand you!” I shout into the cavern.
Marco and Angus follow me into the cavern. They stand by my side, peering into the dark.
“Joely? Are you all right?” Marco asks.
I nod and wave him off and signal them to be quiet.
The voices disappear and then Mel steps toward me, stopping right at the edge of the sunlight.
“Mel?” I gasp.
“Do you see something?” Angus grabs my hand.
“We’re here,” Mel says, though I don’t think she actually speaks. I can hear her in my head.
It’s not Mel, it’s her ghost, and as I look through her essence, I see another young woman standing in the shadows behind her.
“We’re all here,” Mel says again. Her hand moves at her side, gesturing outward, next to her, behind her.
“I’m here.” A male figure steps closer.
Another face appears from the gloom. “I’m here.”
“I’m here,” a tall red-haired ghost in black robes says.
They keep calling out, each one further into the shadows than the last. I blink and look through them and then I see it. What I thought was just a trick of the light is actually row upon row of stone coffins.
“Oh my god!” My hands reach out, looking for the stability of the men with me. My mind struggles with what I’m seeing. It takes a few tries before I find my voice once more. “Oh my god!” I whisper. “They’re trapped in here! They’re all still here!”
My legs give out and I drop to my knees, watching as more and more of the ghosts step into the light.
The story continues…
Don’t miss the next installment in the saga of Joely and her men!
Get Book 4, Cursed Souls, now!
Fiona Starr lives her happily ever after in the mountains of Colorado with her hunky husband and their fleet of fur babies.
Follow me on Amazon and Goodreads and Bookbub!
ARC Readers can find early, limited access to my titles on Booksprout!
And of course, you should totally be subscribed to my Newsletter where all the good stuff happens!
I write Contemporary and Paranormal Romance with varying levels of steam.
Some collections are short quickies, some are longer for lingering over, but all of them are sexy, sweet, and happily ever after!
Also by Fiona Starr
Society of Ancient Magic Series
Dark Arts
Over Hexed
Witch Wars
Cursed Souls
Academy of Elemental Magic Series
Hidden Power
Forbidden Bond
Shadow Promise
Paranormal Underworld Romance Collection
Captive Witch
Fated Witch
The Diablo Falls Paranormal Romance Collection
First Cursed
Scale of Betrayal
Contemporary Romance Short Stories
His Zesty Marinara
MMA Fighter x2
The Blaze Family Romance Short Story Collection
Half Pipe Hottie
Cowboy’s Promise
Her Roman Candle
Something Blue
His Violet
Spring Break Surprise
Mr. Platinum
Forever My Love
Dear Lonely Heart
Resolution: Free Fall
Naughty Sleigh Ride
Blaze BOXED SETS!
Blazing Hot Winter
Blazing Hot Spring
Blazing Hot Summer
Blazing Hot Christmas
