When the light hits her, she drops to her knees, crying out in pain. The light consumes her, then bounces off, refracting though the ceiling as if seeking out another source. However, as quickly as it was lit, the light pulls back, practically knocking Abigail to the ground.
Cat’s screeches subside as the light peters out. Raising her chin from her chest, her dark eyes meet mine as her lips curve into a wicked grin.
“Whoopsie. Looks like that didn’t work,” she says, as if she knew full well whatever Abigail was doing would be fruitless.
“How—?” Abigail says wearily as she drops to the ground.
“Silly old fool. You don’t have anywhere near the capability to mess with the souls of Gemini Twins. The only one who has that kind of power is God—and maybe Death if he feels particularly generous. Good luck getting either of them on your side right now,” Cat says, chuckling.
“Gemini Twin,” Abigail mutters, raising a hand to her head. Her body flickers in and out of focus, shifting like a TV station receiving too much static. Then, with a simple blink, she vanishes.
Without Abigail’s knowledge and power and direction, I feel completely exposed. If Abigail’s abilities weren’t enough, none of mine stand a chance against whatever a Gemini Twin is, either.
Unable to think of any other way to protect the grimoire, I take off running. I turn down the first tunnel, racing into the darkness. Wade’s grandpa follows me, his energetic cord continuing to hold as I try to make an escape. Behind me, the Fetch’s footsteps aren’t far behind. I keep running, hoping my eyes will adjust to the darkness or the torches will light, but when they don’t I fumble for my phone.
It drops from my hand, landing on the soft dirt with a thud.
“Dammit,” I say, panting. Panic erupts through my gut, launching a dose of adrenaline, and I keep running, unable to justify slowing down to grab it.
If I’m going to get away from the Fetch, I’ll need to lose her in these tunnels. But how…?
Suddenly, I close my eyes, trying to summon the sight Abigail had shown me earlier. I have no idea if it is a trick my astral self can use while my real self can’t…but there’s no time like the present to try.
Please, please, please work.
I continue to run, hoping my other senses will alert me if I’m about to faceplant into a wall or something.
“There’s no point in running, Autumn. I’ll find you,” the Fetch calls after me. Her voice echoes through the chamber halls, sending chills up my spine.
Then, as if a theater screen ignites in my mind, the spectrum of colors erupts, showing me the faint outlines of the tunnel walls and its offshoots. The walls are full of small archways, one on top of the other above a flat platform. Inside each archway are the bodies of hundreds, if not thousands, of people who have sought sanctuary in these catacombs. The realization makes me shudder, but I keep running, taking turn after turn in the hopes of losing her.
Taking an immediate left, I veer the revenant and I as far away from where we started as possible. It’s only after the first twenty or so turns that trepidation begins to seep in.
How am I ever going to find my way out of here?
Even if we’re lucky enough to lose the Fetch, without my phone, a light, or any idea how to leave, I could die in these tunnels.
Before I could even finish the thought, I run back out into the middle of the circular room where we started. Startled, I pull up short, shaking away the shock and confusion.
“Autumn—oh, thank god.”
I spin around, clutching at my heart as Wade rushes toward me.
“How—? You shouldn’t be in here. You could have been lost…” I sputter, trying to catch my breath. My body quakes from the rush of adrenaline, and I can’t even begin to process what’s happening.
Wade shakes his head. “It’s a long story and I’ll tell you everything. But first, I have the rest of the revenants… You haven’t started the ritual yet, have you?”
“Noooo—” Cat’s Fetch erupts from the catacombs tunnel behind me, rushing past me and racing at Wade like a wildfire. The air crackles behind her as if she’s summoning some sort of static energy field.
As she reaches him, she places both hands across his chest, pushing hard. My mouth drops open as her body somehow passes through his, the way it had with Abigail. However, it doesn’t exit the other side alone.
Chapter 26
All Things Displaced
Wade’s spirit is thrust outside of his body, as if the Fetch was somehow able to dig inside him and yank it out. I nearly drop the grimoire as I lunge forward, reaching out for Wade. His physical body goes dormant—not unlike the revenant of his grandfather behind me. But his spirit stands just behind it, as if he’s somehow managed to clone himself.
“Wade—” I call out, unable to make my brain come up with more words. My heart comes to a complete stop—refusing to beat, just in case this means what I fear it means. Instead, my brain scrambles, searching for any answers on how to put him back where he belongs.
The Fetch of Cat cackles, as if this is the most hilarious thing she’s ever seen. “Looks like lover boy here isn’t as invulnerable as he thinks he is.”
Wade’s spirit looks down at his ethereal body with wide eyes and a look of horror clear across his face. “How—?” he mutters, flitting his gaze between me and his body.
I shake my head, still unable to process.
What do I do? How do I make this right?
I’m in no way prepared for any of this… I barely managed to bring Cat to life, and I evidently screwed that up. How do I put Wade back into his body?
“Abigail—” I cry out, my voice cracking. She has to be
