After that, silence.
“They’re gone.” I say with a sigh. “We missed them.”
“Not at all.” Lincoln turns to me, his eyebrows bobbing up and down. “I’m sure that Adair thinks she’s given us the slip, but few ghouls are so talented at reconstructing portals as Walker. How about we continue our recon mission? I for one, am still curious as to what she does in her spare time.”
“Are you kidding? I’d love to find out where she goes when she’s not stalking me. Sign me up.”
Lincoln jogs towards the end of the alley; Walker and I are close behind. Within a few seconds, we’ve reached the spot where Adair and her ghouls were hiding.
“Need you, buddy,” says Lincoln. “Where’d they go?”
Kneeling down, Walker touches the ground where the portal once stood. “Ghost Tower Four. Not the ideal place for a portal. What do you say, Myla?”
Walker’s right to be cautious. Our Ghost Towers are jittery enough without people portalling in and out. Still, as long as we’re careful, we should be fine. Besides, I really-really-really want to find out what Adair’s up to.
“We’ll be alright.” I tap the baculum holster on Lincoln’s thigh. “Don’t spark this baby up by the Carrier wall. It can break the containment field.” I take Walker’s hand in my left and Lincoln’s in my right. When travelling by portal, you have to hold onto your ghoul or you’ll fall through darkness forever. “Let’s hit it.”
A new black door forms on the same spot where Adair disappeared; only this time, the portal is Walker’s handiwork.
Together, we all step into the black doorway, tumble through empty space, and then re-emerge in the middle of a heavy, ivory-colored mist. A loud droning-sound fills the air, like we’re standing beside a huge waterfall or jet aircraft engine. Actually, we’re standing near some of the most powerful power generators in the after-realms.
Ghostly shapes move through the mist. Men, women, old, young, human, quasi. These spirits should be sleeping peacefully, but instead, they’re all meandering around, wide-eyed and agitated. Spectral whispers carry on the air.
Where am I?
Get me out of here.
Help me.
Each reedy voice sends a shudder through my stomach. I force myself not to meet their gaze, as that only freaks them out…And a freaked out ghost is a dangerous ghost.
I pause, the full impact of our location sinking in. The Lead Warden left a cloud on the Tower floor. Most likely, that means the entire Carrier’s at risk. Long story short, we’re surrounded by a bunch of quite-possibly-homicidal ghosts. My heart kicks harder in my chest.
I let go of Lincoln and Walker’s hands. The din around us is so loud, I have to yell every word I say. “Can you portal us out of here, Walker?”
“I wouldn’t risk another one,” he replies. “The containment walls could have been weakened by my first portal. How about you use igni to lead us out?”
I shoot Walker a thumbs-up. “Will do.”
With all my heart, I call out to the igni, asking them to lead me to Adair. The light igni respond to my summons, their twinkling and childlike voices echoing through my mind. I open my eyes to find their tiny silver bodies diving and spinning about my palms. I lower my hands, and the igni understand my wishes. They tumble down, creating a trail of lightning bolts that flash along the floor, creating a zigzag path over the spectral fields.
My gaze moves between Walker and Lincoln. “Okay, follow the igni. Keep staring at the ground and we’ll all be fine. And, whatever you do, don’t look in their eyes.”
Lincoln still has to speak-shout to be heard. “What happens if we do that?”
“You’ll wake them up. Ghosts get cranky in the Carriers. They don’t like to see anything alive. If they get angry enough, they can tear you apart.”
Lincoln lets out a high-pitched ‘harrumph’. “So, if you look in their eyes, they’ll wake up and kill you.”
“Yup. That’s pretty much what happens. Don’t step on them, either.”
A snarky grin rounds Lincoln’s mouth. “Helpful safety tips. Thanks, Myla.”
We march along, careful to keep our gazes fixed on the ground. Tension tightens up my legs and spine. One look from those ghosts and that could be it, not only for us, but for the containment wall, too. Our pace stays steady with the igni as their little bodies slowly form a winding path beneath our feet.
The ghosts start to get anxious. Spectral hands pull at my hair. Others tap my shoulder insistently. I’ve seen how quickly they can change from a sweet grandmotherly type into a bloodthirsty banshee. My palms turn slick with sweat. Step by step, we creep across the floor.
Although it’s only a few minutes, it feels like hours pass before we emerge from the mist into the concrete Tower itself. I exhale a long sigh.
We made it.