The sledgehammer rested at the end of the bed next to Priest.
“So much for science.” He lifted it by the handle and smacked the head of the hammer against his hand. “I wonder if I could replace this with cold iron? It’s already loose.”
“Probably from trying to seal us up in a wall,” I said sarcastically. I didn’t want that thing to become a modified weapon in our arsenal.
Priest twisted the head and it hit the ground, cracking the concrete floor.
“It’s a sign.” Alara picked it up and walked toward the hole, ready to toss it inside. But she stopped short. “Priest?”
He took the hunk of metal from her and examined the circular groove where it connected to the handle. A large plate lay behind it with a channel cut through the center. Priest used his screwdriver to remove the plate, exposing a circular chamber. A disk’s silver edge rested against the lip, completely protected.
He flipped over the head of the hammer, and the circle of yellow glass dropped into his hand.
Alara gasped. “How did someone get it in there without that vengeance spirit going crazy?”
“Maybe they gave him something he wanted. Spirits like to barter.”
Jared picked up the handle off the floor. Numbers were scratched into the wood. “What do you think they mean? It looks like math homework.”
39.9159082-80.7420296
Lukas yanked it out of his brother’s hand, studying them. “They’re coordinates.”
“You think they lead to the last piece of the Shift?” Alara asked.
Lukas tightened his hand around the splintered wood. “Yeah. And if we find it and the Marrow, we can destroy Andras.”
“Let’s get out of here.” Priest handed the metal detector to one of the spirits. The child grabbed it and scampered away.
We walked back down the aisle between the beds. The children were already playing with the metal detector, possibly the only toy some of them had ever seen. We moved past the nightmarish drawings and up the cracked stairs. I thought about all the innocent people the Legion must have saved over the years, and I couldn’t help but wonder…
Who saved the innocent souls?
CHAPTER 28
Florida Water
I waited on the front steps, hoping to avoid the awkwardness of being alone with Lukas and Jared. Priest and Alara disappeared the moment we left the basement. Priest was determined to figure out where the coordinates on the handle led, and Alara mumbled something about tying up loose ends.
I stared at my hands, splinters and dirt embedded under my nails instead of black charcoal. Artists protected their hands. What did that say about me? How much would I have to give up for the Legion?
The muffled sound of voices rose inside the house. Without any vengeance spirits to fight, Lukas and Jared were left with each other. A door slammed and snippets of their conversation drifted outside.
“We both know you don’t care about her,” Lukas shouted. “She’s just something else for you to take—”
A knot formed in the pit of my stomach. Lukas meant something to me, even if I couldn’t define exactly what it was. I didn’t want to hurt him.
“Luk, I didn’t mean for this to happen—”
“Like you didn’t mean to kill dad?” The words echoed through the house, layered with pain and anger.
“You know that was an accident,” Jared said quietly.
“Everything’s an accident with you because you never think about anyone but yourself.” I leaned against the door debating whether or not to open it. “Is Kennedy going to be your next victim?”
“Hey, are you going back in?” Alara climbed the stairs behind me, a canvas knapsack slung over her shoulder.
“Wait—”
She opened the door before I could stop her, catching Lukas and Jared off guard. They both turned and looked past Alara to where I stood. I dropped my eyes, hoping they wouldn’t realize how much I heard.
Alara broke the silence. “Am I interrupting something that looks like it needs interrupting?”
Jared slouched against the wall, hands shoved in his pockets.
Lukas noticed Alara’s knapsack. “What are you up to?”
She strode toward them. “My grandmother would never leave the spirits of those children in this awful place. I have to try to release them so they can move on.”
“Can you do that?” I followed her tentatively.
She walked between Jared and Lukas. “I’m not sure. I’ve only seen my grandmother do it, and I don’t have the traditional supplies. But I think I can make some substitutions.”
“Why didn’t they disappear like the little boy in the well?” I asked. He had seemed at peace.
“Sometimes spirits don’t know how to move on. They’re lost and need help finding their way.”
Lukas frowned. “And you’re going to be their guide?”
“More like their travel agent.” Alara pulled four packages of Red Cap tobacco out of her bag. “If you guys want to help, I’m going to need a bucket.”