“I am freaked,” I replied. Wren wasn’t there, and I really wished she had been. I could use her reassurance.
“Mace told me about him showing up at your house, if that has anything to do with it.”
“Honestly? Not a bit.” I hadn’t even thought of trying to explain that in hours. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about it first, but my mirror tried to kill me, or rather, something tried to use my mirror to kill me, and I forgot all about Mace.”
Ben’s frown deepened. His gaze lifted to the cut I’d tried so hard to conceal. “It hurt you.”
“It tried. If Wren hadn’t protected me, it would have been a lot worse. Can we go sit? If I’m going to tell this story, I only want to do it once.”
He nodded, took my hand and led me to the rest of our friends.
“What happened in English?” Roxi asked. “We didn’t have time to talk earlier.”
I picked at my food—a turkey burger and fries. “Guys, it’s in-freaking-sane. A ghost told me something bad is going to go down at the Dead Babies concert and that I’m the only person that can stop it.”
They all stared at me—Gage actually had his mouth open.
“This just happened?” Mace asked. “Like, today?”
“Today has been crazy,” I confessed. I told them about Emily and my bathroom mirror. “And I think it’s going to keep getting crazier as the week goes on.”
“What’s going to happen at the concert?” Ben asked. “Have any of these ghosts given you useful information?”
“Not really. The only thing anyone has told me is that something terrible is coming for me—and for Wren, too, I assume. No, wait...not something terrible, someone. All I know is that it’s male. Oh, and apparently the town’s ghosts are willing to support me in fighting it. The ghost in class today said it had to do with Haven Crest and the spectral energy of the place.”
Mace’s eyebrows jacked. “You had a ghost in your class?”
I gave him a dry stare. Really? “They’re all over this place. There’s one hanging in the main stairwell.”
He contemplated that. “So, when I felt like there was someone watching me in the bathroom between classes...?”
Gage punched him in the arm. “Dude, you were totally getting perved on by a ghost.”
Mace scowled and punched him back. Gage almost fell off his chair, but he grinned. The only time I hadn’t seen Gage in a good mood was when Josiah Bent had sent him to the hospital with some nasty spectral wounds.
“So, this ghost apocalypse,” he said, rubbing his shoulder. “You’re the only person who can stop it?”
I shrugged. “That’s what he said.” I nibbled on a fry. I was freaked, but I was still hungry, which meant I wasn’t too flipped out. “It’s a combination of Halloween, the concert and the number of ghosts at Haven Crest.”
“Can we get the concert canceled?” Roxi asked. “I mean, a lot of people could get hurt.”
I thought of Joe and the promise I’d made him. If the concert was canceled, how would I catch Olgilvie?
Mace spoke before I could. “If we go to the town and tell them ghosts are going to disrupt the concert and unleash hell on earth, they’ll laugh in our faces. Or lock us up. And then they’ll sell even more tickets because people will want to be there in case something does happen.”
Roxi shook her head, as though she couldn’t quite believe the human race. Get in line, sister. She’d been just as naive before she met me. Her dark gaze met mine. “Okay. So, what do you need us to do?”
“Yeah,” Mace joined in. “Just name it.”
I chewed another fry. I loved these people. “I don’t suppose you all would stay home that night?”
Four brows lifted in unison. “No,” they chorused.
I smiled. They were actually what friends should be. The idea of getting them hurt made me want to barf up all the deep-fried goodness in my gut. But the idea of not having them with me and Wren was worse.
“We’ll have to sneak supplies onto the grounds,” I said. “I doubt they’ll let us in with salt and iron in our bags. Our rings will work against any ghost that gets close enough, but we’re going to be so outnumbered.” I felt guilty putting them in danger, even if they had volunteered for it.
“So, we know we’re up against a male spirit, but not what his intent is?” Ben asked. “We’re assuming he’s old, yes? Older than Bent, even?”
“Yes.” I squirted ketchup on my plate. “I think so.”
Gage paled. “That’s bad news.”
I met his dark gaze. “I understand if you want to bail.”
He actually frowned. “No effing way. I’m not letting another ghost make me his bitch.”
Roxi put her arm around him and gave him a hug. “You’re nobody’s bitch, baby.”
Ben continued, “And we know that ghosts around town are frightened enough that they’ve offered their help, so we’ve got backup?”
I nodded as he plucked one of my fries off my plate and ate it. “Yeah. The ghost I spoke to was nervous. Whatever—whoever this guy is, he believes it’s going to be awful.”