White Witch, Black Curse

"I'm feeling the excitement of a past danger shared," Ford said softly. "Of fondness, gratitude. Heavy gratitude to you." His eyes opened, and I stifled a shiver at the alien look in them. They were his, but they carried the shadow of the soul of the person he was picking up on.

"Have any of your clients died?" Ford asked. "Someone you were trying to help?"

"Brett," Jenks said.

"Peter?" I blurted out.

But the amulet went a negative gray.

"Nick," Jenks said nastily, and the color on the metal disk became a violent shade of purple.

Ford blinked, trying to divorce himself from the hate. "I'd say no," he whispered.

This was really weird. Whoever it was knew my old boyfriends. My eyes closed in a wash of guilt. I had known a lot of people who were now dead. I was a freaking albatross.

"Rachel."

It was gentle and caring, and I opened my eyes to find Ford looking at me with compassion. "You are worthy of accepting love," he said, and I flushed.

"Stop eavesdropping on me," I mumbled, and Jenks's wings hummed an agitated whisper.

"The ghost thinks so, too," Ford added.

I swallowed a lump. "Are you sure it isn't my dad?"

Ford's smile turned benevolent. "It's not your dad, but he does want to protect you. He's frustrated, watching you these past…months? And being unable to help."

I let out my breath in a huff. Jenks's wings hit a higher pitch, and he took to the air. Great. I really needed another white knight. Not. "Who is it?" Jenks said, almost angry. Then, in a burst of sparkles that rivaled the lights, he shouted, "Rache, where's your Ouija board?"

I stared at the wildly darting pixy, then, understanding what he wanted to do, I shuffled through Ivy's papers for the back of one she wouldn't miss. "I don't have one," I said, turning over a hand-drawn map of the conservatory and writing out the alphabet in big, bold letters. "They give me the creeps."

Feeling light-headed, I pushed the hand-drawn alphabet in front of Ford and backed up. Ford gave me a wondering look, and I said, "Run your finger under the letters. When you feel a positive emotion, that's the first letter of his name." I looked at the empty-seeming kitchen. "Okay?"

The amulet went gold in affirmation, and I sat down to hide my shaking knees. This was really, really weird.

"I'd say he's okay with that." But Ford looked uneasy for the first time. With a single finger, he began at A, running over them with a deliberate slowness. I watched as he paused at one, then backed up. "P," Ford said.

My thoughts flashed to Peter, then Piscary. One dead, the other really dead. Both impossible. But what if it was Peter? He was living as an undead, but if his soul was in purgatory, and I could get it into his body, would he be whole? Was this Ivy's answer?

I licked my lips and watched Ford reach the end of the alphabet and start over. "I," he said, then hesitated. "Yes, I."

My exhale was long. Not Peter, then. But Piscary? Ford had said the ghost was benevolent, and the vampire hadn't been. Unless it was a trick. Or Piscary had been a good man before he'd become a vampire. Did their souls renew themselves at death, not disintegrate? Revert to a state before everything went wrong?

Ford reached the end and started again. "E," he said, looking as if he was more relaxed. Not Piscary, then, and I felt better.

"Pie," Jenks said snidely. "Did you kill a baker we don't know about, Rachel?"

I leaned forward, breathless. "Shut up, Jenks."

Ford's finger stopped again, almost immediately. "R," he said, and I felt myself go cold, then hot. No freaking way…

"Oh my God!" I shouted, jumping to my feet. Jenks hit the ceiling at my outburst, and Ford covered his ears, eyes closed in pain. "I know who it is!" I exclaimed, eyes wide and my heart pounding. I could not believe it. I could not freaking believe it. But it had to be him!

"Rachel!" Jenks was in my face, shedding gold sparkles. "Stop! You're killing Ford! Knock it off!"

His hand to his head, Ford smiled. "It's okay," he said, grinning. "This is good stuff. From both of you."

Wonder filled me, and I shook my head as I looked around my kitchen. "Unbelievable," I whispered, then more loudly said, "Where are you? I thought you were at peace." I stopped, hands falling to my side, disappointed somehow. "Wasn't saving Sarah enough?"

Ford was leaning back in his chair, grinning as if he was witnessing a family reunion, but Jenks was pissed. "Who the hell are you talking to, Rache? Tell me or I'm going to pix you, so help me Tink."

Hand gesturing at nothing, I stood in the middle of my kitchen, still not believing it. "Pierce," I said, and Ford's amulet glowed. "It's Pierce."

Nine