Spurned

  Chapter Two

  Vayne frowned. “C'mon, Kara, it was just a joke. Calm down.”

  She brushed past him and Naomi. Icari followed. The room of broken mirrors led into a storage room. Everything of value had been stolen long ago, but the rotting dust sheets clumped over the floor in dirty drifts.

  Icari asked her, “Mind holding the lamp? I have to get the water refilled.”

  She nodded and took the lamp. Icari pulled out the skin of water and carefully poured all of it in the narrow vial. She looked over the cobwebs as she thought about how easy this should be. But some primal instinct kept giving her a warning tickle in the back of her mind. A run-hide-now type of warning.

  “Kara?”

  She swung around and held the lantern up. “What?”

  Vayne gave her that smile that melted her insides to slush. He said, “Care if we join you? I'm curious about what is in the manor's cellar.”

  Icari snorted as he finished his preparations. He said, “You will be nothing but a bother. Go back to the carnival. This is not safe.”

  Vayne crossed his muscled arms over his just-as-muscled chest. “I know what I am doing.”

  Naomi wrapped her arms around his waist as an icy draft swirled by them. Icari frowned as the flame flickered and almost died out. He said, “The spirits are stirring. Tag along if you want, but we are not responsible for you. And I am not giving you our spare lamp.”

  Vayne glared at Icari. “I don't need you to be responsible for me.”

  Naomi, still wrapped around him like a giant squid, was looking up at him like he was a gift from the Goddess herself. She giggled and said, “He's tough.”

  Another icy blast shuddered around them and stayed. Kara's fingers and toes began to go numb and goose bumps prickled her all over. Naomi glanced around and pressed further onto Vayne, though that seemed impossible. Somehow she managed, every possible bit of her against him.

  Icari said, “Muscles and bravado do not protect against spirits.”

  The comment hung between the two and Kara decided this had gone on long enough. She said, “Icari, let's just go. If they want to follow, fine. I'm cold and ready to get this over with.”

  He nodded and broke his gaze from Vayne. He said, “You are right.” He handed her a vial of water from the satchel. “Do you know what to do?”

  “Splash the ghosties?”

  “That is the essence of it, yes.” He gave her a small smile and she returned it.

  They shuffled to the end of the room and saw a door. Icari whispered, “I think this is it.”

  Icari was reaching for the handle and she stopped him with a whisper. “Let me. It's my mission.”

  “It's dangerous.”

  “Everything is. Let me.” She turned back to Naomi. “Mind holding the lamp and vial?”

  Naomi unwound herself from Vayne and took the proffered items.

  Icari stepped reluctantly aside and Kara reached for the handle. Her fingers stopped a quarter of an inch from her goal. Confused, she pulled her fingers back and pushed towards the door handle again. The resistance was still there, invisible and hard.

  She gathered up her courage to try again and this time her fingers slipped into the barrier. The sensation was repulsive, like pushing into rancid fat. But she was determined to see this task through, so she kept on.

  Her fingers curled around the handle and she pulled back. The door groaned-and stayed shut.

  The slimy, cold feeling was creeping up her arm now, past her wrist and towards her elbow. Panic stirred in her breast but she had gone too far to back off now. She dug her heels in the rotting floorboards and gave one last determined pull.

  Naomi asked, “What is the holdup?”

  Kara gritted her teeth and did not answer. All of her effort was riveted on pulling that door back. The invisible slime was now over her elbow and it began to burn under the chill.

  The door opened. One inch, then two.

  The chilly burn became a real burn, burrowing under her goosebumps and lighting her nerves with dazzling pain. Kara ripped herself away from the cursed door and flailed. She started to fall, then thin arms caught her, Icari's arms. He said, “What's wrong? Is that door cursed?”

  She shook her head. She did not know enough of magic to say what was wrong.

  The pain, the cold, slimy feeling, gradually went away as she took three deep breaths. She whispered, “The door resists you and gives you a cold burn when you touch it.” She looked down at her arm, and it seemed fine. She added, “Thank you for catching me.”

  Icari exhaled slowly as she righted herself. He let go of her with some reluctance; she was touched at how concerned he was for her. He muttered, “Mr. Hither should have warned us. He did not say anything about defensive magic guarding the manor.”

  Vayne said, “Can't deal with a bit of magic, Icky? Let me take care of that. The ladies are cold and frightened.”

  Kara shot him a dirty look as he brushed by them and tried to grab the handle. He stiffened and yanked back. He tried again and succeeded in grasping the handle.

  The door, which was only open about two inches, did not budge further as he pulled. He locked his knees and tried harder, tendons popping in his neck. Tense silence ensued and Naomi and Kara shared a worried glance.

  Vayne released it and staggered back, heaving. Kara wanted to run and catch him as he stumbled, but held still, knowing he would not want her to even see him weak, much less offer aid. Naomi tried to steady him but he brushed her off. The hurt on her face was noticeable even in the dim light.

  Icari muttered something under his breath, slid the vial he was holding into his satchel, and stepped up to the door.

  He studied the door and frame then nodded once to himself, then flexed his fingers.

  A low moan whispered through the crack. Kara's knees began to shake and her stomach was tying itself in knots. It took every single speck of her courage to not bolt.

  A shadow dribbled from the door and floated up to the ceiling. It brought a cold smell with it, of dead animals frozen in a deep snow.

  Naomi whispered, “I want to go now, Vayne.”

  He gave her a hard look. “We stay.”

  She shrunk back and said no more.

  Icari did not react at all to the shadow. Instead he shoved his fingers in the crack and pulled back, mouthing words that sounded foreign and lilting. Kara could feel the thick, dark thing hovering over them.

  Waiting.

  Watching.

  The door glowed silver and a wash of warmth enveloped them. She smiled when the door opened. Trust Icari to do it right. She admonished herself for ever doubting him.

  Icari stepped away and swayed, and this time it was she who caught him.

  She asked in a hushed voice, “How did you do that?”

  “I have learned a few things in my travels. Remind me to tell you later. Thank you for catching me.”

  The door, which was still opening, suddenly slammed back all the way. A thing made of black tendrils shot out, wrapped around Vayne, and pulled him into its embrace. The darkness hovering above them dropped after it and pushed Vayne further into the manor's secret ways.

  The door slammed shut before anyone could react.