Suddenly Psychic (Glimmer Lake #1)(78)

She sliced a fine line through the sketch, across Gordon’s neck, and the ghost grabbed his neck. “Just like Billy Grimmer,” she murmured, watching the blood seep between Gordon’s fingers. “I can’t kill you like you killed him.”

“Robin Marie,” he hissed. “Get to bed. Children should be see— Ggrhg.” The blood poured faster when Robin sliced again.

“Get out of this house, Gordon.” Robin spoke clearly. “Leave Helen alone. Leave Grace alone. Leave all of us alone. We don’t belong to you, and we never did.”

Gordon’s feet couldn’t move, but he twisted and shuddered in agony.

“Leave, Gordon Russell.” Robin picked up a candle and lit the corner of her sketch. “This is not your home.”

He screamed in rage, but as the thick sketch paper burned, Robin saw smoke rising from his feet. Then his legs. His torso and his arms were enveloped in smoke.

“Robin Marie, don’t you—” His mouth turned to ash, and the last thing Robin saw was a pair of angry black eyes staring at her through a veil of smoke; then the shadow twisted through the open window and it was gone.

Robin held her hand out. “Monica, you still have some water? I really don’t want to burn the house down, and these candles are making me really nervous.”

“Yep!” Monica tossed a water bottle at Robin.

“Is he gone?” Val asked.

“I think so.”

Mark sprang toward the window, slamming it down. He grabbed the salt and ran a line along the windowpane. “Val, maybe that sage stuff?”

“On it.” Val grabbed a bunch of sage and put it in a small bowl they’d borrowed from the kitchen. “I have no idea what I’m doing right now.”

Robin poured water on the black, curling scraps of the sketch, soaking it.

“Don’t blow on the sage,” Monica said. “I watched some traditional healers on YouTube. Light it and let it smolder in the bowl. Let the smoke build, then move it over you, almost like you’re washing with it.”

“Okay?” Val scooped up smoke with her hands and waved it over her head. “Robin?”

She rose and used her hands to wash the pungent smoke over her body, scooping it and trying to picture the smoke pouring over her like water. “Monica?”

“I got it.” Monica looked far more practiced. She’d obviously studied what to do. She murmured soft prayers as she smudged over her body. Then she picked up the bowl and walked to Mark. “Our faithful sidekick.” She grinned and wafted the sage smoke over Mark.

“Let’s get the room.” Robin could already feel the difference in the attic. The earthen, moldy smell was gone, both from the fresh air from the window and the smell of the burning sage.

Monica walked around the entire attic, waving and spreading smoke in the corners and along the edges. By the time Monica returned to the center of the room, Robin was looking out the window, staring at the starry night sky.

“Did it work?” She glanced at Mark. “What do you think?”

“I mean… I’m not gonna lie, that was weird as hell.” Mark nodded. “But whatever was in here—and there was definitely something in here—seems like it’s gone.”

“Let’s clean up,” Val said. “I want to go visit Helen.”





Walking down to the third floor, they noticed the change immediately. Though the house was dark, the smell of baking wafted up the stairs and the air felt warm and cozy. Robin poked her head in the old nursery and saw the darkened room full of old toys and small beds. For the first time ever, she felt warmth and remembered laughter.

“He’s gone.” She reached for Mark’s hand. “I think he’s really gone.”

When the four of them entered the kitchen, the only one awake was Lily.

The nurse turned wide eyes toward them. “Something happened upstairs.”

Robin nodded. “I think the ghost is gone.”

“Is it?” Lily looked around. “I felt something. Your grandmother’s room is warmer. I had to turn down her space heater.”

“Did she wake up?” Robin harbored a faint hope that Grandma Helen’s wavering consciousness was a byproduct of Gordon’s interference. Maybe with Gordon gone…

“No.” Lily smiled sadly. “In fact, according to the last nurse’s notes, she hasn’t opened her eyes in about twelve hours now.”

Robin bit her lip to keep from crying. She nodded. Mark put his arm around her shoulders, and she leaned into his embrace.

“I’m sorry,” Lily said. “But remember, she’s very tired. And she’s been surrounded by love for days now.”

“Can we go in?” Val asked.

“Raymond is in there, but I think he’s sleeping in the recliner.” Lily put a finger to her lips. “So just be quiet.”

Robin and Mark, Val and Monica, entered Grandma Helen’s bedroom, where a dim lamp cast a golden glow around the room. Raymond was sleeping in the corner, his grey head peeking out from under a yellow blanket. Helen was sleeping, and it was the most peaceful Robin had ever seen her.

The hospital bed they’d moved her to was partly raised, and Helen’s mouth was curved into a slight smile. Her hands were lying on either side of her body, fingers relaxed. The wrinkles lining her face seemed to fade in the soft gold light.