This Side of the Grave (Night Huntress, #5)(84)

“Far away,” Bones replied. “Took it flying and then dropped it in a lake. It’ll sink, or some lucky sod will have a grand day fishing.”

I’d already scrubbed myself enough to take off a layer of skin, let alone all remaining stench from the herbs, and thrown out my clothes that had touched them. I was as ready as I was going to get.

“All right,” I said, looking at Bones, Mencheres, and Kira. “Time to raise the dead.”

I went onto our wraparound front porch, staring up at the sky to try and clear my head. The stars really were much brighter out in the country as compared to the city. Still, I wasn’t here to admire the pretty twinkling lights. I was here to put a big ol’ supernatural WELCOME sign above my head, summoning the very beings I’d tried to repel for the past several weeks. Even though I was in a sparsely populated area, I knew the dead were close by. The lack of human voices bombarding my mind made it easier to focus on the hum I felt in the air that had nothing to do with the three vampires joining me on the porch. This was something else, coming from the ground up.

I closed my eyes, trying to picture the trails of spectral light I’d seen when the other side of the grave first opened to me back in New Orleans. Something that felt like gooseflesh danced across my skin, but it wasn’t cold out, and I wasn’t afraid. I was calm, because I knew they were close. Come, I thought, seeking them with the power that resided in my veins. Come.

Behind me, Kira let out a hiss even as Bones said quietly, “Four of them just showed up, luv.” I kept my eyes closed, smiling so those who came would know they were welcomed, and continued to pull on the power inside me. Before, I’d had to be angry, or afraid, or in pain to activate the power I’d borrowed from Vlad and Mencheres, but this was something different. Stillness was what called to the residents of the grave, not seething emotions.

“Five more,” Bones said, a question in his voice I didn’t answer out loud. No, I wasn’t done. More were close by. I could feel them.

A chill blew through the warm summer air. Not frigid. Pleasant, like the kiss of frost on a fevered brow. I invited it to come nearer, and it accepted, the coolness settling over me with a slow, sweet lethargy. It grew inside me, urging me to release myself to it. I didn’t fight it, but surrendered, letting it settle all the way through me.

“Eight more,” Bones said, almost a growl.

I heard him, but still didn’t respond, falling into the white emptiness that attached itself to the center of me. The more I let my fear, grief, and stress slide away from me, the bigger that inner sphere grew, replacing those emotions with cool, blissful nothingness. It was such a relief to let my burdens fall to the ground, swallowed up by the soothing white emptiness. How had I ever lasted so longer under the weight of the pain? Now with it finally gone, I felt like I could fly.

Bones said something else, but I didn’t hear what this time. Wave after wave of peace crested over me, insulating me from everything except the cool, restful silence inside me. This was bliss. This was freedom. I reveled in it, never wanting it to end.

A thread reached down into my consciousness, tugging me back. Bones’s voice, sounding harsh in worry. It chased away some of that beautiful nothingness, replacing it with concern. It was so calm and peaceful where I was . . . but I didn’t like hearing him that way.

His voice came again, more urgent this time. Sandbags of distress seemed to form on top of me, holding me down from that floating, freeing emptiness. They formed a path that I followed, each step piling on every painful emotion I’d let go of before, but I didn’t turn around. Bones was at the end of this road. That was more important than all the blissful barrenness behind me.

All of a sudden, I had more than his voice. His face was only inches away, dark brows drawn together as he said my name, louder, strong hands shaking my shoulders.

“I’m right here, no need to yell,” I murmured.

Bones closed his eyes briefly before speaking again. “You turned white as chalk and then crumpled to the floor. I’ve been calling your name trying to rouse you these past ten minutes.”

“Oh.” I rubbed my face against his. “Sorry.”

At the feel of wetness, I touched my cheek and then looked at the pink glistening drops on my fingers.

Tears. “I was crying?” Odd. I didn’t remember feeling sad.

“Yes,” Bones rasped. “You were, and yet the whole time, you were still smiling.”

Eesh. That sounded kinda creepy. “Did it work?” I remember him rattling off some numbers before, but I didn’t know if those ghosts were still here. I was on the porch floor, and Bones’s body blocked out most of what was around me.

“Oh, it bloody well did,” he replied. Then he sat back, lifting me up with him. The rest of the porch and surrounding yard came into view.

I couldn’t control my gasp at the dozens and dozens of transparent forms that lined up around our house. I could barely even make out all their faces, there were so many of them floating by each other. Good God! It was like being back in New Orleans. How was this possible? I’d only summoned five ghosts the last time I tried this with Vlad and that had been in cemetery, for crying out loud!

“Are these the Remnants you guys were talking about?” Kira asked, sounding rattled.

“No.” Amazement was still in my voice. “They’re regular ghosts.”