Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 70779 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 354(@200wpm)___ 283(@250wpm)___ 236(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70779 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 354(@200wpm)___ 283(@250wpm)___ 236(@300wpm)
As soon as the angry spirit was out of me, I yanked my hands away from Big Nicky’s throat.
“Sorry! I’m so sorry!” I babbled and then broke down choking and coughing—I thought I might puke for real in a moment. The inside of me felt so dry. Dry and violated.
“You fucking better be sorry!” He snatched up the fat envelope filled with bills and stuffed it into his inner pocket. “How the fuck did you let my ex-wife come through? Your Grandfather never did anything like that!”
“I told you, I’ve never done this before!” I gasped and coughed some more. “Please don’t hurt me! I didn’t mean to let her in—she just rushed right into me!”
Nicky Valentino pointed a finger at me.
“I’ll forgive you—if you send her back to Hell where she fucking belongs! Send her back right now!”
“All right—all right!” I held up my hands in a “don’t shoot” gesture. I didn’t know if I really had the power to send Kitty Valentino’s spirit anywhere, but I could at least pretend. Anything to mollify the angry Mob boss.
“Kitty Valentino,” I began, spreading my arms again. “Never again shall you Indwell. I send your spirit back to Hell!”
As rhyming magic went it was wasn’t much to speak of—short and to the point. But I felt a surge of power go through me—as though someone had turned up the electrical charge that was already flowing through my body. The next minute, I saw another doorway being drawn in the gray mist.
This one was outlined with a fiery reddish orange light and instead of gray smoke, I saw black curls of vapor sliding out around its edges, almost like tentacles. Was that what I thought it was? An uneasy feeling began to slide through me, like cold water trickling down my spine.
“Willow my love, no! What are you doing?” I heard my Pop-pop’s voice in my ear. “You must not open a doorway to the Pit!”
But it was too late to take back my words. The door opened and with a whoosh I saw Kitty Valentino’s spirit being drawn into it.
“No! Noooooo!” she wailed but it was like she was being sucked into a vacuum—her screaming face was pulled backwards into the roiling blackness and then she was gone.
I expected the door to close then—after all, it had served its purpose. But it stayed open. And then I saw them—the three sets of red, glowing eyes staring at me from the blackness.
“Oh my Goddess!” I blurted, leaning back abruptly.
“What? What the fuck is it this time?” Nicky Valentino demanded. “Did you send that crazy bitch back to Hell where she came from?”
“I sent her back,” I said, my voice trembling and my gaze never leaving the three sets of glowing red eyes that were staring at me. “She’s gone—she won’t bother us again.”
“Then what are you still staring at?” he demanded impatiently. “And where’s my mother? Can you bring her out to talk to me?”
I couldn’t believe he wanted me to try again after such a disastrous conclusion to my last Channeling. But I didn’t get a chance to answer him because whatever was attached to the glowing eyes started growling.
And then something big and black and shadowy lunged at me.
“Run, Willow my love!” I heard my Pop-pop shout in my ear.
He didn’t have to tell me twice. I bolted up from the table and was out of the Spirit Room in no time flat. I rushed past Nicky Valentino’s guards, both of whom were wearing worried expressions.
“Hey—come back!” one of them shouted, but neither of them followed me—they were clearly too anxious to check on their boss.
I wasn’t going to go back for anyone. They might not be able to see the thing—or things—that were chasing me, but I could. I could hear the growling and snarling and when I threw a glance over my shoulder, I saw the roiling mass of black smoke which was vaguely dog-shaped, was right on my heels.
I ran through the shop, through my tiny apartment, and managed to get the back door open. I thought about slamming it behind me, but I doubted any regular Earthly door was going to stop the beast that was after me. And I didn’t dare to take the time to close it anyway.
Instead, I left the door wide open as I ran into the night, dodging and ducking through dark streets and alleys…
Until I came to the glowing doorframe and heard my Pop-pop telling me to use the key.
I fumbled for the keys in my hand—which would work? The huge iron one as long as my hand or the tiny golden one that was smaller than my pinky?
It was the larger key that came to my fingers first, so I jammed it into the glowing keyhole, which was spilling golden light onto the dirty pavement at my feet.