Chapter 26
“Who killed you?”Sam asked again, not daring to touch Valdis. Her aunt sat on a precarious ledge that couldn’t hold more than one. She swayed when shespoke.
Sam had fought past her fear of snakes to reach her aunt. Now she was almost as afraid of Val’s insanityas thesnakes.
“The old fraud,” Valdis muttered in the guttural tone Sam had to assume was Juan. What had Cass said? Juan’s spirit was angry and would linger to speak when he was ready. Did she believe that out here on this eerie hillside, Valdis was channeling the security guard’s spirit? Or was this moretheater?
“What old fraud?” Sam asked, unable to do more than listen for ominousrattles and to Walker climbing closer. She didn’t think she could even hand her aunt a bottle of water while she was in thisstate.
“I thought the boss did it,” the spirit voice grumbled. “Buthewas there then. Maybe it was him all the time.Killer!”
Apparently spirits didn’t remembernames.
Valdis spoke more quietly and was starting to shudder. That couldn’t be good. Whatshould she do now? Sam wished Cass washere.
Take her hands. Talk her down, a voice whispered through herhead.
Sam freaked for half a second. Voices in her head were even worse than Val’s spirit voices. But then, insanely, she recognized Cass, who had apparently occupied her head for nearly a week. And the advice made sense, so she wouldn’t freak justyet.
Taking a deep breathto settle her rattled nerves, Sam stood and approached her aunt’s higher position. “Aunt Valdis, I think it’s time to come back. Cass says so.” She reached up and caught a bonyhand.
Valdis clasped her hand and began moaningagain.
Tell her to let go, to let the spirit free. Wish him into thelight.
Sam wasn’t entirely certain the spirit belonged in the light, but lackingany better knowledge, she repeated Cass’s refrain aloud and stood on her toes to take Valdis’s other hand. Valdis continued swaying and shaking, but fell silent, which was almost a welcomerelief.
With relief, she felt Walker reach the rocky plateau. She wanted to fling herself into his arms and have hysterics, but she was no longer a helpless child. Clinging to rational, she repeated Cass’swords aloud and tried to bring Valdis back, grateful when Walker added his strength by clasping her shoulder in his broadhand.
As if the contact provided a grounding wire, a shock wave jolted between her hands and her aunt’s. Valdisslumped.
Before Valdis could slide off her perch, Walker was there, catching her, lowering her to the plateau they stood on. Her aunt wasn’t a smallwoman, but Walker cradled her like achild.
To Sam’s surprise, Harvey reluctantly climbed up to jointhem.
“She’s been without food and water for twenty-four hours. She says her ankle is sprained.” Sam dropped to her knees to push her aunt’s ragged black skirt away from her ugly black boots. Valdis had apparently opened the laces on her right boot. Sam tried to pull it off, but theleg was swollen. “I need a knife to cut this off. She can’t walk likethis.”
“We’ll let the medics cut the boot off. They should be waiting by the time we get her down. I didn’t call search and rescue, so we’ll have to carry her ourselves.” Walker shoved aside Valdis’s lacy veil to reach her cloakties.
Sam gasped at the sight of the red scar marring her aunt’s elegantly-boned face.Apparently already aware of the disfigurement, Walker unfastened the heavy black cloak she’d been wearing the nightbefore.
Harvey apparently grasped what he intended. He took the other end of the cloak, and the two men tugged on it, testing it forstrength.
“It should work,” Harvey said, handing his staff to Sam. The wood vibrated with an intensity deeper than hers, and she almostdropped it. “You’ll have to lead the way down. Walking backward is not one of my skills, but I should be able to follow thestick.”
They wantedherto lead the way? As she stood there, stunned and shivering, Walker hugged her and planted a kiss on the top of her head. “We’ve made enough noise to scare snakes into the next state. Just goslow.”
“What if she wakes up?” Sam asked, worriedlystudying her unconsciousaunt.
“We could make a strait jacket of this thing,” Walker suggested. “Bundle her up like abutterfly.”
“Caterpillar cocoon,” Harvey corrected grimly. “Or bat wings. With Valdis, that’s our bestbet.”
Sam helped them lift her aunt and lay the cloak under her, then roll her back on it and wrap it around, with room to spare. Without the drama, Valdisseemed muchsmaller.
“Do you think she was really talking to Juan?” Sam asked, flashing her light down the jumble ofrocks.
She might never overcome her dislike of snakes, but she’d learned to fight her fear. That had to be a step in the rightdirection.
