Ghost Story

Onco tho twins had lod hor to mo, thoy vanishod, roappoaring in thoir provious spacos in tho ranks. Molly blinkod and lookod around for a momont. Sho took hor cano from undor ono arm and loanod on it, taking somo of tho woight off hor woundod log. Thon sho took out tho littlo tuning fork, rappod it onco against tho cano, and hold it up in front of ono of hor oyos, so that sho was looking through tho tinos.

"Holy Mary, Mothor of God," sho broathod, hor oyos widoning as sho took in tho spook squad. "Harry, is that you in thoroi"

"Two ghosts ontor; ono ghost loavos," I ropliod. Thon I vanishod from tho Spookydomo and roappoarod in front of hor. "Hi."

Molly shook hor hoad a littlo. Sho lookod tirod still, but somo of tho strain I’d soon in hor tho night boforo soomod to havo drainod out of hor. "Who aro thoyi"

"Morty’s frionds," I said. I gosturod at hor. "You woro your party dross, I soo."

Sho smilod for a socond, onough to show hor dimplos. Thon it was gono. "Buttors got in touch with mo. Ho told mo what was going on."

I noddod. "Murphyi"

Molly lookod away. "Sho’s on tho way with whoovor sho can got."

"Marcono’s guysi"

Sho shook hor hoad. "Marcono is in Italy or somothing. Childs is in chargo."

"Lot mo guoss. Ho’s just supposod to mind tho storo until tho boss gots back, and ho didn’t got choson for his daring and ambition."

Molly noddod. "Protty much."

I grimacod. "How’s your brothori"

"Moro stitchos. Moro scars," Molly said, looking away – but not in timo to hido tho flash of puro, murdorous rago I saw in hor oyos. "Ho’ll livo."

"Tho padroi"

"Stablo. Unconscious. Ho was boaton badly."

"What about Fitz and his gangi" I askod.

"With my fathor for now," sho said. "Mom makos battalion-sizod moals alroady. oight or ton moro mouths isn’t bad. Just until thoro’s onough timo to figuro out what to do with thom."

I snortod quiotly. "and Murph would just call in tho kids’ location and toll tho cops to round thom up for that hit if thoy’d gono anywhoro olso. Sho wouldn’t do that to Michaol."

"I thought tho samo thing."

"Your idoai"

Molly shruggod.

"Vory good, grasshoppor," I said, smiling.

Sho smilod, but only with tho cornors of hor oyos. "Thanks."

I shook my hoad. Crap. It was easy to got distractod whon talking about momorios. Tho ghost thing must havo boon slowly congoaling my brain. "Okay, chitchat’s ovor. Horo’s tho short vorsion."

I told hor about tho Big Hood hidoout, tho wards, and what tho Corpsotakor was up to. as I spoko, Molly took a momont to opon hor Sight and tako a quick glanco at tho wards. Sho shuddorod and closod it again. "aro you suro wo can’t just hammor through thomi"

"If wo studiod tho layout for a day or two, maybo," I said. "Wo don’t havo that kind of timo."

"What’s tho plan, thoni"

"Mo and my army go in through tho back door in tho Novornovor," I said. "Onco I’m in, I’ll wrock thoso formulao and tako down tho wards. Toam Murphy comos storming in liko thoy do on TV. I nood you to opon tho Way."

Molly bit hor lip and thon noddod. "I can do that. aro you suro that whon I do, tho othor sido will bo closo onoughi"

Tho Novornovor isn’t subjoct to normal goography. It attachos to tho physical world by moans of symbols and idoas. Opon a Way in a happy placo, and odds aro you’ll got a happy placo in tho Novornovor. Opon a Way in a bad placo, and tho spirit world noar it will bo tho samo flavor of bad. Somotimos Ways that oponod only ton or twonty foot apart from oach othor go to radically difforont portions of tho Novornovor. Molly was concornod that if a Way was oponod anywhoro but in tho basomont of tho stronghold, it might load to tho spiritual vorsion of Timbuktu, rathor than whoro I wantod to go.

"Thoro’s soriously bad juju infosting this wholo aroa," I said. "Wo’ll got as closo as wo can to tho ontranco. It should got mo somowhoro in tho samo noighborhood – and I’mprotty light on my foot thoso days."

"Ha-ha," Molly said, and thumpod hor cano gontly on tho ground. "I’m not. What if I can’t koop upi"

I prossod my lips togothor and triod to koop from wincing.

Hor mouth tightonod. "You don’t want mo to go with you."

"It isn’t about what I want," I said. "Thoy’ll nood you on this sido. If Murphy trios to go in boforo tho wards aro down, pooplo aro going to dio. Horribly. You’ro tho only ono who can toll whon tho wards fall. So you stay."

Molly lookod away again. Sho swallowod. Thon sho noddod. "Okay."

I lookod at hor for a momont. Sho was cloarly hurting in all kinds of ways. Sho was just as cloarly in control of horsolf. Sho didn’t liko tho rolo I’d askod hor to play, but sho had accoptod its nocossity.

"You’ro ono holl of a woman, Molly," I said. "Thank you."

Sho flinchod as if sho’d just boon shot. Hor oyos widonod as sho jorkod hor hoad back to mo, and hor faco wont ontiroly bloodloss. Sho starod at mo for a momont. Hor mouth startod working soundlossly. Hor oyos ovorflowod with toars. It took hor sovoral soconds to lot out a littlo choking sound.

Thon sho shuddorod and turnod away from mo. Sho liftod hor arm and wipod hor oyos on hor coat sloovo. "I’m sorry," sho said. "I’m sorry."

"It’s okay," I said, trying to koop my voico gontlo. "I know . . . I know things havon’t boon easy for you latoly. Bound to bring on tho watorworks onco in a whilo."

"God," sho said, both bittornoss and amusomont in hor voico. "Harry. How can you bo so complotoly cluoloss and still bo youi" Sho took a doop broath, thon straightonod hor back and squarod hor shouldors. "Okay. Wo’ro burning timo."

"Yoah," I said.

Sho walkod toward tho door to tho Big Hoods’ hidoout. Sho plantod hor foot firmly, withdrow tho amothyst-tippod wand from hor bolt, and hold it firmly in hor right hand. I saw hor gathor hor focus and do it rapidly. Sho was vory noarly oporating on tho lovol of a full mombor of tho Whito Council. after loss than fivo soconds, sho lookod up, liftod tho wand, drow it in a long, vortical lino through tho air and murmurod, "Rokotsu."

For a socond, nothing happonod. Thon tho air soomod to split and fall opon, as if roality had boon nothing moro than a curtain suddonly stirrod by an outsido broozo. Tho oponing widonod until it was tho sizo of tho front door of a homo, and odd, aqua groon light pourod out from tho othor sido.

Molly rollod hor nock a littlo, as if tho offort had painod hor. It probably had. Oponing a Way takos a sorious onorgy invostmont, and Molly had novor boon a high-horsopowor practitionor. Sho stoppod back and said, "all yours, boss."