Nineteen

Bran and I had been living together a while now, but in that time, he was always very stoic and in control of his emotions. Never letting on when he was upset or scared, but today I could feel his fear and confusion like a wall of emotions hit me as soon as he was in the morgue. I hurried to get to him knowing he needed me but not understanding why.

It was then I noticed Justice. I'd known he was here, but until yesterday, I had never seen his spirit. He was younger than I expected, and worried. He was so worried about Bran. His eyes were on him but then slowly he turned to meet my eyes, and his immediately widened in shock when he realized I really could see him. "Yes, I can see you now."

"What happened?" he asked, and walked closer to us.

Bran pulled in a deep breath but didn't move away from me. "Jordan can do more than he could before. He can't just feel you, if he chooses, he can also see you," Bran explained before kissing my cheek.

"I have to admit it's nice seeing everyone and not guessing who's here and who isn't." Just then a spirit walked through the wall and right up to us.

"Seer, there's a spirit who needs help crossing the veil," it said to me. It was an old man who I didn't recognize and who didn't spare Justice or Bran a second glance. Bran's head popped up and he stared at the spirit who didn't seem to even notice him.

"Why are you here?" Bran asked. But still it was silent. He slipped out of my arms and walked closer to the spirit. "Do you want me to force you to answer?"

The spirit slowly turned to look at Bran, but its expression remained neutral. "Necromancer, I'm here as a messenger. The seer is bound to help wayward spirits cross the veil. Lately more and more spirits wander between the world of the living and the veil."

"Edith told me the same thing. What do I do?" I stepped closer to the spirit before Bran caught me around the waist and pulled me back.

"Not too close," he whispered against my ear, and the spirit smiled. But it wasn't a cute friendly kind of smile.

"My master knows you have taken up the task of seer and sent me to give you a message."

"So, there's no spirit who needs assistance?" I asked, and Bran pulled me a little closer.

"You're strong, but na?ve. The wraith will take more spirits and you won't be able to do a thing to stop it. Soon. Very soon, we will inherit all of what you hold dear and destroy it," the spirit said while staring straight at me. Buddy stood in front of us and growled low and threatening at the transparent image before us.

"Your familiar will not save you either. You'll both be destroyed in the end."

Bran had just stepped toward it, and I knew he was prepared to shred this spirit, but before he could, it disappeared. "Is it gone?" I asked.

Justice walked around the room before nodding. "If that thing could get in here then other spirits can too. You're going to need stronger protections," he said to Bran.

"Do you really think the wraith sent him?" I asked, still staring at where it had disappeared.

"Yes. It's showing you just how strong it is, and that it can get to you anywhere and anytime it wants to. Justice is right, we need stronger protections," Bran said, and took out his phone. "Janis?"

I listened while he briefly explained to her all that had happened the last few days. Then he turned to meet my eyes.

"We'll be there right after work. I wish we could go sooner but we really can't." He didn't have to tell me how serious this was. I could tell by the way he looked at me and the fact Buddy hadn't moved away from us even after the spirit had left. "We need help," he said.

"What did she say?"

"She knew you'd become a seer, and she was hoping the wraith would recognize that you and I together are very strong. But she thinks it's hoping to gather enough spirits that it won't matter how strong we are," Bran said. Justice also listened, and I wondered if he was always here so much.

"Edith said I'd know when there were spirits who needed help crossing but she did warn me the wraith would try to use them." I tried to remember everything she'd said, but some of it was no longer a clear memory. "The wraith took her memory so when she was alive, she was confused. When she died her spirit was also confused until she crossed to the other side. She waited there to help guide me since she was the last seer in her line."

"It's grown stronger than I had anticipated," Janis said, now on speaker so I could hear her too. "We cannot allow it to gain more energy, or it won't be possible to completely destroy it. It will continue the same as it always has, being destroyed and lying in wait until it gains enough strength to enter this world again."

"Do you think there really are spirits trapped at the edge of the veil?" I asked. This was all new to me, and until I learned more I was as blind as I had been before I was told I had more abilities.

"There's no way to tell. You are the only one among us that has the ability to travel to the barrier. If Justice were to go there, he would be compelled to cross over, and Bran cannot use his own spirit in the way you can. He could compel a spirit to go there, but again they would not be able to resist the pull of the veil."

"I think I need to go."

"No!" they all shouted at the same time.

"There is no way to guarantee your safety from the wraith. Jordan, know this—while Bran would be very useful to the wraith, you would be the prize. It could use your influence to guide spirits to go to it where they would be trapped and used. There is no protection that will keep you safe when you are on the spiritual plane. The wraith knows this, and it will do all it can to tempt you to go there."

"Did Edith cross over?" Bran asked.

"I don't know. One minute we were there, and she was explaining how when a spirit ends up at the veil some may need help crossing over, when I was pulled back into my body. As far as I know she's still there and she hasn't moved on."

"Bran, you may need to call her to you to get some answers. If she's still there she can tell you exactly what's happening," Janis said.

Bran was quiet for a moment as he considered her words. I knew exactly how much he hated this part of his abilities. Calling the dead was never easy and never straightforward. Spirits lied or forgot information that was lost when they died, but mostly there were some who were more than happy to try to drag your spirit back to the veil with them. Bran knew this, and even though he never said it, I knew the whole process terrified him.

"You don't have to," I said, and took his hand. He looked down at our joined hands before looking up to meet my eyes.

"I'll do it, but I want you with me."

"Of course, where else would I be?" I asked, and hated that once again we were thrown into this strange world of the supernatural neither of us really understood.