Twenty-One
Iknew what I needed to do, I'd seen it in the vision I'd been hit with, but I also knew Bran wouldn't like it and would fight me on it. "There's only one solution, I need to go to the veil. The spirits have to be able to cross over, and there is a way for me to help them, but I won't lie to you. It's not without risk."
"What risk?" Bran asked.
"The wraith could trap me there the same as it did with Edith. It won't be like when I was sent there before, this would be me sending my spirit to the veil and doing that will leave me vulnerable to the wraith. It needs the veil to be open as much as we do."
"I don't want you to risk it. No, I'm not okay with that," Bran said.
"There's no other way. I saw it. If we do nothing the veil will break, and all the spirits there and those that are not able to cross over will be used by the wraith. It will devour some for power while using the rest to destroy the living. The Earth will become a land of the dead where the wraith is free to consume all the spirits it chooses."
"We'll go to Janis's, it's the safest place. From there you can throw your spirit and we'll make a tether that will lead you back. That's the only way I'll agree to let you go. It's just too dangerous, and I just can't lose you." Bran was more stressed than I'd ever seen him. Both resolved that I needed to go but unwilling to give up all control in the hope of keeping me safe.
"You're right, her house is the brightest light. I'll need you to be there, I can't do this without you." It wasn't that I didn't expect him to go with me, it was that I didn't trust myself to send my spirit to the veil without knowing he was on the other side guiding me. We were stronger together, and if I was going to be able to cross over and help those spirits, I would need him.
"I'll be there. There's nothing that would stop me. Tell me exactly what you saw."
I knew Bran hated this. He hated that we'd been thrown into the very world he'd fought to avoid, and I knew without a doubt he didn't want to risk me going to the spirit realm. But there was nothing else we could do. "I saw us at her house, and we were performing a ritual. You and Janis knew what was necessary. You made a silver rope of light that you tied around me. When I jumped out of my body to the spirit realm that tether stayed attached."
"Did you see what would happen when you got there?"
"I know what I need to do," I said, and hoped the vision I'd had was correct. Because it had shown me two outcomes. And I wasn't willing to let the second one come into reality. "Is that clock right?" I looked at the large analog clock on the wall to see lots of time had passed when we were in the circle.
"Yes, we were involved much longer than I thought." Two hours had passed in the blink of an eye and our workday was done. "We should get going," Bran said, and started to clean up the circle. I helped and in just a few minutes it was done.
"Do you think this place is still safe?" I whispered, and noticed Justice had come into the room.
"I'm not sure, but I think we should redo what Janis did. It kept them out for a while, but the spell could be weakening."
I watched as he took a stick of charcoal and drew a symbol on the wall. "This one will only allow the spirits I allow to enter. I'll need to mark Buddy and Justice, or they'll be prevented from entering too." Bran walked over to Buddy and Justice and drew a symbol on Buddy, and then on Justice. I wasn't sure how that worked or how the glowing mark appeared on both of them before disappearing, but I was glad he knew, and he was trying to keep them both safe.
"Let's finish up anything we need to and go. I don't want to wait any longer than we absolutely have to," Bran said. I nodded and walked out to the front office and stood there frozen for a moment.
Was I really going to try to throw my spirit into the space between the living world and the spirit world? And what if I couldn't find my way back like Edith, or if the wraith was able to get to me there? I knew there was no way to know, but I was also glad Janis would be there, not that she could help me once I was there, but because I knew with her and Bran watching over me, I'd be as safe as was possible. I shook my head before forcing myself to walk over to my desk and spent the next forty-five minutes doing two hours' worth of work so we could leave as soon as our shift was over.
"Are you ready?" Bran asked when he walked out of the morgue. "I still have one more autopsy report, but it can keep for tomorrow."
"I'm ready," I said but I was so not ready. Bran gave me a tight smile that told me he knew exactly what I was thinking.
"Janis and I will make sure you're safe. If you need Buddy to go with you, I can make it so."
"I don't want to risk him. It's not a place for any of us to go to if we don't need to," I said, and patted Buddy. "I'm ready."
The two of us walked out to Bran's car and within twenty minutes we were parked in front of Janis's. There were no other cars there, which surprised me. But it also made me relax because I knew if she thought we were in danger she'd have the guys from the ghost hunting team there to help. Bran turned off the engine and looked at me before speaking.
"Baby, please don't take any unnecessary chances. We don't know what the wraith is capable of, and you're still learning how your abilities work. If you were lost there, I don't know how I'd get you back." His voice was serious but also nervous. I knew after speaking to Edith how real the possibility was, and I wasn't willing to take that chance. I wanted us both to live a long and happy life together and in order for that to happen, the wraith would have to be taken care of.
"I won't do anything that's not necessary, I promise. I'll just go there and see what I can see. Maybe it's not as bad as it sounds and all this is for nothing," I said, knowing it wasn't true. I'd seen the many spirits wandering lost between worlds in my vision.
"Just make sure you come back to me," Bran said again, before leaning in to kiss me.
"Always." We got out of the car and as soon as we were at the door it swung open.
"I want you both to know I think this is a horrible idea. But I also know there is no other way for us to know what's happening there. I have reached out to spirits who want to help, but they're unable to cross the veil. The spirits I have contact with on the other side of the veil are silent. I fear the wraith has begun to gather them on that side and is using them to gain power. I know you have the ability to go there, but are you sure you want to?"
"Yes, we can't let the wraith gain any more power."
"I knew you'd say that, and I also knew Bran wouldn't want you to go without extra protection. So, Bran, you're going to help me, this will take a while." She led us out to the backyard where so many strange things had happened to us. On the small table were two containers and some paintbrushes. "We're going to need to mark his body. The marks will both allow him to go there with protection and will also ensure that he can return once he's done. It will create a tether to this world, so he won't be lost there no matter what happens."
Bran didn't question it, just picked up the sheet of paper where Janis had drawn the symbols and looked at it. "This is pretty straightforward. Could you take off your shirt?" he asked, and smiled at me when I pulled it over my head. "The symbols won't save you, but they will keep you safe." He guided me to a chair, and they wasted no time grabbing a brush each and duplicating the symbols on my chest, arms, back, and face. My eyes met Bran's and I could see his fear, but mostly I could see his love, and I told myself that was what would make me come back. Not the markings or the possibility of being trapped there would be enough, but his love would be the shining light I'd always look for.