“So, you researched him.”

  Hannah grimaced. “I researched everything to do with that house. I know each death back and forth, but this is the only injury without fatality in the records.”

  Imara got up and got some mirrors. “If he had been a mage, I could have given him enough to bump him up to audible, but since he’s a dark elf, I am limited in what I can pass along.”

  Hannah nodded. “Wrong frequency.”

  “Exactly! How did you know that?”

  “It is like there is a painful transmission going on in my head. Static and lightning.”

  “Okay, so you aren’t going to last long as his host. Maybe we can pass him along to a member of Argus’s team if they get here in time.”

  “In time?”

  “The tea only lasts an hour. After that, he snaps into you again.”

  “Oh, delightful. Can’t I just drink more tea?”

  Imara shook her head. “After an hour, your body will protect itself by putting up barriers. This is a trick that I can only do once with a new occupation.”

  “Great. So when does your boyfriend show up?”

  A heavy engine roared to a stop in front of the shop. Imara smiled. “A picture is worth a thousand words.”

  Hannah turned to watch the men thunder into the building.

  Imara smiled and remained seated. “Hannah, this is Argus, and the men with him are Ivor and Lio. Gentlemen, this is Hannah and her occupant.”

  Lio walked up and looked at the spectre floating above her head. “Neekil Ar-Thuat. Your body is still being tended by your people.”

  Through the mirrors, she could see her occupant grin. He reached out and touched the other fey. There was a rush of energy into her, and she gasped as it translated in a most disconcerting way.

  A voice above her head echoed inside her. “In the house. Something grabbed me. I was touching the fireplace, and something pulled at me. I fought back but didn’t know anything until Hannah arrived this morning. She got me out somehow.”

  She looked over to the mirror, and he was looking directly into her eyes. “I got you out, but I can’t keep you like this. One day already and I am feeling weak.”

  He chuckled. “I don’t suppose I can tell you that you will build up stamina? You will get used to having me inside you?”

  Hannah’s cheeks were red. “Inappropriate.”

  Lio snorted. “Not the time, Neekil. Your family is despondent.”

  “Ah. Right. Well, if you want to free me, the key is that mantlepiece. There is something in there that our sweeps couldn’t see. There is no trace of the souls of the dead. No spectres. Nothing. Someone or something there consumes them.”

  Hannah knew what they were discussing. Her research had told her as much over and over.

  Imara was up and speaking quietly to Argus while the vampire was watching everyone. Hannah was watching everything.

  She felt a caress on her cheek and was startled into looking upward. Neekil was looking down into her eyes. “Thank you for freeing this part of me.”

  Her mind spun through all the connotations to that sentence, and she asked warily, “What part did I free exactly?”

  His upside-down smile was cheerful and rather predatory. “Only the best bits.”

  She winced and looked at the reflection. “Oh. Yay. Well, since your body is still around, maybe we can get you back there.”

  He grinned. “I am hoping that you can.”

  Lio nodded. “We contacted his team. They were across town, but they should be here in a few minutes.”

  Neekil felt a surge of joy, and it rippled through to Hannah.

  Imara returned and asked the fey, “Do you remember anything that would explain the identity of the creature that grabbed you?”

  Neekil shrugged. “I felt nothing, and then, there was a surge of power and the wrenching feeling of being divided. I heard shouting, and then, there was nothing until today.”

  There was the screech of tires outside, and Neekil tried to move to greet his team. Hannah wasn’t moving. “I am not heading down the steps with you sticking out of my head, Agent. Trust me on this that I really need to be sitting down now.”

  “Agent? Really? So formal?” He chuckled.

  “Shut up. I didn’t volunteer for this. And keep your peeping to yourself. My body is not for your entertainment.” Her eyes were closed, and she was directing her irritation inward.

  A new voice choked on a growling laugh. “That’s definitely him. Neekil, how are you doing?”

  Neekil laughed. “Emmers. Good to see you again. How long has it been?”

  “Five years, Agent. You have no idea how happy we were to get the call.” The low gravel tone of the voice made her want to look.

  Hannah slowly looked through her lashes and saw a man with a shifter icon on his vest, a mage, and an undead of some kind. The shifter was speaking.

  Neekil spoke. “I don’t know how much time I have left for communication. This is Hannah. She found me.”

  Hannah didn’t like being the focus of attention. “I am trying to get him out, but I thought he was a mage, so I came here.”

  The mage grinned. “Sensible. Ms. Mirrin’s skills with the deceased are undeniable.”

  “Yeah, and she comes up high on the internet search.” She smiled. “Well, Agents, ask him what you can. I can feel the tea wearing off.”

  Emmer growled. “How are you doing, Neek?”

  “I am good. I feel like I will be. But, I am taking a bit too much from Hannah for my comfort and for hers.”

  Hannah could swear that she felt his hands on her shoulders, and when she looked into the mirror, that was exactly what was happening. She grimaced. It was surreal to have someone spectrally popping out of her body.

  “Hannah, this is Emmers, a polar bear; Kairek, the Dullahan; and their new mage.”

  The mage bowed. “Agent Dremian, at your service.”

  “Pleased to meet you.” She smiled and felt Neekil receding into her. “So, please tell me someone outranks him.”

  The guys looked at each other and shook their heads. Emmers smiled. “Why do you need someone to outrank him?”

  “I don’t want him staring at me in the shower. It’s creepy.”

  Emmers rubbed his hand across his face, and he shrugged. “Sorry. He would look even if he was ordered not to. It’s just what he’s like.”

  As she sat and the dark elf in question sank back into her body, she frowned and realized that the only way to get him out was to get him out manually. She had to dislodge the rest of his soul from the mantlepiece. She was scheduling that for tomorrow night. She felt the reverberations of Neekil’s shock as she came to that decision, but tough. If he wanted her to wait for an assist, he should have agreed not to check her out in the privacy of her own home.

  Chapter Three

  When he was back inside her, the three guys from his team were staring at her. She cleared her throat. “I am not really comfortable with being stared at.”

  Emmers looked at her. “Can he hear us?”

  “Yes. He’s like that cricket on my shoulder. He can emote, but he can’t do much.”

  Kairek chuckled. “He is a bossy bastard. He must be loving this.”

  Dremian smiled. “I have not met him before tonight, but I have been regaled with tales of him every night since I took the assignment with this team.”

  Hannah looked at the three of them. “He wasn’t replaced with another fey?”

  Emmers chuckled. “We agreed that since Kairek meets the criteria for both fey and undead, we could continue on until Neekil’s situation was ratified.”

  “It has been years.”

  Emmers shrugged. “We still visit him on off days. So, when do you think you can figure out a way to release him?”

  She was about to tell him when their radios went off. A call came in with a disturbance, and the two teams from the XIA left without a comment.

  Imara brought two cups of coffee. “Here. You look like a cream-and-sugar girl to me.”

  Hannah grabbed for the cup and slugged the hot coffee down. “I don’t know why I am so exhausted.”

  “The agent is using your body for energy. It is going to be tiring. You probably have about four days left before damage begins to occur.” Imara sipped at her coffee, and her kitten climbed up to her shoulder.

  “What kind of damage?” Hannah had to make sure that what she was guessing was accurate.

  “Organ failure, neurological damage, slight loss of appetite.” Imara smiled.

  “Right. So, it would be best if I can get him complete and back to his body then.”

  “Ideally. Would you like me to contact some experts?”

  Hannah shrugged. “No. I know what to do. I have had to break ghosts free a time or two. Releasing ghosts from wood isn’t that difficult. It’s just a bit of blood, and everything shakes loose.” She finished her coffee and set the cup down. “So, how much do I owe you?”

  Imara held up her hand. “Nothing. I will bill the XIA when he is back in his body.”

  Hannah blinked. “Why? I am the one who asked for a diagnosis.”

  “Yes, but he isn’t a spectre, he’s a spirit. There is a difference, and I charge clients for one and not the other. I bill the XIA anytime they take up my conference area, which they did today.” Imara smiled.

  “So, you and Argus...”

  “We have been dating since we met at college. We shared an ethics class. The XIA is very big on continuing education.”

  “You look younger than I am.”

  “Are you twenty-seven?”

  “Twenty-six.”

  “Oh, then, yes. I am younger than you.” Imara smiled. “I went straight from school to college and fast-tracked myself with the most intense courses I could. I know all kinds of weird crap, but I got my degree and was able to get my license and permit for this kind of consulting business.”

  Hannah blushed. “You have to explain that a lot.”

  “Yeah. It’s fine. I am used to it.” Imara grinned. “So, you are going to head out to try and free him?”

  Hannah stood and sat down hard. “I may wait until tomorrow. I am not feeling quite myself.”

  “Sensible. If you need anything, I will give you my direct line. It will connect to me anytime, anywhere.” Imara handed her a black card with a glowing crystal and a kitten embossed on it.

  “I work with a lot of old houses that are mage-owned, so I am going to put you into my phone.” Hannah sat and keyed in the information.

  “Please do. I can always use more consulting fees.” She chuckled.

  She grinned. “Well, I should be on my way. I don’t want to take up more of your time.”

  “Did Neekil’s team give you their number?”

  “Um, no. I think the less I have to do with them, the better. Once I get him loose, I won’t have to deal with them again.” Inside her mind, there was a derisive snort.

  “What does Neekil have to say about that? Sorry, your expression changed.”

  “Um, he is not convinced that our association will end.”

  Imara sipped at her coffee. “Just because a guy spends a few hours inside you, they think they own you.”

  Hannah blinked, and then, she burst out with a short barrage of laughter. It was the release of tension that she needed to put the day in perspective. That perspective was freaking weird.

  She was still smiling as she climbed into bed with her pyjamas on. She checked her wound and frowned. It was still bleeding. She climbed out of bed and got some superglue, cleaning the wound and drying it before she sealed the small hole with permanent adhesive.

  Once it was dry, she wrapped it again, just in case. She crawled back into bed and pretended that she hadn’t had an attentive audience when she was changing. One more day and she would finish releasing his spirit so he could go back where he belonged.

  She had errands and contacts to make in the morning, and a dark elf to set free in the afternoon. She needed her sleep.

  * * * *

  Imara looked up when her door opened. Neekil’s team came into her shop and bowed.

  Emmers asked, “Is she still here?”

  “No. She left hours ago.” Imara was doing some paperwork regarding the new mage stone that she had just created. “Why?”

  “If she needs anything, I wanted to leave my direct number. We really appreciate what she is doing.” Emmers stepped toward her.

  Mr. E stepped between them, and her familiar, in his human form, took the card. “I have it. Thank you.”

  Emmers blinked. “Is she all right?”

  Imara finished the documentation, put the stone in her safe, and then she slid the paperwork into her outbox. “She’s fine. She’s tiring quickly and only has a few days left, but I feel she is the one who can get his spirit loose. You might want to warn his family to keep a close eye on him beginning tomorrow. Hannah doesn’t seem to be the kind of woman to waste time. I think after all this, we might be friends.”

  Emmers nodded, and he turned to leave. “Was she okay when she left?”

  “She was muttering about changing clothes in the dark.”

  Kairek winced. “We really should have told her that he can see in the dark.”

  Imara smiled. “I am sure that she figured it out, and if not, when they first meet, I am pretty sure that he will let her know.”

  Emmers laughed. “Oh, I want to see that.”

  “I certainly hope that you do.”

  They nodded and left her shop, and she exhaled. Hannah had no clue that Neekil could see in the dark, and he wasn’t going to tell her. Ah, well, starting a relationship with a few secrets meant more to discover later. Those two resonated at the same frequency, which was rare, but what did Imara know? She just had a hunch.

  * * * *

  After completing the sale of a small bungalow and getting the paperwork filed and off to the legal team, she checked her watch and tried to figure out how long it would take to get to the mansion.

  She would be there at sunset, which was still a fine time to get spirits on the move. On the drive over, she hemmed and hawed about her plan of action. She concluded that it was best someone know where she was.

  Parked outside the gate, she steeled herself for what was coming next.

  She picked up her phone and called Imara. The phone was answered on the first ring.

  “Um, hi, Imara. This is Hannah Lee.”

  “Hi, Hannah. How can I help you?”

  “I am entering the mansion now, and if you don’t hear from me in two hours, can you send someone to look for me? I know it is a bit to ask, but something about this place seems weird right now.”

  “No problem. If I don’t hear from you, the XIA will be there at eight.”

  “I will probably be fine.”

  “You are doing good to have someone watching out. I am putting the alarm in my phone.”

  Hannah sighed. “Thank you.”

  “No problem. Be safe and call again if you need help.”

  Hannah paused. “And don’t go calling Argus the moment we hang up. That would be cheating.”

  There was a snicker on the other end of the line. “Fine. I won’t call Argus. I hope this turns out well. Good luck.”

  Hannah chuckled, “Thanks. I think I am going to need it.”

  She hung up and keyed in the access code, watching the gate swing wide. Right. Time to get this guy out of my head.

  Neekil was trying to hold her back. In a nutshell, he did not approve of her going to the house alone and before his team was on duty. Tough. She wanted him out so he could get back to being a living person and she could get back to arranging the house for sale.

  She parked her car and got out, her first aid kit in her hand. She opened the house using the key in the lockbox and steeled herself to go inside. She looked at her hand and the bright drop of blood that had surged past the gauze and superglue. This thing drank blood. That sucked because that was the only way to get Neekil out of her.

  She turned to walk the halls toward the grand fireplace, and Neekil fought her.

  “Knock it off, Neekil! You want to get back in your body, and I want that to happen. So, shut up and get out.”

  Inside her, she could feel his surprise.

  She walked the hall with her heels clicking on the marble. The dripping of the blood from her finger made small ticking sounds in counterpoint to her steps. She would have to clean that up later. The fireplace looked just as gorgeous as it had the first time she had seen it. She could see under the stain and carving now. One piece of wood had been crafted into the mantlepiece. The grain of the wood showed that the archway surrounding the massive fireplace had been one tree. That wasn’t a good thing.

  Right. She was ready. It was time to get the elf out of her head.

  Chapter Four

  Hannah set the first aid kit on the ground, opened to get her access to the bandages she was sure she was going to need, and she set her phone down with Imara’s number ready for speed dial. She wasn’t counting on depending on a woman she had known for less than a day, but there was no way she could speak with her family if things went wrong.

  Seconds passed as she looked at the mantlepiece and debated how to approach the issue. She had pulled her pocketknife from her slacks and looked at her left hand. “Right. Let’s get this over with.”

  She used her thumb to open the knife, pressed the blade to her skin, and pulled it a quarter of an inch. The scent of blood filled her nostrils, and she stepped to the mantlepiece, rubbing her blood into the scar in the wood. She felt the twist and surge of Neekil inside her, and then, he was gone.

  She gasped and stepped back. Nothing happened. She put more blood on the mantlepiece, and it absorbed into the wood, but there wasn’t anything else. She grunted. “Right. One more try.”

 

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