That afternoon, Isaac and Mike pulled out the iron stars from the fence. Now only one remained in place: the heart of the star in the study. We were all up there, trying to decide if we should just pull it out, when Brandon came back with Amy and an answer from his expert.
“Five to seven years. Ten years tops,” he said, dropping the iron stars on the kitchen table. “Not enough rust to have been buried longer.”
They all turned to me, waiting for some kind of conclusion or statement, I guess? I just shook my head.
“Can you guys pull the last one out?” I asked instead. “I’ll be right back.”
Before any of them could make any question, I spun around and walked out the backdoor. I knew exactly the person to ask for a name related to the iron stars.
Susan opened her front door, not hiding her surprise to find me knocking.
“We need to talk,” I said, dead serious.
She stiffened,
I found myself laying back on one of the loveseats. Brandon had kneeled down by it and leaned in toward me, his warm hand on my sweaty forehead, a worried frown clouding his beautiful blue eyes. Trisha hurried to me with a glass of water. Amy stood past the other end of the loveseat with Isaac, and they too looked worried.“What happened?” I mumbled, feeling my head heavy and muddled.“You passed out again,” Brandon replied, taking the glass from Trisha’s hand. “Here, let me help you.”I shook my head slightly, turning to Amy. “Why would touching them do this to me?” I asked.“I have no idea, my girl,” the medium replied, grimacing. “Does it happen every time you touch them?”“No, no. This is only the second time.” I rubbed my face, trying to sit a little up. Brandon sneaked his arm around my neck and lifted me enough to slip a cushion under my shoulders. &ldq
That weekend was one of the best ever. Brandon pretended to be in doubt about staying until Monday, so I had to make the sacrifice of convincing him.While the window guys took over the Manor to replace all the broken and damaged glasses, we grabbed Isaac and Trisha and headed to a restaurant in Worcester. There, he finally told them about the ley lines project and asked Trisha if she was okay with him taking her interviews project over. The bastard, like she would refuse after he offered her such a job.Isaac elbowed her, laughing. “Ready for a road trip, girl?” he said, even more thrilled than her.Those two were something. They’d clicked back in October, and over the last week at the Manor, their bond had only improved. They had this amazing chemistry going, completely deprived of sexual tension, that promised to grow into a solid friendship despite the age gap. They were the perfect partners in crime.“People are gonna fucking
BOOK 3: THE HEART OF THE HAUNTERIf I could be with you tonightI would sing you to sleepNever let them take the light behind your eyesI’ve failed and lost this fightNever fade in the darkJust remember you will always burn as bright—My Chemical Romance, The Light Behind Your Eyes**Too Busy to CallBrandon used to call me every night, and all of a sudden, that Wednesday he didn’t. That first night, I assumed he was busy and didn’t want to disturb him. The next day came and went without a word from him. Weird. But I still didn’t want to intrude. I knew he was up to his neck in work, managing three projects at the same time. The last thing he needed was me bugging him about why he hadn’t called. But when I went to sleep that Thursday night without even a
The cat ball on the kitchen table flashed, and I felt a cold touch on my shoulder.“Don’t keep it all inside, Fran.”I sort of sat up, trying in vain to stop crying, and shrugged.“What d’you want me to say, Lizzie? That I’m an idiot? I’m the worst fucking idiot in history.”“That’s some hubris.”A bitter scoff escaped my lips. She clearly was Joseph’s daughter to reply like that.“I better make myself some coffee.”“Did you really think he was cheating on you?”I shrugged from the counter, filling the carafe. “I don’t know. I don’t understand why it looked like the only possible explanation for him not calling. I mean, yeah, because that’s what he used to do after dinner, but it wasn’t cheating. That was before we decided to give it a try together, when he thought I didn&rsquo
Brett’s call on Tuesday morning made me realize I was supposed to go to Pennhurst the day before. I glanced at Brandon by my side, apparently still sleeping.“I’ll try to make it today or tomorrow.”“Remember we have the Paracon this weekend, so it’s gonna be crowded with the preparations starting on Thursday,” he said.“Oh, okay, good to know. I’ll try to go today, then.”I was about to sneak out of bed, when Brandon threw an arm around my waist to keep me where I was.“Tell him to book us a room at their partner hotel for tonight,” he mumbled against my forehead.“Yessir,” I said, smiling. The control freak kept tabs on everything that happened around him even in his sleep. “You don’t need to come. It isn’t a good environment for your lungs.”He kissed me in no hurry, stretching on top of me.“I know, Doctor Garne
A different noise reached me: loud voices and hurried footsteps in the distance. Finally! Why the fuck did they have cameras and security guards if it took them forever to show up when there was a problem? The place was a maze, and the dripping water added to the echoes, making it impossible for me to pinpoint where they were coming from.“I got her.”“Good, go,” I gasped, a hand to my chest.I saw Kujo come out of the basement and raised the LED the moment he crossed the doorway, to fill that short hall with the bright beam. My knees were about to buckle, so I kept my back to the wall and slid down to sit on the damp cold concrete floor. I knew I needed to get out of there. I needed fresh air. But I also knew I wouldn’t make it all the way up the stairs and out the window. And I didn’t know how far the exit of that tunnel was, nor the way out through Quaker Hall, which most likely would also include stairs. I shivere
Brandon took off his mask as soon as he got in the truck, rubbing his face with an annoyed snort. I buckled my seatbelt without a word. I knew I had it coming, I just didn’t know how bad yet.The bastard let me sweat, driving the whole way to the hotel in complete silence. We’d brought a few supplies, knowing we had a kitchen in the suite, so he took them out of the fridge to make a vegan midnight snack, ignoring me completely.I went to the bedroom, left the backpack, took off my cold wet shoes, put on dry socks, waiting in vain for him to speak. So I headed back to the kitchen. I would’ve loved to have a coffee, but the coffeemaker was in the corner of the counter, and I couldn’t reach it while Brandon was busy between the bend and the fridge.He kept his back turned on me, completely focused on whatever he was doing. Like chopping a few greens and fruits and mixing them with his cream cheese would take so long and so much attention. I
It was nice, coming back home to the Manor with Brandon and finding everything was fine. I left him working in the study and took my laptop to the kitchen, determined to update my diary before dinner. His text only twenty minutes later made me chuckle: the Haunter Supreme was thirsty. I had bought the coffeemaker for the study, along with a water dispenser, and had set them in a pretty display with tea, coffee, mugs, spoons and everything required to enjoy an infusion without needing to go any further than two steps away from the desk. But nope, he fancied something cool with more flavor than plain fresh water.So there I went, up the stairs all the way to the third floor, with the forty-ounce thermos bottle full of his mango juice just out of the fridge, thinking it’d be nice once we set his office in the guesthouse with its own fridge. And I wouldn’t have to drop whatever I was doing to go wait Milord’s table.Bullshit. I don’t know w
The traveling crews came back to Los Angeles for the holidays a couple of days later, and Brandon decided he felt brave enough to host a dinner for all of them at one of the restaurants they used to go to.It would be like his big comeback to society, leaving behind almost four months of reclusion and darkness. And to mark the occasion, he warned me that Cake had leaked the date and place to a few reporters.“Meaning my friends will be there?”“Guess so. The problem is that ban on you. I don’t want them to leave you out of the report. The other way around: I want everybody to know we’re together.”I looked up at him with a heartfelt sigh. But like it always happened over the last week, meeting his eyes focused on mine made me so happy, I couldn’t refuse. So I called Greta Arbosky, who said she would take care of letting them know about this one exception. I disconnected and faced him, raising my eyebrows.&
Against all odds, Brandon was the easiest, most complying patient in history. I think the scare of almost losing all his sight gave a whole new meaning to this opportunity to restore his eyes to full health. He never complained about the awful cream he had to apply directly on his eyeballs, he never missed drops or meds time, he slept on his belly, and kept his eye shields on around the clock.The first week was the hardest, of course, while he still wore the dressings. However, his determination to walk the line, no matter how hard, annoying or frustrating, helped us find our way around it faster than I’d ever expected. Just like the doctor had said, Brandon had been so stressed up over the last two or three weeks, he was plain exhausted, so he slept a lot over the first three days.My hovering tendencies kept me always within a few steps from wherever he was. At first, I thought he would soon get sick and tired of my relentless watch over him, but it was actual
I jumped to my feet when I heard Brandon move. His fingers flickered slightly and I covered his hand with mine, my heart hammering my chest. His head tilted a little toward me and his lips parted.“Hey,” I whispered. “Easy there.”He tried to speak and frowned.“It’s okay, Bran. The surgery worked alright.”He frowned deeper, trying to press my fingers. I took his hand to my lips to kiss it.“It worked, Bran,” I repeated, just in case. “You’re gonna be fine.”His shaky sigh told me he’d understood. His other hand came slowly up to brush the dressing covering his eyes.“That’s gonna stay there for a few days.”“Did it?” he mumbled, as his fingers explored the dressing further.“Yes, love. It worked. If we do what the doctor says, you’re gonna be fine in a few months. Maybe even better than before the inf
We woke up early the next morning. Brandon couldn’t have breakfast before surgery, but we were both too anxious to even feel any hunger. Cake arrived as we were coming down to the first floor, looking rested and ten years younger than the night before. On the way to the hospital, I took advantage of being alone in the backseat of the car to send a few texts. To Amy, to let her know I’d gotten to LA fine and everything was peachy. To Isaac, to let him know I was already in town, going with Brandon to the hospital, and I’d text him how the surgery had gone as soon as I found out. And finally to Harry, to ask him to remind Hugo to send all his light and all his angels to come lend a hand.“Who are you texting to?” asked the control freak from the passenger’s seat.“The press, obviously. Your NY Barbie and her gossiping friends will be waiting for us at the hospital.”He turned in his seat, frowning at me from behind h
I woke up at about three. Brandon was sound asleep, so much so that I was able to sneak between his arms without him even flinching. Back from the bathroom, I heard noises downstairs. Then I remembered the disaster zone the living area was when I’d come into the house. I got dressed and headed to the first floor, still trying to tie my hair in a ponytail.Guadalupe had arrived while we were upstairs, and her grin when she saw me threw me off. She and Cake had sort of cleaned up the living area, but the place still looked like the guys from A Clockwork Orange had dropped by to say hi. The kitchen was still a mess, with a lot of glass and smashed mugs all over the floor, wine and all kinds of things spilled on the floor. And when I say all kinds of things, I mean even mayonnaise. So I wore an apron, put on rubber gloves and set to clean up disaster zone number two.Guadalupe and Cake materialized in the kitchen, looking spooked. I faced them with
I had a glimpse of the whole living area completely trashed, like a hurricane had blasted through it, but I couldn’t care less. I rushed to the stairs and up to the second floor, to storm into the master bedroom. I froze just past the doorway. My heart, which was about to crack my chest open, suddenly stopped, and everything spun around me.Because Brandon was lying on his bed, unconscious, a bleeding cut on his forehead that had sprayed blood all over him. Cake was right by his side, lifting his limp legs up to the bed.“He tripped in the kitchen and hit his head with the isle,” Cake managed to say, panting after carrying Brandon all the way upstairs.I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think. I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t move.“Fran! Bring me a wet towel!”His shout made me snap out of my shock. I dropped my bag on the floor and ran around the bed to the bathroom, where I grabbed the first towel I
I sneaked out of the sleeping bag the moment Brandon left his seat.“Gina!” I called, crawling on all fours out of the tent.“What is it, Fran?”“Gina, I’m so sorry, but I can’t stay to come tomorrow night,” I said, wiping my tears away just to make room for more to rain down my face.“It’s okay, Fran. Don’t worry about us.”“Kujo protect,” he said, coming to stick to my side.“You guys sure?”“Yes. Go do what you have to do.”“Okay,” I mumbled, and got back into the tent to grab my phone.The first morning flight from Philadelphia International to LAX was scheduled to live after six AM. Shit. It was hardly past midnight. Whatever. Better late than never. I bought a ticket online, already doing the math. I could check in about five thirty, so I had to leave Pennhurst
Brandon walked across the Manor garden in the sunset, hands in his pockets, looking around absentmindedly as he spoke.“I had to watch the footage to actually remember what had happened, and her words shocked me. She called me a puppet. She knew what was going on. Back then, I only understood they wouldn’t let me get to her, especially when Isaac turned his back on me. I couldn’t believe it. He’d betrayed me! My best friend! How powerful could this demon be to turn the man who had been my best friend for the last twenty-five years against me? I was trapped, all alone. I might have to fight for my life.” He looked at the camera. “You must be wondering if I stayed. The answer is yes. Why?” He let out a bitter chuckle. “The truth is I have no idea.” He shrugged. “I was so out of my mind that night, I can count at least half a dozen reasons why I stayed. And none of them make any sense.”They cut back to the
“Here she comes,” Brandon said, his voice reflecting exactly the same as his face. “The little witch comes to protect the demon. Not this time.”I felt Kujo brush his face against mine and realized I was holding my breath, still shaking from head to toe. His warm touch helped me snap out of it.Brandon kept taunting and provoking Kujo until I got there, trying to burn him with his holy water. And then he’d come at me, triggering Kujo’s reaction. After Kujo attacked him, hurting me in the process, I saw him jump back to his feet and try to fight Kujo with his bear fists, punching through him like a madman, almost stomping on me, ‘cause I was pretty much unconscious at his feet. Amy stormed down the stairs as Isaac managed to pull him away from me, and forced the camera into his hands to carry me up the stairs in his arms, while Amy kept Brandon at a safe distance.“Kujo mad.”“But y