Ghosts of Coronado Bay (14 page)

At Gavin’s exultant cry, the sailors all stopped what they were doing and rushed across the room, laughing and shouting, ignoring Maya and the others in their haste.

“There’s not much time,” Childs said, as Gavin removed the book from its resting place. “’Tis near midnight. I can feel it in me bones. Aye, and ‘tis, indeed, wondrous to say that again.”

“That’s my cue,” Maya whispered to Blake. “I’m going to stall him until you and Lucy and the others are back on your feet.”

“What should we do?”

Maya shook her head. “Honestly, I don’t know. Just be ready to help. Or to run like hell.”

She stood up and called out Gavin’s name. “You have the book. Now, let us go.”

Everyone turned and stared at her. Gavin pointed. “Bring her to me. She will be the first sacrifice after I open the gates. Then, her friends can follow.”

“Wait!” Maya held up her hands. “You’ve got your book of spells or whatever, and you’ve got me. Why do you still need them?”

“Maya? What the hell are you doing?” Lucy’s voice.

Without looking at her friend, Maya answered in a soft voice. “Take the boys and get out of here as soon as you have a chance. Get the police.”

Two of Gavin’s men reached her and took her by the arms. She let them drag her closer to Gavin. She still had no idea how to use the power that was supposedly inside her, but she figured the closer to her target, the better.

“’Tis true I no longer need you to regain my flesh,” Gavin said. In one hand he held a dictionary-sized book, its black leather cover cracked and peeling. “But that was only necessary so I could perform the real ceremony. And, for that I need blood, as well. A lot of it. And,” he added, looking at the students behind Maya, “it doesn’t have to be a virgin’s blood.”

Turning to his men, Gavin said, “Hold them while I perform the rites.”

“What rites?” It was hard not going to her friends’ aid as she heard them captured once more, but the important thing was that Blake remained free.

Gavin didn’t look up from the book, his fingers carefully turning each brittle, stained page. “The ones I must perform in order to call forth the Daimones Proseoous.”

“The dammy-prosoo-whats?” A quick peek back showed Blake getting to his feet. He looked pale and weak, but his face was hard and determined. Neither of the two sailors standing near him took any notice, which was as she’d hoped. Once they’d regained their human forms, they’d lost the ability to see other ghosts. She hoped he’d figure it out, as well, and stay far enough away from her to remain invisible.

“Ancient sea daemons, known well to the Greeks. With them under my command, I’ll control the oceans and have access to unlimited wealth.”

Maya laughed out loud. She couldn’t help it. One of the sailors gripped her arm tighter, but she ignored it. “Control the oceans? Dude, I hate to tell you this, but things have changed a little bit over the last couple of centuries. We have these things called airplanes now. They carry stuff from one country to the next through the sky. Controlling the seas would hurt the economy, but only until they like, sent some warships or subs to nuke your demon thingies back to wherever they came from.”

A flicker of uncertainty passed across Gavin’s face, and then his arrogant confidence returned. “If what you say is true, it is no matter. There are many other daemons, creatures of the sky, earth, and fire, and this book gives me power over them all. You’ll not sway me with your words.”

His fingers stopped moving, and he held the book higher. Without any pause, he started reciting words from the book. Maya cringed inside. She’d hoped he’d be like the bad guys in the movies or on TV, who took their time bragging about their plans, thus allowing the good guys to fight back.

Except now there wasn’t any time. The funky book of spells was already glowing a weird greenish-yellow, which grew stronger as Gavin continued speaking.

“Hear me, foul Lords of the Deep!

In the name of Triton and Poseidon, I call you!

See the death and blackness in my heart and rejoice!

For I call to you now to give you place on Earth again!”

Enthralled by their master’s words, the sailors holding Maya allowed their grips to loosen. It was the moment she’d been waiting for, the time to test her powers. Closing her eyes, she concentrated as hard as she could on the hands holding her.

Let me go. Let me go. Let me go. Let me...

The rough fingers fell away. She opened her eyes, unable to believe it had worked, afraid she’d see it was just a trick.

The two men stood like statues, eyes facing forward, arms hanging limply at their sides.

OhmyGod! It did work!

She risked a glance at Blake. He’d made it to his knees and his eyes looked more alert. He nodded to her, and she hoped he was up to his part of the plan. Then, she almost forgot what she had to do when she looked back at Gavin.

A large, ink-black oval shape was growing behind him, a floating hole in the world outlined in a sickly yellow color.

His spell! It’s already taking effect.

That meant there wasn’t much time. Focusing all her attention on Gavin, she repeated one command over and over, putting every ounce of strength she had left into her effort.

Look away. Look away. Look away. Look--

Gavin turned his head to the left, but didn’t stop speaking.

It’s now or never. C’mon, Blake!

Next to her, Blake saw the movement and extended his hands outward. The tiny hairs on Maya’s arms jumped to attention as the air crackled with static electricity. Blake grunted as he loosed twin bolts of lightning from his hands right into Gavin’s chest.

Where they disappeared.

Without pausing, Gavin pointed at Blake and a ruby-red line of energy lashed out. It roped itself around Blake before the stunned ghost could react, and lifted him into the air like a crazed boa constrictor choking a rat. Then, it snapped forward in whip-like fashion and sent Blake flying through the air, his body burnt and smoking even as it faded into semi-transparency. He hit the ground and didn’t move.

Gavin’s eyes mocked Maya with cruel amusement as he continued the spell. A stiff breeze sprang up out of nowhere and quickly turned into a heavy wind that tossed papers and small objects around the room. Maya found herself squinting against the dust and debris hitting her face.

Then she forgot all about her own discomfort as the glowing oval shape grew. Smaller than a car tire at first, it rapidly expanded until it was taller than Gavin and easily four feet wide.

Oh, God. It’s growing stronger.

Seeing their last chance at defeating Gavin, Maya cursed out loud. What else could she try? Her plan had failed. She wasn’t strong enough to defeat Gavin alone, and...

Wait. What if I had help? If ghosts can channel energy and turn it into lightning, maybe they can transfer some of that energy to me. It was worth a try, but how? Blake was out cold again, and even if she woke him, she doubted he had any strength left to share.

Grandma Elsa!

Not caring if Gavin heard her, she called out for her grandmother. “Grandma Elsa! Please, if you can hear me, I need your help!”

The ground rumbled beneath her feet, and she grabbed a table to keep from falling down. The few artifacts left on the remaining shelves joined their companions on the floor.

Not the response I was hoping for, Maya thought, recognizing the tremors as an effect of Gavin’s continuing spell - strange, shadowy forms, indistinct, but somehow unpleasant to the eye, were taking shape inside the black circle.

Please, Grandma, there’s not much time...

“Not much time for what - good heavens, what is that?”

Maya let out a startled squeal at the sound of her grandmother’s voice behind her.

“Grandma! Thank God! There’s no time to explain. I need your strength. Can you pass it on to me the way Blake and the others can make lightning?”

Without batting an eye, Elsa Crompton took Maya’s hand in hers. “I think maybe it’s possible. But there has to be physical contact.”

“We’re only gonna have one shot.” Gripping her dead grandmother’s ice-cold fingers, Maya turned her attention to Gavin. No time for tricks or subtlety.

“Drop the book. Your time is done. Drop the book, your time is done...”

Next to her, Elsa repeated Maya’s words.

Gavin looked up, his eyes widening. The wind died down slightly. Behind him, the terrifying opening in space wavered around the edges. Then his brow furrowed in anger and he returned to the spell. The wind ratcheted up to storm force again, and the beastly faces in the oval seemed just a bit clearer.

He felt that!

Maya raised her voice even louder.

“Drop the book, your time is done...”

Stuart’s stomach churned as he watched Blake get blown away by the freaky-colored lightning. Could ghosts die? He didn’t think so, but he also couldn’t imagine taking that kind of punishment and not be majorly hurt.

The sight of Maya’s ghost friend taking on solid form and going to her rescue - again! - had unnerved Stuart in a way the whole deadly situation hadn’t managed to do. While Maya and Lucy and the other humans were trapped inside the room, there was no reason for Blake to stick around. He could’ve just disappeared, let that Gavin fellow - who apparently wasn’t a ghost any longer - do whatever he had in mind. Left Maya to her own fate. After all, Blake wasn’t in danger unless he put himself there.

The damn fool had even passed up the chance to become human again when the other ghosts touched Maya’s blood. How that worked Stuart had no idea, but finding out his ex-girlfriend could bring ghosts back to life was no weirder than finding out she could talk to them.

Or that they even existed.

So what was Blake’s deal? Why was he risking eternal life on the one hand and refusing the offer of a real life on the other?

Somehow, it all came down to Maya.

And that’s why Stuart’s stomach felt like he’d taken on the whole defensive line in a punching contest.

He’s doing it for her. Thinking only of her.

Totally unselfish.

And in realizing that, Stuart had suddenly seen himself as Maya must have seen him. Selfish. Angry. Jealous.

In other words, a total douche.

I can still change, though. I can do something to help, too. And he’d tried. Only he’d had no success.

The doors to the hall refused to budge. He knew that because he’d crawled to them, fighting the heavy winds and flying debris, as soon as he’d seen that freaky thing forming behind Gavin. He’d played enough online video games, watched enough horror movies, to know a portal when he saw one. And although he had no clue where this one led, they almost always ended up with demons coming out of them, which was never a good thing.

Of course, with running for help no longer an option, he had no idea of what to do next. Attacking Gavin head on was out of the question. Maybe ghosts like Blake couldn’t be killed, but dumb jocks wouldn’t stand a chance against supernatural lightning.

So instead he’d remained hidden behind a wrecked cabinet, desperate to think of something he could do. Anything.

And that’s when Maya had called out for her Grandma Elsa.

What the hell? Maya’s grandmother died before Maya was even in kindergarten. Everyone knows th--

An old woman appeared behind Maya, a woman whose face Stuart recognized from the photos in Maya’s house. She took Maya’s hand, and together they started speaking.

At that moment, Stuart knew what he had to do.

*  *  *

“Drop your book, your time is done.”

The moment Grandma Elsa joined in, Maya felt new life flowing through her. Not much, just a trickle, but it gave her hope. She took the energy and channeled it into her words, mentally throwing them at Gavin as if they were solid objects.

Her combined psychic and verbal assault had an effect. She saw it in the way Gavin ground his jaw as he spoke, the way the vein in his temple bulged out, the way he raised his voice as he repeated the words of the spell.

“Oh most hideous and cruel of species

Dwellers in the abyss and darkness

Hear my call and answer me!”

C’mon. Die, you bastard! Die!

He wasn’t dying, though. In fact, he seemed to be getting stronger, gaining ground on her, as he recited the blasphemous words. The shapes behind him grew more distinct, forming into something resembling a giant face seen through a foggy, warped mirror.

The same way I’m drawing power from Grandma, he’s drawing it from that damn book. Or maybe the portal itself. It’s hopeless. I’ll never beat him.

As if he heard her thoughts, Gavin flicked his gaze towards her and let the corners of his mouth curl up in a look that was more sneer than smile.

And, then, something happened. Someone took her other hand, the one not gripping Grandma Elsa’s. For a brief moment she thought Blake had woken up and come to help. Except the hand was...warm? She turned her head, and her words caught in her throat, so great was her surprise.

“Stuart?”

“Don’t stop,” he said. “Let me help.”

“But...”

He shook his head. “No buts. I’ve been a major jerk. I’m sorry.”

Maya wanted to press the issue, but there was no time. “Thank you.”

She opened herself to Stuart’s energy and it rushed in, hot and vibrant instead of cool and gentle like Elsa’s. Not much stronger, though. Not enough to shift the balance of power.

But if she could tap Stuart’s energy...

She pulled her hand away, ignoring his protests. “Hurry! Get Lucy! We need her too!”

She expected him to argue like he always did. He surprised her again, though, by nodding and rushing off. Moments later, he was back, a shaken but determined Lucy holding his hand, both of them fighting their way against the fierce gale still blowing through the room.

He clasped fingers with Maya again, and this time the difference was immediately noticeable. It was like putting a finger against a live wire, except without the pain.

Across from them, Gavin’s spell casting faltered. He paused and took a deep breath. When he spoke again, his voice carried a hint of pain that made Maya’s heart sing.

“You’re strong, but not strong enough. My will is greater, fueled years of agonizing lessons in the dark arts and nurtured by a century of waiting. In but a few moments the Great Dark Ones will enter this world, and I will see you all dead.”

He returned to his spell, but Maya noticed sweat beading on his brow for the first time. No denying it. They’d hurt him.

And, if they could do it once...

“C’mon, everyone. Concentrate! We have to stop him.”

Grandma Elsa moaned softly, but didn’t falter. Maya felt it more than heard it. She never even had a chance to worry, as a vibrant humming filled her ears, the same sound you might hear when standing under heavy power lines. The mix of hot and cold energies flowing set her entire body buzzing, like the time she and Lucy had snuck cigarettes and a small bottle of tequila in the backyard.

She hoped she didn’t end up puking like she had that night.

Gavin’s body jerked, and he took a step back. His jaw clenched tighter than ever, but the anger was gone, replaced by determination and something Maya hoped was a touch of fear. He’d stopped reading from the book, and for an instant she thought maybe they’d succeeded in ending the spell. Then, she felt something hard and nasty slam against her brain, and she realized Gavin had turned all his energies towards stopping her.

Instinctively, she knew if he managed to break through her defenses, get inside her mind, she was as a good as dead. She pictured a steel dome closing around her brain, blocking the dark, slimy creature outside from getting in.

It’s a test of wills. Him versus me. I have to be stronger.

Time seemed to slow down around her. Each heartbeat was a booming kettle drum inside her chest, steady and hard. Thump! Thump! Thump! Her peripheral vision faded away, and she saw Gavin as if through a telescope, bright and clear, outlined by the hellish glow of the gateway coming to life behind him. To her left and right, her family and friends grew blurred and indistinct. She felt each of them, though, sensed the similarities and differences of their energies as they mixed with her own.

Elsa, wise and secure and made of nothing but love.

Stuart, all traces of jealousy and anger gone now, his negativity stripped away until nothing remained but the same bullish determination that made him such a force on the football field.

Lucy, her fierce loyalty so different from the sarcastic, carefree attitude she projected to the outside world.

And still it wasn’t enough. The pressure continued to build against Maya’s psyche, growing more painful with each second. Foul tendrils of energy spread around her mental dome, black creepers that pushed and probed, searching for any weak points. Gavin’s psychic being no longer contained any traces of pain or doubt. Instead, he radiated a feeling of confidence that he’d eventually best her.

Behind him, the grotesque beings waiting beyond the gate took on more detail. Their faces parodied human features, with twisted noses, narrow heads, and eyes that sat far to the sides, in fish-like fashion. Some had twisted horns, while others sprouted eely tentacles from their heads.

Maya forced herself to look away and concentrate harder. She, then, remembered something from her karate lessons. It’s all about focus. Focus on success, focus on the target. Do not let thoughts of failure enter the mind.

Pretend he’s a block of wood to kick.

The air around Gavin crackled with sparks and miniature flashes of lightning. Maya ignored the supernatural pyrotechnics and pictured her mental energy as a foot, lashing out and crashing through the barrier surrounding Gavin’s essence.

Gavin groaned out loud, but instead of faltering, he launched an even stronger counter attack, one that hit her so hard she actually felt a sharp pain in her chest. A surprised cry escaped her, and the hands holding hers tightened in response. Her lungs froze, refusing to work, and terror filled her for a split second. Then, her chest heaved, and she took a huge, gasping breath.

This is it. I can’t give anymore.

She wondered if she could hold him off long enough by herself for her friends to escape.

“Don’t give up. You can do this.”

For a moment, Maya thought it was her own brain arguing with itself. Then she realized the voice was outside her head.

And male.

She spared a quick glance to the side.

“Blake?”

It was he, disheveled hair, tattered clothes, and all. He looked worse than dead, yet still managed a wan smile.

“It’s time to end this once and for all.”

Then, to her amazement, Stuart nodded at Blake and let go of her hand so Blake could step between them. Icy fingers took hers, and she couldn’t believe it as he and Stuart clasped hands.

A jolt of power surged through her, stronger than anything she’d felt from the others. More than love, more than adoration, more than tenacity, it was...

Righteousness.

For over a hundred years, Blake, nothing but a simple stowaway when the Black Lady set sail, had devoted himself to making sure Gavin didn’t accomplish his evil task. Like his ancestors before him, he’d risked his life, and possible eternal damnation and torture if he failed. He hadn’t done it for personal gain, or publicity, or any other selfish reason.

He’d done it because it was right. Because the evil living inside Gavin Hamlin needed to be stopped. She felt it in every muscle, every bone, every fiber of her being. The power of pure, unadulterated goodness.

The one thing they’d lacked.

Maya surprised herself by laughing out loud. “To hell with you, Gavin Hamlin! Eat shit and die!”

She reached deep inside, pulling every ounce of power from every fiber of her being. Hot and cold energies fused inside her, creating something greater than their parts. She focused her eyes on Gavin’s chest. Just like Master Spiegel had told her, she pictured a spot not on the target itself, but rather a point a few inches behind her target.

“Pretend there is nothing at all between your hand and the impact point.”

She imagined Gavin’s body as that of a ghost still, with no more substance than a cloud.

And she struck.

As she’d been taught, she never took her eyes off her target, not even when the neon-pink energy bolt shot out from her and struck Gavin dead center in his chest. Behind him, the glowing oval shattered into radiant darts of light, and the blackness within began to shrink in size. Inside it, the sea-demons’ mouths opened in silent cries of frustration as they saw their portal disintegrating.

“Nooo--” Gavin’s cry ended in mid-scream, and he dropped the book as several green, scaly tentacles burst free from the gateway and wrapped around his body. He struggled against them, holding out his hands to the watching humans, unable to call for help because of the thick appendage encircling his neck. Maya gasped at the size of it, understanding for the first time that the creatures beyond the gate were much larger than they’d appeared to be. In fact, they were gigantic.

The tentacles lifted Gavin in the air, and then the strangest thing in a night of strangeness happened. They turned Gavin’s body sideways and pulled from both ends. Maya raised her arms, afraid she’d be splattered with blood and guts when he got torn in half.

Instead, they pulled something out of him, a ghostly image of Gavin Hamlin, identical to his human body, and retreated back into the dark void with the twisting, fighting shape. A second later, the dark oval shrank down to nothing and disappeared, leaving Gavin’s lifeless form on the floor.

For a moment, silence filled the room.

Then Maya broke it with an exultant shout.

“We did it!” She let go of Elsa and Blake. With Gavin’s defenses shattered, her own power was more than enough to keep the other sailors immobile. She wrapped her arms around Blake and squeezed with all her might, then turned to hug her grandmother.

Just in time to catch her as she collapsed.

“Grandma!”

Elsa looked terrible, her face drawn and pale, her eyes half-closed.

“I’m alright, dear,” Elsa said, her voice barely a whisper. “There’s not much left to me after all that.”

“What can I do?”

“Let me go, child. I can’t stay here any longer. It’s time for me to go home.”

“Grandma, no!” Maya wanted to hold her tighter, but Blake pulled her away.

“She knows what she’s doing, Maya. By keeping her here, you’re just making it worse.”

“Everything will be fine.” Elsa’s lips curled up in a weak smile. “Take care of yourself. I love you.”

“I love you, too, Grandma. I--” She never finished, as Elsa faded away into nothing.