Playing with Fire (10 page)

I did care about Lily.

“Be right back,” I whispered to Owen. Then I made my way up to the hotel.

To the second floor.

To room 22.

The door was ajar. Laura, Lily, and Kayla stood between the two beds. I leaned against the door frame and watched Laura. She dipped her fingertips into a shallow bowl, then scattered liquid onto the carpet. Lily remained motionless, and Kayla rocked on her heels as they watched Laura chant, “
Fire, fire burning bright. Leave us, leave us tonight
.”

Belinda watched too, from the far corner. The salt water or whatever Laura sprinkled had no effect on her.

Laura looked up and motioned me inside.

“I thought you didn't—” Kayla began, but Laura shushed her.

Lily said nothing.

The air felt thick and stuffy, even though the door wasn't closed. I joined them in the center. The temperature grew warmer.

“Can you feel the heat?” Laura whispered.

“No.” Kayla inspected her cuticles.

Lily nodded and so did I.

“Are there . . . are there ghosts here?” Lily asked.

Was she talking to me?

“Yes,” Laura answered. “There is one. I feel the presence of one.”

I hadn't realized I'd been holding my breath until I exhaled deeply. Laura knew! She was going to be okay. She could handle this.

“What happens next?” I whispered.

Laura placed the bowl on the night table. “Next, we form the circle of banishment.”

“What's that?” Kayla asked.

“Hold hands. All of us,” Laura instructed.

I kept my eyes on the shimmery form of Belinda as I grasped Laura's and Kayla's hands. Sweat beaded along my hairline.

“I brought a special oil lamp with an extra-long wick. We will set it on a table in the middle of our circle to burn,” Laura continued.

“Burn?” I squeaked.

“Shhh,” Lily warned me.

“Laura, remember what Sofia said? Don't you think anything with fire is a bad idea?” I didn't know much about what was going on, but I knew striking a match near Belinda was asking for trouble.

Laura considered this for a moment. “Agreed. No oil lamp.”

“What'd you do when you cleansed other houses?” I asked.

“This is my first. We'll go with the circle approach.” Laura pursed her lips.

I cringed.
Her first time
. Laura was making this up as she went along.

Lily watched me react from directly across our circle. I couldn't tell what she was thinking.

“Let's sit,” Laura instructed. “Keep a strong grip and close your eyes. Focus on banishing the spirit within these walls.” She began to hum.

Kayla and Lily closed their eyes along with her. There was no way I was going to stop watching Belinda. Already the faintest orange glow had appeared around her.

Their humming was slightly off-key and increased in volume. Belinda glided toward our circle.

Toward Lily.

Sweat snaked down my neck, pooling in the hollow of my collarbone. Belinda hovered behind Lily. Gently, her hand stroked Lily's hair. Up and down, as if brushing her long waves.

The room grew warmer.

Lily's eyelids fluttered open. She zeroed in on my horrified expression.
Ghost?
she mouthed.

I nodded, afraid to anger Belinda with a sudden movement.

Lily stayed eerily calm.
Where?
she mouthed.

Behind you
, I mouthed back, my body rigid with fear. My skin prickled with heat. Hotter and hotter.
Don't move
.

Belinda leaned closer, twisting a strand of Lily's hair around her finger. Lily remained frozen.

Kayla dropped my hand. “Okay, it's like a thousand degrees in here, and nothing's happening. This is stupid.” She stood and stepped away. Then she pulled her phone from the pocket of her faded zip-up sweatshirt and scrolled through texts.

Laura opened her eyes and frowned.

Belinda dropped Lily's hair but stayed where she was.

“Lil, they're serving ice cream down by the lake. Mint chip.” Kayla was clearly bored. “Let's get out of here.” She reached down to pull Lily upright.

Belinda's eyes blazed. The glow around her deepened. She pushed on Lily's shoulder, holding her down as Kayla tried to pull her up. Lily let out a muffled cry.

“What's wrong? You coming?” Kayla asked.

“Not now,” Lily managed. She shot me a desperate look. Belinda held her in place.

I couldn't tear my eyes away from Belinda's hand on Lily. My skin seared with the pain of blistering sunburn.

“That cute boy texted me. The one from the
waterslide.” Kayla held out her phone.

Lily glanced between me and Kayla. “Later,” she said tightly.

“I'm going to get ice cream with him. Meet us, okay?” Kayla headed out into the hall, all the while typing on her phone.

My throat was so dry I could barely push out the words. “Go,” I croaked. “Go with Kayla.”

Lily shook her head.

“She's touching you,” I said. “She wants you to be with her. You have to get out now.”

“I know,” Lily whispered. “I can sort of feel her. I wish I could see her like you.”

“See her?” Laura's head twisted from Lily to me. “What do you mean? Sara, you can
see
her?”

I told Laura what I could do. There wasn't time for an in-depth sharing, since Belinda still hovered beside Lily, but Laura got the idea.

Mostly.

“We need to combine our energies.” She gripped my hand tightly. “Is she by Lily?”

“Yes.” Only one-word answers for me. I had to watch Belinda.

“Be gone, be gone, it is your time to move on,”
Laura chanted. She jutted her chin at me to join in.

“Be gone.” I repeated it several times, each one more forceful than the one before. Belinda's eyes blazed as my voice grew louder. I didn't care. I wanted her away from Lily. The aura around her radiated. My skin seared, but I refused to back down. “Be gone!”

Eyes red, Belinda wrapped her shimmery arms
around Lily. She pulled Lily toward her, squeezing tighter and tighter. Lily's face drained of color. She began to wheeze, fighting for air.

Belinda tightened her grip.

“Stop it, Belinda! Get away!” I screamed. What was I thinking? I couldn't control this spirit. She was much more powerful than I was. I scrambled frantically toward Lily.

“Belinda?” Lily's voice was so normal-sounding that I stopped. “Belinda, can you hear me?”

“What are you—?” I began, but Lily spoke over me.

“Belinda, is this your bedroom? It's so pretty. I love how you can see the sun set over the lake.” Lily twisted around and forced a smile.

Belinda loosened her hold, clearly captivated by the melody of Lily's words.

“You are so pretty. Does everyone tell you that?” Lily continued.

The crimson dimmed from Belinda's eyes as she listened to Lily.

“Go on,” I whispered. Laura nodded, clearly confused by the turn of events.

“You must have so much fun here by the lake,” Lily said.

“Maggie . . . oh, Maggie!” a strained cry escaped from Belinda's pale lips.

I looked to Laura and Lily. Neither heard her.

Belinda trembled as she repeated the name. Then she touched Lily's hair again and cried, “Play with me, Maggie.”

“What's going on?” Laura hissed, reaching for my shoulder.

“Belinda thinks Lily's her sister,” I whispered.

“Margaret?” Laura asked.

“She calls her Maggie.” I hesitated, not wanted to freak Lily. “She's touching your hair. She wants to
play
with you.”

“Oh, I'd love to play, Belinda. Just you and me.” Lily didn't miss a beat. She didn't sound scared, although I couldn't figure out why. “But I am not Maggie. My name is Lily Randazzo. Maggie is your sister, right?”

The temperature of the room dropped at the mention of her sister.

“I'm not Maggie.” Lily leaned forward. “Maggie died a long time ago.”

The once-dark TV screen suddenly crackled to life, filling the room with a white static buzz. The digital clock on the bedside table blinked rapidly.
10:14. 10:14. 10:14
. Through the bathroom door, we heard the shower turn on with a rush of water.

Belinda pulled her arms into herself and raised her shoulders. Her red hair fanned out as the glow returned, more intense than before.

“She's upset,” I said. My skin once again burned with her emotions.

“We need to leave,” Laura announced hastily above the roar of the TV and the shower.

“No, not yet,” Lily protested.

“I can't do it.” Laura's voice trembled as she watched the clock flash the same number over and over. “I can't fix this problem.”

“Laura's right,” I agreed. “She's going to hurt us.” I should've listened to Lady Azura, I realized. We never should have messed with this spirit.

“It's locked!” Laura cried as she tried desperately to twist the doorknob. “It shouldn't be locked, but it is!”

“Sara, look!” Lily pointed toward the floor. Thin wisps of smoke snaked up from beneath the door.

I raced to the window and tried to pry it open. It wouldn't budge. I struggled with the wooden frame as the heat deepened around us.

“Don't waste time. We need to break it,” Laura commanded from behind me. She pulled off her leather clog and began to pound at the pane with the rubber-soled heel.

“I can't breathe,” I rasped. Tears welled in my eyes.

“Wet a washcloth! Put it over your face!” Laura cried.

I wanted to run to the bathroom, but I couldn't move. All I could do was stare at Belinda as my stomach churned. Her body shone, as if the glow were illuminated from within her. Her fists balled at her sides, and she stared with a burning intensity.

I felt her anger. Her disappointment. Her grief. So many emotions boiling at the surface.

So much pain.

I remembered what Lady Azura said. Her emotions caused her to start fires.

“She's upset about her sister.” I coughed. Smoke stuck in my throat. “We need to calm her!”

Laura continued to smack the glass harder, but Lily
turned toward where I pointed. “It's okay, Belinda. I'm here. You're not alone. We can be friends. . . . ”

Lily's voice grew fuzzy as thick smoke filled my eyes. I tried to see the spirit's reaction to Lily's words, but everything turned hazy and began to spin. My knees buckled and my body swayed. Then the smoke covered me like a blanket, and I closed my eyes.

Dust tingled my nose, causing me to sneeze. I squinted into the glare of the late afternoon sun. Reds, oranges, and yellows filled the cloudy sky. The colors of fire.

But there was no fire. No more smoke.

Trees surrounded me with their autumn leaves ablaze. I stared in wonder at the fat maple leaves dripping from the branches. A rhythmic
clip-clop
on the other side of an iron fence revealed a tan horse pulling a wagon and kicking up dust on a city street.

The laughter of young children reached my ears. I stood in a school yard with girls wearing long dresses, big bows in their hair, and lace-up boots. Boys dressed in tweed pants and jackets.

Where was I?

“Lily?” I twisted, searching.

A small girl ran from the crowd. Her red hair blew
behind her as she dodged their jeers. A stone sailed toward her. Then another. The children threw rocks and taunted her.

The girl barreled toward me. Her tiny hands balled into fists. Her face scrunched in hurt and fear. Tears streamed down her cheeks.

I opened my arms to her.

And then I stood in a sweet-smelling bedroom with yellow wallpaper and tall windows. On a four-poster bed, a regal woman with dark hair twisted in a bun gathered the red-haired child from the playground in her arms.

“Mama, no one will be my friend. No one!” the girl wailed.

The mother smoothed her daughter's tangles. “It's only because they are afraid of what you do.” The mother tried to mask her own sadness. “Do not fret. You have your sister. She will always be your friend.”

And then I stood outside on a sloping lawn bordered by majestic pines. Beside me two girls played with porcelain-faced dolls. The red-haired girl was older now, maybe ten. The slight, dark-haired girl beside her looked younger. A whistle caught their
attention. A boy in overalls kicked a stone down the nearby road. He spotted the girls. “Freak!” he called. “Freak!”

“Don't listen, Belinda,” the younger girl soothed.

The red-haired girl's face had already crumbled. Color rose to her cheeks as the boy continued to cry, “Freak!”

In a shower of sparks that made me jump, her doll burst into a bonfire. Fire ate at the doll's petticoats and satin dress, then slowly moved to singe the moss-green grass.

Belinda now sat on a moss-green sofa with her hands folded on her lap. Older still, maybe sixteen, her hair held back in a braid.

Across from her sat the regal woman and a heavyset man with a turned-up mustache. Andrew and May Helliman. His face was grave. Hers was tearstained.

“It's the only way.” Belinda's mother twisted a lace handkerchief as she spoke. “Cousin Katherine has agreed to take you. I hear her cottage in Bristol, England, is quite nice.”

“I don't want to be sent away! I don't want to go to
England. I don't know this cousin.” Belinda couldn't control her tears.

“It's not a choice.” Her father refused to look directly at his daughter. “The doctor said it's the only way. After that boathouse fire . . . everyone knows you're a danger, Belinda.”

“You and Margaret are all I have!” Belinda wailed. “I promise not to start more fires. I promise!”