Ghost Silk (Ghost Perfume, Book 2) | ✔

12 - Free us - Part 1 (Alexander)

tiny note- if you read as I upload you may have seen that one of the 4 Inezchet leaders in this book was called "Ambrose", which would have been rightfully confusing because one of the Inezchet from book 1 was also called "Ambrose" (Ambrose and Belladonna, who were both killed) ... I was confused too until I realized I used the name twice haha. I've edited things now so that the new Ambrose is now called "Florian"

Alexander

Evening had long since fallen as we crossed into Vermont. I'd managed to switch off driving with Lukas at our last stop, so I could sit in the back with the very happy Rose.

She took control of the playlist at one point and sang along with some of the songs. Her persuasion bled into her singing.

The priests always had a way of stirring your blood and thrumming your emotions to a more excited pitch. Back when Michael found out the most important of the priests' secrets, he'd learned that their ability to rouse and strengthen emotions helped to control ghosts, because ghosts led dimmed, greyed inner lives.

But when it came to Rose, when that ethereal honey poured through her voice, an unbearable and fascinated desire shuddered through me, a stranger effect than any I'd felt before, and I'd never been locked in a car like this either. The air couldn't quite fill my lungs. I forced myself to stare out the window.

My brothers got quiet too. I was glad when Lukas couldn't take it anymore and started loudly talking.

He was good at that - chattering uselessly when the occasion called for it. He was better than me.

Wow, a kind thought about Lukas. Something was off with me lately.

"Jane's coming," Rose said. She shrugged at Jackal. "I don't know."

We had already gone over with Rose our plan for the Inezchet and the questions she'd want answered. The revenant had told us everything he could remember about the group we hunted and the leaders Maximilian, Genesis, Florian, and Olivia. They did not sound like a threat.

As if a human could ever pose a danger to the likes of us.

We were the true monsters. The cult, they were only playing pretend.

Michael was searching for a hotel on his phone so we could rest for the night. "We have to book five rooms?" Rose asked, looking at his screen. "I slept better than usual this morning when I wasn't alone," she said shyly. "I wouldn't mind sharing rooms."

Michael hesitated. "Very well. I'll book a suite."

Rose was distracted. "Oh my god, what's wrong?"

Apparently her friend cried as she approached.

Lukas pulled the car into a gas station. We watched Rose became grave as she listened to the ghost.

Lukas, holding the nozzle for the gas, leaned in through the open window. "What's she saying, Rose?"

"She's saying - let's not stop for the night. We should go straight to the cult. She says these Inezchet are going to gather their own souls by killing them. They talk about this Sunday - today is Saturday right? - so tomorrow, as a day of transgression, ascension, something."

Gabriel raised an eyebrow. "They plan to find sixteen people tomorrow and kill them?"

"Jane says they definitely - they have this sword. The leaders were holding the sword and talking about how they wanted to - can you remember exactly? ... He said 'We'll call the demons on Sunday morning' - that's what they call revenants, by the way, they call them demons ... Then he said, 'We'll challenge the initiates to transgress. The demons will capture the souls we harvest and we'll ascend by dusk, and we can deal with Belladonna later.' ... Also, Jane says they don't know about how we stopped the Inezchet in the other Mayville. They don't know that Belladonna and the other guy died, and I guess none of the others contacted them."