Bewitching Monsters

Ghost - Part 3

[note: contains murder/drowning mention]

I burned frankincense and sandalwood incense. I lit some white and purple candles. I readied a shallow bowl of water, a small dish of salt, and my black, lace blindfold. My tools were ready. I still wasn't mentally ready-not completely. But I already agreed to this.

Caera sat facing me with the water bowl between us. I cast a circle around us, invoked my go-to deity for psychic work, then sat down. Calling quarters didn't feel right for this. Even calling a goddess seemed like a bit much, but it was reassuring to have her presence in case things got out of hand. I took three breaths, centering myself, entering my ritual headspace. I tied the blindfold over my eyes.

"From beyond the grave, give me sight; may history reveal how to set things right," I murmured before gazing down into the water. Before we started, I explained to Caera what she was to do now. Slowly, her reflection emerged, overlapping my reflection. I felt her drawing into me. The more she entered me, the heavier my body felt-a witch's body was not made to house more than one spirit. Once she fully possessed me, my vision fell away.

I was in a dim hallway. Further away I could hear the distinct sounds of a couple having sex-they were not trying to be secretive about it. I went closer. Silently I crept up to the door left ajar.

"Mm! Fuck yeah. You like that, don't you?" groaned a male. No-the Master of the house. However I knew for a fact that he wasn't with my Mistress. She was still tending to her sister-in-law who was close to giving birth. The Master was cheating on my Mistress. Again.

The first time my Mistress caught him, she swore that if he did it again, she would divorce him. And since all the fortune was from my Mistress's family, he'd be left in scraps. The scum deserved it. My family had served this house for generations. I could not stand to let this scum hurt my Mistress more.

I pushed the door open little by little so I could peak in. One perk of the luxury my Mistress kept was you never had to worry about squeaky doors. I took out my slate and started recording them. It was disgusting having to watch this trash try to pleasure whatever foolish female was beneath him. But it must be done. I would need hard proof. My Mistress would surely believe me, but with this, he couldn't get away with lying. If only I could see the female's face.

I nudged the door a little more so I could get a better angle, but the door hit something metallic. Despite the loud sounds of sex, the sound of metal dragging across the floor screeched notably. I immediately drew back into the hallway and stashed my slate in my apron pocket. I needed to get far away from here. If the Master learned I had witnessed his infidelity before I could inform the Mistress... I didn't want to imagine what would happen to me.

I was just coming to in a dimly lit room. My arms were bound behind me, my ankles clapped in heavy shackles, and my mouth was numb. Then I heard the Master's voice hiss above me. I kept still. I didn't want him knowing I was awake.

"I thank you again for your swift services."

Another male chuckled. "Always a pleasure working with you, Sir Maardugos. Though I must advise, next week I'll be out of town for a few days; the only whelp I'd go to for bars would be down over in the valley and he doesn't make house calls."

Bars? No-no he couldn't mean... I moved my tongue around my mouth and sure enough I felt the scrape of a tongue bar. Damn him! Did he really think this would stop me from telling my Mistress about him? I could still write. And I still had the recording-as long as he didn't steal my slate.

Pain shot through my skull and back. I was being dragged across the ground. I flailed about, trying to break free, trying to grab hold of anything I could use as a weapon. I screamed for help but my voice was trapped. It was just a raspy mess of sound, a hoarse whisper and gurgling groans.

"You think you're so smart?" growled the Master. "I don't care if you are that bitch's favorite pet; you just keep meddling where you shouldn't. Clearly that bar wasn't enough for you."

Tears stung my eyes. He was going to murder me. By the gods-my heart ached to see my Mistress just once more. One hard jerk sent me scrambling into freezing water. I started choking for breath, not able to fully get my head above water long enough to cough up everything that sloshed into my lungs.

"Finish this. Make sure you take the body far from here," the Master ordered. There were more hands on me. They held me under. My fighting was pointless..

I was knocked back into my own mind and immediately started coughing up phantom water. Really wish Caera didn't share that part with me. It was unnecessary since I already assumed she drowned. I ripped my blindfold off and took a minute to compose myself.

Maardugos-that name stuck out to me.

They were a prominent family. Old money. And despite all that wealth they were mostly a benevolent and loved family. About seven decades ago there was an incident where the heiress divorced her husband and he went berserk. He lashed out at everyone: servants, the heiress, and even the high matriarch. He was executed. I'd bet he was the one responsible Caera's death.

"Do you know how much time has gone by since then? Was it about seventy years ago?" She thought for a moment, then shook her head and shrugged. Even if she didn't know, I was still sure on my guess. And while I had the good news that the man who orchestrated her muting and murder was dead, I knew that wasn't exactly what Caera wanted.

I had a new plan now.