Apollo's Ghost-Hunting Daughter

Chapter 8

Hot liquid splashed down my front as I sprang to my feet and launched myself down the hallway, Kipps hot on my heels. I threw myself down the staircase, landing in the foyer, where Bobby Vernon stood, hands on his knees, panting as if he'd just run a marathon.

"Basement!" Shaw called and Kipps and I charged forward, descending the stairs after Shaw.

The basement was crude with cement floors and walls and thick wooden beams holding up the ceiling. There were half-windows built along the top of the wall looking out at the front and back of the house.

"In ainm Dé," I swore, lunging forward first on the offense, rapier drawn.

It was a Raw-bones, a particularly nasty Type Two that took on the appearance of a freshly skinned corps. Not much was left up to the imagination, but I was able to fend it off with a well-executed ward knot. My blade continued to flash back and forth as Kipps and Shaw argued behind me. Eventually, one of them lobbed a salt bomb against the ceiling, and salt dropped down. It did little to dissuade the Raw-bones, but nothing short of Greek Fire would have banished it back to the other side, and carelessly throwing Greek Fire in the basement of a house was ill-advised, especially since the historical society wanted to preserve it.

"Kat, chains, now!" Kipps bellowed.

I tore a sachet of iron filings from my belt and snapped it open, spreading a line along the ground. The barrier would last until it realized there was a way around the iron.

"Persistent bugger, isn't he," Ned noted, throwing another salt bomb, which did nothing but create a bigger mess.

Kat Godwin tumbled down the stairs, flinging an armload of chains to Kipps and Ned, who immediately started to lay them out against the bottom step. I fended off the Raw-bones with another ward knot before leaping back to safety.

"Well, that was lovely," I said, slumping against the wall as Kipps and Shaw spread iron filings and salt on the bottom few steps as an additional precaution.

"Nice rapier work, Kavanagh," Ned said, slapping me across the shoulders. I winced.

"Is Bobby okay?" Kipps as Kat.

"We'd better go check. I think it just scared the living daylights out of him when he came down to do a temperature check," Kat explained, heading up the stairs.

I brought up the rear, taking the steps backward, sword at the ready, but it was unnecessary. The Raw-bones was contained behind the chain line, although the image was burned into my mind and I doubted I would be able to shake it any time soon.

Bobby was in the foyer, collapsed in one of the backup chain circles, furiously chewing a piece of gum. Kipps gave him the once over, looking for signs of ghost-touch, but Vernon was in good health, just scared senseless.

"If there really is a Poltergeist upstairs, he can't be here," I whispered to Kipps when he stepped back.

He nodded.

"Alright, Bobby. You've done a great job, but why don't you go take a break outside?" Kipps suggested gently.

Kat and Ned had left to check temperatures. I probably needed to do the same thing upstairs, but curiosity about the back staircase got the best of me and I started down the hall, stepping into the iron circle as I studied the open door. As Kipps had described, there was a bright mass of death-glows at the base. My Sight was limited, but even I couldn't look at it directly.

Feeling emboldened, I stepped over the edge of the circle and approached the bottom of the steps. I edged past the death-glows and placed a foot on the bottom step. I staggered back, hand at my chest, feeling winded.