GHOST SQUAD

CHAPTER 13- WIN

"How long have you been standing there?" Alice demanded, tossing the dagger on the bed.

"From the time you were smiling down looking at the silver bracelet, no doubt lost in my thoughts!" Knave replied.

Alice reddened. Had she really been smiling? "I was just admiring the handiwork of the bracelet." She lied.

"I cannot blame you if you were." He replied, grinning.

Alice let out a small laugh. She had missed his crazy obsession with himself. She wanted to run and wrap her arms around him, but the only thing stopping her was Tristan, who had followed her gaze and was blinking hard, as if that might help him see Knave.

"I guess, that is Knave?" He asked, his voice was a little on edge.

"Yes!" Alice replied. She looked at Knave, who was just staring at Tristan. "Knave said hi." She said.

"I did not!" Knave pointed out. Alice shot him a look. Social etiquettes were not his strong suit.

"Hey!" Tristan replied. The awkward silence carried on, in which Alice found herself wishing there was a way she could just melt to the floor. Mercifully, Tristan broke the silence. "How are we supposed to communicate?" He asked, staring past Knave's shoulder.

Alice sighed. "Through me, I guess?" She said, imagining herself running back and forth between the two, delivering messages. She grabbed a little satisfaction with the fact that she could at least control what Knave would say.

Knave turned to Alice. "The others would go crazy with excitement, now that you can see them again."

"Even Mendaline?" She asked, trying to picture the witch jumping with excitement. Alice thought it would be easier to picture a rock instead.

Knave considered the question. "She would be crazy too," He admitted. "Just not with excitement."

"Does she even want me back?" She asked, remembering how the witch had flirted with Knave the first time Alice had met her.

Knave shook his head. "I did not mean it that way!" He quickly clarified. "I meant she would go crazy because she would have to shelter one more person in her usually lonely cave."

Alice gave a small smile. Knave would probably want her to go with him, however her work here was not done.

Tristan loudly cleared his throat, almost making her jump. "I'm just going to get a glass of water." He announced, running straight out of the room, before she could say anything.

Alice felt as if she had been punched, as she realized how left out he might've felt while she had been talking to Knave. How could Alice possibly put him through this every time, after all that he had already gone through for her?

Not long ago, she had been ready to forget all about Knave for Tristan. Now that she had gotten her memories back, remembered all the times she and Knave had spent together, Alice was not sure she could forget about him.

Suddenly, her breath got knocked out of her as Knave grabbed her in a tight hug. "I missed you so much." He whispered against her ear.

All thoughts vanished from Alice's mind as she hugged him back, relaxing into him. "I missed you too!" She broke the hug and looked into his blue eyes. She braced herself. She had to tell him now or she never could. "I cannot come with you now, Knave."

"Why not?" He demanded. "You got your powers, now let's get out of here!"

"Cora still thinks I don't remember anything." She reminded.

"So?" He prompted.

"So we have the element of surprise, Knave!" Alice pointed out. "If I run away, she will know and eventually find me."

"But it's too dangerous!" He said, looking at her sadly. "I am sure we will figure something out, but please Alice, come with me this time." He begged.

Alice began to protest, when her eyes fell on the black locket around his neck. If her powers had returned by removing the bracelet, then perhaps..., "Knave, I have a way to break your curse!" She blurted out.

Knave looked down at her, confused. Alice tried to calm herself down. She picked the dagger from the bed with shaking hands. "I got my powers by removing the bracelet with the dagger," She explained. "Maybe, if I do the same with your locket then...," She did not need to finish the sentence.

Knave broke into a smile. "Then what are you waiting for?"

Alice carefully placed the tip under his necklace, the same way she had done with her bracelet, and pulled. The locket tugged free, but with some resistance.

Alice turned to look at Knave as soon as the locket hit the ground. He looked hopeful and confused.

"Did it work?" She asked.

Knave shook his head. "I don't know! I feel the same." He admitted.

Alice was deprived of an answer by a loud noise, that sounded as if a chair had been knocked over. Her heart beat wildly. A split second later, Tristan's voice came through. "Hello, aunt Sophie!" He shouted, no doubt trying to warn them.

Alice glanced at Knave in horror. Her mother never came home early.

"I will get the others!" Knave said. A look of horror spread across his face, as if he realized something.

"What's wrong?" Alice asked. She could still hear Tristan talking, but she could not concentrate much to make out the words.

"I can't use my ghost powers anymore!" Knave informed.

"That means it worked!" Alice exclaimed, not sure if she was supposed to feel relieved, or dreadful since he lost his powers. However, there was no time to dwell on that. 

Alice reached into her pocket and handed Knave the crystal Mendaline had given her. "Use it at the right time!" She said, placing the dagger in her pocket, before running out of the room to find Tristan.

Alice did not glance back. She could not help but feel that instead of helping Knave, she had done something worse to him in the process, yet again.