GHOST SQUAD

CHAPTER 15-DISGRACE

"Alice, what have you done?" Was all Knave could manage to say.

"She's not dead!" Alice replied, not meeting his eyes.

"She is right!" Mendaline said. She bent down and pulled the dagger free from Cora's chest. A look of disgust passed over her face as she took in the blood on the dagger, as well as on her hands. She shook her hands, and suddenly all the blood vanished from her hands and the dagger. No sign remained that showed the dagger was used just a few minutes ago.

Mendaline stood up. She gave Alice an impressed look. "I think you should keep this!" She said, handing over the dagger to Alice, who silently took it, pocketing it.

Mendaline looked around. Her eyes widened with horror, as she took in the pieces of broken glass. "You broke my crystal?" She demanded, looking at Alice.

"That's a glass," Alice replied in a shaky voice. "I broke it to signal Knave to call you."

"Your damn crystal just bounced and glowed!" Knave said in an accusatory tone. He remembered the panic he had felt when for just a moment, he had thought Mendaline had mistakenly given the wrong ball. He had almost suffered a panic attack when he realized the witch might not show up at all.

Mendaline looked at him for the first time since she had arrived, and Knave watched her mouth drop open. "You're free!" She realized.

"Like a bird!" He grinned.

"Huh!" Mendaline huffed. "Well, make sure no one puts you in a cage or shoots you out of the sky!"

"Ray of sunshine, aren't you Mendy?" Knave retorted.

Mendaline turned, as if listening to someone. Knave guessed it were the twins. He turned to look at Alice, but she still wouldn't meet his eyes. Instead, she was looking at Tristan, who in turn was staring at Cora's body. He looked as if he were going to faint. For the first time since he had met the guy, Knave felt sorry for him.

"I guess, you can no longer see the twins?" Mendaline asked.

Knave nodded. He did not trust himself to reply. He was so used to living with the twins, that now he had no idea how to spend the rest of his life without arguing with Charlie, or hearing Mike's soothing voice.

Tristan cleared his throat. "What about the matter at our feet?" He asked, indicating Cora on the floor.

Knave felt impressed. In the brief time he had spent with Tristan, Knave was sure of one thing. The guy could handle anything thrown at him. Even now, he was trying to joke and Knave knew it was to cheer Alice. He couldn't hate him for that.

Mendaline looked Tristan up and down. She had the expression of someone who had plucked a weed instead of a flower. "Your name again?"

"Tristan, beautiful lady!" He said, flashing a bright smile. Knave died to see how Charlie would react to this. He guessed he was fuming in anger. Knave smiled at the thought.

"Name's Mendaline!" The witch said, glaring at Tristan with so much anger, that Knave was surprised to still see Tristan in one piece.

"That is an amazingly unique name!" Tristan replied, his smile wavering.

"And yours is a terrible unique name!" Mendaline snapped. Tristan's smile finally disappeared. He mumbled something under his breath.

"What?" Mendaline asked.

"I said, what do we do now?" He asked, indicating Cora with a hand. She was now beginning to stir, which was not a good sign.

"How would I know?" Mendaline demanded. "I don't bury witches for a living!"