Page 86 of Purrfectly Haunted

I'm about to walk back the way I came when Pearl hisses from my shoulder. I whirl, searching for a threat. The dark water ripples.

Uh oh.

A pale face rises from the surface, eyes wide and milky, followed by a long body with scales. The creature looks like a mix between a human and a snake.

A nāga, I realise with horror. A water spirit. It's what the Urchin could have become given another century or two.

Fuuuuuuck.

I take off running. Pearl jumps from my shoulder and takes the lead, her fluffy tail guiding me in the dark. Lana was right. This was a terrible idea. I throw a tough-love bomb in front of me and run through the green cloud as it fills the tunnel, hoping I didn't misjudge my trajectory and hit a wall. Behind me, I hear the nāga let out an enraged scream.

As I approach the exit, I throw another bomb in front of me. I jump through the orange cloud and come face to face with a tall man. Our collision is inevitable, and we both crash to the ground. I drop my flashlight and it lands a few meters away. As I roll on the grass and dirt, I come to a stop against the trunk of a dead tree.

Somewhere in the dark, Pearl lets out a warning growl. I don't hesitate, I get to my feet and pull out my dagger.

Then my world is turned upside down.

Ewan is getting to his feet by the entrance of the cave. By some miracle, the flashlight fell close to him and the beam illuminates him. My throat tightens as I behold him for the first time in a year. His clothes are dirty and in tatters. He got leaner, his face sunken. His hair grew longer, too, and it looks like he hasn't shaved in months—probably not since Earl Lynch stole him from us.

He looks foreign, and yet so familiar. I memorised his face from all the pictures of him I could get my hands on, from the ones Shirley gave me to the ones I found on social media.

"Ewan…" I choke out.

But when he looks at me, his eyes are entirely black. Now I understand why he always walks to his destinations. There is no world where he could pass for normal. He must have learned that lesson the hard way.

Ewan—no, the ghost—sneers at me. "You… are…"

I'll never get the chance to know what he was about to say because the nāga comes flying out of the cave, screeching, scaled body undulating like a snake and trailing colourful smoke behind her.

Earl Lynch welcomes her with open arms. For a moment, I fear for Ewan, but it quickly becomes clear that the nāga never stood a chance. The water spirit thrashes as the monster takes a bite out of her shoulder. The nāga howls in pain, and I almost feel bad for her. Almost.

While the two entities fight, I search for Pearl in panic. She was smart enough to keep her distance and she finds her way to my side.

"Stay behind me," I whisper as I rummage through my backpack.

She meows.

We planned for this. We always had a plan in case I actually found him. Now I just have to keep my wits long enough to put that plan in motion. I find the dart gun and take the safety off. By the entrance of the cave, the revenant is glowing bright and the nāga is now barely a husk. I can't let him finish his meal, or he'll just be stronger.

I aim the gun, utter a quick sorry to Ewan, and shoot. The dart takes him between the shoulder blades. He jerks and turns to me, anger twisting his pretty face. There is enough tranquillizer in the dart to bring down a horse, but for a heartbeat I fear it's not enough as he takes a few steps towards me. Pearl hisses at him. But then his face relaxes for a moment, and he says my name before falling to the ground, head first.

I let out a strangled sob as I stare at his prone body.

I only take a moment to take it all in, but then reason takes over. I don't know how long I have until he wakes up, I need to act fast.

I barely notice the wisp disappearing back inside the cave, what's left of the nāga is retreating. I wonder if a ghost can come back from such an onslaught.

I find what I'm looking for in my backpack: rolled sheets of stencil paper. We paid a tattoo artist handsomely for them. The tube of cream comes next. I prop one of my spare flashlights on a rock and I roll Ewan to his back and cut open his clothes. I cringe when I see his pallid skin and emaciated body. He hasn't lost his muscle mass but all the extra fat on him is gone. His muscles are now extremely lean. I wonder if the ghost remembered to feed his human shell most days.

I slather his chest in cream and place the stencil flat on his skin. The design won't be straight, but I couldn't care less. I rub it in until I'm certain the art has transferred. I take the paper off and look at my work. The circle of containment looks stark against his skin.

We don't know if it'll work, but we're hoping it'll keep the ghost contained long enough for us to exorcise him out of Ewan. Just to be safe, I transfer five more designs on his stomach, arms, and back. He's now covered in blue stencils.

I finally relax and sit on my heels. I pull out my phone with a shaky hand. Lana has left three text messages. The cats must be restless. I call her and she answers on the first ringtone.

"James. Are you okay? What's happening?"

I take a deep breath. "I have him."