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“The sooner we’re finished,” Tabitha answered.

My thoughts ran a little harsher. The sooner we started, the sooner Grayson Delarue would be out of our lives for good. And the quicker that happened, the better.

Three

Grayson

This place really was massive. I wondered if anyone here truly knew the extent of the tunnels and connecting rooms. Were there even any architectural plans? Doubtful. Keir informed me the compound had been built and designed by their previous director, the shadow born, Tenzen Huxley. Considering shadow born couldn’t be killed and had been present on the Earth since its creation, I seriously doubted anyone currently living within its walls had been alive when Huxley carved the space out of the land.

Shadow born. Just thinking the name sent a shiver down my spine. I’d never considered them myth, but I hadn’t thought any were still awake and operational. Had those working for Huxley known what he was before he totally went rogue? I didn’t know and had more than gotten the impression speaking about Huxley was a touchy topic.

It was odd, considering that was the reason I was here. Keir and the others had to talk about Huxley, but they didn’t want to. His name was spoken with a mixture of hate, anger, and grief. It was a toxic cocktail to be sure. Personally, I’d never met him and thought that was to my advantage.

Another shiver went through me. Corpses. There could be bodies hidden within. Given Huxley’s reputation, I’d be more surprised if we didn’t find any deceased and decaying corpses by the time all was said and done. Definitely not my favorite form of treasure. I tried not to disparage those that felt differently but found it difficult. As far as I was concerned, unless you were a priest or priestess with a zombie hoard to feed, there wasn’t much value to be found in the dead.

A capable necromancer might argue that point with me as well, but I didn’t need to speak with the dead to find their hidden treasure. What can I say, it was a gift.

Unfortunately, right now I was struggling with my gift. My abilities had never felt more like a curse than they currently did. The noise was damn near excruciating. Too many songs competing for attention, creating a chorus that pounded against my skull. Each song pulled at me, begging me to seek it out, to uncover its presence.

That was something others didn’t understand. I wouldn’t say treasure was sentient, but I did know one thing—it didn’t like being hidden, secreted away and often forgotten. Treasure wanted to be found. It wanted to be celebrated and coveted by as many as possible. So much treasure I found was left languishing, all alone without anyone to fawn over it.

I would never allow my treasure to fall into the same trap. Will-o’-the-wisps rarely secreted their treasure away. We showed it off. We were proud of what we’d found. It was one of the reasons why we were so bad at keeping secrets. If the treasure I found was something intangible, such as information, I shared it. Given how the secreted treasure felt, I could hardly do anything less.

Will-o’-the-wisps set treasure free. That didn’t mean we didn’t claim it for ourselves. That stuffy old dryad, Martin, was right about that. I didn’t find fault in what I was or what I did. There was no shame. I was a will-o’-the-wisp, and I didn’t give two shits what other species thought about me. Their opinion wasn’t treasure.

Inhaling, I attempted to quiet my mind. That was a near herculean task given the noise knocking against my walls. I barely allowed a hint of cool, blue flames to lick up my arms. It was just enough to get a taste, not a meal.

I’d been led to this waiting room by the ghostly Elvira. I had a feeling she was going to be my keeper while here. She was a good choice. When in my wisp form, I could go where many others couldn’t. Elvira wouldn’t have that problem. It would be foolish of me to ever think I was truly alone. If she didn’t want me to know she was here, watching, then I wouldn’t be able to tell if Elvira was near or not.

I figured Elvira was lurking in some shadowy corner. Did a ghost even need a shadowy corner to hide? I had no idea. It wasn’t often that one ran into a medium strong enough to lend enough energy to a ghost to make them visible to others.

“What are you doing?”

Speak of the ghostly devil.

“You’re not helping,” I said. I wasn’t really trying to be an ass. Elvira’s voice, more than her presence, disrupted my concentration. If I wasn’t careful, I could lose myself to this twisted maze.

“Neither Keir nor Tabitha asked me to help you; therefore, I am under no obligation to do so.”

“Is that a fact?”

“It is.”

“And did they ask you to hinder me? Because that’s what you’re currently doing.” I banked my cool fire, giving Elvira my undivided attention.

Arms crossed, she hovered by a nearby wall. I got the impression Elvira was tapping her foot but couldn’t be certain, considering her body dissipated past her shapely ankles. “The others do not trust you.”

Cracking my neck, I leaned back on my hands. Earlier, I’d planted my butt on the ground, sitting in a lotus position. Most of the time I didn’t need that much focus. This place was different. Very different.

“Does that mean you don’t trust me either?” Considering I wasn’t used to being on the receiving end of a whole hell of a lot of trust, her words didn’t bother me. As far as I was concerned, it was just another day at the office, although admittedly, a much more interesting day.

“I don’t know you well enough to say. However, I do know Keir, Tabitha, and the other members who live and work within these walls. Them, I trust.”

“Ah.” I nodded with understanding before turning away from Elvira, ready to get into position again. The dismissal didn’t sit well.

“Aren’t you going to try and convince me otherwise?” Her confusion was evident.

“Nope.”