Page 108 of The Ghost and the Graveyard (Knight Games 1)
He nodded.
"Good night, Logan."
Halfway up the stairs I heard him say, "I love you." I pretended not to hear him and continued up the stairs. I never made it to the top.
Just then the door to the garage burst open. Michelle entered the kitchen, her arms full of Ben and Jerry's ice cream. "Grateful? Your garage door was open. I hope you don't mind, I let myself-" Michelle stopped at the entrance to the dining room. She stared at Logan, and her jaw dropped.
Logan was doing his best to appear normal. He focused his energy to look as solid as possible. I wasn't sure how long the illusion would last.
I jogged back down the stairs and placed myself between them. "Of course it's okay," I said, hugging her in such a way as to block her view of Logan. I spun her around toward the kitchen. "Come on. Let's get some bowls for the ice cream."
"Wait. Aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?" She pivoted toward Logan.
Had she turned inward, toward me, I would have been able to stop her with my body. I would have made some excuse as to why the man I was with was suddenly gone. But Michelle rotated outward, away from me, making it almost impossible to maneuver in front of her. Logan dissolved at the precise moment she turned. If I had to guess, I'd say he took the opportunity of her facing the kitchen to make his escape and then couldn't stop the process halfway. But it was also entirely possible that he ran out of energy. After all, he'd spent the entire evening making me dinner and holding his molecules together. This whole situation was more than stressful to the poor guy-I mean, ghost.
Whatever the reason, Logan went up in smoke right in front of Michelle.
"Michelle, I-" My attempted explanation fell on deaf ears.
Her mouth opened and a head-splitting scream sliced through the room. The ice cream toppled from her fingers. She scrambled for the door.
"Michelle, stop!" I called, but she'd totally freaked. She spilled into the street before I could stop her. There was only one place to go from my house if you were following the road-across the bridge and straight to Rick's.
Unfortunately, it was after midnight, and Rick was working. At the top of the bridge, I could see what Michelle had already seen. Rick was standing in front of his house, completely naked. She stopped in the middle of the road like a deer in headlights.
"Stop. Please," he said. He held out a hand toward her.
She shook her head and backed away from him. Unfortunately, that meant she was backing toward the graveyard.
"Michelle, stop. I can explain," I called. I jogged toward her with my hands out.
It was no use. She was in full-blown panic mode. I wasn't even sure she could hear me.
"What's going on?" she said in a shaky voice.
I started to answer her, but was distracted by the fog rolling in behind the gate. Fingers of thick, black mist filtered through the hedges, licking at the bars of the fence. If Michelle got any closer, the darkness would reach her.
"Michelle, move away from the gate," I said, voice trembling. I gestured with my hand for her to come to me.
Rick took a step forward.
She didn't move. "No. Tell me what's going on." She stepped backward.
The fog stretched for her.
"Please, trust me. Take a step toward me," I said. I wasn't sure what the fog was exactly, only that it was making Rick's skin bubble under the surface. His beast knew it was evil. Plus, nothing good came out of the hellmouth at night.
She did not move.
Rick glanced at me, and his thoughts were as clear as if he'd whispered in my ear. He wanted permission to take her by force.
I nodded. It had to be done.
Michelle's screams broke our connection. She was too close. Tendrils of fog wrapped themselves around her waist and slid her up the wrought iron spindles to the top of the gate. Rick was there in an instant but not fast enough. Michelle's legs followed her body over the top.
I started forward. Rick's hand shot out. "No, Grateful. You're not equipped for this. It will be of no use if they have you too. I will get her."
"Please, Rick. Hurry. She's my best friend."
