Free The Catalyst of Corruption (The Final Formula Series, Book 4) by Becca Andre Page A

freight elevator is.”
    â€œWhy is that significant?” I asked.
    â€œIt’s the most haunted part of the building. Come, I’ll show you.” She glanced over her shoulder, then ducked beneath the rope.
    â€œHow would you know that?” Doug asked as we followed.
    â€œThat’s where we got the best EVPs when my paranormal group visited.”
    â€œEVP?” I asked.
    â€œElectronic voice phenomena. Unexplained voices picked up on a recorder.”
    â€œYou ghost hunt?” Doug asked her.
    â€œYes.” She glanced over. “Are you making fun of me?”
    â€œNo, I’m just surprised. You’re New Magic.”
    â€œI’m as interested in where we go when we die as the next person.”
    Doug gave her a considering look as we walked along. “It’s a good place to ghost hunt. This building is haunted as hell.”
    â€œYou feel it?” Era asked, her eyes widening.
    â€œSome, but I’m more aware of the dead buried beneath this place—and there are a lot of them.”
    â€œWhy?” I asked.
    â€œA section of the property was once a potter’s field,” Era said. “You know, where they buried people who died without identification or religious affiliation. There are also tales of mass graves from a cholera epidemic. It is believed that being buried without a name or the proper ceremony results in tormented souls that haunt the rest of us.”
    We rounded a corner and came face to face with a closed door.
    Doug tugged on the handle. “Locked.”
    â€œLet me.” James stepped forward.
    Era pressed a hand to his chest. “No, you’ll break it. I’ll get it.”
    â€œYou can open locked doors?” Doug asked.
    â€œI can throw you the length of this building with a punch of air. It takes far less to move a few tumblers.” She closed her eyes, and a moment later, a click sounded within the door.
    James depressed the latch and pushed the door open.
    Doug met my gaze, his brows lifting.
    I shrugged. “She’s an Element.”
    We followed Era through the dimly lit corridors until we found the ballroom she mentioned with the freight elevator tucked in one corner. But even in the dim light, we could see that the elevator door stood open.
    James stepped up to the opening, then threw out an arm to block my path. “The car’s not here.”
    I stared into the darkness. “That isn’t exactly safe.”
    â€œYou don’t think she came this way, do you?” Era asked.
    In other words, had she stepped through the open door and fallen down the shaft?
    â€œHow would she have gotten past the locked door?” I asked.
    â€œThat’s not the only way to reach this room,” Era said.
    â€œBut why would she come here?” I asked.
    â€œShe may not be thinking for herself,” Doug said, his tone subdued.
    â€œI’ll check,” James said. Without warning, he jumped into the darkness. An instant later, a loud metallic clang echoed up from below.
    â€œJames?” I called out.
    â€œThe car’s here, on the bottom.” His voice echoed out of the darkness.
    I leaned forward to try to gage how far down he was.
    Doug grabbed my arm and jerked me away—just as the door slammed closed inches from my face.
    I stumbled back, heart in my throat.
    â€œAddie, are you okay?” Era asked.
    â€œYeah.” I took a deep breath and looked up at Doug. “How did you know the door was going to close?”
    â€œIt, um, tried to take me first.”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œSomething wanted me to push you into the elevator shaft.” Doug gave me a shrug.
    I took a step away from him. “How good are you at resisting?”
    He gave me a flat stare, looking so much like Ian that I had to bite back a laugh.
    â€œWhat?” Doug frowned. “Unlike the untalented, I can’t be possessed. I must let them in.”
    â€œThe necromancer