Free Bones and Ashes by Gemma Holden Page A

“Aren, Aren, wake up.” He stirred and groaned.
    Raiden pulled him up so he was sitting. She gently sifted her fingers through his hair; her fingers came away with blood.
    He groaned. “My head.” Aren tried to put his hand to his head, but she stopped him from touching the wound.
    “You’re bleeding. It doesn’t look too bad. Did the ghost do this to you?”
    He pushed away from her so he was sitting up by himself. “When I came into the room, he was standing there staring at that broken mirror. I tried to talk to him, but he ignored me. I went to touch the mirror and then suddenly he attacked me. He threw me against the wall.”
    Raiden helped him to stand. “We have to go.” They had to get out before the ghost came back. She turned to the door. The ghost stood at the top of the stairs. He began to move toward them. Raiden left Aren and ran to the door. She slammed it shut just as the ghost reached the door.
    There was a moment of silence and then the handle rattled.
    The key was in the door. She turned it, locking them in. There were deep scratches gouged into the wood. Lower down were dents where someone had kicked it. James Matherson had tried to get out. But the key was here in the door, so why hadn’t he simply unlocked it? Someone must have replaced the key after he was dead, but how did they leave the room with the door locked?
    The rattling stopped. 
    “Is he gone?” Aren asked. 
    A foot appeared through the door. Raiden backed up to Aren. The rest of the ghost followed. He shouldn’t have been able to walk through walls so soon after becoming a ghost.
    Matherson turned to them, smiling pleasantly. He floated across the floor.
    Aren stretched out his hand. Raiden couldn’t see what he was doing, but the ghost stopped. His form wavered and he began to fade. The ghost stared at his hands and cried out. He stopped fading. Aren dropped his hand and collapsed against the wall gasping. “I can’t get rid of him.” His face was pale, his hair damp with sweat. “Without a link I’m not strong enough to make him cross over. I need a piece of his bone or some of his ashes. I’m sorry, Raiden. I should never have brought you here.”
    Matherson flowed toward them, his gaze focused on Aren. Raiden left him and skirted around to the door. Her fingers fumbled with the key as she unlocked it.
    “Go, Raiden. Don’t wait for me.”
    “I’m not going without you.” But what could she do? She had no magic.
    The ghost wrapped a hand around Aren’s throat and lifted him up off his feet. Raiden ran to him. The rest of the ghost was incorporeal, but she could feel his fingers wrapped around Aren’s throat. She tried to pry them away, but they were locked tight. Aren struggled, desperately trying to breathe.
    She needed her magic to come now. There was nothing else that would stop a ghost. Together they might be strong enough to make him cross over. He was a new ghost; his tie to this world was weak. Please, she thought, please let it come. 
    The ghost shoved her away with his free hand. She stumbled back and fell against the mirror. It fell to the ground and shattered, breaking again. The shards showered over the floor. Somewhere, a woman screamed. 
    The ghost cried out and dropped Aren. He flew to the mirror and sank to his knees. He tried to gather up the fragments, but his hands kept passing through the pieces. 
    Raiden helped Aren to his feet and pulled him to the door. The ghost caught his jacket and dragged him back. Aren pulled himself out of the sleeves and continued running. He took her hand and they stumbled down the stairs. She threw open the front door and dragged him outside. The ghost halted at the threshold. He tried to cross, but an invisible barrier stopped him. He was still tied to the house.
    The ghost disappeared and the front door slammed shut.
    Aren had one arm around her waist, holding onto her for support. He was breathing hard. “Are you hurt?” he asked.
    Was she hurt? He could