The Haunting of Silver Creek Lodge Page 18

  “He refused to acknowledge a secret,” Earl replied. “He told Benjamin that his wealth was a result of luck and street smarts.”

  “I guess Benjamin didn’t buy that?”

  Earl shook his head. “He felt the energy of the ley lines, even if he didn’t quite know what they were. He knew my father’s power came from the land, so he became determined to claim it for himself.”

  “He tried to oust his brother,” I guessed.

  “He tried to kill his brother,” Earl rectified. “One night, while Emory was sleeping, Benjamin snuck into his room with a knife and stabbed him. Thankfully, Emory was expecting a betrayal of some sort and managed to roll out of the way. Benjamin only nicked his arm. He had the scar for the rest of his life.”

  My teeth chattered. “What happened after? Did they fight?”

  “Emory had the energy of the ley lines on his side,” Earl explained. “He used this power to drive Benjamin from Silver Creek. He forced Benjamin to forget about our side of the family. For years, the ley lines were safe.”

  “And then?” I prompted, reading the sad look on Earl’s face.

  “Benjamin had a son, then a grandson,” he replied. “The grandson bore all the same traits as Benjamin. He was greedy and privileged and thought the world should hand him whatever he wanted on a silver platter.”

  “Boyce,” I said darkly.

  “When Boyce arrived in Silver Creek over ten years ago, I was the keeper and protector of the Lodge and the ley lines,” Earl said, his chest puffing proudly. “My father had passed and assigned the responsibility to me. With my wife, we nursed the energy as he had, and we too lived in beautiful comfort.” Earl deflated as the next thought crossed his mind. “I didn’t know who Boyce was at first. He was careful not to share his last name with me, and he showed no interest in the Lodge or the ley lines. He was simply another guest, come to stay for the winter. He had little money and could only afford the smallest room at the rear of the Lodge.”

  “The one positioned right over the intersection,” I said.

  Earl nodded. “One night, Boyce performed a brutal ritual. He forced the ley lines to feed him energy. When the ritual took, I felt it shake the earth. I woke in my bed, knowing something had gone terribly wrong. By the time I found Boyce, it was too late. He had abused the earth’s energies, and the ley lines had little left to give. It wasn’t until later that I uncovered all the horrible effects of his abhorrent ritual.”

  “Like trapping the spirits of those who died on the property?” I asked.

  “Precisely,” he said. “For years after Boyce’s ritual, I tried to fix the problem, but the ley lines recovered at a glacial pace. Even now, they are unpredictable. The lines have regained some of their former strength, but it is not constant. Without that energy, I never discovered how to send these poor spirits through to the other side.”

  “Then you got stuck here yourself,” I said. “What about your wife? Is she here, too?”

  A cleft appeared in Earl’s chin. “My wife didn’t die on the property. She passed in the hospital. Even in death, we are not reunited.”

  “Oh, Earl.”

  He wiped invisible tears from his eyelashes. “It matters not. I will find a way to be with her again. I refuse to give up.”

  “I’ll help,” I offered. “I have no idea what I’m doing, but Lily says it’s rare to find someone who feels the ley lines’ power like I do. What can I do?”

  “The best thing you can do to help is to keep Boyce off this land,” he answered. “That man ruined everything. And if he gets the chance, he’ll do it again.”

  “Again?” I repeated. “Why would he need to do it again?”

  “The ritual he performed loses its effectiveness after a certain amount of time,” Earl said. “He’s losing money as we speak. He won’t be able to turn a profit until he repeats the ritual.”

  “How do we stop him?” I asked.

  “Keep the room locked,” Earl advised. “I had Walter install that safe for the sole purpose of keeping Boyce out of there. If he finds a way to get in, he’ll repeat his ritual for sure. Ever since I died, he’s been trying to buy the Lodge, but there’s still a bit of power in the ley lines. The energy sensed you and Simon would be better protectors, so it orchestrated your ownership of the Lodge.”

  I hugged myself tightly, unsure how to feel. According to Earl, it wasn’t the bank that had decided we were the best owners for the Lodge. It was the ley lines. Was all of this predetermined?

  “How did you figure out who Boyce was?” I asked. “How did he figure out who you were if Emory banished that side of the family from Silver Creek?”

  “Before Emory used the ley lines to erase Benjamin’s memory, effectively Benjamin kept a journal of his escapades,” Earl explained. “Boyce, the snooping idiot, found them in his grandfather’s things. That’s how he learned about Silver Creek, me, and the ley lines. After the ritual, it became obvious to me who he was. I remembered what the land felt like when my father banished Benjamin. The land recognized Boyce before I did. The energy tried to warn me, but I didn’t understand.”

  “What about this ritual?” I said. “Why was it so horrible? What could Boyce have done to affect the ley lines that much?”

  “The ley lines favor those with good intention,” Earl said. “It is why my father had so much prosperity here. People like Benjamin and Boyce would not have been able to harvest the energy as my father did. They needed rituals to use the energy, and such rituals are not good for the land or for the people who get in the way.”

  “What do you mean?”

  The lines around Earl’s mouth deepened. “How much do you know about your friend Lily?”

  Perhaps the ley lines sensed I was searching for Lily because they lent her the energy to appear. I found her in the lobby, lounging on the leather sofa and gazing longingly through the front windows. For the umpteenth time, I wondered how a ghost could have borrowed my clothes.

  “I talked to Earl,” I said.

  She jumped a little, obviously not expecting me. “About time. I’ve been telling him to catch you up.”

  “Well, I understand that he wanted to make sure I was trustworthy first.” I sat next to her and pulled a throw blanket across my lap. “He told me some things about you. Things about your accident.”

  A line appeared between her brows. “Like what?”

  “You know these things already,” I said. “But you’ve forgotten them to protect yourself. Are you sure you want me to tell you about it?”

  She squeezed my knee. “I can handle it.”

  “Do you remember when we found you?” I asked her. “When you got out of the car, you said someone was chasing you. You begged us to hide you. Do you remember who was following you at all?”

  Her brows scrunched together as she fought to recall that night. She shook her head. “I don’t remember anything. I just know I felt like I was in danger.”

  “You were,” I said. “Because the Gentlemen’s Club boxed you in on the main road and forced you to drive up toward the Lodge.”

  “The Gentlemen’s Club?” she asked. “You mean, Boyce’s fanboys?”

  “The originals,” I confirmed. “He gathered a group of followers when he first arrived in Silver Creek and shared the knowledge of the ley lines. He promised to share the wealth with them if they helped him complete a ritual to harness the energy of the land. Unfortunately, the ritual required a sacrifice: one pure soul to feed to the land.”

  Lily stared blankly at me. “I don’t get it.”

  “You didn’t die when you crashed your car, Lily,” I told her. “The Gentlemen’s Club pulled you out and took you to the Lodge, where Boyce was waiting for you. When the time was right, he and his Club murdered you and infused your blood with the power of the ley lines. Anyone who was anointed with it became wealthy and successful overnight.”

  Lily’s lower lip trembled as she fought to control her reaction to this news. “No, that can’t be
right. I died in a car crash. I wasn’t a sacrifice—”

  “It’s why you’re stuck here,” I said. “The place where you crashed your car isn’t on the Lodge’s property. You didn’t die there. You died in the hidden room above the ley line intersection.”

  When Keith’s truck rumbled into the front yard, Lily let out a scared squeak and disappeared once more. I looked outside and realized why. Keith and Simon had returned from town with a visitor in tow: none other than Boyce Driscoll himself.

  As I spied from the window, Boyce was his usual charming self. He chuckled politely at something Keith said and clapped Simon on the back as if they were brothers. Simon, who was usually happy to entertain Boyce, now looked at him with contempt. He hid it well, lingering behind the older, well-dressed man so Boyce couldn’t see the rage on Simon’s face.

  Earl appeared at the top of the stairs, fuming. “He’s back again, eh? Tell him to fu—”

  “I’ll handle it,” I promised Earl. “Go hide somewhere.”

  Earl stayed in place right until Boyce stepped onto the porch. As Boyce’s boot crossed the threshold, Earl vanished in the same manner as Lily had.

  “Maxine!” Boyce cooed, spreading his arms wide. “It’s good to see you. I spotted Simon and Keith in town and decided to check up on the two of you. I do believe it’s my fault for getting Simon into such a predicament.”

  I clenched my teeth and smiled. “Well, he did tell you he wasn’t very good and skiing. I heard you made him try a more difficult slope anyway.”

  “He was doing so well!”

  Once more, Boyce thumped Simon on the back. A muscle in Simon’s jaw jumped like he was holding back a yelp of pain. My face grew hot. More than ever, I wanted to punch Boyce in the face and show him what it felt like to be at the other end of a fist.

  “I never thought he’d run into a tree,” Boyce continued and let out another one of his stupid chuckles. “He gave it the ol’ college try.”

  “Did you want something?” I asked with forced politeness, and Keith caught wind of my edgy tone and shot me a warning look. “I’m afraid we’re tight on timeline today.”

  “Of course you are. I won’t intrude for long.” He took a small envelope from his pocket and presented it to me with a flourish. “Take this as an apology. You are cordially invited to the first annual Silver Creek Winter Gala.”

  I pulled a fancy silver invitation from the envelope. “It’s next week already?”

  “A bit last minute, I know,” Boyce said. “But all this holiday cheer got me in the mood to do something good. All the proceeds from the gala go to less fortunate families. You must come.”

  I glanced at Simon, who shook his head.

  “We’ll be there,” I said.

  16

  That night, Lily, Simon, and I found ourselves sitting together in the living room. A box of half-eaten pizza lay open on the floor. Lily and I lounged on the couch, while Simon rested on the floor in front of me. He laid his head against my knees, often reaching back to squeeze my calves or feet as if to make sure I was still there.

  We didn’t talk much. We ate in relative silence, aside from the pizza-chewing and soda-slurping. It was almost like we didn’t need to speak. Everyone knew what everyone else was thinking: what were we supposed to do next?

  On the one hand, it was good to have everything out in the open. With a fresh understanding of the situation, we could cope with it better. Plus, lying to and fighting with Simon had taken so much out of me. Now that we were on the same side, we could get back to normal.

  I caressed his hair, absentmindedly pulling each curl and watching it spring back into place. For the first time in weeks, the lines on his face weren’t etched so deeply. His eyes sleepily drifted shut as he leaned against me and enjoyed the feel of my fingers through his hair. I touched his neck and felt his pulse fluttering beneath my fingertips. This simple contact reminded me of everything Simon and I had been through together and why I’d chosen him to be my partner for the rest of my life.

  Next to me, Lily snuggled with a fluffy throw pillow that had appeared out of nowhere. She hugged it to her chest and wore a crocheted blanket around her shoulders like a cape. Her energy waxed and waned with the power of the ley lines, which resulted in her sporadic comings and goings. Sometimes, she only appeared for a few seconds. Other times, she managed to stick it out for a while longer. Tonight, the ley lines had given her enough energy to spend a good thirty minutes with us so far. There was a price, though; her skin was pale and drawn. She appeared sickly, as she did when we first happened upon her.

  All wrapped up in blankets and pillows, Lily looked far younger than her age. Her wide-eyed gaze, small frame, and childlike innocence reminded me of Bubbles. They both needed help, and Simon and I were the only ones who could give it to them.

  Bubbles was an entirely new problem. My heart ached for her in ways I couldn’t describe. I recalled our first conversation and how floored I was that someone in the tiny town of Silver Creek happened to be a Rebel Queen fan. With her help, I had made the first steps toward progress on plotting volume three of my comic book series. Bubbles, more than anyone else, had made an impact on me. All I wanted was to give her the same courtesy. First, I had to figure out how to do it.

  “Snow,” Lily murmured.

  Simon and I drew our attention out of our heads and looked toward the windows. Sure enough, big flakes of snow serenely floated from the sky and alighted on the ground outside. They perched on the porch railing and the roof of the car like tiny, perfect birds. Before long, too much snow had fallen to see the individual flakes.

  No matter how many times the weather turned cold enough to snow, I never tired of it. Yes, it was freezing outside. Yes, the sky stayed a depressing shade of gray. But there was something about snow that comforted me. It was quiet and calm. It covered everything with a blanket of comfort.

  I imagined what the Lodge might look like in six months or a year if everything went according to plan. This lobby would be the coziest place to watch the snowfall. Guests could read or relax by the fire, drink hot chocolate from the kitchen, and enjoy the smell of whatever our chef was cooking up that day in the kitchen. The Lodge itself would be beautiful, the type of place no one would want to leave.

  “What are you thinking about?” Simon asked.

  I hadn’t realized he’d been looking at me. My eyebrows and mouth were set in determination. “I want to take down Boyce Driscoll.”

  Lily drew her toes closer to her body and tucked them under the blanket. “A few people have tried. None have succeeded.”

  “They didn’t know what we know about him,” I said. “He’s a killer, a child abuser, a thief, and an extortionist. I want to put him in jail. Everyone in Silver Creek would be better off without him. He’s dangerous.”

  “He’s the biggest contributor to the community,” Simon pointed out. “This town runs because of his money. I want to get rid of him as much as you do, but no one will support us. No one will believe us. Either that, or they’ll be too scared to oust him.”

  I crossed my arms and sank into the couch cushions. “He can’t be allowed to do what he did and face no consequences. It’s wrong.”

  “There is one thing you might be able to do,” Lily said in a small voice.

  Simon and I swiveled to look at her.

  “Yes?” I prompted when she didn’t spit it out right away.

  Lily trembled and clutched her pillow tighter. “The energy of this land is fickle, but it favors those who nourish it.”

  I nodded. “Earl said the same thing. He compared himself and his father to gardeners, and the ley lines rewarded them for it.”

  “Likewise, the energy resents people who try to use it for personal gain,” Lily said. “Every time Boyce sets foot on this land, I can feel the ley lines throbbing. The land wants him gone, too.”

  “Why isn’t he smote when he steps on the property then?” I asked, wishing the ley lines had the power to jettison B
oyce across the country and into the next dimension.

  “Because the land needs a vessel for its energy,” Lily explained. “Someone to control it.”

  “Are we meant to have a wizards’ duel with Boyce then?” Simon asked, dryly.

  “Something of the sort,” Lily said. “You could lure Boyce here, get him in the room above the intersection, and use the power of the ley lines to get rid of him. The land hates him so much that no one would ever hear of him again.”

  “That would certainly solve our problems,” I muttered.

  “But how does it work?” Simon asked. “If we use the land’s energy, are we killing him? If he dies, it doesn’t make us any better than him. Besides, you said yourself the land doesn’t like when people use its energy to further their agenda.”

  “Loopholes,” Lily replied. “If you get rid of Boyce, the ley lines can fully recover from the damage he did to them ten years ago. The land will reward you for banishing him, and your business here at the Lodge will thrive, as it did for Earl and his father.”

  “What’s the catch?” Simon asked, wryly. “It can’t be that easy.”

  Lily nervously chewed her lip. “You won’t know if the ley lines are going to take your side until you get in the safe room with Boyce.”

  “There it is,” Simon said.

  “What are our chances?” I asked Lily.

  “I can help you,” she said. “The spirits in this house are fueled by the ley lines. You’ve already made friends with some of them. We can guide the land’s energy, convince it to side with you.”

  Simon made an uncomfortable noise in the back of his throat. “This sounds dicey at best and incredibly dangerous at worst.”

  “I’ll do it,” I declared. “Someone has to take up Earl’s legacy. The land trusted us enough to let us buy the Lodge. It will trust us enough to get rid of Boyce.”

  For the first time in weeks, Simon and I slept entwined. My legs rested over his hips. His arms encircled my shoulders. Our fingers locked together. Our body heat kept us so warm that we kicked off the covers—anything to stay together.