with such finesse.
He opened the bedroom door and slipped inside, leaving it slightly cracked.
The cell phone lay on the table next to the bed.
Finn picked it up and returned to the living room, closing the door firmly behind him. The entire set of actions took less than ten seconds.
But it was enough.
Jacqueline stood in the center of the room, looking dazed. Her eyes were tinged now with a brilliant green, and as she looked at him, they grew darker. She tilted her head to the side, listening to something.
No. She was looking at something. Something he couldn't see.
"What did you do?" She looked at him. "Did you kill her?"
Shit.
He took a step back.
"You feeling okay, Jacqueline?" he asked. "You look a little strange."
"She says you killed her, that you choked the life out of her."
He let out a slow breath, trying to stay calm.
"What are you talking about?" Finn looked around the room, as if confused. "Do you need to sit down or something?"
"But first you slept with her. You tricked her."
"I'm not sure what you are trying to say," Finn said, "but I haven't killed anyone."
"Marla's spirit is right here in this room. She hasn't been able to cross over because you murdered her. None of them have."
"I don't know any Marla."
She pushed past him, opening the bedroom door and pulling back the sheet, revealing Marla's body.
Finn raised his hand and uttered an entrapment spell. A magical barrier sealed Jacqueline in the room. She pressed her fists to it, jumping back when the electricity of the spell singed her.
"Let me out of here, you bastard," she hissed. "You had no right to take her life."
"I think you've gone crazy," Finn said. "I should probably call Toby and tell him that you killed that maid."
"Don't even think about it!" She warned. Her eyes practically glowed green in her anger. "You're sick, Finn. Twisted. This isn't the first time you've done this, is it? Marla says there were others before her."
"How the fuck would she know that?" He flashed an impish smile. "Not that it's true."
"Oh, it's true. You'd be surprised how long souls last when they've been murdered. If they don't want to let go, they collect and gather around the person who took their life. They wait and pray for the moment when Death claims you. See, they get to escort you to the other side. Not me or any other reaper. And along the way…the ones you murdered get to have a little fun with your soul. For a short time, you're their bitch." Jacqueline pressed close to the barrier and looked past him. "You've been at this a long time. I can see them all now. All those girls. And they're eager to talk."
Finn paled and glanced behind him, unsure what to do.
He couldn't call his father. The old man would never understand his son's actions. He'd never comprehend the sick rush of power Finn got from his deeds.
"You steal sexual heat? That's what these ladies are saying." Jacqueline's laugh was brittle. "You take the energy of their orgasm, the afterglow so to speak, and then kill them?"
"Shut up," he said. "You don't know what you're talking about."
"I can't wait to get my hands on you. I'm going to rip your sorry soul to pieces and watch as these murdered souls have their way with you."
Her words chilled Finn.
"Here's a piece of advice." She glared, and to his horror, her appearance changed. Her hair grew long and gray, while her face sunk in until it appeared skeletal. Talons replaced her fingernails, and Jacqueline ran one along the barrier separating them, oblivious to the sparks it set off. "Run."
Finn didn't know how long his entrapment spell would hold. He weighed the odds: fight or flight. One look at Jacqueline's determined face made the decision for him.
He heard her scream in frustration as he took off out the door.
****
Toby rubbed his head and couldn't help but briefly wish that he'd died. It had been a long time since he'd had a hangover. Being a bar owner had cured him of that kind of ailment a decade
He opened the bedroom door and slipped inside, leaving it slightly cracked.
The cell phone lay on the table next to the bed.
Finn picked it up and returned to the living room, closing the door firmly behind him. The entire set of actions took less than ten seconds.
But it was enough.
Jacqueline stood in the center of the room, looking dazed. Her eyes were tinged now with a brilliant green, and as she looked at him, they grew darker. She tilted her head to the side, listening to something.
No. She was looking at something. Something he couldn't see.
"What did you do?" She looked at him. "Did you kill her?"
Shit.
He took a step back.
"You feeling okay, Jacqueline?" he asked. "You look a little strange."
"She says you killed her, that you choked the life out of her."
He let out a slow breath, trying to stay calm.
"What are you talking about?" Finn looked around the room, as if confused. "Do you need to sit down or something?"
"But first you slept with her. You tricked her."
"I'm not sure what you are trying to say," Finn said, "but I haven't killed anyone."
"Marla's spirit is right here in this room. She hasn't been able to cross over because you murdered her. None of them have."
"I don't know any Marla."
She pushed past him, opening the bedroom door and pulling back the sheet, revealing Marla's body.
Finn raised his hand and uttered an entrapment spell. A magical barrier sealed Jacqueline in the room. She pressed her fists to it, jumping back when the electricity of the spell singed her.
"Let me out of here, you bastard," she hissed. "You had no right to take her life."
"I think you've gone crazy," Finn said. "I should probably call Toby and tell him that you killed that maid."
"Don't even think about it!" She warned. Her eyes practically glowed green in her anger. "You're sick, Finn. Twisted. This isn't the first time you've done this, is it? Marla says there were others before her."
"How the fuck would she know that?" He flashed an impish smile. "Not that it's true."
"Oh, it's true. You'd be surprised how long souls last when they've been murdered. If they don't want to let go, they collect and gather around the person who took their life. They wait and pray for the moment when Death claims you. See, they get to escort you to the other side. Not me or any other reaper. And along the way…the ones you murdered get to have a little fun with your soul. For a short time, you're their bitch." Jacqueline pressed close to the barrier and looked past him. "You've been at this a long time. I can see them all now. All those girls. And they're eager to talk."
Finn paled and glanced behind him, unsure what to do.
He couldn't call his father. The old man would never understand his son's actions. He'd never comprehend the sick rush of power Finn got from his deeds.
"You steal sexual heat? That's what these ladies are saying." Jacqueline's laugh was brittle. "You take the energy of their orgasm, the afterglow so to speak, and then kill them?"
"Shut up," he said. "You don't know what you're talking about."
"I can't wait to get my hands on you. I'm going to rip your sorry soul to pieces and watch as these murdered souls have their way with you."
Her words chilled Finn.
"Here's a piece of advice." She glared, and to his horror, her appearance changed. Her hair grew long and gray, while her face sunk in until it appeared skeletal. Talons replaced her fingernails, and Jacqueline ran one along the barrier separating them, oblivious to the sparks it set off. "Run."
Finn didn't know how long his entrapment spell would hold. He weighed the odds: fight or flight. One look at Jacqueline's determined face made the decision for him.
He heard her scream in frustration as he took off out the door.
****
Toby rubbed his head and couldn't help but briefly wish that he'd died. It had been a long time since he'd had a hangover. Being a bar owner had cured him of that kind of ailment a decade
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