Nate was fed up with the interruptions. At this point the universe seemed out to cause him problems one after the other. He hadn’t even the chance to speak with his master about the Paladins, let alone the special training. The officers looked ripe for being torn to pieces. Going about it with a cool head was the way to go, but he still hungered from recompense.

  “There is no such person here, officers. Now if you would leave , my student is recuperating.”

  Wayne unknowingly thought the same way as his student. The two contracts had lost them time. Time that would be in short supply over the next week. It didn’t matter if the girl was innocent or not she was now his student’s, thus his responsibility.

  “Sorry to bother you folks. It's just we got to be thorough. Ya’ll understand don’t ya?”

  “Let them check, Teacher, we have nothing to hide. But I would ask you men to be quick. My condition needs a lot of rest.”

  The officers stepped into the room crossing the barriers that Wayne had set. The recognition was instant. A spell lingered in their minds, not the freshest sample but there nonetheless. As they entered he made a sign with his hand. Spirits within his own soul rushing in and hijacking the officers. Flicking his fingers up and then out the officers followed suit. Standing to attention bidding farewell and then leaving.

  “Did you just hypnotize them?”

  Nate spoke with admiration, Wayne felt his ego stroked even if he wasn’t the one who’d cast the spell. He smiled lightly at his student.

  “In a way. They seem to already be controlled. Before you ask no I cannot find the culprit through the spell nor can I break it. Remember that Necro’s go to the most extreme methods from the start. Both of those men when the magic supply ends will die.”

  “Why?”

  “Part of their brain was removed for that spell. A simple illusion, or charm would have sufficed. I find a good old fashioned bride makes a lot of headway.”

  “Right, so whoever the Necro is he already has a hold of the police. Training?"

  “Yes, training. You wouldn’t happen to have a list of cursed and haunted places would you?”

  He asked knowing full well his student wouldn’t, he himself had one. It wasn’t the most complete but they could work with it. He would show his student his cool side here. The vastness of his knowledge, and breadth of his understanding.

  “I have someone with a list like that. Would it help that we get paid at the same time?”

  “Aha, it is no problem that you are stumped for I. … You know a guy?”

  “Yes, it's what I was doing before the whole, smashed into a car thing.”

  They spoke briefly about what was left to cover. Nate and Wayne both wanted to get on the road. Nate used the spirit absorption spell on the mindless spirits. Their bodies formed into a mass of energy with the basement of the house. One he did not realize he had till the spell was over. They touched on the Paladins plans before calling up Jeb.

  ***

  “You don’t look fit enough to be doing this. Are you sure that you can handle a spirit in your condition? I mean, Lad, you just got out of the hospital. Taking some more time off is fine. I won’t push you.”

  Jeb sat in the truck, the engine blowing warm air into the cab. As the temperatures dropped it was getting hard on the old man's body. He’d not wanted to bring Nate all the way to their next hunt. Money was good but the Lad’s life was worth more. There was always next week or the one after.

  “It’s alright Jeb. I’ve gotten stronger since that last time. So you won’t have to worry about me.”

  Nate stood leaning against a cane. An absence of anyone else with him. Jeb was worried, he’d started to like the Lad. With a twist of his nose he finally gave in. This haunting was mild, and the last one of that kind. Everything from this one on was a dangerous place per his source.

  He thought it odd as Nate’s mouth twitched in an almost laughing motion. Sighing deeply he gave up trying to convince the lad. Unbeknownst to Jeb he was currently being harshly cursed out by a short girl in bright pink clothes.

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  “Damn, fat piece of shit. Thinks that he can worry about my man. He should be worrying about his health. Let me hit him just once, Nate please.”

  Karah’s foul mouth was transported along with the rest of her inside to the hideout. She had spent the drive over redesigning the garage. It was located off the back of the house and had been where a number of people were tortured. Nothing too bad, just heavy beatings and a car battery or two. She’d been honest about a place to work out. Being a gym rat went two fold for her. Progress was quick as it ate away at his spiritual energy.

  924 Barnet Street was an old farm house. The area before the town was fully formed had been home to a number of goat farms. Within this period of time the valley was bought up by the Wells’ family. They would go on to establish a mansion at the edge of town which now lay in ruin. This home was one that was made by a farm hand.

  Rough outer walls still held the color they had once been built with. White connecting timbers and bright red walls. It had been repaired numerous times over the years. Fashioned with auditions and amenities. Finally, it landed on the market ripe for Jeb to take on the location. It was considered cursed and unsellable at the moment.

  Wayne had meant what he said of sending Nate into the field. As they discussed where to start, it became apparent that Nate still lacked enough spirits to be of any use. The Teacher found that at best Karah was a Grade three monster. As long as Nate puts a few days of time working with her an awakening should occur.

  Spirit contracts weren’t just about what the two offered during the deal phase. That was just the added negotiations that fell outside of the magic circle's ability to impose. Instead the circle focused on specific aspects. In the case of Karah being a monster it would slowly allow any hidden power within her to be forced to the surface. This happened via a process of her being in Nate's soul, and fighting with their connection active.

  It was Wayne’s opinion that she would get some minor magic first. This would mean she, unlike a necromancer, could use the magic without a magic circle. With the need for her to push her limits against other spirits and monsters, Jeb was a useful solution.

  As the Necro should know they were at the hospital. To contend with this they prepared a proper disguise. If you were to check Nate's bed at the hospital you would currently find he was still there. This was of course not Nate but a body double. Wayne made a minor illusion magic circle to fool any who would come near. Dr. White had been notified not to let anyone close if he could help it.

  The suggestion to restart his ghost hunting activities and be paid for it greatly pleased Wayne. Instead of killing two birds with one stone he was taking down three. After requesting the list of homes from Jeb. They cross referenced them with information that Wayne had prepared for the Grandmaster when they moved to the area.

  “Can I come, out now?”

  Karah spoke in a coquettish tone. Her being in his soul meant she could send her voice anywhere around him, the choice of right by his ear seemed best to her. Nate had already started to come to terms with her teasing being a permanent part of his life. Not to mention her way of speaking with him shifted from her normal rough way to one trying its hardest to seduce him.

  “Not till we’re inside. Jeb can still see us.”

  The red door with its white trim looked welcoming. If he didn’t know better he might have thought the place was just that. A welcoming farmhouse fit for any family. A mountain of a bloody colored spirit gunk pushed out of the house. Wayne had called it miasma. Three generations had been murdered here.

  Around ten years prior the family that was living here gathered for a thanksgiving dinner. The details are still disputed and the killing was fresh on the minds of many locals. Wayne had explained that the sheriff’s office had swept the matter under the rug. The grandfather had been the first victim, a shotgun blast to the chest. It was followed by the grandchildren. The four children had been bound and gagged prior to the grandfather's death. They were each executed in order from oldest to youngest.

  Halfway through the grandchildren the adults burst into the room. They had five grandchildren, it was Mary the middle daughter who’d gone mad. She’d suffered from bullying at school, her lashing out at home had alienated even them. It was a tragedy as she murdered her own parents. The last victim was the grandmother.

  She’d been the only one to look out for her all the way to the end. It is said in the stories that she pleaded for her to try and make amends. All the while the reaper's scythe came for her. Finally, Mary ended her own life.

  They had found that the home held at least a grade two spirit. It would be easy for Karah to defeat. A spirit within its home territory was much stronger than its grade. That would mean little when faced with a monster of the same grade or higher. They were naturally stronger in nearly all aspects.

  “What are you not even going to knock?”

  As he reached for the door he heard Karah protest loudly. It seemed that even though she was a scary monster, she was a little afraid of ghosts. Deciding against picking on her, he would humor her. He knocked on the door.

  A moment of silence passed but nothing changed. Just as their tension started to recede the door creaked open. Warm light spilled out of the door and mixed with the evening sky. Karah nearly jumped straight out his body into the door in fright.

  “Come on out of that cold. Don’t you know it's the holiday’s?”

  An old kindly voice spoke from around the door just out of sight. Neither of them liked where this was going. Nate found it would be rude to keep them waiting and stepped inside.

  “Thank you for the invite.”

  This time he could see both worlds at once. It was giving him a mild nauseous feeling. Just as before with the nurse and the old house the world was warping. You could only see it with the sight. Still it warped the world ever so slightly. The upgrade to his ability was finally paying for itself.

  He wouldn’t be knocked out and left in the kitchen like last time. This time he’d be the one calling the shots.