The Psychic Legacy

Chapter 10: Lure

We landed hard on the floor. I cried out in pain, but no sound came out of my mouth. I realized then there had been no sound from our landing, either. The air seemed suddenly dense, suppressing all other sounds.

I knew that this must be Luc's doing, but I didn't understand why.

He was laying heavy on top of me. He rose up then, pinning me into the hardwood floor as he peered down at me. His green eyes shone, literally glowed in the dim curtained light. The neon light shining off his irises cast strange shadows on his face, making him look like some kind of demon.

Chills ran through me. For the first time, Luc scared me.

I realized then why Luc might want to suppress all sound. Ethan had said he and Polly would come running if I called for them—only now I couldn't. There was no way for them to hear me.

I screamed as loud as I could... but nothing came out.

No one could help me now.

Luc stared at me, his glowing eyes wandering across my face. It was like he was reading something that had been tattooed on my forehead.

My heart felt like it had climbed into my throat. Panic surged along my veins, prickling and stinging like electricity. My racing thoughts ran circles in my head.

What was he going to do to me?

Was he going to do the exorcism? Or had that been a lie?

Was this even really Luc?

Luc continued to stare, his gaze unwavering. He didn't even blink.

I squeezed my eyes shut. I was waiting for the pain. I knew it would be coming sooner rather than later, in one form or another.

"Rachel..."

His voice broke through the suffocating silence. If this wasn't Luc, whoever they were had nailed the sound of his voice.

"Rachel..."

I didn't want to look, but my eyes were forced open. Luc was closer now, his face an inch from mine. I could feel his hot breath cascade over my cheeks, my mouth.

What was he going to do to me?

The spirit twisted up inside me. It seemed to pulse forwards and back... like it wanted to get closer to him before reconsidering and retreating deeper inside.

Luc leaned closer, his glowing eyes trapping my gaze. His mouth hovered over mine, almost touching. The heat from his breath seemed to be spreading over me, chasing back the chills of fear. I could feel sweat forming on my skin.

He began mumbling, his voice so soft and low that I couldn't make out the words. His lips brushed against mine as they moved. His low voice continued chanting, the rhythmic tone heavy and... intoxicating. Again, heated tingles ran over my skin, climbing up my neck, buzzing at the back of my skull. My eyelids began to feel heavy, threatening to close. He was lulling me into a kind of trance.

"Who are you?" he whispered. "Why are you here?"

Huh? My eyes snapped open for a second, but the hypnotic glow of his gaze quickly reclaimed me.

Luc turned his head and began to move down to my ear, his lips skimming against my skin the entire way. A pleasant shudder moved through me.

The spirit responded, too. It writhed in a way that undercut the calm that was overtaking me. Like it was... enjoying this. And maybe a little too much.