The blade glows red hot as I look around. I have absolutely no idea where I am, and it takes a few seconds to get my brain to function somewhat rationally. If I’m six miles away from the restaurant we were supposed to meet at, then I’m still in Paradise Valley. It makes sense to have several graveyards in this town, and this one looks to be a historic family plot.
There’s probably a century-old farmhouse somewhere nearby, and some hillbilly is going to come running out with a shotgun any minute now.
But there’s nothing. Not a light to be seen.
I let out another breath and make sure my mental shields are all the way down. There are a few residual spirits still lingering here but, contrary to popular belief, graveyards aren’t typically haunted. Spirits go back to a place that’s familiar. Though, some do desperately cling to their physical bodies, thinking if they can get back in, they’ll wake up and realize their death was just a terrible dream.
The sound of a dog barking rings out around me, but it soothes me instead of startling me. Hunter shadows into the graveyard, shifting into dog-form and running over. My lips part and I let out an audible sigh of relief.
“I don’t know what happened,” I tell him, on the brink of tears. “I was driving and then…then I just ended up here.”
Hunter presses his wet nose against my hand, and I realize how badly I’m shivering from the cold. He lets me know he can’t sense anything malicious around us, and nudges me forward, urging me to get in the car. I open the back door for him out of habit and then get in, keeping my dagger on my lap. I lock the doors and get startled this time when my phone rings.
It’s Ethan, no doubt wondering what the hell is happening to make Hunter shift into his true form and leave the house.
“Are you okay?” he rushes out as soon as I answer. “Hunter was sitting on the couch with me and jumped up and left.”
“Physically, I’m fine.”
“Fuck. Where are you? I’m coming.”
My eyes scan the graveyard in front of me and my teeth chatter. “I don’t know.” The tears I was holding back spill down my cheeks. “I was following my GPS and somehow ended up in a graveyard.”
“Did you enter the address wrong?” he asks, and I hear the back door creak open then slam shut as he makes his way out of the house.
“No. It must have been rerouting me the whole time, but Ethan, I don’t remember any of that. I just got here.”
“It’s okay,” he soothes. “Send me your location and I’ll come get you.”
I pull my phone away from my ear and send him my location. Hands still shaking, I plug my phone in, switching the call over from the phone to my car. “Hunter is with me. There’s…there’s nothing dark here. I’ll meet you at home.”
“Stay on the phone.”
“I will.” I let out a shaky breath, blinking my eyes open and shut a few times. This is real. I’m here, and this isn’t a nightmare. I reprogram my GPS to take me home and silently back out of the graveyard. “Can you run a background check or whatever on this graveyard. I was brought here for a reason.”
“Of course. You think it was a ghost getting into your head?”
“I don’t know. I can’t sense anything strong enough to do that, and neither can Hunter. He’s here with me, by the way.” I’m driving slowly down the road, too freaked out to go any faster than twenty miles an hour. “Am I going crazy, Ethan?”
“No, babe. You’re not. People drive on auto-pilot all the time and end up somewhere else.”
“This isn’t auto-pilot,” I shoot back, surprised and almost annoyed. “I’ve never been here before. The only places I’ve gone in Paradise Valley are the shopping areas. I’m not crazy.”
“I don’t think you are,” he says quickly, and I realize he’s hoping to find a rational explanation because he’s worried too. “You’re a medium. It wouldn’t be the first time a ghost put thoughts into your head and directed you to a specific location.”
I nod, forgetting he can’t see me. It wouldn’t be the first time, but it’s never been like this. When it’s a spirit interaction, I’m aware of everything I’m doing, and I know what I’m feeling aren’t my own emotions. I can’t make sense of the sudden onset of fear or anger, but I still know where it’s coming from.
But this time, I have no memories of what I’m doing. This time is different…
Another tear falls from my eye. “I don’t remember getting here. At all. I was listening to my podcast, following the GPS and then I was just there.”
“It’s okay,” he repeats. “You’ll be home soon so, in the meantime, tell me about your summer plans for the barn.”