Spirit Hunters #2 Read online

  She reached over and ruffled his hair, even though he hated it. There was nobody in the world she loved more than her baby brother. After the horrible ghost-possession incident, Harper was more protective of Michael than ever.

  As they finished up their meal, her mother gave her a serious look. “Do you mind telling me where you were tonight?”

  “I was just biking around, and I lost track of time,” Harper said.

  “Was Dayo with you?” her mother asked hopefully.

  Harper shook her head.

  “Tell me the truth—were you visiting a cemetery again?” Yuna asked.

  Harper bit her lip and nodded. Her mother and father had been told about her junior shaman status by her grandma Lee, but they didn’t approve. The truth was, they really didn’t believe in ghosts. But too many things that couldn’t be explained had happened to their family, and it had become impossible for them to ignore the possibility of the supernatural. However, their mode of acceptance was to not talk about it. Ever. Even Michael had learned to keep quiet about his encounters with the spirit world. Neither of her lawyerly parents wanted to accept the fact that two of their children could talk to ghosts. And Kelly, who’d also suffered through the worst of Michael’s possession, remained intentionally unaware of the spiritual world. At least, that was what it looked like to Harper. Whenever she asked Kelly about the events that had happened earlier that summer, Kelly would categorically deny that anything weird had happened. She even claimed that the attack, when Michael smashed a toy fire truck in her face while he was possessed by the evil ghost, was just an accident. Even with the faint scar on her forehead, Kelly refused to listen to what had really happened. Harper had taken to calling her Cleopatra, Queen of Denial.

  A look of worry mixed with disappointment crossed her mother’s face. Harper hated that look. “Well, you know the rule. No riding your bike after dark by yourself. Since we can’t trust you to follow that rule, you are grounded for a week. Pick up Michael after school, and come straight home.”

  When Harper began to protest, her mother held up a hand to stop her. “Not a word, Harper, or I’ll make it until we leave for our trip.”

  Harper clammed up right away. She couldn’t risk being grounded for nearly three weeks.

  After a drawn-out silence, her mother excused Harper from the table. Harper pushed her chair back and stomped up the stairs.

  Once in her room, Harper threw herself onto her bed and fumed into her pillow.

  “What happened?” Rose asked, materializing next to her.

  “I’m grounded for a week!”

  “Oh no! What about Roderick?! How are we going to help him?”

  “Aw, shoot!” Harper sat up. Grabbing the phone, she called her grandmother’s cell phone. When it went straight into voice mail, she flipped open her laptop and began to compose an email.

  “What are you doing?” Rose asked.

  “Grandma never checks her voice mail,” Harper said. “But she does check email. I’m letting her know what’s happened and asking her to look into it.”

  Rose was wringing her hands as she floated around the room. “But what if Roderick disappears, too? We have to do something to help him!”

  “There’s nothing I can do,” Harper said.

  “We can go right after school and check on him then,” Rose cut in.

  “I’m grounded!”

  “So what? That’s never stopped you before!”

  “Kelly will definitely rat me out if I leave her with Michael again,” Harper said. “I can’t risk it.”

  “You have to! Roderick is a friend of ours!”

  “Then you go check on him!” Harper snapped, tired of the conversation.

  “Fine! I will!” Rose yelled back as she disappeared.

  Harper regretted her words immediately. “Rose, come back,” she said. “I didn’t mean it. I’m sorry.”

  A few minutes passed before she heard Rose’s voice again. “It’s all right. I know you’re cranky ’cause of your mom. But I think I need to go and see what’s happening over there.”

  The thought of Rose going out by herself filled Harper with fear. “No, Rose! If something happened to you, I would never forgive myself!”

  The ghost girl reappeared, this time within the reflection of the ornate mirror on Harper’s bureau. “Don’t worry about me. I can take care of myself.” Rose smiled at her. “I’m going to go tonight and report back to you in the morning, okay?”

  She flew out of the mirror to give Harper a ghostly hug. “Hey, don’t look so scared! I promise I’ll be here before you wake up. You know you’d never get up in time if it wasn’t for me.”

  With one last hug, Rose disappeared, leaving Harper with a sudden intense, eerie fright, which sat in the pit of her stomach. She couldn’t help but fear that Rose was in over her head.

  WHERE’S ROSE?

  Wednesday, October 4

  The next morning, Harper woke to the sound of her alarm clock. For the first time ever, she was wide awake without having to hit snooze ten times. She sat up in bed, looking around in confusion.

  “Rose? Are you here?”

  There was no answer. The dread that had been sitting in her stomach since last night had now grown to a sizable knot. She knew something bad had happened to Rose. It wasn’t like her to break a promise. Something had happened at the cemetery. Something that had kept Rose from coming home.

  Harper got ready for school quickly and raced downstairs. Her mother was drinking coffee and Michael was eating a toaster waffle. Her father must have already left for work and taken Kelly to school. Her parents were both big-time attorneys at a large law firm in downtown D.C., but they didn’t always carpool together, which Harper thought was a terrible crime against the environment.

  “Harper!” Michael beamed at her, his face covered with maple syrup and milk.

  “Hey, buddy,” Harper said. She grabbed a waffle from the toaster, even though she wasn’t hungry. She didn’t want another lecture from her mother. Sitting down, she tried to think of how she could go over to the church without getting in trouble.

  “You want me to give you a lift to school, honey?” her mother asked.

  “No thanks, I’m gonna ride my bike,” Harper replied.

  Her mother gave her a sharp look. “You’re picking up Michael after school. I don’t want you riding with him in the basket again, Harper. That’s incredibly dangerous.”

  “I won’t. I’ll walk with him, don’t worry.” Harper sighed. “Mom, I know I’m grounded, but I need to go to the library to do a project. If I’m home before five, can I go?”

  “You can go, but you have to take Michael with you,” her mother said.

  “But, Mom!”

  “He’ll sit quietly and read,” she said. “And I want you to come straight home afterward, okay?”

  The set look on her mother’s face told Harper this was a no-win argument. “Yes, Mom.”

  Michael had started whooping with joy at the idea of going out to the library.

  “Harper, can we take out a lot of books this time? Like fifty or a hundred?”

  “That might be too heavy for your sister,” their mother cut in. “Why don’t you just grab two or three for now, okay, honey?”

  Harper played with her waffle, barely eating it. All her thoughts were centered around Rose and getting over to the cemetery.

  “Don’t you need to get going?”

  With another long sigh, Harper grabbed her school bag and started to head out the door.

  “Harper?” her mother called to her.

  She stopped at the kitchen door to look at her mother impatiently.

  “If you would just be a little more positive about this trip, I know you would have a good time, okay?”

  With an indifferent nod, Harper took off.

  At the corner, Harper saw her other best friend, Dayo, waiting for her. They became the best of friends from the moment they met earlier that summer. There was nothing quite like
surviving a dangerous exorcism to cement a friendship for life.

  Dayo’s smiling face grew serious as she saw Harper’s grim expression.

  “What’s up?” Dayo asked.

  “Rose is gone,” Harper replied as she launched into everything that had happened the night before.

  “Oh Harper, this is terrible!” Dayo said. “What are we going to do?”

  “I need to go to the church to check out what’s happened, but my mom grounded me and I have to watch Michael,” Harper said. “And since Michael can’t ride in the basket, there’s no way I can go with him.”

  “I’ll watch him at my house,” Dayo offered.

  Harper’s relief was intense. “Thanks, Dayo. You’re the best.”

  “I know,” Dayo said. “But don’t you forget it.”

  After what felt like the longest day of school, Harper and Dayo rode over to the elementary school to pick up Michael.

  “You okay, Harper?” Dayo asked.

  Harper sighed. “I feel like I just got Rose back, and now I’ve lost her again.”

  Dayo patted Harper on the shoulder consolingly.

  The doors flung open and a crowd of kindergartners peered out, looking for their parents. Harper bolted forward to let the teacher know she was there.

  “That’s my sister!” Michael yelled.

  The other kindergartners waved and shouted hello. Michael jumped into Harper’s arms with a squeal of delight.

  “Argh, you’re getting so big and heavy!” Harper groused.

  “I know! I’m a big boy now!” Michael said as he slipped down and grabbed Harper’s hand. “Hi Dayo! Can we stop by your house for your mom’s cookies?”

  “Michael, you can’t invite yourself over like that!”

  Dayo laughed. “Well, that’s what I was going to do! My mom is probably baking cookies and will need some taste testers.” Dayo’s mother was an amazing chef and ran her own catering business.

  “Oh boy, that rocks!” Michael said as he beamed up at them.

  This sent the girls into a fit of laughter, and they got their bikes and walked the six blocks to Dayo’s home. Harper gave Mrs. Clayton a hug and took two of her famous white chocolate–cranberry cookies before heading to the cemetery.

  When she got there, she ran straight over to Roderick’s grave.

  “Roderick, are you there?” Harper called. “Roderick! Can you hear me?”

  She placed her hands on the grave and closed her eyes, but she felt nothing. Roderick was gone.

  “He’s dead—he can’t hear you,” a voice said from behind her.

  She whirled around and stared into the face of the old church caretaker.

  “Little girl, I always see you here talking with the gravestones, and I don’t think nothing much of it. Different strokes and all. But I gotta think this just ain’t healthy for a young girl like you. You should be hanging out with your friends and leaving the dead alone,” the caretaker said.

  He walked away, muttering under his breath about weird kids these days. Harper paid no attention to him. She sat down on Roderick’s grave and wrapped her arms around her knees. No matter how much she opened her mind, she could feel no spiritual energy anywhere in the graveyard. It was entirely empty of any ghosts. Where were they? How could they possibly have all been pulled away from their resting places? She didn’t even know where to look or what to look for.

  She knew in her heart that Rose was in trouble. But there was nothing she could do to help her oldest friend. She wiped away the tears that had seeped from under her lids. There was only one person who could help.

  She needed her grandmother.

  GRANDMA LEE’S HOUSE

  Friday, October 6

  It wasn’t until Friday afternoon that Harper finally heard the news she was waiting for. Her grandmother sent her a brief email that said she was home and resting after a difficult spiritual intervention.

  Relieved, Harper ran downstairs to look for Michael. Opening the basement door, she heard the sound of violent cartoons playing from the family room. She felt guilty about ignoring her little brother all afternoon.

  “Michael!” Harper yelled. “Do you want to go to Grandma’s house for dinner?”

  She heard a muffled whoop of glee and then the thudding of running feet as Michael’s little frame rushed into view. She braced herself as he flung his body onto her legs, hugging her hard.

  “How did you know I wanted to go? Did you read my mind? I was hoping and hoping, but I didn’t want to bug you,” he said in a rush.

  Harper leaned down to kiss her brother’s grubby face. The orange remnants of Cheetos dotted his chin and the corners of his lips.

  “But how we gonna go, Harper?” Michael asked. “You aren’t allowed to take me in your basket anymore.”

  “No problem,” Harper said.

  She picked up her cell phone and called her mom.

  “Harper, is everything okay?” Yuna said as soon as she answered.

  “Yeah, Michael and I are bored. Dayo is busy with family, and we have nothing to do.”

  “Can’t Kelly take you out?”

  “She’s going to a rally at her school,” Harper said. “She’s not gonna want to do anything with us instead.”

  “Well, have her take you to the rally. It sounds like fun.”

  “Grandma’s home also. Maybe she could drop us off there?”

  Yuna hesitated before responding. “Only if she’s willing to—it would be out of the way for her.”

  “Okay, I’ll ask. Thanks, Mom.”

  Harper then motioned Michael to follow her upstairs to Kelly’s room. She knocked on the door and then poked her head in. Her sister was absorbed in the act of painting her toenails.

  “Get out,” Kelly said.

  Ignoring her, Harper asked, “Hey Kelly, didn’t you say there’s some rally up at school tonight?”

  “Uh-huh. Now get out,” Kelly replied, not lifting her head up from her careful examination of her big toe.

  “Well, Mom said that you need to take us with you,” Harper said.

  “What? I’m not babysitting you two all night! Why can’t you guys just stay home? I was gonna order you some pizza before I left.”

  Harper shrugged. “I don’t want to. Mom’s forcing us to go out, and you have to take us.”

  “That’s it! I’m calling Mom!”

  “I tried,” Harper said. “It’s no use. You know how she gets. ‘It’s a Friday night—you should go do something fun with Michael,’ blah, blah, blah. And she and Dad are working on a big case together and won’t be home until late.”

  Kelly slammed her fist on her desk. “It’s ’cause you are a freak with no friends!”

  “Hey!” Michael shouted. “That’s mean! Dayo’s her friend! And mine.”

  The insult didn’t faze Harper at all. She was used to Kelly’s temper. But she grinned at Michael’s righteous indignation on her behalf.

  “Look,” Harper cut in, holding Michael back from attacking Kelly. “It’s not like we want to hang out with you all night, either. We’d rather be at Grandma’s than at a stupid rally.”

  Harper could see the thought process occurring in Kelly’s brain before she even spoke.

  “So, Grandma’s back?” Kelly asked nonchalantly.

  “Yep.”

  “Would you rather I dropped you off at Grandma’s and picked you up after the rally?”

  “I don’t know—what do you say, Michael?” Harper asked.

  “Yeah, at Grandma’s!” Michael shouted. He turned around and clapped his hand over his mouth to stifle his giggle.

  “Fine, then,” Kelly sighed. “I’ll drop you off on my way, but you guys better not make me late! Get out!” She shooed them out and slammed the door. They heard the loud click of the lock.

  Harper and Michael grinned and high-fived each other.

  “So, does Grandma know we’re coming?” Michael asked.

  “No, I thought we’d try to surprise her,” Harper respon
ded.

  “Oh goody! We never get to surprise her.”

  An hour later Kelly turned into the driveway of their grandma’s little house in the suburbs of Maryland.

  “Tell Grandma I can’t stop right now. But I’ll come in when I pick you guys up, okay?” Kelly said.

  “All right, thanks, Kelly!” Harper said. She and Michael jumped out and waved good-bye before heading up the driveway. The front door opened, and they could see their grandmother smiling at them, her little Yorkie spinning in circles from excitement.

  “Good timing! Dinner is ready,” Grandma said with a beaming smile.

  “Grandma!” Michael cried out as he rushed in and tackled the small form of their grandmother. “How’d you know we were coming? Did the ghosts tell you again?”

  Grandma laughed as she bear-hugged him. “How many times do I have to tell you? I can’t share all my secrets!” Releasing him, she reached over to accept Harper’s hug.

  “And why didn’t Kelly stop by? She’s too busy for her old grandma?”

  Harper shook her head. “She was running late to her school thing. She’ll stop by later.”

  “Wait, wait!” Grandma Lee grabbed Michael by the back of his shirt as he made to run into the living room, chasing after Monty. “Shoes off!”

  The homey kitchen table was set with three place settings, bowls of rice, and an assortment of the little side dishes that made Korean food so tasty. Harper and Michael were only half Korean, but it was their favorite cuisine. Unfortunately, they didn’t get to eat it often. Only at their grandmother’s house did they get a real home-cooked meal. Both their parents were too busy to cook, and when they did, it would usually be Italian or American, or frozen pizza.

  With a happy sigh, Harper sat down as her grandmother brought over steaming-hot bowls of spicy pork stew. She watched as Michael picked up pieces of kim, salty roasted seaweed, and maneuvered them onto hot clumps of rice. He shoved them into his mouth, chased down by bunches of tiny sautéed anchovies and pickled cabbage. The little Yorkie sat at his feet, hoping he’d drop some food.

  “So, what brings two of my favorite grandchildren to visit?” Grandma said as she picked up her chopsticks.