32: Unnatural Dealings
Dante huffed. “Well Kat’s like a sister to me, so I’ve heard everything there is to know about that lot. Every week’s a different mystery, and every mystery ends up with the same old answer. There’re no ghosts or demons or anything like that around. Just a load of smoke and mirrors.”
Phantasia twirled around the remaining linoleum on her toes. “So why’d you bother coming along?” she asked, “You obviously wanted to!”
“Curiosity.”
“That it?”
Dante nodded and began to poke around a nearby cupboard with his foot. “This place is pretty eerie, ghost or not. Something about those junkies was all wrong. Joel’s told me loads about various drugs because he keeps wanting me to try them, but none of their effects are like that. Those guys really did look like they were dead…”
Phantasia did recognise the effects, though. That feeling she’d had on entering the mansion and how its atmosphere reminded her of the World’s End was starting to make sense now. Those drug users back there were lost in thought, as if their minds were trapped in an ethereal reality while their bodies continued to degrade on the physical plane. If only she could get closer to them again and observe things with her newfound insight, then she could prove the theory that was gathering strength in her head. Maybe all those years with the Water faeries had paid off, after all!
“We should get moving,” she said, “I want to investigate this place a bit more, don’t you?”
“No, I’ve had enough,”
“Aww, but aren’t you the least bit curious about this ghost rumour?” She danced closer and attempted to peer into his evasive eyes.
“It’s just a load of crackheads,” he said, turning away from her, “You don’t want to mess with them, especially if there are dealers around. Besides, I’d rather not…I don’t want to get into a difficult situation. I dunno how I’ll react,”
Was this something to do with the power he’d displayed in Godhand’s manor? Could he remember that? Or was it a regular occurrence? Phantasia scanned his aura for irregularities, but it was as closed off as ever. Maybe if he was forced into one of those ‘difficult situations’ he’d have to open up a bit. It was better than running away!
“Well, you know Phoenie will be forcing the others to explore,” she said, “Would you rather they ran into trouble?”
It was emotional blackmail, pure and simple, the sort of tactic a mischievous Wind faerie would use. She knew he wouldn’t stand to see Katrina, his closest friend, hurt. The scowl on his face and his twitching muscles told her he was mulling over the possibilities in his head.
“Come on,” she said, leaving, “You’ll never know what’ll happen unless you try!”
***
What was he doing here? Dante couldn’t shake the thought as they penetrated deeper into the crack den at Phantasia’s whim. Was it to protect Katrina? The messages she was sending him through the cell network didn’t suggest she was in danger of any kind, and she was with Theseus. He could protect her from flailing drug addicts far better than Dante could. So if it wasn’t for Katrina’s sake, what was it?
The albino radiated an ethereal light in the darkness of the mansion. It wasn’t the sort of light that cast shadows or illuminated the damp, rotting surroundings, but a slight haze that surrounded her pale features, as if her skin were glowing and her hair shimmering with inner radiance. And why was she always around when the weird shit happened? Following her was the only way he was going to get any answers – if answers were really what he wanted.
“There’re two people up ahead,” she whispered, urging him to stay back, “They’re not like the others. They look less…intoxicated,”
