A Summoning of Souls. Leanna Renee Hieber

the noise. “That would be Rupert downstairs with your colleagues, who are showing him any place that they feel could be vulnerable to intrusion, psychic or otherwise. And thank you for keeping your ghosts at a distance. I don’t mean to be inhospitable to them, but you know my condition....”

      “Oh, of course, they understand!” Eve said, winking up the stairs when she saw Zofia poke a spectral head out from the top landing, the child eavesdropping from a safe distance.

      Their absence was particularly evident to Eve as the room was far warmer than usual, the roaring fire notwithstanding. At any given time, at least three of their regular haunts were generally present, up to five if their resident spirit tethered to music felt like playing piano. Sometimes they’d attract seven full manifestations, not to mention those spirits that were simply and quite literally passing through.

      Gran must have urged them out ahead of the Bishops’ arrival. Not that Clara wasn’t a gifted Sensitive, but due to her neurology, too many ghosts gave her seizures. Eve recalled her saying that there was “always a cost to these powers.”

      A visceral hope that there would be a cost to Prenze’s powers hit Eve in a fervent prayer. As she’d indicated to the detective, her anger seethed. That a whole houseful of good, talented people cultivated protections when other worthy cases in the city needed their ear and attention was an egregious injustice. But that was the way of the greedy and selfish. Eve wished that immorally taking the talents and energies of others for personal gain was considered as criminal as theft of money or property.

      “You’ll want to reinforce the wards with your own beliefs and traditions,” Clara added, clicking a fingernail against one of the vials. “Some find salt helpful, but…” She gestured outside. “From your descriptions, this is an astral projection of one unwanted, living man rather than what we would consider a demonic force. So”—she gestured to the vials then to Eve—“add to these vials any ingredient that you find resonant and synonymous with safety and fortification. I’ve lent some of my energy; you must bolster it and seal it with yours.”