Sam’s body burst, and he released the flames.
Heat rolled over Vivien’s face and chest. The sound of his scream died as his light faded. The blue candles remained burning as if nothing had happened.
“Sam?” Vivien’s voice caught on a sob. Her skin stung.
“What did we do?” Lorna whispered. “What was that?”
Heather’s hand slipped from Vivien’s, and she flipped over the paper with the séance chant. Almost panicked, she read, “Spirit you have been found pure. We release you into the light. Go in peace and love.”
The blessing was supposed to end the séance, but Vivien felt Lorna’s fear through their connected fingers that it had come too late. When Glenn was sent to his afterlife, he’d gone like dying embers. Sam had exploded in heat and pain. The feel of it stuck to her skin, prickling her nerve endings.
“What did we do?” Lorna asked again. “What was that? I don’t think that was supposed to happen. Did you feel—?”
“Shh,” Heather shushed the woman as she came around the table to grab Vivien by the face. “Viv? Look at me. Are you all right? I need you to take a deep breath for me. Focus on my eyes. That’s it. Focus on me.”
Vivien tried to speak, but her chest squeezed and the pressure made it difficult.
A loud bang sounded on the door seconds before it crashed open. “Vivien?”
The sound of Troy’s voice barely registered. Lorna’s hand pulled out of her grasp. Heather’s hands remained on her face, forcing Vivien to look at her.
“Are you all right? What happened? Is there someone in the house?” Troy’s questions flooded the room. “I heard a woman screaming.”
“We were playing around, and we startled Vivien,” Heather said, her eyes staying on Vivien’s.
Vivien touched her lips. Had she screamed?
“So, you’re…” Troy appeared in her peripheral. “She doesn’t look all right. Maybe I should call an ambulance.”
“Hey, Troy, right?” Lorna said, her tone calm. “Hi. I’m Lorna. I just moved in a few weeks ago. We haven’t met yet. You know Viv, and this is Heather. An ambulance won’t be necessary. You can put your phone away.”
“Viv?” Heather’s light brown eyes came more into focus as she drew an exaggerated breath trying to prompt Vivien to breathe. “That’s right. Just like that.”
“What happened in here?” Troy insisted.
Vivien finally managed a deep breath. She blinked, shaking the feeling of fear from her body. She pulled Heather’s hands from her face.
“What?” Vivien forced herself to stand and turn around to look at him. “Don’t like my decorating?”
“Uh?” Troy glanced at the floor.
The words had left her before she actually saw her living room. The gust of air had not only stunned her, but it had trashed her home. The vases had crashed into broken pieces. The Renaissance paintings of women had fallen off the walls. The uneaten Mexican food was on the floor.
“I’m sorry if we were too loud.” Vivien smiled even though she felt weak. “You know how wild girls’ night can get.”
“Margaritas, whew,” Heather added. “Straight to our heads.”
“Yeah, sorry for the noise,” Lorna said, not as convincing as the other two. “We’ll try to keep it down.”
“Uh, okay,” Troy mumbled in disbelief. “I’m glad everything is…” He looked around. “Sorry for barging in like that.”
“Hey, thanks for being concerned,” Heather said, lifting her hand to usher him toward the front door as she stepped around the mess of food on the floor. “And it was very nice to meet you, Troy.”
Vivien waited for the door to close before turning to stare at the book. She gave a weak laugh. “I guess Sam didn’t like my decorating choices.”
“Don’t joke,” Lorna said. “This is serious.”
“Viv, are you all right?” Heather asked.
“Where did he go?” Vivien pointed toward the book as if doing so would make sense out of what happened. “Why were there flames this time? Do you think that means he’s in hell?”
“Sam? No,” Heather instantly denied. “He can’t be in hell. That’s not a place for a man like him.”
“But I felt…” Vivien rubbed her arms through the sweater jacket. Her body ached. “I felt him pass through me. It hurt.”
“Is that why you were screaming?” Lorna asked.
“Sam screamed. Not me,” Vivien denied.
“No, sweetie, that was you,” Heather stated.
Vivien shook her head in confusion. She’d seen him scream, saw the horror of his distended jaw.
“You’re shaking like a leaf, Viv,” Heather said. “Are you cold?”
“I don’t think so,” Vivien answered.
“I think you should lie down,” Lorna insisted. “Heather, why don’t you help her to her room? I’ll clean up this mess.”
Heather nodded. “Yeah, I think that’s an excellent idea. Come on, hon, let’s get you into bed.”
Vivien allowed Heather to lead her down the hall to her bedroom. She was grateful for the guidance.
“I don’t think Troy will be asking me out again anytime soon,” Vivien tried to joke, but her words did not have the teasing quality she’d hoped for.
“I think it was nice he tried to rescue you,” Heather said. “Even though if I ever met a woman who didn’t need to be rescued by a man, it’s you.”
They made it to her bedroom. Heather rushed a few feet ahead of her and pulled back the covers.
“Get in,” Heather ordered.
Vivien obeyed, too shaken to protest. She lay on her side, drawing her legs toward her chest. Heather pulled the covers over her and pushed them around her body to tuck her in.
“That was Sam,” Vivien said as Heather smoothed back her hair. “I smelled him. Did you smell him?”
“No, I saw him pass through you, though. Maybe that was his way of saying goodbye.” She didn’t sound convinced. “Spirits can’t always communicate the way we expect them to.”
“Do you think he was still confused because of how he died? With all that morphine in his system? He had a hard time talking at the end.”
“I don’t know.” Heather moved around to the other side of the bed to lie next to her.
“I thought spirits were supposed to be cold. Sam was hot,” Vivien insisted, rolling over to look at her friend. Heather had stayed on top of the covers.
“I honestly don’t know what happened, but I promise you, we will figure it out. I have to believe we were brought together and given these abilities for a reason. Grandma Julia would not have sent us down this path if it was the wrong one.” Heather smoothed back Vivien’s hair and rested her hand on the side of her head. “Whatever it takes, I promise, you’ll get your chance to tell him goodbye.”
Vivien felt a hot tear slide along the side of her nose. “I miss him so much.”
“I know, hon, I know.” Heather brushed the tear away.
“Don’t leave me. Stay here tonight. I don’t want to be alone,” Vivien whispered, closing her eyes. “I’m suddenly extremely tired.”