The Windhaven Witches Omnibus Edition : Complete Paranormal Suspense Series, Books 1-4 by Carissa Andrews (graded readers txt) 📕

The faint thump of his heartbeat greets me, settling my own out-of-control pulse slightly. “Oh, thank god.”

I watch his eyelashes flutter like he’s deep in a dream and I sit there, holding him and brushing my fingertips against his forehead.

The room slowly warms up, releasing some of its foreboding vibe. The sun has set and the only light penetrating the room cascades in from the chandelier in the entryway. It adds an eerie glow on the top of his head, like he’s adorned with a halo, and it pulls me back to reality.

That was close…too close.

I don’t know what happened, or why. If it was a ghost, I don’t understand why I couldn’t see it.

Some postmortem medium I am.

Suddenly, Wade’s eyes flicker open and he abruptly sits up. His left hand rises, resting at his clavicle as he turns his perplexed gaze to me.

“What was that?” he says, his voice barely a scratchy whisper.

I bite my lip and tug my eyebrows in. “I don’t know. I couldn’t see anything. I wish I…”

Swallowing hard, Wade places a hand on my shoulder, pushing himself to an unsteady stand.

“You should be careful. You don’t have to rush,” I begin.

Wade shakes his head. “No, I need to get outta here. I need air—”

Undeserved disappointment rolls through me, but I nod and stand up, too.

“You should come with me,” he says, his eyes wide. Backing out of the study, he studies the doorway as if it’s the gateway to hell.

“I can’t, Wade,” I say softly. “This doesn’t change anything…”

“Please,” Wade pleads, grabbing hold of my hands. “You’re—it’s not safe here. There’s something in this house and it’s not happy.”

“Then I need to get to the bottom of it,” I say, straightening my shoulders. “Right now, I’m the only one who can. I’ll summon Abigail and get her to help me. Besides, technically, I don’t know that it’s here. You could have brought it with you. I’ve been learning…”

“But—”

I drop his hands and walk out into the landing. “No buts. Go home and get some rest. Keep the phone next to you and call for help at the slightest sign of anything.” I bite my lip as I turn around to face him. “Maybe ask Chelsea to keep an eye on you.”

Wade’s eyes narrow and his jaw sets.

“Come on, let me help you to your car,” I say, bending an elbow for him to grab hold of.

Instead, his eyelashes flutter, and he steps around me, reaching for the handrail. His footsteps are deliberate and slow, but when he reaches the front door, he grabs hold of the handle to open it, then pauses.

A long, awkward silence floods the otherwise-expansive entryway and I hold my breath, waiting.

Finally, he turns around. “Autumn, it’s not me I’m worried about. You need to be very, very careful. Please, reconsider and come with me.”

I tilt my head to the side, shooting him a lopsided grin. “You know I can’t do that.”

“Then please, call someone—anyone. Call James and have him stay with you until your dad gets back. You shouldn’t be alone in this house right now,” he says, concern plastered over his features.

“Okay, I’ll think about it,” I say, walking up and taking hold of the front door. Opening it wide, I stand aside. “Are you sure you’re good to drive?”

Wade’s jaw sharpens and he nods. “Yeah, I can handle it.” He shoots me a sideways glance and drops his gaze to the ground as he walks out the door and down the front steps. As he reaches the driver’s-side door, he stops as if he’s going to say something, but thinks better of it. With a click, he opens the door and hops inside.

Conflicting feelings twist and churn inside my chest as I watch his taillights fade down to the end of the driveway. Am I doing the right thing letting him leave? Is he right? Should I have gone with him? As much as I would have loved to do that, this event only put things into sharp perspective for me.

I lied to him earlier. Whatever happened didn’t come with him; it was here before he arrived. I felt its presence and didn’t know what it was.

Now, it’s time to figure it out.

I close the door and spin around on my heel. “Abigail,” I call out, letting my voice echo all through the house. “I know you can hear me. Where are you?”

Dead air permeates the space around me and I let out an exasperated sigh. Where in the hell is she?

All of a sudden, movement on the upper landing catches my eye. It’s too fast to see exactly what it is, but I race up the grand staircase after it.

“Abigail? Is that you?” I say, stepping out on the upper landing.

I turn to the right, surveying the hallway. All movement has ceased and there’s no evidence of anyone, living or dead, within eyeshot. To my left, the study doors are still splayed open wide, but it’s so dark out now, all I can see is my reflection on the glass staring back at me. Stepping forward, I grab each door hand and tug the doors shut.

I’ll need to find some consecrated water, salt, and a boatload of sage tomorrow to clear its energy.

As I release the handles, a strange, subtle clicking sound echoes down the hallway. The sound isn’t like anything I’ve ever heard and the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.

Suddenly, staying home alone doesn’t feel like it was the wisest decision. Swallowing hard, I pull my phone from my pocket and clutch it close. Peering into the darkness of the hallway, I take a few tentative steps forward.

The clicking sound comes and goes, stopping at odd intervals that make it impossible to track. Especially as the thrumming of my heartbeat pounds inside my ears.

“Hello?” I call out. My voice wavers, and rather than being clear or forceful, it’s barely louder than a whisper. “Who’s there?”

I continue to creep forward, edging farther from