for a while.
Elly started to remove something from the tote.
"Let me see that," the man said, taking a step closer. "Throw it over here."
Cooper let the leading edge of the small ghost brush ever so gently against the mugger's head.
The skeletal figure stiffened abruptly, arms jangling, mouth opening on a silent scream. He jerked violently a second time and then collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
The mugger's ghost winked out instantly as the psi energy abruptly ceased. Underground, the UDEMs were fueled by the ambient power of the catacombs. Aboveground, however, it took a trained hunter to keep one together.
Cooper dissolved his own UDEM. The last of the green light disappeared, leaving only the thin beam of the flashlight.
"Nicely done," Elly said. She dropped the high-heeled sandal she had partially removed back into the tote and surveyed the fallen man with a slight frown. "I hope you didn't use too much energy on him, though."
Cooper crouched beside the unconscious man and checked for a pulse. He found it immediately.
"He'll wake up in a few hours with a bad headache and no clear memory of what happened." Cooper rose and urged her toward the mouth of the alley. "Are you okay?"
"For heaven's sake, I was raised in a hunter family, remember? It isn't the first time I've seen ghosts."
"Just checking. Thanks for distracting that SOB with the story about having an alien artifact in your bag, by the way. He never even realized that I was working ghost light behind him."
"You're good, aren't you?" she said, giving him a thoughtful, sidelong glance. "That little ghost was very intricate, very efficient, very tightly constructed. Not many hunters could have generated one like that."
"I've had a fair amount of experience," he said.
"You've got more than experience. You've obviously got both a lot of raw power and a high degree of control."
"Yeah, well, I'm a Guild boss, remember?" he said, trying to keep things light. "I'm supposed to be good."
She fell silent beside him. Probably not a good sign, he thought.
At the mouth of the alley, he turned right, steering Elly and Rose toward the intersection. At the corner they all paused and looked back up the street toward the Trap Door. The bar was in the middle of the adjacent block. Directly in front three police cruisers had come to a halt, lights flashing. He could see some cops going through the door. A crowd was coalescing to watch the excitement.
"We're in the clear," he said. "My Spectrum is at this end of the street. Everyone is looking the other way. If we're careful, no one will notice us. From here on we walk, we do not run. People tend to notice folks who are moving too fast."
"Understood. But I suggest we walk at a very brisk pace, if you don't mind."
"Fine by me."
They were only a few steps away from the Spectrum when a patrol car glided up beside them. The hard-eyed officer behind the wheel nailed them in the beam of his flashlight.
"Where are you two going?" he asked, most of his attention on Cooper.
"Home," Elly said before Cooper could respond. "As quickly as possible."
"Not from around here, huh?"
"My friend is from out of town. I brought him down to the Old Quarter to show him the sights. We just finished dinner at a charmingly quaint little cafe up the street and were walking back to the car when all of a sudden there were police cars everywhere."
The officer switched the beam to Elly's face. "What's the name of the cafe where you had dinner?"
"The Emerald Wall," she said without missing a beat. She produced a card from the pocket of her coat. "My name is Elly St. Clair. I own St. Clair's Herbal Emporium. I specialize in custom-blended tisanes, teas, and tonics. If you ever need anything in that line, be sure to stop in at my shop. I know police work is very stressful. I have a special moonseed tisane that can do wonders."
The officer scowled at the card and then looked at Cooper. "Where are you from?"
"Aurora Springs," Cooper
Elly started to remove something from the tote.
"Let me see that," the man said, taking a step closer. "Throw it over here."
Cooper let the leading edge of the small ghost brush ever so gently against the mugger's head.
The skeletal figure stiffened abruptly, arms jangling, mouth opening on a silent scream. He jerked violently a second time and then collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
The mugger's ghost winked out instantly as the psi energy abruptly ceased. Underground, the UDEMs were fueled by the ambient power of the catacombs. Aboveground, however, it took a trained hunter to keep one together.
Cooper dissolved his own UDEM. The last of the green light disappeared, leaving only the thin beam of the flashlight.
"Nicely done," Elly said. She dropped the high-heeled sandal she had partially removed back into the tote and surveyed the fallen man with a slight frown. "I hope you didn't use too much energy on him, though."
Cooper crouched beside the unconscious man and checked for a pulse. He found it immediately.
"He'll wake up in a few hours with a bad headache and no clear memory of what happened." Cooper rose and urged her toward the mouth of the alley. "Are you okay?"
"For heaven's sake, I was raised in a hunter family, remember? It isn't the first time I've seen ghosts."
"Just checking. Thanks for distracting that SOB with the story about having an alien artifact in your bag, by the way. He never even realized that I was working ghost light behind him."
"You're good, aren't you?" she said, giving him a thoughtful, sidelong glance. "That little ghost was very intricate, very efficient, very tightly constructed. Not many hunters could have generated one like that."
"I've had a fair amount of experience," he said.
"You've got more than experience. You've obviously got both a lot of raw power and a high degree of control."
"Yeah, well, I'm a Guild boss, remember?" he said, trying to keep things light. "I'm supposed to be good."
She fell silent beside him. Probably not a good sign, he thought.
At the mouth of the alley, he turned right, steering Elly and Rose toward the intersection. At the corner they all paused and looked back up the street toward the Trap Door. The bar was in the middle of the adjacent block. Directly in front three police cruisers had come to a halt, lights flashing. He could see some cops going through the door. A crowd was coalescing to watch the excitement.
"We're in the clear," he said. "My Spectrum is at this end of the street. Everyone is looking the other way. If we're careful, no one will notice us. From here on we walk, we do not run. People tend to notice folks who are moving too fast."
"Understood. But I suggest we walk at a very brisk pace, if you don't mind."
"Fine by me."
They were only a few steps away from the Spectrum when a patrol car glided up beside them. The hard-eyed officer behind the wheel nailed them in the beam of his flashlight.
"Where are you two going?" he asked, most of his attention on Cooper.
"Home," Elly said before Cooper could respond. "As quickly as possible."
"Not from around here, huh?"
"My friend is from out of town. I brought him down to the Old Quarter to show him the sights. We just finished dinner at a charmingly quaint little cafe up the street and were walking back to the car when all of a sudden there were police cars everywhere."
The officer switched the beam to Elly's face. "What's the name of the cafe where you had dinner?"
"The Emerald Wall," she said without missing a beat. She produced a card from the pocket of her coat. "My name is Elly St. Clair. I own St. Clair's Herbal Emporium. I specialize in custom-blended tisanes, teas, and tonics. If you ever need anything in that line, be sure to stop in at my shop. I know police work is very stressful. I have a special moonseed tisane that can do wonders."
The officer scowled at the card and then looked at Cooper. "Where are you from?"
"Aurora Springs," Cooper
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