Read Online Spirits and Spells by Bruce Coville - Free Book Online

let me in.
    Travis clapped his hands to the sides of his head. The voice was already inside. He remembered Lydia’s screams the night they had first tried to play the game, and what she had said to Tansy later about “fingers” in her mind. Now he knew what those strange words meant. Someone was trying to get inside his brain. The attack came as a strange probing feeling that made him squirm with disgust.
    â€œStop it!” he cried.
    Just then the library door swung open. Travis staggered back against the table as he saw first Matt and then Tansy float through the doorway. They were lying on their backs, about three feet above the floor. The stave lay on Matt’s chest.
    Denise appeared in the doorway, hands held out before her, face dripping with perspiration. With a sigh she lowered her hands. Matt and Tansy settled to the floor, dropping as lightly as balloons that were slowly losing their helium.
    Once they were safely down, Denise sagged against the doorsill with a little moan of exhaustion.
    Travis looked from Matt and Tansy to Denise and back again. Suddenly he realized that the fingers in his mind were gone.
    Tansy moaned and turned on her side.
    Travis licked his lips. His throat was dry. When he tried to speak, nothing came out. He swallowed, tried again. “Denise, what’s going on?”
    â€œThat’s what I wanted to ask you,” she replied, and Travis found the haunted look in her eyes as frightening as anything that had happened in the last few minutes. He had never seen the unshakable Denise look this way. A pang of helpless terror shot through him.
    â€œWhat … what happened to Matt and Tansy?” he stammered.
    â€œThey wore themselves out. Using their spells.”
    Travis looked at her incredulously. “What …”
    Tansy moaned again, and then opened her eyes. “Travis?”
    He rushed to her, knelt at her side. “Tansy! Are you all right?”
    She put her hand to her forehead. “I … I think so. Matt! Matt, are you …” Her voice trailed off as she realized that Matt could not answer her.
    Denise had crossed to join them. Kneeling, she lifted Matt’s head into her lap. “Matt,” she whispered. “Matty, it’s me, Denise. Matt, wake up!”
    As she stroked his forehead, his eyes flickered open.
    Travis shivered. “Your name is Niana,” he whispered. “You are a healer.”
    Denise glared at him. “Don’t call me that!”
    Travis stepped back, startled by the intensity of her anger.
    â€œThey want me,” said Denise. Her eyes were large, her voice desperate. “They want me to be Niana. Don’t help them!”
    Matt moaned and sat up. “Denise? What happened? The warriors …”
    â€œOh, he’s awake, miss. I’m glad. I was so worried.”
    â€œCharity?” asked Tansy. “Where are you?”
    â€œRight here, miss. Standing beside you.”
    Travis and Denise glanced at each other, then stared nervously at Tansy, wondering who she was talking to—or if she had simply lost her mind. But Matt leaped to his feet and cried out in terror, “Tansy! Tansy, there’s someone beside you!”
    â€œYou can see her?” asked Tansy in surprise. “Oh, of course you can. That’s your power! It’s all right, Matt. She’s a friend.”
    â€œWhat the hell are you two talking about?” asked Travis.
    Matt was holding on to the back of a chair for support. “There’s someone standing beside Tansy,” he said. “A girl. A ghost! Can’t you see her? Denise? Travis?”
    Denise shook her head. Travis rubbed his eyes and stared at Tansy.
    â€œOf course they can’t see her,” said Tansy. “They don’t have the power. Remember the game, Matt. You’re the only one who was given the power to see spirits.”
    â€œDo you want me to go, miss?” asked Charity, a note of sadness in