Page 30 of Chillingham Castle

“We’d better head back,” Haunt said, and we moved quickly. Haunt locked the dungeon door behind us, as we’d have to return to clean up; then we started walking upstairs.

“Mayday, mayday, mayday,” Dive called over the radio, and we began running.

We burst into the team room, where Dive and the three girls stared wide-eyed at the monitor. I paled when I saw what was on it.

Gizmo

I noticed movement in the courtyard and dragged the camera up onto the central screen. I glanced at it, trying to see what had caught my eye. In a corner, a black silhouette started forming, clearly taking the shape of a male shadow figure. He began moving forward with a decided limp.

“John Sage,” I whispered.

“What?” Lynnie questioned, tilting her head to look at me.

“John Sage is raising his ugly mug,” I said. Lynnie got up and dragged her chair over to me. Cammie made room as Jayne joined us.

“Oh, shit. That’s a fully formed shadow figure,” Lynnie murmured.

“Yeah. He’s tall, about six feet?”

“Didn’t think men grew that big back then,” Jayna muttered.

“Edward Longshanks was six-two, hence his name, so it was rare, but happened. John Sage looks to be as tall,” Cammie replied.

“What is he doing?” I asked, frowning as Sage stopped in the middle of the forecourt.

A shudder ran through me as Sage seemed to crane his neck. He stretched his arms out sideways as if challenging someone and threw his head back. A growl bubbled from his lips.

“He knows!” Cammie gasped.

“Which bit? The exorcism or La Llorona?” Jayne replied.

A screech responded to his roar, one that sank into the very bones of Chillingham Castle.

“Shit,” I muttered. “I think his challenge just got accepted.”

I checked the left screen as Cammie watched the right, and she pointed at the frame showing King Edward Room. “There.”

A dark shadow appeared and began striding through the room. Down in the courtyard, Sage roared again, and La Llorona returned with a second scream.

“Mayday, mayday, mayday,” I called. I didn’t know where these two were heading, but I wanted the team safe. The tearooms were protected, and everybody was safer here.

“No!” Lynnie cried, pointing at her screen.

Trunk, Dive, and Suga jogged down the hallway, right towards where La Llorona was also coming.

“Dive! Go back, return to the archives!” I yelled into my handset.

Dive held his radio, but he didn’t even glance at it.

“Dive!” I roared as Lynnie squeaked.

My brothers rounded the corridor and froze. La Llorona noticed them, and her wail of agony and despair bounced off the walls, ricocheting around the castle.

The tearoom door slammed open, and Haunt burst in, his eyes wide. He observed what was on our screens and began backing out.

“Lucky, Lich, you’re with me,” he ordered. “The rest of you, stay.”

Haunt raced off as La Llorona bore down on my brothers. We watched, horrified, as she reached out and plucked Dive up as if he weighed nothing. She lifted him above her head as Suga ran forward, brandishing his cross. He slammed it into her as Trunk tossed a bottle of holy water over her.