Shadowed Crown

If the gold bar was a ticket into the Haunts world, then I could use it to command the infant spirits, to take what was needed.

Maybe they could even help me fight off the threats that were coming.

While I was lost in thought about my plan, the door suddenly burst open and Mom strutted in with her pricey handbag in tow.

She was about to set it down on the dusty table but changed her mind.

She spoke while reaching for the gold bar, "Jobs are running dry. You should put some ads online. We'll save whatever you make for your dowry."

I raised my arm in defense, a scowl etched on my face. "Haven't you heard of the old ways? The gold bar belongs to Deathbringer's Child, the girl who guides souls. If you take it, you'll bring a curse upon yourself."

Mom's laugh was cynical. She spun around and slapped me, her nails leaving a stinging trail on my cheek.

Her eyes shot like daggers. "If I say you're the soul guide, then that's what you are. If I say you're not, then you're just my daughter. If I decide to sell you off to some lonely old man, that's exactly what you'll do!"

A single drop of blood hit the floor, and a flicker of rage sparked in my gaze.

Before I came back to this life, she had slashed my eye the same way it was, leaving me half-blind. Then I met a Haunt's end, all so they could steal my body for themselves.

The memory was suffocating.

"Aren't you scared? Don't you worry about your son facing the consequences?"

Mom staggered back, then lunged at me with her fingers clamping down on my neck.

"How dare you curse your own brother. You're just a wild wolf, never truly one of the pack. Don't worry, when my time comes, I'll make sure to drag you down with me, so you can never harm a hair on my son's head."

Her grip was unyielding, and as I gasped for air, a vision flashed before me.

An orange sports car speeding down a winding mountain road.

It was the flashy convertible my trust fund brother had just bought.

A smile played on my lips as I whispered a countdown, "Three… Two… One!"

Mom's face twisted in horror as she caught my mocking grin, her grip finally softening.

"What are you counting down to?"

With that, a thunderous crash sounded from afar.

A massive impact echoed from the mountains, and Mom's knees buckled. She tripped over the doorstep, crashing down so hard she lost two teeth.

Blood smeared across her face, yet she still fought to look up to see the fiery wreck of an orange sports car becoming a twisted heap at the bottom of the ravine.

She could not believe her eyes at first, but when she saw the orange glow of the car and the figure inside, tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.

"My son, oh James..."

……

Mom ran forward, tripping over herself again, and shot me a fierce look.

"If your brother comes to any harm, I swear I'll strangle you myself for sending my son off!"

It was like a replay of my previous life. James Kane had showed off around town in his sports car, and ended up with his body shattered.

In the hospital, he barely managed to dodge the first wave of Haunts and was lucky enough to escape to the mountains.

Only before I died did I learn that my blood could command the fierce infant spirits, who could take on hundreds, while I fought to the death against the Haunts that rode in on the wind.

In this life, I had resolved to gather more of those infant spirits. A grim fate was not meant for me.

I followed Mom to the hospital, reluctantly, and watched my brother, all bandaged up like a mummy.

Through her bloodshot tears, Mom said, "Look after your brother, bring him water, and keep an eye on his IV. I'm going to fetch some holy water and rosemary for him. Surviving a calamity means blessings are on the way."

"Where would you find those things now?" I asked.

"That crappy orchard your brother bought. It’s got quite a bit of rosemary in it. Ha! Not only has that dump never made a single dime, we still have to pay a crew to maintain it every year."

A thought flickered in my mind.

I knew that place. The orchard sat on a ruined silver mine, its trees drawing on the soil and the breath of silver for years, gaining a power to ward off evil.

The Haunts came with the wind, but silver tamed the wind.

Those trees were worth far more than my mother and brother could ever imagine. If my infant spirits had wielded weapons made from that wood, they would have been unstoppable.