Split at the Seams by Yolanda Sfetsos

out, huh?” A mild stir of queasiness and headaches were common due to the amount of ghostly activity concentrated within these walls, but this was torture.
    His grip tightened, and I was glad for his support.
    I kept my eyes glued to the large reception area up ahead, watching the cascading wall of water behind the reception desk. It helped to soothe my mind but I was still feeling shaky when I stopped in front of the desk.
    “Welcome to the Spook Catcher Council Tower, how can I help you?” the new receptionist said. She was a pretty brunette with dark eyes and a friendly smile.
    I made a show of raising my duffel bag so she could see the canisters inside. “Yes, hi, I’m Sierra Fox and I’ve got a few canisters to deliver.”
    “Oh.” She glanced at the bag and then started typing into her keyboard. “Ah, yes, I’ve got you registered as a spook catcher. Do you have your license on you by any chance?” The smile never left her face.
    “Actually, I do.” I fumbled in my pocket for my wallet and flashed my license.
    The receptionist leaned forward enough to see my photo and details before nodding. “Okay, go ahead. I’m sure you know where to go.”
    “Thanks.” I hitched a thumb at Oren. “I’ll be taking one of my associates with me today.”
    The receptionist frowned. “Oh, I don’t know…” She nibbled on her bottom lip and peered at Oren, who flashed her one of his most charming smiles as he flicked his white braid over one shoulder. “Sir, as long as you sign the visitor book, you’ll be able to accompany Sierra.”
    “Certainly,” he said, taking the pen from her, scribbling his name and signature before returning the book with a wink.
    The girl actually blushed, and I couldn’t believe the effect he had on women of all ages. Was it just his natural charm, or did he expel a little of his magic into the air?
    “Thank you, darling.” Oren waved as we moved away.
    “How do you do it?” I asked while waiting for the elevator.
    He shrugged. “It’s all in the way you treat a lady.”
    “I’m sure it is.”
    Luckily, the elevator arrived and we stepped inside without having to discuss his charming ways any further. I pressed my thumb against the small panel next to the sixth floor button and we were granted access to every floor above—all the way up to the twentieth.
    “The thirteenth floor, huh?” Oren snorted.
    “Yeah, someone’s idea of a joke, I suppose.”
    “I doubt anyone here has a sense of humor.” He sniffed the air. “There’s so much malice and wrongness inside this place.”
    “You can smell it?”
    “I can feel it.”
    “Oh.” I looked down at my palm. It was still red and the cut hadn’t sealed but it didn’t really hurt, though it was a little itchy.
    “It looks like you can feel it too.”
    “What?”
    Oren pulled another handkerchief from his pocket and dabbed it under my nose. “Your nose is bleeding.”
    “Ah shit.”
    “Just relax for a minute.” Oren stepped closer, removing the handkerchief that was now dotted with blood. He skimmed his fingers under my nose, closed his eyes, chanted a word I didn’t understand, and then nodded. “There you go, that should take care of it.”
    “Thanks, but what the hell?”
    “Do you always get side effects when you step into this building?” He looked concerned, his light blue eyes narrowed as he waited for my answer.
    “Well, yeah, but it’s gotten a lot worse lately. Something’s changed, and whenever I step anywhere near this place, I feel really sick,” I answered, feeling lightheaded. “But it usually wears off. The nosebleed is a new thing.” I’d bled from my nose before, at times when I pushed my ability to the limits, but never just by wandering into this building. Maybe something had changed inside me. Or something truly horrible was going on inside the council that had thrown the precarious balance off whack.
    I was betting on a little of both, especially after seeing the ley line light