Kindred Spirits by Phoebe Rivers Page B

thought before I barged in. Lady Azura hated to have her clients interrupted. “Something happened upstairs.”
    â€œHappened?” Lady Azura narrowed her eyes, trying to understand my meaning. “Did something move for you?”
    â€œNo. Not that. Eleanor and Dwight,” I said.
    She sighed. “Everyone is safe? Everyone is where they should be?”
    â€œYes. I just wanted to talk to you about helping them.”
    Lady Azura pursed her scarlet lips. “I am helping Ms. Moss now. There’s lemonade in the fridge. We’ll talk later, Sara.” That was my hint to leave.
    I stepped back into the foyer.
    Eleanor and Dwight waited for me. Dwight carried an old flight bag. The leather had cracked, and the airline logo was flaking off. He must’ve found it in the attic.
    Their bewilderment and frustration continued to flow into me. The strain of it tightened the tendons ofmy neck. They needed to be free of this burden they had carried with them into death.
    I sat on the bottom stair. “She’s busy,” I whispered. “She’s always busy. I wish I could help.”
    Then I wondered, could I? I had powers too.
    Lady Azura always said that with training, my powers could be stronger than hers. I had been the one who found the Meyers’ missing jewels. Lady Azura had kept my part out to protect me. To give me a normal life. To keep my secret.
    But it was me.
    If I’d helped them, why couldn’t I help Dwight and Eleanor?
    I listened to the low tones of Lady Azura’s voice filtering through the curtain. Then I ushered Dwight and Eleanor onto the front porch.
    For a moment I just stared at them. I had no idea what came next.
    Okay, Sara, they’re looking for something. You need to find what that something is, I told myself. It was like being a detective. I’d seen enough crime shows on TV. A detective searches for clues and hidden information. I could do that too.
    â€œHold on to me,” I instructed Dwight and Eleanor.
    I couldn’t feel their hands as they gripped my arms. Closing my eyes, I tried to empty my mind. I needed to absorb more than just their emotions. I needed to absorb concrete thoughts. Secrets.
    I concentrated.
    Waited. Focused.
    Then I heard a voice.
    â€œGood afternoon, young lady.”
    Something was happening! I kept my eyes closed.
    â€œExcuse me. Care to take this?” The voice was gruff.
    My eyes flew open as I startled backward. Our mailman in his blue postal uniform and dark sunglasses stood on our porch. He held a rolled-up magazine and some letters out to me. I was blocking the black metal box affixed to our house.
    â€œSure.” I watched Eleanor and Dwight wander off to inspect a wheelbarrow Dad had left in the yard. Dwight still carried the flight bag. I didn’t know why he liked it so much. He wasn’t going anywhere.
    Our mailman moved on to the next house.
    I needed to find a way to help Eleanor and Dwight move on too.

Chapter 11
    The milky-white gemstone caught the light from the window, shining like a full moon. I nestled the necklace in midnight-blue tissue paper, then covered the small box with silver star stickers. Lily would love my present when she opened it at the party tonight.
    What would her wish be? I wondered.
    If the moonstone was mine, I’d use it to give me courage. I was dying to find out what Lily could do and tell her what I could do. I’d almost called several times over the last two days. But fear kept me from dialing and kept that hard lump burning in my stomach. It was painful, but not as painful as losing Lily and all my friends. But if Lily’s secret was the same as my secret . . .
    â€œSara? You up there? We’re here!” Lily bellowed from the first floor. She had incredible lung power.Buddy’s barking carried up to my crafts room too.
    Banging started from inside the closet. Henry had heard the barking. Why did Lily bring her dog? I