The Banshee's Desire by Victoria Richards

Finneus Spark is only trying to trap you, right? He probably plans to take you straight to the Brotherhood."
    "I can take care of myself."
    "So I've seen."
    The suggestiveness in his words stung, mirroring too closely the direction she'd just managed to talk her mind out of going.
    For a moment, she could only stare at him, not bothering to hide her hostility.
    "I've seen things, too, Gabe. Things hovering about you that make me crazy," she said. The sight of Derek Spark materializing in a gray haze next to him had almost caused her to lose control. Luckily, Gabe had chosen to walk away, and for whatever reason, Derek's soul had suddenly disappeared.
    She was grateful it hadn't been Eric or she might have lost it completely in front of Angela.
    "So you can see them, the spirits of murdered souls," Gabe said, his voice softer. "I'd been using an enchantment spell to keep them away from you."
    "You knew this would happen to me?"
    "The stories I've heard about the first half banshee suggested part of her madness was because she couldn't block out the voices she heard." Gabe shrugged. "I figured it might be the same for you so I wanted to do something to stop that."
    "Can you cast a spell on me that would stop me from seeing any of them?" she asked.
    "No. Or at least, I don't think so. Why haven't you told Toby?"
    "And worry him more? No. I can handle this. I just have to be stronger."
    "Jacqueline, you know the original half banshee went crazy right?"
    "I'm not her." Defiant, she glared at him. "I can deal with this."
    "I'm guessing you saw Derek earlier," Gabe said. "What if it had been Eric? Would you have been in control then?"
    She didn't answer.
    "Did you kill Matilda?" he asked.
    "No!"
    "Did you see her soul pass on?"
    "Yes."
    Gabe raised an eyebrow.
    "Did you help it move on, Jacqueline? Or did you let temptation get the better of you?"
    "I had nothing to do with her death, Gabe."
    He backed off, but continued to stare at her. In his eyes, she saw all of Toby's possible fears.
    Like father, like son.
    "Gabe," she said, trying to control her temper. "Could you tell me the story of the half banshee?"
    "What good would that do?"
    "I want to understand what I am, what I could…become."
    Gabe grew thoughtful, his eyes hooded. At last he nodded.
    "Alright." Closing his eyes, he held out a hand to her. "Come here. My magic will allow you to see the story Derek told me, the story as he showed it."
    Nervous, Jacqueline slipped her hand in his.
    His palm was warm and she realized the warmth of it slowly spread up her arm, through her body until she could feel herself wrapped in it. There was no pain, but she found that, even if she'd wanted to, she was unable to open her eyes.  Her body no longer felt solid.
    "Gabe?" she tried to ask.
    "Let go. Let your body go back through space and time."
     
    ****

Efa stood on the hill watching the wizards burn her village. Her long, tangled hair was covered with soot and dust. One of her arms hung in an awkward fashion and blood spilled from the gash in her gut.
    But Efa felt none of the pain that should have accompanied such wounds.
    Instead, she heard the melodic keening of her family spirit, the one who took all pain and helped the soul cross to the other side. It comforted her, though she knew that for most members of the family, the sound was frightening.
    Death was coming.
    The wizards who hid themselves in the damp and dank Antrim Castle , calling them the Brotherhood of Merlyn, had finally decided to seek their revenge. After torturing the villagers of Antrim for weeks with disease and lack of food, the time had come for the wizards to finish them off. It was the final punishment in the wizards' eyes for the death of one of their own, the one called Artro.
    Never mind that Artro found it acceptable to take the young maidens of the village and steal their innocence. Never mind that the wizard would often torture and leave for dead the unfortunate lass that caught his eye. Such things