Risen (Haunted Series Book 22)

named Lucifer Lip or Hell unless they have a very bad reputation.  I can feel the negative vibes from here.  It’s making me ill.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t think how this could be affecting you.  Maybe we should take you back to the nearest island. I hear St. Kitts is a nice place.”
“You’re not dumping me,” Sabine growled.
Patrick was at a loss.  He could see the dark circles under her eyes.  The sensible thing would be to take her to a safe place and return with a hired team to search the cave, but he feared the possible discovery of what they were doing by other treasure hunters.  Gossip flew from island to island.  Mason said that there were others waiting to look through the materials he was working with at the museum.
“We’ll move further away from the island for the night.  Patrick and Fergus will be fine.  It’s not like they can move over the saltwater anyways.”
“Then how do the ghost ships sail?” Sabine asked.
“Ghost ships?  Are you talking about the Flying Dutchman?” Patrick asked.
“I’m not sure of the names.  But I saw one on the horizon when I was OOBing.”
“Whoa, you OOBed alone?” Mason asked.
“Yes.  It was Mia’s suggestion.”
“You’re talking to Mia Cooper?” Patrick asked.  “I told you we have to be quiet about where we are and what we’re doing.”
“It’s Mia Martin,” Sabine corrected.
“It’s the Martin part I’m worried about.  Her husband can’t keep quiet about anything.”
“I don’t think that’s fair,” Sabine said.
“She’s right.  Ted can keep quiet when necessary.  He’s just so open and honest otherwise,” Mason commented.
“So, you’re taking advice from Mia…” Patrick prodded.
“I’m in pain.  I was frightened.  I called her.”
“What did she say…”
“Not much beyond telling me how I could get some relief from the constant onslaught of negativity radiating off that island.”
“How does OOBing do that?” Patrick asked.
“It doesn’t, but it helped me to research how the destructive vibes are getting to me.  To show me if they were sent on purpose.”
“Are they?” Patrick asked.
“No.  It’s just that it’s a place of evil, and evil naturally has a horrible aura.”
“But it’s so beautiful,” Mason said.
“So is a Venus flytrap,” Sabine said.  “You’re not telling me all of it.  You’ve seen something.”
“I saw a line of ghosties, courtesy of these glasses.  Mason took some pictures, but Kevin said it was a group of ghosts from several different centuries, including this one.”
“People do fall prey to snakes and foul weather.  I don’t think if a hurricane set in that anyone would survive long on the island.  They’d have to take refuge in the caves, and they are quite a climb,” Mason reasoned.
“There is something else there,” Sabine insisted.  “Were you followed by any of the ghosts?”
“Not that we could tell.  We took the advice of the locals and kept to the rocks,” Patrick said.
“Why would the rocks protect you from ghosts?” Sabine asked, not expecting an answer.  “Unless it acts as an insulator… No, that doesn’t make any sense,” she said, frustrated.
“I’m going to talk to the captain about relocating for the night.  There are a couple of friendlier isles that we may want our yacht seen by, just in case Ted’s being chatty on the internet,” Patrick said, looking at his smart phone.
Mason waited until he was gone before speaking, “Sabine, it was Kevin’s suggestion they stay.  He hates being on the water and wanted to nose around the island unencumbered by our being there.”
“I see.  Sorry, I’m just so nervous.  That’s why I get sick.  I have all these gifts, but half of them paralyze me.”
“Patrick is stoked that you’re with us.  Don’t worry about impressing him.  He’s very fond of you.  Speaking of, he’s a player, Sabine.”
Sabine smiled.  “I know, it’s just nice to have someone to flirt with.  It’s been too long,” she said wistfully.  “I also know that I’m his second choice.”
“Beg your pardon?”
“His first love is adventure.”
“For a minute there…”
“You thought I was going to say Mia?”
“Well, yes.”
“No.  Although Patrick likes a challenge, he won’t cross the line of family,” Sabine said.
“I don’t understand.  Ted’s not family.”
Sabine smiled sweetly.  “I wasn’t talking about Ted.”
“Me?  I’m not in love with Mia,” Mason clarified.
“Do I need to spell it out for you?  Stephen Murphy.”
“But he’s dead.”
“Mason, Stephen is only physically dead.  His soul is alive, and even though Mia doesn’t want him, Stephen considers Mia his.  Patrick wouldn’t cross that line.”
“That’s screwed up.  I think we need to find Stephen a ghost girlie to dote on and give the Martins a break.”
“It couldn’t hurt,” Sabine said.
“Are you sure he’s hell-bent on Mia?” Mason said.  “They are famous friends.”
“You just have to look at the way he looks at her when she’s not looking.”
“What if she saw the way he looks at her?” Mason asked.
“Mia would slap him upside the head,” Sabine said and laughed.  “I think she has several times.”
“How do you know all this?”
“I read emotions better than other things.  I’ve made the mistake in the past of just blurting things out.  Needless to say, I’m not real popular when I do this.”
“Secrets of the heart need to be kept secret,” Mason said sagely.
“Yes, especially if it would hurt someone else.”
~
Mia sat in the stands and watched Dieter and Mark practice.  The Martins had given Lazar a few days off to help the Popovs settle into the farm they purchased.  Since Lazar set them straight that he didn’t want to live at the farm with his family right now, they opted to rent an airstream for them to live in until the main building of the hog-raising facility could be renovated to be used as a house and greenhouse.  Lazar’s