Chapter Fifteen:

Yami edged along the third floor hallway with Joey and Kaiba. It was very dark up here, and very quiet, and he was ashamed to admit he was scared. He was frightened for Yugi. Why was there no sign of his hikari anywhere? He had just disappeared into thin air, and Yami was beyond anxious that he had suffered the same fate of all the other poor souls who had wandered into this nightmare looking for nothing but a good time.

His head swirled with what Kaiba had said earlier down on the second floor. The possibility that Annika and Onfroi were really still alive, posing as haunted house managers was almost absurd, and yet it did fit in a strange way. Yami was no one to rule out any magick and immortality was a much sought-out end to many dark magick ventures. The only question that remained was why they were doing it. What purpose was there to going to all the trouble of luring people here, only to kill them? Did they somehow use them in their magick to retain their eternal lives?

But if that were the case, the trouble they were going to seemed unnecessary. Why not simply go into a well-populated area and kill whomever they met? Murders went unsolved all the time, and if they did have such powerful magick, they had no reason to fear the law.

Yami sensed something else was going on here. Some of the people who came here were murdered, their bodies easily discovered, while others disappeared without a trace. The manners and times of death did not coincide with any particular pattern that he had noticed, and that in of itself did not make sense. Magick had its own set of rules to follow. A particular spell had to be done the same way over and over again.

Desperately, Yami tried his link to Aibou again. He was instantly hit with the psychic interference and cursed himself for his foolishness, hastily shutting it again and pausing to massage his forehead. His only reward for his trouble was a pounding headache.

He looked up see that Kaiba and Joey had reached the far end of the hallway, nearly at the end of the hallway where the twins had been, pointing to the door that led up to the attic. He went towards them, staying silent, though there was little reason for that now. If Annika and Onfroi were indeed up there, doing whatever it was they were doing, they were sure to know their group was down here. Kaiba had made plenty of noise chopping down the door, and though Yami loved him dearly, sometimes Joey's tendency to run at the mouth could be irksome. He was not good at sneaking around.

Something touched Yami psychically, and he stopped. He turned his head, hearing the whisper across his consciousness. Someone was calling him, but not his hikari. It was coming from the morning room. Kaiba had reached the door to the attic and was opening it, disappearing behind it as it swung into the hallway, while Joey remained partially visible. The two of them were talking to each other, their mutual concern for Yugi seeming to overrule their natural animosity.

Yami turned back to the morning room, walking back down the hallway towards the door and peering in, tensed and waiting for an attack, gripping the hilt of his sword tightly. But there was no attack. A cute little ghost stood inside the room, wearing a pink dress, her blond hair in braids, brown eyes large and innocent. It was she who was calling to him.

Yami hesitated, but she waved him in, her motions urgent. Yami glanced down the hall, seeing that Joey and Kaiba had already disappeared up the stairs, though he could still hear their voices. He looked back at Giselle, for he knew her to be the little girl based on Yugi's description, seeing that she was waving her hand for him to come to her almost desperately.

It was definitely against his better instincts, but Giselle was almost frantic and he couldn't help but wonder if she was trying to help him. And in case she wasn't, he didn't want to call for Joey and Kaiba and risk them as well. He stepped into the room with her, still holding the sword in his hand. He didn't know how she was calling him psychically, but it must have had to do with her being a ghost. The tugging continued, a soft buzzing along his awareness, and he gave in to it, speaking softly.

"Okay, okay. Why did you call me?"

Behind him he heard the door creak. He spun around to watch it close with a soft click. He didn't bother crossing the room to try the door, he knew it would not open. Instead, Yami turned and frowned at Giselle, who was looking up at him. He growled at her.

"You tricked me."

She shook her head rapidly, looking frightened. Yami figured he was being stupid, but he decided to believe her and gentled his voice again.

"Okay, then why did you lock the door on me?"

She shook her head again, pointing at the door. She hadn't done it. Then she waved her hand at him again and walked across the room, pointing to the far wall, between a long wood table that showed a multitude of figurines, and the corner. It was a small space, maybe three feet across. Yami went over to it. Giselle pointed up to a spot almost level with her shoulder, about three or so feet above the floor.

Yami leaned closer, over her head. He saw a small bump in the blue-flowered wallpaper, but could tell that it wasn't a bump associated with badly-placed wallpaper. It looked solid, like there was something beneath the paper. Yami reached up and ran his fingers over it.

Giselle made a pushing motion at the wall. Yami pushed his fingers against the bulge and leaned back with a small part of the wall came inward with a tiny creak, creating a inch-wide gap. There was a hidden door in the wall. Sticking his fingers in the gap, Yami pulled open the section. Inside was a staircase that went downward. Yugi had been right, there was a secret tunnel in the house.

Yami looked at Giselle, who looked back up at him before turning and heading down the stairs. With a soft sigh, Yami followed after her. The staircase made gentle turns towards the left until it was nearly a spiral staircase, continuing without break so far that Yami thought it was either going to the ground floor, or to the cellar. Finally he could see a landing a half dozen steps lower.

Giselle suddenly stopped a couple of steps below him, turning to look at him over her shoulder, her brown eyes wide and expression terrified. She suddenly disappeared. Startled by the abandonment, Yami froze on the step, before hearing a soft noise above him.

He turned around, just in time to receive a hard punch in the face. He hit the wall, then fell backwards, tumbling down the steps until he hit the floor with a jarring thud. His head swirled dangerously, pounding with a terrible headache. He looked up, fighting losing consciousness, watching through the haze as a man's boots appeared next to his head, but he couldn't lift it.

Pain flared through his head and he was gone.

******

When Yami came to, he knew immediately something was wrong, opening his eyes to find himself looking up at the ceiling of a room in the main house. He'd been moved out of the secret tunnel. His arms were above his head, his legs stretched out in front of him, slightly spread. All four of his limbs were tied tight with rope and a leather strap with buckle was placed across his chest, keeping him from arching his back. He realized with a small degree of apprehension that he was tied down to the rack in the torture room.

"I see you're awake," a deep voice said. "You weren't out long."

Yami turned his head, looking up to see Oscar leaning against the wall nearest to his head, his arms folded across his chest.

"So, Kaiba was right, it is you."

Oscar smiled, stepping away from the wall and coming to his side, looking down at him with his arms still folded. "I knew Seto Kaiba was smart; nearly every media piece about him says so. But not smart enough, since it took him this long to figure it out. Ah, well, it doesn't matter. Whether he figured it out the first hour or not, he can't stop us."

"So Annika is in on it, too?"

"Yes, of course. We are a team. My wife and I have always done everything together."

"Why are you doing this?"

"You don't need to know that, since you're not going to live long enough to benefit from the information."

As he talked, Oscar's soft accent grew, and though Yami was not at all knowledgeable of accents, he was sure it was French. He looked up at him, staying calm for now, trying to buy time. Joey and Kaiba were heading upstairs; they would be able to rescue Yugi. With Onfroi down here with him, there was only Annika to stand in their way. Onfroi had said he hadn't been unconscious for long, so they must still be in the attic.

"You were only out about three minutes," Onfroi said. "You're lucky you were only a few steps from the bottom. You didn't even break any bones." His eyes drifted over Yami's body. "Though, I suppose considering how you're going to die, maybe it would have been better if you'd snapped your neck."

He reached out and put his hand on the wheel. He turned in one full rotation. The ropes around Yami's arms were tightened, but only pulled enough to lift his arms to their fullest extent over his head.

"I thought you said you didn't enjoy using these things for their purposes," Yami said.

"We didn't. We were only collectors. It was only recently, twenty years ago, when Annika used that lovely iron maiden to kill a man who had figured it out, that we realized that these devices were meant to be used. That's what they were invented for."

"I see."

"Do you?"

Onfroi moved the wheel another revolution. Yami's arms were pulled up further, pulling the tendons at his shoulders and creating tension in his midsection and legs, but so far it was merely mildly uncomfortable. He didn't make a noise or flinch, watching Onfroi steadily as he looked back at him.

"I really didn't want to cause you a great deal of pain," Onfroi said. "If you've noticed, all those who have died have died quickly. Well, I'm afraid Mr. Johnston's mace didn't strike precisely where I intended, but it only took him about fifteen seconds, so I consider it not to be torturous."

"Why was Mr. Narendra's head removed and boiled?"

Onfroi seemed surprised at the question. He shrugged his shoulders. "We were hoping to scare Kaiba away. But he isn't easy to scare, though he was upset...and nauseated. You see...Yami, was it? Odd name. You see, Yami, Annika and I are not in this for murder, or even for torture. We deliberately use our powers to scare away our visitors. Not every visitation even results in death. After all, the Millers and the Maxwells really did leave. No, we look for a specific individual and all others we attempt to drive away, but without calling attention to ourselves. Otherwise, we would be investigated and lose precious time. Those who are more stubborn, such as this group, we are forced to kill. Which isn't such a bad thing, as it adds to the mystique and macabre delight to this house. In fact, we've seen dramatic increases in business since we began killing."

Yami glared at him. Onfroi was sick. "So the ghosts aren't real."

"Oh, no, they're very real. There's not many of them, as most of our victims move on as they should, but a few lingering spirits refuse to leave. Poor bastards attempt to scare away our customers themselves, to save their lives. They've even succeeded a few times. There's been a few occasions where we had not a single person stay past the first night."

Onfroi turned the crank again. Yami's body was stretched another half-inch, but the pain was still mild enough to be ignored.

"The ghosts were trying to help us."

"Yes. When I exploded the mirror on Joey, one of the spirits kept the glass from hitting him, though I couldn't see him or her. And one led him out of the room when I came in to finish him more carefully by seeing his exact position and making the light fixture land on him, though I didn't see one anywhere. They never appear to us, you see."

No surprise. Onfroi and Annika would not be scared by any haunts, might be magickally able to resist any assaults. The ghosts were instead focusing on the future victims.

"There is a ritual you are performing."

"Yes. You seem to have some knowledge of magick, am I correct? I heard you in the hallway."

From wherever he'd been hiding. Yami nodded his head. "I do."

"Hm."

Onfroi turned the crank again and this time Yami couldn't help but clench his jaw as his tendons started to scream. He doubted any real damage had been done to him yet, but it was beginning to hurt.

"Well, whatever you know won't help you. Even if you manage to somehow get out of this rack before I've killed you, I'll just kill you another way. This house obeys Annika and I. We have learned so much magick over the centuries."

"No matter how much you read, you're limited in your abilities," Yami said, hearing the slight strain in his own voice. But he refused to give the asshole the satisfaction of begging or whimpering in pain. "To what you can do by nature."

"Well, you're right, of course. I can move objects telekinetically, but only to a certain extent. Like that." He pointed to an axe on a hook along the wall. The space next to it was blank, where Kaiba had taken the different axe he'd been holding. "I can make that fall in just the right way to split a person's head in half, but I can't make it fly after them. No matter; what I can do usually gets the job done. If they dodge, I can just shove them into the guillotine, like I did with dear Mrs. Johnston."

"You possessed them and then killed them."

"Annika possessed them." Onfroi pulled the crank another revolution. Yami sucked in a breath, trying to lift himself up with his feet to ease the pressure, but his ankles were securely fastened. "She knows more mental magick, I more physical. We make such a team, I have told you."

"What have you done with Aibou?"

Onfroi's brow furrowed and he took his attention off the crank. "Who?"

"Yugi."

"Ah, the littlest one. A pity for him that he didn't leave when he had the chance, since he was our chosen."

Yami's blood ran cold. "Chosen for what?"

"Do you want to know? Is that your dying wish? I will hear one."

"Tell me what you've done to him!"

"Well, nothing yet, beyond kidnapping him. He's tied down upstairs and Annika is merely keeping him company while I dispatch of you and your friends. As I've said, we don't generally like to cause pain, but you've been such a burden, that I'm more inclined to use our collection as they were designed. And that was your wish, to know what's been done to him." Onfroi smiled viciously. "Not what's *going* to happen to him. I'm afraid you'll have to wait until he joins you in whatever life is after death to know."

Yami snarled and tried to call the Shadows to him, but he already knew that his Puzzle was gone. The weight was not against his stomach. Onfroi seemed to know he was trying. Maybe he could feel it.

"Annika suggested getting rid of that trinket you wore. In over a hundred and fifty years do you think we would not notice a talisman when we see one? I see now she was wise to tell me to. You're trying to kill me."

He turned the crank again and Yami grunted. He closed his eyes briefly, summoning up all of his mental strength to withstand the pain. He would not scream and beg if that was what Onfroi was after, even if he tore him to pieces.

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING TO HIM?!"

Yami's eyes flew open as Joey's roar echoed in the room. Onfroi started and looked around as Joey came flying into the room, swinging Yami's dropped sword at him like a baseball bat. Onfroi ducked and the familiar icy wind exploded from him, striking Joey in the chest. He was thrown backwards, into the guillotine, which Yami now saw was bloody, but empty, the blade once again raised.

With a whoosh it came down. Yami cried out, but Joey was quick. He'd kept ahold of the sword and now he raised it up flat. The guillotine's blade clanged hard against the metal, pressing the sword flat against Joey's chest, collarbone, and neck, but saving him from being beheaded.

Joey wriggled out from under the blade, losing his sword as he had to let go of it while it was pinned beneath the blade, but still alive. Onfroi shouted in rage.

The axes and swords fell from their moorings. Cursing, Joey dived under one of the display tables, his left foot just barely missing being severed. He came out from the other side, lunging at Onfroi, who was too close to dodge or use his wind.

Onfroi hit the wall at Yami's head as Joey tackled him, punching every inch he could reach. In close combat, Onfroi proved to be overmatched. Joey punched him several times, grabbing and throwing him against one of the tables. Onfroi hit it face-down, and began to shriek. Joey stopped in mid-motion of going after him, the both of them warily watching him.

Onfroi slowly got his legs under him, still screaming, lifting up his head and turning around. He'd landed on a tiny version of the mace with a straight pole, and it was lodged in his cheek. What looked like a cowboy's spur was sticking out of his forehead, and his left hand, where he'd tried to brace his fall, had a slice between the middle two fingers down the palm to the wrist were a knife's edge had pierced it.

He reached up with a trembling right hand and yanked the two implements out of his face, drawing forth fresh howls of pain. With blood pouring down, he glared at Joey, then surprised them both by turning and running out of the room.

"Go after him!" Yami urged as Joey turned to him, knowing Onfroi was not being a coward. His arms were screaming, the pressure in his stretched ribcage rising with each passing second, and his legs throbbing, but Yami knew Onfroi was going to join Annika.

"Like hell! Oh, fuck, how bad are you hurt?"

"I'm not. Go after him."

Joey ignored him, grabbing one of the knives that had fallen from the wall. He sawed at the ropes, freeing Yami's arms, which instantly relieved all of the pressure. He sawed the ropes on Yami's ankles, then undid the strap holding down his middle. Yami gasped as Joey dropped the knife and lifted him up off of the rack, holding him in his arms.

"Joey, I'm fine."

Any further reassurances were cut off as Joey kissed him, breathing heavily like he was trying not to start crying in relief. He set him down gently on his feet, his arms tight around his middle, still kissing him. Yami allowed himself to kiss him back briefly, before pushing at him, glad that despite the lingering throbbing of the stretched tendons, he had suffered no apparent damage.

"Joey, Onfroi has gone to join Annika. Where is Kaiba?"

"He went up to the attic. When we saw you were missing, he told me to go find my lover while he got his."

Yami felt some affection for the brunette for that, as well as concern over his fate. "Aibou is in the attic as well, with Annika. We have to go."

"No, you stay here and I'll--"

"I'm not staying. I'm not hurt and they need help." Yami grabbed up another sword. "Get a weapon and come with me. We have to hurry."

Joey cursed at him for his stubbornness, but grabbed a sword and the knife he'd dropped and hurried after him. They raced up the stairs and down the second floor hallway to the stairs leading up to the third floor. The third floor was now awash with light and Onfroi was no where to be seen. He'd already made it up to the attic.

The attic door was closed and held that way with Onfroi's magick. Joey yelled another curse before directing Yami back and beginning to hack at the door awkwardly with his sword. They were losing precious time. Kaiba had been alone with Annika for several minutes and Onfroi had the lead on them.

Against the two of them, Kaiba didn't stand a chance.