If I Have To Be Haunted Readalong: Day 3!

Beautiful photo by @erinsreadingroom

Hi fairies!

Happy Wednesday and welcome to day 3 of our readalong of If I Have To Be Haunted by Miranda Sun. I’m so excited to be reading this one with you, I hope you are loving it so far!

But before we start reading, we have our secret giveaway! What’s that? Oh, just a chance to get your next FairyLoot for free as a reward for reading! Doesn’t really get better than that! And your chances are so good too! We don’t really announce this anywhere else as we truly want the person from the readalong to win! If you’d like to try your luck, all you need to do is follow these steps!

1. Take a photo of our edition of If I Have To Be Haunted.
2. Include the hashtag #HauntedFairy
3. Do all of this by the end ofOctober 26th.
4. Mention down below in your comment that you have entered and include your Instagram handle (also super important!)

Good luck!

Well, A LOT happened in yesterdays chapters didn’t it? 

Today we’re reading from chapter 14 to the end of chapter 19. Let’s do this!

When you’ve finished today’s section, catch up with me in the comments down below so we can discuss the beginning of the book. Happy reading!

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Please be warned, the following section will include spoilers for If I Have To Be Haunted by Miranada Sun from Chapter 14 to Chapter 19. Please only read on if you have finished this section!

-!SPOILERS!-

We kick off today’s chapters with Cara and Zach stepping through to a new threshold in the liminal world, leaving that cannibal man behind – phew! The entire setting has changed for this threshold and they are surrounded by plants, ferns, orchids and big fuzzy balls of pollen as well as a lot of sunlight; a stark contrast to the previous place. They guess that they must be in some sort of swamp with the river nearby. Cara thinks about how Zach was able to feel pain during the altercation and realises there is so much Laolao didn’t tell her; like how there are things that can hurt ghosts. As they continue on walking a giant dragonfly goes past and they hope it isn’t carnivorous but then things get peaceful and they have no further sightings of anything potentially deadly. That is until the dragonfly returns and is hovering above a cluster of cup-shaped plants which lunges, lips closing around the giant insect’s body. As if on cue another plant lunges at Cara missing her by an inch. Suddenly all of the plants around them are attacking them and they have no choice but to run to the forest ahead.

As they approach the forest the landscape begins to form a hill which they keep going up until reaching the top away from the carnivorous plants. As they finally catch their breath Zach exclaims “Why do things keep trying to eat us?” the ground underneath them begins to sway and a roar echoes through the air. The hill moved. Wow, these two really can’t catch a break! As it rises Cara is sent careening off the edge until strong arms catch her right before she hits the forest floor. She opens her eyes to find Zach’s looking directly into hers. As she looked behind them the ‘hill’ climbed to its feet.

What they had thought to be a hill was a four-legged creature with long matted grass covering its back; mushrooms sprouted along its skin and a grey film-like mould. Its eyes then settle on Cara and Zach and it lets out another roar. Gearing up to charge at them, they run as fast as they can from it; Cara still in Zach’s arms. 👀 Suddenly Zach drops her and she falls to the ground. Whilst years of horse riding taught her the best way to fall – especially to protect her head, every inch of skin that made contact with the ground was covered in scrapes. Zach has begun to go incorporeal again, not the best timing given their situation. They take off running again trying to find the nearest threshold when the hill creature starts shooting vines after her until one eventually wraps around her calf and begins to pull. Zach uses a sharp rock to detach the vine from her leg and she continues to run again until she ends up in a grassy space enclosed by rock. With her back against the mountain and the monster still barreling towards her she is trapped and out of options. Cara closes her eyes and holds her hands up, palms open, hoping her death will be quick. However mere moments later the hill-beast has stopped and she opens her eyes to see fire radiating from her outstretched hands. Scarlet flames that were intense but did not burn her.

The hill beast slowly lowers its head as if waiting for something. Cara inspects it closely and realises it is dying. Without understanding why but knowing it’s the right thing to do, she reaches out a hand and rests her palm on the creature’s skin sending flames leaping across its skin. The creature let out a joyful rumble and closed its eyes for the last time. She then crashes to the ground overwhelmed with what she has just done and exhaustion. Eventually, they walk towards the threshold Zach has found and Zach asks what on earth just happened. Cara exclaims she had no idea she could do that until now and her mother nor, Laolao has the ability and that she never knew her father. I wonder if her father has this ability and that’s why she does. And who is he?

Cara is worried now that Zach knows yet another secret about her that could be used against her and separate her even more from those she loves. She is also harbouring guilt that Zach knows a secret her best friends don’t even know. Becoming angry about this she snaps at Zach and tells him that they aren’t friends, they don’t even like each other and her magic is none of his business. I suspect Zach is taken aback by this but he hides it and says fine. They step through the threshold entering into a new place of sparse trees covered in ice and snow.

They find a clearing and set up camp for the night. Zach takes up residence outside of her tent saying it’s to guard her. Is anyone else kicking their feet and giggling at the fact even when they aren’t on the most friendly of terms Zach is always thinking of protecting her?

In her tent, the world begins to blur and she collapses. She tells herself it’s from exhaustion and her new fire powers but I suspect it is the Signet Snake blood doing something to her, or maybe that is responsible for these powers. What do you think?

The next morning they pass through another threshold that takes them to yet another forest with the river meandering by. Suddenly she hears a beep and looks up to find a girl staring at her from across the river, who then takes off toward them bounding across the boulders and arrives before them on the riverbank, drawing a knife from a sheath on her thigh. She demands Zach say his name and business and tells him she thought they made it clear spirits were to leave this forest, revealing that she can also see ghosts. She then tells them her name is Brittany and she is a ghost hunter to which Cara tells her Zach is her ghost and she can’t touch him. Brittany then spots the Ouroboros mark on Cara’s wrist and informs them that she too is trying to find one of the snakes and says that Cara can take her there since she has the mark. A large bird creature arrives and they all begin to run when suddenly it says “Please do stop your running Britannica.” It is revealed that Brittany has run away from home and stolen the bag of winds. The three of them then pass through a threshold where trees and mountains dot the landscape. Suddenly as they are walking fingers of grey creep toward Cara gaining speed, as white as a shroud and the fog swallows her up.

As Cara opens her eyes and calls for Zach and Brittany there is no response and the fog is so thick she cannot see anything. Then in the distance, she spots a figure, the grey curling back to reveal a ghost standing by himself with familiar blue eyes; Zach. She runs toward him. He begins telling her how short their time left together might be and how when he said he needed her he meant it. He moves his hand from her wrist to her waist and then up to her face telling her how long he’s wanted to do this as he begins to close the distance between them. Flames suddenly erupt from her palms reacting to her emotions and Zach asks her to put the flames away. Suddenly she realises that Zach wouldn’t have made that request and that this is not him. Planting both palms firmly on its chest she shoves it back and it begins to dissolve. A grey figure of fog takes its place and she realises it does not like fire. However, she begins to feel sluggish like her energy is being drained by this thing. The fog then conjures up Laolao to try and trick her which Cara falls for, following her grandmother until she steps on bone and realises what is happening. She realises the fog has access to her memories and is using them to show her what she wants messing with both her body and mind. Filled with anger Cara releases her fire, the thing screeches in pain and the fog disappears. Then Zach comes into view and this time it’s the real Zach. He notices she is crying and sweeps his thumb across her cheek. Suddenly they hear a scream which must have come from Brittany. Grabbing one another’s hand, Cara and Zach run into the fog in search of Brittany. That was tense.

Brittany is surrounded by fog and Cara uses her flames to try and make it retreat from her. She encases the three of them in a ring of fire trying to hold back the fog whilst her energy is beginning to flag. Cara comes up with a plan and they release Brittany’s bag of winds at the fog whilst shooting Cara’s flames into it at the same time and the fog screeches one last time before dissipating and revealing a clear sky. Zach’s face darkens when he looks at Cara’s hands and sees that the fog has hurt her; her palms are full of slashes and lines of red on her forearm, thigh, collar bone and hip bone. Zach begins to get furious because she is hurt. See! He definitely likes her and cares for her a lot. Eeeekkkkk it’s giving the ‘Who did this to you?!’ vibe (if you know, you know😉).

Zach begins cleaning and bandaging her wounds. They talk about his childhood and we get an insight into his family dynamic; he’s lonely and everyone doesn’t have time for him. Poor Zach. He also says he doesn’t think they’ll even miss him if he doesn’t come back. To which she replies “I’ll miss you.” Even though Zach is telling her she’s one of the smartest people he’s ever met and also always protecting her Cara keeps convincing herself it’s only out of his need for her as a ghost speaker and not because he genuinely cares for her. It’s clear to me that he does really care for her and has done so before he became a ghost. Suddenly black spots encase her vision, and blood roaring in her ears. Could this be the effects of the Signet Snake blood again, or something else?

Once Brittany returns she tells them that her knives are made out of ghost steel which shreds any attachments they have to these dimensions and can kill them. They are made with Ouroboros blood and as long as the ghoststeel is in contact with skin the person wielding it can see ghosts. They then go through the next threshold. Brittany later reveals that a week ago someone had broken into her house and stolen all their ghoststeel. Could this be connected to Cara, Ambrose and the Signet Snake somehow? Does anyone else think the timing for all of these events can’t be a coincidence? Brittany is now on this quest to acquire more Ouroboros blood so they can replenish their ghoststeel and also so she can preserve her Gran’s legacy. After hearing about Brittany and her family and their ghost-hunting business Cara starts to think that maybe being different isn’t such a bad thing and she shouldn’t have to hide this part of herself from anyone, including her mother.

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Wow what an action packed few chapters! Our characters can’t catch a break and are dealing with all matter of monsters, feelings and hardships.

Do you think Cara and Zach have feelings for one another but are just in denial?

What do you think about Cara’s new ability? Could this be the result of Signet Snake blood she ingested?

What do you think of Brittany’s character? Could the timing of the ghoststeel being stolen be linked to a bigger plot going on? Could everything be connected?

I’m so excited to see what will happen in tomorrow’s chapters, see you there fairies!

Love,
Jodie