Are You Gonna Be My Ghoul? (Harmony Glen #18)

Chapter 1

Chapter

One

“YOU!”

Mercedes heard the familiar voice shout across the tent and she spun around stunned to see the ghoul she’d gone on a date with a couple of months ago, standing in the crowd of people. His red eyes burning with loathing.

She’d seen disdain before. Especially in her family, so she could spot it a mile away.

Magnus was a good looking guy, she’d been looking forward to getting to know him, but saying their blind date had not gone well was a complete understatement.

It had been a disaster.

Hold your ground.

Magnus marched right up to her. “What’re you doing here?”

“I was invited,” she said. “I’m a friend of Pearl’s.”

“You need to leave,” Magnus snarled.

Pearl stepped in. “Magnus, Mercedes is my friend.”

“Your friend!” Magnus shrieked.

A horse headed man stepped in, between them. “Magnus, what’s wrong?”

“I’ll tell you what’s wrong. She’s the witch who cursed me and Sven! The revenge date!”

She could feel everyone’s eyes on her, which she hated. Quickly she made her way over to the refreshment table and shakily poured herself a cup of punch. What she was trying to do was pretend she didn’t care about being called out, but in reality she was so ready to run.

“Stupid ridiculous Viking,” Mercedes mumbled under her breath, as she clutched the plastic cup full of punch and glared across the tent at Magnus who was still shooting metaphorical daggers at her.

What is his problem?

This was supposed to be a good day. A relaxing day.

She’d been so excited to be invited to a summer garden party in Harmony Glen. Especially one for her dear friend.

She was glad to be around the only person who cared for her.

Pearl.

Mercedes had planned to make the best of it.

It was a gorgeous late summer day. Probably the last for a while, so she wanted to enjoy it.

When she walked up to the beautiful white canopy tent set in the shadow of a gorgeous old Victorian home she was excited.

Everyone in the tent was laughing and it seemed like it was a great time.

Now, the atmosphere was a bit awkward. It was just her luck this beautiful send off for her best friend had to be at the home of a crazy monster who called her out for being here.

She had every right to be here. Pearl was her friend, and Mercedes wanted to show her support as Pearl went off on a big adventure. Instead, it had turned into a fiasco.

Revenge date? What even was that?

She was still trying to figure it out.

One bad date, one mistake of a swipe on an app.

That’s what happened. Mercedes had nothing against monsters.

Heck, she knew what Pearl was, and she lived in the next town.

It was no secret. Since the great revelation, everyone knew about monsters in the world.

Not that everyone liked them, in particular her family despised monsters or non-humans, but it never bothered her.

In fact, she always preferred their company over her family.

It had been a source of constant nagging her whole life to only associate with other witches, mages, necromancers, or wizards.

Maybe normal humans, but only sparingly.

It was a sore spot that she was the descendent of a sea witch, so she shouldn’t be fraternizing.

Her association with Pearl and her other nonhuman friends made her family very tetchy.

In their opinion, since Mercedes was a witch herself, she should toe the line.

Her problem was, she wasn’t particularly good at magic and didn’t see herself as a witch, in the traditional sense. Every time she tried a spell or something, it went spectacularly wrong.

Mostly ending in explosions.

So she just didn’t bother.

Since she was the family pariah, she mostly just stayed away from them and lived her life. Which is why they’d disowned her. Part of her newfound freedom from her clannish family was to join a dating app that had monsters on it.

MONZTR.

Mercedes had been enjoying her dates, until one troublesome ghoul, who was now glaring at her from across the tent.

Damn him. He’s still good-looking.

When she saw his profile pic on the MONZTR dating app, she’d been instantly attracted to him.

He hadn’t the same opportunity because she used a cartoon image for her avatar, but he didn’t seem to care.

Then they’d instant messaged, and they had so much in common.

Before they met, he wasn’t troublesome. He was kind of dreamy.

It was perfect. Or so she thought.

She’d been looking forward to their date, then she showed up at the restaurant and he freaked out. Called her a sea witch and started spouting off nonsense about revenge, so she told him a thing or two. She never wanted to see him again.

Yet, here he was.

At this party. She knew he was from Harmony Glen, but she didn’t expect him to be. One of the hosts of the party.

It figures.

Her luck had never been great.

Seriously, you shouldn’t be that surprised that he’s here. Pearl said people in Harmony Glen are like family.

Mercedes sighed and set the cup she was about to crush in her curled fist down, and tried not to look at Magnus. Why did she swipe on that guy again?

Because I thought he was hot.

Which was true. Even with the ghostly, ghoulish pallor to his skin, his fangs and those red eyes.

She’s always had a thing for Vikings and ghosts.

One of her first serious crushes had been on a ghost. Of course, he’d crossed over quite quickly, after a couple months of dating.

Having an orgasm with a ghost was quite the transcendent experience.

Heat bloomed in her cheeks recalling it, but she wanted something more permanent than a ghost. Maybe someone to fall in love with and, one day, far down the road, have a family.

Part of her hoped it would be easier to date a ghoul. Others could see Magnus. As far as she knew, she was one of the rare few who could see ghosts. Especially in her family.

That’s one hundred percent why she was drawn to Magnus, a ghoul of Harmony Glen. There’d be no crossing over. Ghouls were cursed. Maybe she’d have a chance at a happily ever after. Then he took one look at her and called her a sea witch, which was bothering her still.

It was her personal shame that her ancestor Yrsa was a particularly nasty one. Her family saw it as a badge of pride, but Mercedes didn’t. It ruffled her feathers that he thought she looked like Yrsa. Her family did too. They expected Mercedes to be just like her ancestor.

The perfect reincarnation.

Only Mercedes wasn’t.

She just wanted to be herself. Yrsa existed a thousand years ago. Maybe her family had been wrong? Except Magnus’ accusation confirmed her worst fear.

That thought made her stomach turn and she began to chew her bottom lip in apprehension.

Maybe it would be best if she just left.

“Where are you going?” Pearl asked, sidling up beside her.

Pearl’s silvery white hair was pulled back in a stylish chignon, whereas Mercedes could only pull back her dark burgundy hair in a ponytail.

Pearl was an elegant, mystical beauty. Mercedes tried her best to not self-combust or trip over her own feet most days.

What Pearl saw in her was a mystery to Mercedes, but she was ever so glad they met randomly at a party a couple of years ago and became friends.

She was going to miss her to bits.

“Nowhere,” Mercedes replied.

Liar.

“You seem upset. Are you okay?”

Mercedes softened, seeing how glowingly happy Pearl seemed. She also felt a bit sheepish being caught contemplating her escape.

“I’m fine. How did you know I was going somewhere?” Mercedes asked. “All I did was set down my cup.”

Pearl’s expressive violet eyes narrowed in an expression of come on and she crossed her arms. “We’ve known each other for a couple of years now. I know when you’re getting ready to bolt.”

Mercedes relaxed. “Sorry, I just got in my head a bit.”

“Magnus?” Pearl whispered under her breath.

“I went on a date with him the other night.”

Pearl’s eyes widened. “Well, I did figure something like that happened. I just didn’t think you were the revenge date.”

“He actually told you about his revenge date?”

“He told anyone who would listen.”

“I don’t even know what a revenge date is!” Mercedes shook her head. “He’s cute, but man, for someone who has been on the earth for a thousand years, he hasn’t worked out his issues.”

Then again, she hadn’t really either. Who really had their stuff figured out?

Certainly not her.

Her life was definitely far from perfect. She was about to be evicted for an explosion that, for once, was not her fault, she and her family weren’t speaking, and she didn’t have a job. And the guy who she thought would be Mr. Right thought she was Ms. Wrong.

Of course, she was trying to forget all of that by coming to Pearl’s going-away party. It made her a little sad that Pearl was leaving Harmony Glen and going off to the city. Although she was thrilled for Pearl to live out her dream.

Mercedes wasn’t even sure she really had a dream. All she wanted was a quiet life where she could live in peace.

“You’re sad again,” Pearl said softly, slipping an arm around her.

“I sometimes hate that you’re so empathetic.” Mercedes sighed sadly and leaned into her friend. “I’m glad you’re finally going to live out your dream.”

“You still living in that dive in Tallowfield?”

“For now.” She had thirty days to leave, only she didn’t tell Pearl that.

“Why don’t you stay with my mom at the bait shop? She’s going be lonely. You know she’s a witch too, so that won’t freak her out.”

“She’s a good witch and I’m…” From a line of horrible harridans that cursed me and others, who profit off of suffering. “I’m not particularly talented.”

“Mom loves you, Mercedes. You can stay with her, help her out and maybe find a job in town. Please?” Pearl batted her big, beautiful silverly lashes and Mercedes sighed.

“Fine, but I want to make sure I pay your mother something.”

Pearl grinned. “You know she won’t take anything for room and board.”

“I don’t care. I’m going to do it anyways.”

“Mom will be thrilled,” Pearl squealed. “And when I come back for holidays and learning breaks, we can have sleepovers.”

Mercedes laughed, but inside she was excited just a bit. It might be nice to not be alone and be with people who actually cared for her. To have someone to come home to every night. And she adored Pearl’s mom.

“Excuse me.”

Mercedes spun around. The spitting image of Magnus was standing in front of her, only she knew it wasn’t him.

His hair was styled a bit different. Magnus wore his white hair long, braided usually.

This ghoul’s white hair was shaved close on the side.

He had a runic tattoo etched into the side of his head.

The white hair on top was short, but there was a small braid in the back.

His beard was smaller than Magnus’ and well groomed.

Also, his red eyes seemed filled with remorse and not absolute loathing.

Another dead giveaway this ghoul wasn’t Magnus.

“I’m Sven Alfson. I’m Magnus’ twin brother.” Sven actually looked a bit pained. “I’m sorry for Magnus’ outburst. He’s not usually like that, but he’s been a bit stressed.”

“He thinks I’m a sea witch,” Mercedes stated. “I can assure you, I’m not.”

Sven smiled politely. “I figured, and he knows that. You just… well I don’t have to go into details about anything. He’s calmed down and I’m really sorry if he distressed you.”

“We did have a rocky first date,” Mercedes admitted. “I wasn’t exactly kind to him either, especially when he started going off on me about curses, etcetera.”

Actually, thinking about what she’d said to him made her cringe a bit, but she had been so taken aback when he accused her of being a witch, talked about hexes and all those other things in a public place…

She’d reciprocated, accusing him of smelling like a bear’s asshole, though she wasn’t exactly sure what a bear’s butt smelled like, but it seemed to insult him.

Their exchange grew fairly heated before they went their separate ways. Actually, she was glad nothing exploded. Usually, when she was pushed that far, things went kaboom.

“He told me, and then when he got stuck because our vehicle broke down in your town, he was quite incensed. People weren’t receptive to a ghoul there, well…it just made things worse.”

Mercedes winced. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

Tallowfield wasn’t Harmony Glen, and much like her family, not many people in that town were particularly welcoming to monsters. It’s why her ancestors settled there.

“If there’s any way I can make it up to you?” Sven asked.

She was about to say there was no need, but then Pearl stepped in. “Mercedes is moving to town in a couple of days and looking for a job. Your dead-and-breakfast is about to open, you could use a housekeeper.”

Mercedes was stunned. Work for the ghoul brothers? What would Magnus think about that? She wasn’t one to go angling for a job or beg for one, but she could really use a steady paycheck.

Especially when starting her life over.

Sven’s eyes widened and he smiled. “We could use someone to come in and clean, do laundry, that sort of thing. Would you be interested in that?”

“I would, but what would your brother think? I mean, we don’t exactly get along.”

Sven shrugged. “Magnus’ job is in the kitchen. Believe it or not, he’s kind of a cooking whiz. The management of the dead-and-breakfast falls to me for the most part, and I say you’re hired.”

Things were looking up.

“What do you say?” Pearl asked, clapping her hands, her eyes twinkling with excitement.

“Okay. When do I start?” Mercedes asked.

“In three days, at seven in the morning,” Sven stated. “And don’t worry about my brother. I’ll handle him.”

Pearl hugged Mercedes and then hugged Sven. “Sven, you’re the sweetest ghoul ever. Thank you for helping out my friend. Besides this party, it’s the best present ever.”

“No need to thank me, Pearl. Harmony Glen is a welcoming place; it’s why I’m glad I was cursed to roam here for all time.” Sven walked away.

Mercedes cringed slightly at the mention of the curse. She knew nothing about it, except that Magnus seemed to think she was responsible for it. As if she were the reincarnation of her horrible ancestor.

I could be. My family wanted me to be.

She shook that thought away. At least now things were looking up. She had a job offer and a place to stay. Even though that job meant she’d be working in close proximity to Magnus, things couldn’t possibly get any worse.

Could they?