Chapter 7
Chapter
Seven
Mercedes choked on the coffee. “Wait…he’s scared of what?”
Like, if he was truly scared of that, how did he deal with his own package? she wondered.
Magnus’ red eyes were twinkling with humor. As he grinned, she could make out a single dimple in his cheeks. “Roosters, crows, and chickens. It’s a glashtyn thing. It’s a lot funnier to tell people he’s afraid of cocks though, right?”
That was the sense of humor she fell for in the texts.
She chuckled. “Okay, that makes much more sense. I was trying to figure out…never mind what I was trying to figure out.”
“Sorry, it’s just too funny not to say cock.”
“I’m sure Finn appreciates that immensely.”
“No, not really.” He leaned back. “Tell me about the ghosts.”
“What would you like to know? It’s kind of hard to sum them up as a whole, they do have personalities and feelings. I mean, they were once people.”
“Any monster ghosts in the house?”
“No. All were human. All I’ve met so far, that is.”
Except one. The one that didn’t particularly like her much didn’t feel human. She hadn’t had a chance to figure out that ghost, or whatever it was yet, but the other spirits were quite vocal and excited about being seen.
“Well, that’s a bit disappointing.”
“Why?”
“Hoping for some old friends,” Magnus sighed sadly.
“Maybe be happy they’ve moved on?”
He nodded. “I am. Still, how much fun would it be to have a monster ghost or something?”
“Your ghosts do want to be taken seriously. They’re just there waiting in limbo until they can move on.”
“Can you interact with them?”
She nodded. “I can. I can touch the ethereal plane. Actually, my first boyfriend was a ghost.”
His eyes widened, but there was also a moment she caught something like, maybe jealousy flash across his face? Whatever it was, lasted only a moment. “Oh, really?”
She nodded. “Yep. I do try to keep the fact that I commune with the afterlife to myself, though.”
“Why?”
“Honestly, my family would harness that power for the wrong reasons, and I don’t have the heart to do that to anyone, living or dead.”
His expression softened. “You’re definitely not your ancestor.”
“Thank you.” Maybe he was finally seeing her, instead of making bold assumptions. That would be nice. She was used to distrusting most people, especially her family.
The only person she’d ever been able to trust was Pearl.
“So, tell me about them. The ghosts. I swear it’s not to exploit them. I just want to know who I’m sharing space with.”
She grinned. “Some of them would appreciate if you would not keep wandering around the basement naked. You do have a Victorian mother and child who frequent that area of the basement. Well, her child mostly hangs out in the attic where there’s a bunch of old toys, but still the mother is quite incensed you jape about like a harlot.
She has made it known how she feels, that you’re very indecent. ”
“Jape about like a…like a what?”
“Harlot,” Mercedes answered, mimicking the ghost in question.
Magnus chuckled. “Noted. Any other Vikings?”
“No. Sorry. A few from the fifties who died in car accidents, a mobster, the Victorian woman and her child. Like I said, I haven’t met them all… oh, and the spirit from twenties who seems different from the rest of the ghosts.”
Magnus perked up. “Twenties, you say?”
“Yes, and the other spirits in the home don’t seem to notice her.
It’s…” How to describe it when she didn’t know for sure what it was?
“It’s like she’s stuck between her body and the afterlife.
Like a ghoul, but also not like a ghoul.
She doesn’t seem to like me, or maybe she’s guarded with me, yet I interact with her the most because she’s always watching me. ”
“That’s…interesting.”
Mercedes cocked an eyebrow. Did Magnus know something about this mysterious flapper ghost? If he did, he wasn’t saying a word about it to her.
“Do you think she might be causing your recent explosions? Maybe it wasn’t me or my curse?”
“Who knows. I still want you to take me to that spot.” She finished her coffee. “I want to see for myself if you’ve actually cursed me or stirred up something you shouldn’t have. Maybe it was her. I also think she’s been hanging around you two for a while, but mostly Sven.”
“Sven?” Magnus stroked his beard. “That’s interesting.”
“Why?”
“Sven was in love with a girl back in the twenties. Honestly, I thought she might be the one to break his curse. I was mentally prepping myself to be separated from my brother, and I was happy for him that he might actually get to live a life. Then she disappeared, and he hasn’t been quite the same since. He was heartbroken.”
“Did she have green eyes?”
“I can’t recall,” Magnus admitted.
Something in her gut was telling her he wasn’t being completely truthful. “You can’t remember?”
Magnus shrugged. “I just remember him being devastated that she…pardon my pun…ghosted him. I think that ghosting people is probably the most immature thing someone can do to someone else.”
Mercedes nodded. “I agree. It’s cowardly. If you have a problem with someone, talk to them, get it out. And if you can’t work it out, then you can walk away.”
“Exactly.” He grinned sheepishly. “I let you know exactly how I felt when I saw you.”
Mercedes narrowed her eyes and pointedly grinned at him. “I’m aware.”
“You forgive me now though. Remember, we’re going to try this friend thing, right?”
“Still, about Sven and this twenties girl—”
“Sven doesn’t like me talking about it. So I’m not going to.” There was a firmness to his voice. It was clear she wasn’t going to get any more information out of him. “Can we chat about something else. I mean, friends do discuss other things.”
He was right, and Mercedes didn’t want to pry, though she had a feeling there was a more to this story than Magnus was letting on.
“I suppose so.” She smiled at him and then reached out and took his hand It was so strong and it felt so good to do that. “Friends.”
Magnus gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “Exactly.”
Their gazes locked across the table. Her pulse began to race as she stared into the eyes of the man she had been falling for over the MONZTR dating app. The ghoul she thought understood her.
This is what she wanted that night in Tallowfield at that restaurant.
Heat rushed through her, flooding her veins.
He’s your boss now, a little voice reminded her.
She pulled her hand away quickly. “Well, thank you for the coffee. I think I should get back to the dead-and-breakfast and finish the laundry.”
“Agreed.”
They both stood and returned their coffee cups to the counter.
They didn’t say much as they stepped outside and walked in silence back to Room with a Tomb.
She was glad they had decided to be friends, but she couldn’t help but wonder if that might be more dangerous for her heart, because a piece of her remembered the ghoul who’d texted her.
The ghoul she thought she wanted more from.
“I hope you informed him about wearing proper attire when he’s floating around the halls,” Lottie, the Victorian ghost lady who had a problem with Magnus’ state of undress, nattered in her ear.
“Lottie, I’m trying to do my work.” It was really hard to count towels while being berated. The ghosts at Room with a Tomb Dead and Breakfast were getting a little too comfortable with her.
“Well, you went out with him. He bought you a drink. Surely you could’ve passed on that message.” She puffed up her chest like a pelican, her hands clasped in front of her like a proper lady.
“I did talk to him about it, Lottie. I swear.” Mercedes folded the last towel with a flourish and smiled at herself.
“I do not know why you find such satisfaction in menial work.” Lottie sniffed.
“I won’t take that personally,” Mercedes remarked, ignoring her. “Now, if you don’t mind, I would like to get on with my work.”
“I can see that my requests are just an effort in futility.” Lottie transformed into a ball of ectoplasmic energy, blowing past a stack of neatly folded towels and knocking it over as she left the room.
“For Hecate’s sake,” Mercedes cursed, picking up the towels.
“You okay?” Sven asked.
“Yes. Ghosts. They’re getting comfortable having someone to communicate with.”
A strange expression crossed Sven’s face. “One was in here?”
She cocked her head to the side. “Yes. A woman. Would you like me to introduce you?”
The moment Mercedes said the words, the unfriendly ghost, or whatever she was, partially stepped out from the wall she’d been lurking in. Though she didn’t seem to enjoy conversing, Mercedes was learning that she was never really far away. The ghost was constantly watching.
“What would be the point? I can’t see them.” Sven appeared uncomfortable, like he was trying to hide his curiosity.
“I didn’t mean to offend. I only ask because your brother was wondering about the ghosts. He said he was hoping some former friends were haunting here.”
“You and Magnus are getting along? That’s a relief.”
“You’re avoiding the question, Sven.”
“Don’t pester him,” the spirit with the green eyes warned. “Leave him alone.”
Mercedes spun around and shot a look at the spirit, but didn’t respond.
“Did one just walk in now?” he asked.
“Just for a moment. No one of importance.”
The restless spirit hissed, but Mercedes ignored her.
Sven sighed. “I guess I was hoping for someone I used to know too. Hoping for friendly spirits. Ones that won’t scare away the guests.”
“You know that people visiting Harmony Glen and staying here will be hoping for a haunting,” Mercedes teased gently. “Maybe they’ll want to be scared?”
Sven smiled, baring his fangs slightly. “I know. And I’m glad we can say this place is haunted, I just don’t want aggressive spirits.”
“Says the Dead and Breakfast manager with red eyes and fangs.”
Sven chuckled. “Well, I’ll let you get on with your work.”
He left the room by floating through the wall, and Mercedes spun around to see the spirit. She was more formed, her arms were crossed, and Mercedes was able to get a better look at her. The golden twenties-style dress, the beaded headband, and satin gloves that went to the elbows.
Whoever she was, she was quite beautiful.
“What’s your deal? Are you the one casting bad stuff on me? I know you can manipulate emotions. Ghosts usually can’t do that.”
“The polite thing would be to ask my name.”
Mercedes’ eyes narrowed. “Oh, I think we’re long past that, but you can tell me your name and why you’re trying to make my life harder.”
The spirit’s expression softened. “I’m not the one responsible. That explosion was all you. I may have projected some unpleasant feelings in your direction, but…I’m protective of Sven.”
“I gathered. I’m not interested in Sven. He’s my boss.”
“I see that now.” The spirit smirked. “You like the other one. Magnus. The one with a crude sense of humor.”
Mercedes’ heart skipped a beat. “What’re you talking about?”
“You don’t need to play coy with me.”
“Oh? You haven’t been really forthcoming, so why should I be?”
The spirit sighed. “My name is Florence, but you may call me Flo. Or it was. I’m a revenant. Sven and Magnus would refer to me as a draugr. I personally prefer phantom.”
That explained why she wasn’t getting the usual ghost vibes from Flo.
There were certain attributes most ghosts had, something that was hard to explain.
All Mercedes knew was that Flo didn’t have it.
Being a revenant made sense, though she didn’t know much about them.
The only thing she could recall from her education as a witch was that they were bound to where they died. Much like a ghoul, but also not.
“It’s nice to formally meet you, Flo. I’m Mercedes.”
“I know.”
“How did you become this way?” Mercedes asked.
Flo shrugged. “I don’t know. My death, or the moment I turned, is a void. I just remember being this. What I remember of my old life is spotty. I don’t even know why I care about these ghouls.”
What Flo was describing sounded like a curse.
“You’ve been invisible for what…a century?”
“Around that time. I can manipulate some objects and I have to return to my safe place under the foundation of this house, so I was marking time by scratching stuff in the wall, but there’s nobody down there and I can’t seem to cross over the way the other spirits do.
Plus, the others tend to keep away from me. ”
“They keep away from you?”
Flo nodded. “You’re the first person to acknowledge my presence in a long time.”
Mercedes felt bad for her. One hundred years was a long time to go without talking to someone, and she imagined that maybe it was like that for Magnus and Sven when they were first cursed, before the great revelation, before monsters could come out of hiding. At least they had each other.
“I’m glad you’re actually talking to me,” Mercedes said gently. “You can always talk to me.”
Flo smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “Thank you. I don’t know if I had family, but I do remember that I lived here before I became like this. I know I lived in this house, I’ve seen my portrait. It’s how I remembered my name.”
“Were you in love with Sven?”
This time when Flo smiled, there was a tenderness, a wistful longing etched in her expression. “I don’t remember.”
Mercedes had a suspicion that this was the girl who disappeared on Sven. It was a shame that Flo didn’t remember.
Had her family found out and had her cursed? The thought threw Mercedes for a loop, but it wasn’t completely far-fetched. She knew for a fact her family was hired for things like that all the time.
The paranormal hitmen of a dark underworld of monsters and humans lived in Tallowfield. Only Mercedes had no interest in making lives miserable or killing or cursing.
Maybe that’s why she was such a disaster at the rest of her magic.
“You don’t have to worry about me and the ghouls or this house,” Mercedes stated. “Besides, they’re my bosses and I like this job.”
“I’m sorry for all that I did and for being so unfriendly.” A pink tinge bloomed in pale cheeks. “Thank you for talking to me.”
“Anytime.”
Flo nodded and disappeared back through the wall.
Mercedes returned to her work, but as she continued folding towels, she couldn’t help but wonder if Flo’s family had been aware that she was in love with Sven, and had someone put a curse on her.
She would have to do some investigating. Something was compelling her to do that, but if it turned out to be true, it wouldn’t solve Sven’s curse or Flo’s. He couldn’t see her and it would be hard to fall in love again and break a curse if you couldn’t see the person you were in love with.