Chapter 15 #2
“Yeah, it makes sense,” I tell Arissa confidently. I still don’t know how it’ll go when we try it, but the theory fits.
“What makes sense?” Ewan comes over to the desk, playfully hip checks Arissa aside, then leans over to kiss my cheek and peer at the screen. “Ohhhhh.”
While Ewan’s reading, I swivel the chair around the other way and hold out my hand to Skye for Kieran’s questions. He’s stopped writing and is just rolling his eyes toward the ceiling, which means Kieran’s just repeating himself and worrying now. Kier’s a champion worrier.
I skim the list. Most of these have already been answered in the latest response, and some are more for me than NEDDT.
“I don’t like this,” Ewan says abruptly as I wave Skye over to take a look so he can convey the latest to Kieran. “This puts you in danger.”
“Not really.” I try to sound as reasonable as possible. “Not any more than everyone else. If anything, I’m the person in least danger.”
“You’d be facing a soul-eating demon head-on,” he exclaims.
“Oh my,” Hattie murmurs, unmanifesting so she can slip between everyone and look at the screen. I glance away. It makes me queasy to see ghosts twist themselves like that.
“It would still be restricted by the salt and quartz,” I remind him. “The only difference would be that we’d actively be trying to get rid of it.”
From the way he’s scowling, I can tell he’s not convinced. Fortunately, Skye interrupts us.
“Kieran wants to talk to you.” He holds out his phone.
I take it and put it to my ear. “Hi. Sorry to bug you on your day off.”
“I would have been so mad if you hadn’t” is his reply. “Skye says you think this is a good idea?”
“I think it’s our only option,” I say frankly. “I’m still not sure what caused the vortex or what we can do about it, but as far as dealing with the demon goes, this feels like the right choice.”
He sucks in a deep breath and blows it out. “Okay. We don’t need to decide right away. We’re not doing anything risky while there are guests on the estate. When’s the next time we have nobody?”
My stomach sinks, and I swallow hard. “Tonight.”
“No,” he says instantly. “It’s date night. Skye would never forgive me.”
I laugh because it’s true. “Let me check, then.” I shoo everyone away from the computer and switch screens to the reservation software.
It doesn’t take long to check. “Monday. But after that, there’s at least one reservation every night for three solid weeks.
” Which is good for business but not so much our need to keep people safe.
“Monday,” he echoes. “Okay. Tell me again what they said you’d need?”
“Salt and quartz, which we already have tons of, thanks to you.” Turns out, Kieran’s a champion online shopper. The ghosts are not so thrilled to have this much salt on the property. “And herbs—dill, sage, and rue. That should be fairly easy to get. Daniel might have some already.”
“Agreed, but I’ll order more now, and then we’ll be ready even if we decide to delay until next month. Until then, focus on enjoying tonight.” He hesitates. “I know I didn’t seem excited the other night, but I really am happy for you both. I’m just preoccupied.”
“It’s not like there’s nothing going on for you to be preoccupied with,” I point out. “But thanks. I appreciate it.” Even if it’s early days for people to be happy for us, it’s still nice knowing we have support.
Kieran says goodbye and ends the call, and I toss Skye his phone, then switch back to the website.
“Well? What did Kier say?” Ewan demands.
“We do nothing until Monday at the earliest,” I report. “But the decision about when after that isn’t final.” I stare at the last message NEDDT sent me.
HauntedByMistakesOfOthers:
Thank you so much. Would it be okay for me to contact you again if I have questions?
Arissa pats my shoulder. “I’m going back to work. Come have lunch with me later.”
“Sure.” The kitchen will be quiet, since all the guests have checked out and we’re not expecting any tonight, and that means Arissa’s going to play with a new meal option. I’d be an idiot to turn that down.
“Me too?” Skye pleads, turning his best puppy dog gaze on her. She rolls her eyes but agrees, then points at Ewan before he can ask.
“Yes. And Daniel.”
“You’re my favorite,” he tells her, and she laughs as she saunters out. Hattie manifests and goes out with her, asking what she plans to cook.
Ewan spins my chair so I’m facing him, leans down to kiss my lips, then pulls back and looks me in the eye. “We’ll continue that conversation another time. Not today, though. See you at lunch.” And he follows the others out, leaving just me and Skye.
“You know,” my rainbow-haired friend says thoughtfully, “Ewan’s such a sweetie that I sometimes forget that others find him intimidating. Then he acts all masterful like that, and it’s suddenly ‘helloooooo.’ That was so hot.”
I blow out a breath. “It really was.”
On the computer screen, a new message appears. It’s one line: an email address.
“At least we have an expert consultant now,” Skye says. “Even if the situation they’re consulting on doesn’t actually exist.”
“It exists. It’s just not exactly what they think it is. But the important parts are the same.”
“Are you sure?” he counters. “What if geography is important? Like what if the ritual that works in Scotland doesn’t work in the States?”
I stare at him. “Are you trying to make things worse? Why would you say that?”
He shrugs. “Just trying to get ahead of any problems.”
“Well, stop. I don’t think geography would be a factor.” I hope.
Great. Something else to worry about.