Chapter 4
Chapter Four
KIERAN
The relief that swamps me when Skye joins me at the reception desk is almost overwhelming. And not just because I’m up to my earlobes in visitors to help. I’m so glad he’s okay.
“All good?” I check in a mutter, and he nods and beams brightly. There’s something manic in his eyes that worries me, but they’re the usual blue-gray color, so I figure whatever it is can wait.
“Josh will be down in a few,” he says, then turns to the waiting visitors. “So sorry to keep you waiting. Welcome to Mannix Estate.”
I finish up with the woman who wants to know if she can take pictures with the blacksmith, and can his shirt be off when she does—thank fuck Josh isn’t here to hear that—and smile at the next person.
Wait… Josh will be down? Does that mean he went upstairs? What for? And has Connor left, or did they leave him at the cottage?
Josh joins us before I can ask Skye, and the three of us deal with the crowd much faster than I was managing on my own.
Things start to taper off as lunchtime rolls around and the people who aren’t in the museum or watching a demo wander outside to have lunch on the lawn.
Most people bring picnics, but Arissa and the catering staff also do a brisk business selling sandwiches and sodas.
I was doubtful when she first suggested it, but it’s a real cash cow, and I’m glad I listened.
“You should go eat,” Josh tells Skye.
“Are you okay?” I ask sharply. “Should you be resting?”
He waves a hand dismissively. “I’m fine. Just desperate for flavor. Uh, before I go…” He glances at Josh.
“Yeah, tell me how it went this morning. The thing’s gone? You’re all good now?” I try to be vague. There’s currently nobody around to overhear, but that could change any second.
“I’m a hundred percent fine,” he assures me, and Josh nods.
“It’s definitely gone. I’d tell you if it wasn’t.”
I heave a huge sigh, a massive weight lifting off my chest. “That’s great. Is Connor still at the cottage, or did he go to town? I’d like to thank him.” He might have been an impatient ass on the phone, but he’s still gone out of his way to help us.
They exchange glances, and my stomach sinks.
“About that…,” Skye starts. “When Connor pulled the—uh, the thing out, he…” He hesitates and looks around, then leans in and lowers his voice. “There’s no way to say this with euphemisms. He sent it back to the spirit world through a vortex that he opened and closed.”
I run a hand through my hair. “Okay.” Wow.
Josh picks up the story. “And told us he can sense the one here in the house.”
Fuck. “Did you deny it?”
They both nod vigorously. “But he knew, Kier. He told us it was at the back of the house, on an upper level. He says it’s been open a long time. I don’t think he was lying; I think he can feel it even from a distance.”
This is so bad. “Were the ghosts there?”
“Yeah. Joe’s not happy, but Connor opened a vortex of his own and closed it. They feel like if they can trust anyone, he’s probably it.”
Horror strikes me. “Did you take him—”
“No.” Josh holds up his hands, and Skye shakes his head.
“We figured we should run it past you. And anyway, it’s the middle of the day with people everywhere.
He’s in my place, with the ghosts keeping watch on the door.
They’ll warn us if he leaves… though honestly, Kieran, I don’t know if we could do anything to stop him. ”
This time, I run both hands through my hair. I’m not sure if this is a nightmare or the solution to all our problems, but if I make the wrong choice, things could go very, very bad. “What’s your impression of him?”
“Kind of condescending,” Skye says. “But okay. He seems dedicated to whatever this whole hunter thing is. I wanna say he cares about people not getting hurt by the spirit world, but otherwise doesn’t give a shit about them.”
That’s not reassuring. I look to Josh, who makes a face, then nods.
“Yeah. He’s also insanely strong. Like… I’ve only met one other medium before, but even if she was the weakest medium ever, he’s still insanely strong. The amount of power it took to open that vortex…” He shakes his head. “And he did it so casually.”
“You’re not making me feel better. What you’re telling me is that we have a medium—”
“Hunter,” Josh corrects, then mutters “Sorry” when I give him a flat look.
“—a hunter with psychic or magic or I don’t know what abilities beyond what any of us have considered possible and an attitude problem who wants access to what we believe is a bottomless source of psychic energy?
And this person is on the property with the hundred-and-something visitors we have here today, including a bunch of elementary school kids. ”
Skye backs away slowly. “I think I’m going to get lunch.”
I sigh and grip my hair. “The ghosts are keeping an eye on him?”
Josh nods warily.
“Okay. I guess that’s the best we can do for now.
When the day-trippers and the daily staff are gone, we’ll deal with the rest. Update Ewan and Daniel, will you?
Tell them I might need them to bodily remove this guy from the property.
” I hope it doesn’t come to that, that he’ll turn out to be on our side and can help us with the vortex, but I’m responsible for everyone working and visiting here, and I need to be prepared.
Josh seems doubtful that his huge blacksmith boyfriend and our less-huge-but-still-built farm manager will be able to remove Connor, but he says, “Will do. You should take a break while there’s a lull. You’ve been run off your feet all morning, and you know it’s only going to continue all weekend.”
He’s right. Time to eat a sandwich while I check my email. “Thanks, Josh.” I hesitate. “Skye’s really okay?”
“Absolutely,” Josh promises. “I watched it all. He’s fine now.”
“So… he’s not sick?”
“No. Connor said he’s a conduit.”
“Did he happen to explain what that means?” Because if this is going to happen again, I’d like to be prepared to help Skye however we can.
“We didn’t get to that before the whole vortex thing came up.”
“Okay. Thanks.” I guess I’ll just have to google it over lunch.
I watch via the gate security camera as the last of the day-trippers leaves, and tap in the code for the gate to close. “Who’s still here?” I ask Skye as he comes into the office.
“The museum curator and the dinner shift. But the museum was being locked as I walked past, so—” He cuts himself off as Kate, the museum curator, sticks her head around the door.
“I’m heading out. Everything’s in good shape for tomorrow.”
“Thanks, Kate. Have a good night.” I manage a smile. It must look almost normal, because she smiles back.
“See you in the morning.”
We listen to her footsteps recede, and then I turn back to Skye. “Dinner’s the best time to do this. The guests and the kitchen staff will be occupied. Have you spoken to Arissa?”
“She says as long as we fill her in, she doesn’t need to be there. I think she’s still a bit spooked by everything.”
“Her and me both,” I mutter. “Any update on Connor?”
“Josh went up to check with the ghosts a few times this afternoon. They say he hasn’t even opened the door. Johnny thinks he heard snoring at one point.”
A tiny sliver of guilt stabs me. Connor was in Denver a couple of days ago, doing who knows what that potentially could have been exhausting, and has driven straight here to help us. I need to be nice to him, give him the benefit of the doubt.
“Okay. Dinner will be served in…” I glance at my watch. “…an hour. I’m going to go up and meet Connor, and by the time Dan and Ewan wash up and join us, we should be clear to show him the vortex.”
Skye raises his eyebrows. “You’ve decided to let him see it?”
“I’m not sure,” I admit. “I’m hoping meeting with him will help.
” The biggest factor is what he says about Skye.
My lunchtime “research” was harrowing, in that Google says a spiritual conduit is basically a doorway to the spiritual realm.
Who knows if Google is right, but I’m not okay with Skye being used for free entry to Earth by whatever being wants in, so if I need to trade access to the vortex for Connor’s help with Skye, I will.
And then I’ll pray he doesn’t abuse it.
He shouldn’t, right? If he can make his own?
We’ll see.
“Want to come up with me?” I ask, and Skye turns to the door.
“Let’s go!”
At least somebody’s excited.
We run into Josh in the grand hall. He’s coming down the stairs with one of the guests, explaining that no, we don’t have a salon on site where she can have her hair done for dinner, but assuring her that dinner isn’t formal and her hair looks lovely.
She seems unconvinced but smiles her thanks and wanders toward the parlor anyway.
“A salon?” Skye whispers. “Really?”
Josh shrugs. “She swears it said so on our website and that we must have changed it in the last few weeks. At least she wasn’t a bitch about it.”
“We’re going up to talk to Connor while we wait for the guests to go to dinner,” I tell him.
“Great. I have a lot of questions.” He falls into step with us as we climb the stairs. “Ewan said he and Daniel are coming as soon as they’ve washed up. He asked if we wanted them here sooner, and I said no.”
“Good call,” Skye agrees. “It’s warm today, and they do dirty work. Man sweat is only sexy when you’re having sex.”
“Um,” a voice says behind us, and I close my eyes briefly while Skye winces and mouths, “Sorry.”
“Go on,” I tell them, then turn to face the guest who overheard Skye’s NSFW comment. I suppose it could have been worse… he could have said something about sweaty ball sacs. “My apologies, sir. I hope you’re having a good evening?”
The middle-aged balding man who, if I recall correctly, is a history buff who saved for over a year to be able to spend a long weekend here, blinks at me. “This place is really something. I, um… is the man sweat… I mean, can I watch the men working tomorrow?”
Oh my god.