Chapter 4 #2
Josh makes a squeaking sound, but thankfully Skye yanks him away before he can say anything.
He’s gotten ridiculously possessive since he found out there’s a book club that comes out from Chicago every second month just to watch Ewan working the forge.
They spend a ton of money on his metalwork in the gift shop, so I told Josh to get over it and watch with them.
“Daniel and Ewan are happy to demonstrate historic farming and blacksmithing techniques,” I say by rote. “The demonstration schedule is in the welcome folder in your room, or I’d be happy to book a place for you on one of the guided tours.”
He nods quickly. “That sounds good. I’ll stop by the front desk in the morning.”
I keep the smile pinned on my face as he descends the stairs, and then I turn a glare on Skye.
“I’m sorry! I swear, I’ll be more careful.” He mimes zipping his lips.
We make it to the private stairs to Josh’s apartment without running into any other guests. The hallway at the top appears empty, but Josh asks, “Anything?” which means there’s at least one ghost here. A second later, he glances at me and shakes his head.
“Let’s go in, then.” I wish I wasn’t so anxious about this. I need to be confident and in control.
We approach the door, and Josh lifts his hand to knock.
“What are you doing? It’s your apartment,” Skye says, then makes a face. “Although I guess it’s only polite.”
“It feels weird,” Josh admits, but knocks anyway.
“Come in!” The voice is muffled through the wood door, but clear enough. Josh opens the door, and we traipse in.
Connor’s not immediately visible, and I look around, spotting him in the armchair by the dormer window.
He’s… it’s not that you could say he’s movie-star hot or anything.
But there’s something about him that makes butterflies take flight in my stomach.
I mean, he’s attractive. His black hair is cut short and neat, and his features are even.
His eyes stand out a lot—they’re blue. Like, laser-beam blue. I wonder if he wears contacts?
He stands up, giving me a better look at the rest of him.
About my height, I’d say… five ten or eleven.
He clearly works out, even if he’s not huge like Ewan is.
He’s wearing jeans, a gray T-shirt, and battered sneakers, with thick black leather straps buckled around both wrists.
Tattoos rise from beneath the straps all the way up his arms, disappearing under the sleeves of his T-shirt.
They seem to be script of some kind, though from here I can’t read it—or even see what language it’s in.
“Connor, this is Kieran,” Josh is saying. “He’s the boss of us all.”
“Thanks,” I mutter wryly, then muster a smile. “Good to meet you. Thanks so much for coming and for helping Skye. We owe you.” I stretch out my hand to shake, and he comes forward and takes it, then gives me a once-over that makes me feel naked.
“Well, hello.” He winks. “Owe me, huh? How do you feel about payment in kind?”
I sputter. Is he serious? I open my mouth to ask, but he’s still talking.
“We’ll talk about that later. Maybe I can buy you a drink. So, you’re the one who decides if you’ll show me the gateway or I have to force my way there?”
My jaw drops.
He tilts his head slightly, studying me, still holding my hand. “Do you wear contacts?”
Is this guy for real?
“No,” I manage. “Do you?”
“Is this happening?” Skye whispers, and Josh shushes him. It’s enough to kick my brain back into gear, and I pull my hand free.
“Nope,” Connor says. “So, gonna show me the gateway?”
“I have some questions first.” Gathering my dignity, I walk over to the couch and take a seat. Skye joins me, while Josh goes to the kitchen.
“Anyone want a soda?”
Skye and I demur, but Connor says, “Love one, thanks,” and sits on the coffee table. Which is not only rude but also puts him way too close to me.
Would it be wrong if I kicked him?
Pushing aside the thought—tempting though it is—I mentally flip through my questions while we wait for Josh. It’s hard, because Connor’s watching me with those bright blue eyes, a tiny smirk on his stupid face. I’ve only just met this guy, and already I can’t stand him. That’s how annoying he is.
Josh joins us, handing Connor a soda and sitting on the couch beside Skye, and I muster up another smile.
“I know I already said it, but thank you again for your help. Especially today.” I pause for him to say something, but he doesn’t, just takes a sip of his soda.
Okay then.
“As I mentioned on the phone the other day, we’d be happy to cover your traveling expenses—”
“No. My expenses are covered.”
My smile this time is more of a clenched-teeth grimace. “Great. We’re full up here until Monday, but there’s a decent motel in town, and a couple of B it’s just part of your soul’s growth cycle.
” He pauses, probably to give us time to adjust to the fact that we might have been horrible people in a past life. Skye’s eyes are wide.
“Souls love bodies because that’s how they experience new things and new growth.
In that sense, they have a lot in common with body-hoppers.
” He snorts. “Souls are very possessive of their bodies and tend to cling to them very tightly. Incidentally, that’s how ghosts exist. Anyway, the possessiveness makes it almost impossible for any other entity to gain a foothold—body-hoppers, demons that like to possess, and other beings.
The exceptions are when the current personality has a propensity for evil, certain mental health disorders, terminal illnesses, and when the soul has experienced so much growth and development throughout its existence that it’s no longer desperate to cling to each new life.
An old soul, if you will, though most people who use that expression get it wrong. ”
“Sorry, can I…” Skye shakes his head. “Are you saying that my soul doesn’t want to live?” The question echoes what I’m thinking, and it’s a relief when Connor rolls his eyes and shakes his head.
“No. It’s like… ice cream.”
What?
“What?” Josh says.
“When you’re a kid, ice cream is this incredible treat. You want it all the time, and if someone offers it to you, you don’t say no, even if you’re full. Because eating it is the best thing ever.”
I have no idea where he’s going with this, but it’s weird. Is he comparing Skye to ice cream? I suppose the unicorn hair is kind of like sprinkles.
“But then as an adult, even though you might still like ice cream, you don’t eat it all the time. And there are times that you might decide not to have any. It doesn’t mean you don’t still want ice cream in your life, but it’s no longer the be-all and end-all.”
Okay, I think I get it. He’s saying Skye’s soul still likes living but isn’t fanatical about it like other souls. “That’s a really fucked-up analogy,” I say honestly.
He shrugs. “You got it, didn’t you? So basically, a conduit is someone whose soul is willing to share a body.”
“My soul needs to get with the program. Body sharing is not on.” Skye sets his jaw.
“I can help you with that,” Connor tells him. “There are ways.”
Thank fuck. “We’d appreciate any help you can give us.” Maybe he’s not so bad after all.
He looks from me to Skye. “Are you two together? Because you seem kind of a mismatch.”
On second thought…