Page 103 of The Cursed Fae

The room grew silent. One minute turned into five, which lapsed into many more. I stayed quiet and let my friend think. Rivers of tears poured down her cheeks, and she didn’t wipe them away. Her hands never moved from the stool back as she stared off at something only she could see.

“I want to talk to her,” she said at last.

“If you’re sure,” I replied carefully, wanting to remain neutral and not influence her opinion.

Morgan nodded, finally looking at me. “Positive.”

Naively, I sort of assumed the spirit would appear at this very moment, as though she’d waited outside for an invitation. She didn’t. My stomach flipped over. Tonight was too important for Missy to forget about it. It wasn’t like we’d set a time or anything, but still.

She also hadn’t checked in all day about Lena. Should I be worried? The mere thought made my chest tighten. Strangely, I was more concerned about Missy. Could Mat hurt ghosts?

“Winter?” Morgan asked. “Everything okay?”

I blinked. I didn’t know the answer to her question.

“Sorry. Sorry. Sorry.” Missy popped into the room between the two beds, wearing jeans and an oversized sweater with fuzzy slippers on her feet. Her brown hair swirled loosely around a face with no makeup.

I glanced back and forth, uncertain. “Was there any trouble today?” I asked.

She understood the vague question. “No. Lena’s fine. The vampire hasn’t shown his fangs all day. No luck with the love potion either... we can talk about that later.” Her focus turned to Morgan. “She looks beautiful.”

“Is she here?” Eyes wide and full of hope, Morgan scanned the room as though she might see her girlfriend.

Missy’s features softened as her barriers fell away. The rare show of vulnerability made me feel like an intruder ruining this intimate moment.

“Tell her I say happy birthday, Duckie.”

I shifted my weight to my other foot. Morgan followed my gaze, squinting at the spot where Missy stood.

“Do it,” she insisted.

I quietly relayed the message.

Morgan’s hand shot up to cover her mouth and prevent a sob from breaking loose. She clearly hadn’t believed in my abilities at first, but the nickname got her.

“That’s what her parents used to call her when she was little,” Missy explained.

She walked over and gently stroked her girlfriend’s hair.

“Tell her I liked the blue shirt with her leather pants. And the knee-high boots. Definitely the right shoes. It was the first outfit she tried on.”

I repeated Missy’s words almost verbatim.

Morgan’s face crumpled, tears flowing down her cheeks.

“Oh, and her gold bracelet. The one with the sapphire in the middle,” she added.

Again, I played the go-between.

Morgan finally found her voice. “Tell her—”

“She can hear you,” I blurted.

Missy looked down at her like she’d hung the moon. The hard edge was gone, as was the snark. She had truly loved her. She still did.

A shiver ran through Morgan when Missy rested a hand on her shoulder. After a moment, she leaned into the cold sensation. “I miss you,” she breathed. “I miss you so much it hurts. It’s my birthday and all I can think about is how you’re not here. We were supposed to go to the strip club in Northside.”

I arched an eyebrow. “Strip club?”

---