Page 71 of Real Fake Hauntings

Alex saluted, and he and Shane jogged toward the gravestones. There was little ambient light, and the strategically placed lights on the marked path and spotlights on some of the statues and mausoleums left the rest of the space drenched in creepy shadows.

Key motioned forward. “Uncle Jeremy, you go first.”

Brimstone and Destruction was dressed in a three-piece black suit with a blood-red shirt. His dress shoes gleamed under the lights, not a speck of dust from the dirt path marring their beauty, and his blond hair had been slicked back.

He straightened up to his full height and gave us all an imperious look.

“Welcome to the Cavalier Cemetery special Halloween tour,” he announced in a sepulchral voice. “Prepare to meet the ghosts of the past, but be careful, for they don’t always welcome visitors.”

Thunder cracked in the distance.

Key and I clapped, very impressed. Natalia studied the starry sky, a frown forming between her brows.

Brimstone turned on his gleaming heel. “If you will follow me, we shall begin this tale of death and despair.”

Key and Natalia fell into step behind Brimstone, while Ian and I followed a few paces behind.

“I think they’ve taken some liberties from your mother’s story,” I whispered to Ian. Something told me his mom’s tour had involved less Gothic drama.

“Not as many as you might think,” Ian said fondly. He had been a boy when his mom had moved them away, so he’d probably never gotten to experience the tour firsthand. Was that why he’d allowed this, beyond wanting to make me happy? The thought dissipated some of the guilt at basically forcing his hand.

“Where are Fluffy and Rufus?” I asked. I’d missed their reassuring presence today.

“In the house. I thought it’d be better. I don’t want them chewing on the cables or knocking over stuff.” He sent me a knowing look at my pout. “Don’t worry, you can say hello later.”

“Don’t mind if I do. You’re dressed up today,” I added, unable to stop myself from running a hand down his sleeve. Ahead of us, Brimstone talked about a man who had made a deal with the devil, then tried to cheat his way out of it. In response, the devil had dismembered the man and buried his limbs in different parts of the cemetery, condemning his soul to never find peace until the body was whole again.

“And even now,” Brimstone said in a dark voice that send shivers down my spine, “the remains of his hands crawl under the earth through the other graves, trying to find each other.”

“He’s good at this,” I said with another shiver. “Thank you for letting him help. It means a lot to Key.”

“As long as he doesn’t set the place on fire,” Ian murmured.

I looked at him in surprise. “You know he’s a fire mage?”

Ian arched a brow. Duh, of course he knew. He likely knew everything about every paranormal in town.

I supposed it was time to come clean about everything.

“He’s one of my dark magic clients,” I whispered.

“Why else would he have brought Key to work for you?”

With a groan, I slipped my arm around his and rested my head on his biceps. “You knew about that too?”

The rumble of his silent laughter reverberated through his arm. “I’m good at math.”

“Two and two equal four, huh?”

“Apparently.”

A spotlight suddenly came on next to us, illuminating a dangling skeleton. I jumped and grasped Ian’s arm. Natalia let out a small shriek.

“Banston,” Brimstone said. “Who killed his own brother, buried right here in 1873, then was haunted by his spirit until he was convinced the only way to rest in peace was by digging his brother up and burning his remains.”

“Did he do it?” Key asked.

“No.” Brimstone’s voice reached theater-highs. “When he opened the casket, he found it…empty!”

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