Page 74 of These Dangerous Fates

“Uh, ghosts who live in that house? Yeah. Yeah, I am.” I shudder dramatically.

“It’s not so bad once you’re inside,” Allie assures us. “She gets a little paranoid and doesn’t like leaving the house. I tried keeping up with the outside, but it was too much for me.”

Allie walks up the steps like she isn’t worried they will fall out from under her. When Ellis follows, I tense, ready to jump in and save her if needed. Luckily, the stairs only creak alarmingly under her feet. With a grin, Cade makes his way up the steps and I swallow down my anxiety. I’m sure I look ridiculous as I try to step lightly, like I can keep my full weight from landing on the stairs.

“Fuck me,” Sterling mutters as he eyes the steps. The heaviest of the three of us, he’s the one most likely to fall through.

To my surprise, it’s not Sterling who falls through the rotted wood. It’s Cade. As soon as his foot lands on the porch, the board under him gives way, and he tumbles gracelessly into a pile of broken wood, dirt, and spiderwebs. He rolls over with a curse and stares up at us through a cloud of dust.

We’re all shocked when Ellis giggles. Then the giggle turns into full-blown laughter, and she snorts, slapping a hand over her mouth. She laughs until she has to bend over and gasp for air. Sterling and I stare at her while Cade stares at her from his position on the ground. We’ve never heard her laugh that hard, and it’s such a beautiful sound.

Ellis wipes her eyes with the backs of her hands. “Are you okay, Cade?” she asks between little chortling noises.

“Yeah,” he says, staring at her in a slight daze. “I’ll gladly fall through porches if I get to hear that laughter again.”

As I reach down to give him a hand up, an enormous spider crawls across his chest.

“Oh, fuck that!” he yells and jumps up, brushing himself off and dancing around to dislodge any other hitchhikers. “I fucking hate spiders.”

I grin at him and pluck a spider web from his hair. He shivers dramatically and rubs his hands over his head, making sure there are no living critters there. When he looks back at me, the brown strands are all out of order, sticking out at random angles. I quickly smooth them back into place as Allie knocks on the door.

“If I find a spider on me later, I’m going to freak the fuck out,” Cade mutters while we wait for Allie’s aunt to answer the door.

“Spiders and ghosts,” Ellis muses. “What are you scared of, Sterling?”

He gives her a mysterious smile. “I’m not about to share that weakness with you. Who knows how you’ll use it against me?”

“Clowns,” I whisper loud enough for everyone to hear me.

Sterling’s icy stare pierces me through the growing darkness, but I’m saved from his retort by screeching hinges as the front door opens.

Aunt Madge glares at us from the doorframe. With long black hair down to her waist, I would never have assumed her to be Allie's great aunt. Only a few silver strands are hidden among the black. She’s holding a cane made of a gnarled piece of polished wood, although I don’t think she’s leaning on it. Her thin frame is hidden by a bulky black dress that almost swallows her. Despite her frail appearance, her back is straight and her blue eyes are almost as piercing as Sterling’s.

Her glare moves through the group until she sees Allie. Then her thin lips pull into a smile and her angry brows relax over her eyes. “Niece,” she says warmly in a scratchy voice.

“Aunt Madge,” Allie says, stepping close and giving the woman a hug. “It’s good to see you.”

“It’s been three weeks,” Aunt Madge snaps. “Where have you been?”

So much for smiles. The glare is back in full force.

“I’m sorry, Aunt Madge. It’s been a crazy three weeks.” Allie pulls a small box from her pocket and waves it in front of her aunt. “I brought you something, though.”

“Bribes? Trying to make me forget you’ve neglected to visit your old aunt?”

“Never. Just a token to show how much I love you.” Allie gestures to us standing around her. “Now, do you think we could come in before Cade adds more holes to your porch?”

The old lady harrumphs, but turns and disappears into the house, cane thumping rhythmically. Allie smiles at us before following, tugging Ellis along with her.

“Watch out for ghosts,” Sterling whispers in my ear as he walks past and into the hallway.

I follow him, and say, “She probably has clown dolls in every room. Super creepy clown dolls.”

He flips me off over his shoulder, but I see him shudder as he peers into the gloomy darkness.

The inside is not as neglected as the outside. The lighting is dim though, and it definitely gives me the creeps. The walls are brown paneled wood, worn dull with age. The same color wood creaks underfoot, decorated with red and gold tassel rugs. Cobwebs gather in the corners of the ceilings and layers of dust coat shelves full of odd nicknacks and ancient-looking books. The air is musty and old, with an undercurrent of something green, like leaves or grass.

Aunt Madge leads us into the small living room, and she and Allie settle into a pair of Victorian-style chairs, complete with a large red and pink flower pattern. Sterling takes up residence behind a matching couch, eyes scanning every nook and cranny. I can almost picture his wolf’s ears perked and twitching at every little sound. Cade and I sit on the couch with Ellis in between us.

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