Her apartment had previously been occupied by the owner of Midnight Manor. Since he was a vampire, he decorated the place to emphasize that fact—all dark colors and ornate furniture—but he had given her permission to make whatever changes she wanted.
She’d added her more bohemian style to lighten up the original gothic atmosphere. She’d kept the deep purple walls but she’d added an overstuffed couch, upholstered in patchwork velvet, and a Victorian fainting couch in pink silk. His dark dining table had been replaced with a fanciful wrought iron set painted white.
She’d replaced the heavy velvet curtains with multiple layers of sheer white fabric, every one of them slightly different. Candles and crystals covered most of the exposed surfaces, and the air was redolent of the incense she liked to burn.
Her apartment had become her home, her sanctuary, and it never failed to lift her spirits. She chose not to think about how much sense of safety and belonging was due to her ghostly companion.
He shook his head as she started assembling her acai breakfast bowl, but she ignored him. They’d had more than one discussion about her eating habits.
He wandered over to the window, the sunlight turning his body more transparent than usual. In the darkened bedroom it was easier to forget his insubstantial nature than it was in direct sunlight. He was little more than a shadow as she sprinkled chia seeds over the top of her bowl.
“It’s a beautiful day,” he said, and she could hear the wistfulness in his voice. “I always loved fall.”
She picked up her bowl and went to join him at the window. Fairhaven Falls was always pretty, but she had to admit that fall was one of the highlights.
The sky was that deep brilliant blue that only ever seemed to occur at this time of year, a shocking contrast to the reds and golds and oranges which filled the town and climbed up the slopes of the surrounding mountains.
From here she could see the wide river that ran along one side of the town sparkling in the sunlight. The river ran from the falls which gave the town its name to the far end of the valley before disappearing out of sight.
A sudden swirl of white disturbed the peaceful surface and she caught the briefest glimpse of a tentacle before the water stilled again.
“Looks like Sam is fishing again,” she said, and Leo laughed.
“I imagine it’s hard to escape a kraken. I almost feel sorry for the fish.” There was another swirl of white, this one close to the small, isolated island in the middle of the stream where Sam lived. “I wonder if he ever gets lonely,” he added.
“I know he’s frequently at the riverfront, listening. But he never shows more than a tentacle, and no one ever goes to visit him.”
“It’s hard to be invisible.”
The sadness in Leo’s voice made her bite her lip as she realized that what she’d just said applied to him as well.
“You don’t think he’s lucky enough to have a pretty little roommate, do you?” he added, clearly trying to lighten the mood even though she could still feel his sadness.
Impulsively, she threw open the French doors to the balcony letting the cool autumn breeze swirl into the room, fresh and clean with just a hint of wood smoke. Those broad shoulders suddenly stiffened.
“What is it?” she asked.
“I’m not sure,” he said slowly. “It’s almost like I can smell the air. But I must be remembering other fall days. It’s not as if I still experience my senses.”
“That’s not entirely true. You can see—why wouldn’t you be able to smell?”
His nostrils flared again and then he bent towards her, his face only a few inches away from her neck. Rationally, she knew that he couldn’t breathe but it felt as if he did, as if his cool breath were traveling down the sensitive curve of her neck. A shiver ran down her spine but it wasn’t because she was cold. Her nipples tingled, stiffening beneath her dress.
“Sweet.”
His voice was even lower than usual, almost growling, and she shivered again as a sudden wave of desire washed over her. It wasn’t the first time she’d reacted to him, but they’d never been quite so close before. If she closed her eyes, she could almost imagine that he were kissing her neck. That his mouth could move down across her body. That he could…
She shuddered and took a hasty step away from him, trying to cover her reaction by quickly carrying her bowl over to the sink.
“That’s new,” she said, trying to sound casual. “You haven’t been able to pick up on scents before, have you?”
He moved over to join her, although he didn’t come quite so close this time.
“No. At least, I don’t think so.” He tilted his head to one side, the way he often did when he was thinking. “But now that I think about it, it may have been happening for a while—just so gradually that I didn’t really notice. But when you opened the doors it was as if autumn came sweeping into the room. Does that mean it will grow stronger? That I’ll be able to experience more?”
He looked so hopeful that her heart ached and she gave him a helpless look.
“I wish I knew, but I’ve never lived with a ghost for this long before.”Or with anyone, but she pushed that thought aside. “I know that some of your other abilities have been growing stronger, haven’t they? Like being able to pull the covers down.”