Page 20 of Gift for My Ghost

Gladys’s eyes twinkled.

“You needed a moment of calm, child. Now, let’s talk about your ghost. Are you both sure you want to do this?”

“Yes,” she said firmly, and Gladys hummed thoughtfully.

“You do understand that if he were to become corporeal, there would be nothing binding him to this place? He would be free to leave.”

And she would be alone again. The old fear raised its head, but she did her best to push it aside.

“I don’t believe that would happen, but at least he would be f-free.”And I would be happy for him.

“Very well. Wait here.”

Gladys disappeared inside the cottage but the peaceful courtyard was no longer sufficient to calm Jessica’s nerves. She forced herself to remain patiently at the table until the older woman reappeared, carrying a worn leather book.

“The Grimoire of the Veil,” she announced, placing it carefully on the table. “I believe it holds the answer to your… unique situation.”

Gladys flipped rapidly through the yellowed pages before stopping at one with a complicated design etched in a brown ink that looked suspiciously like faded blood. Jessica bit her lip but remained silent as Gladys leaned over the page and ran her finger over the words.

“This is the one. The ritual will need to be performed at midnight on All Hallow’s Eve, using this diagram. I’ll make a copy of it for you and give you this list of ingredients.” The older woman peered at her over the top of her glasses. “You have performed similar rituals in the past?”

“Yes, although I’m usually helping spirits on their way, not trying to get them to stay.”

“Then you understand that everything must be done precisely as instructed? Any mistake could have devastating consequences.”

“I understand,” she said quietly.

“There’s one more thing,” Gladys added. “The ritual will require a sacrifice.”

Her heart skipped a beat, her excitement faltering.

“A sacrifice?” she repeated, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Nothing comes without a price, child. To bring a spirit into our realm, something of equal value must be given up.”

“I’ll do whatever it takes,” she insisted, her voice steady despite the nervous flutter in her chest.

“You need to understand that a sacrifice doesn’t always mean something physical. It could be an emotional offering, something deeply personal.”

A shiver ran down her spine. What she might have to give up. The comfort of her independence? Or perhaps something even more profound? Her powers?

For a moment, doubt crept in, whispering insidiously in her ear. What if the sacrifice was too much? What if she wasn’t strong enough? But then Leo’s face appeared in her mind’s eye. His gentle smile, the warmth in his eyes, the way he made her feel safe and understood. He was worth whatever price she would have to pay.

“I understand.”

Gladys studied her face for a moment, then nodded.

“Very well. Then let us begin.”

CHAPTER 10

Leo hovered at one side of the living area as Jessica poured her friend a glass of wine. She’d told him that she planned to tell her friend about him, and he couldn’t decide if he was more pleased that wanted to reveal their… relationship or nervous about her friend’s reaction. Or both.

“I brought you three options for tops and three for bottoms,” Wendy said. “For bottoms we have jeans, this skirt, and leggings.”

She held up each one as she spoke. The jeans had small flowers embroidered around the hem, very similar to what had been popular in his time, and he could easily imagine the way they would cling to her long, slender legs. He shifted uncomfortably as his cock began to respond to the image. The skirt would come down to her calves, but it too would hug her curves, and he saw the uncertainty on her face.

Wendy must have seen it too, because she placed the clothes on the chair and sat down next to Jessica.

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