Page 9 of Spellbinding Spirit

“Appreciate it,” he says, though his tone is amused. “Let me know if Sally chimes in though. I’d hate to miss her big debut.”

I roll my eyes. There’s a part of me that hopes I’ll find something—anything—to justify dragging Sebastian through an attic all night. I press play and listen carefully, skipping past the creaks and thuds we’d heard while setting up. Most of it is just the usual static, my voice asking questions into the void, and Sebastian occasionally chiming in with his dry commentary.

I’m halfway through the recording when I hear it.

It’s faint. So faint I almost miss it, but it’s there. Just after I ask,“Is George with you, Sally?”there’s a sound. At first I think it’s just interference but when I replay it my stomach flips. It’s a voice. A quiet, breathy“No.”

My heart starts pounding and I pull the headphones off, staring at the recorder like it’s suddenly come alive.

“What?” Sebastian asks, glancing over his shoulder. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost. Pun intended.”

“There’s... something on the tape,” I say, my voice quieter than I intended.

He turns off the hob and walks over, wiping his hands on a tea towel. “What kind of something?”

I hand him the headphones and rewind the file to the right spot. “Listen for yourself.”

Sebastian puts the headphones on, his expression sceptical but curious. I watch him closely as he listens, his brow furrowing slightly. When he hears it his eyes widen just a fraction but he doesn’t say anything until he pulls the headphones off.

“That’s... interesting,” he says, carefully neutral.

“Interesting?” I repeat, crossing my arms. “It’s a voice. A voice sayingno.That’s not just interesting that’s—”

“It could be interference,” he says, though he sounds less certain than usual. “Or maybe one of us shifting around and making a noise.”

“You think either of us made a noise that sounds like‘no’right after I asked a direct question? I’ve been doing this for a long time. I know the difference between a no and a creak,” I counter, my tone sharper than I mean it to be.

Sebastian holds up his hands in mock surrender. “I’m just saying let’s not jump to conclusions. Weird stuff happens with these recorders sometimes.”

I bite my lip, trying to rein in my frustration. He’s not really dismissing me, but I can tell he doesn’t want to believe it.

“Okay,” I say, taking a deep breath. “Let’s say it’s not interference. If it’s not one of us and it’s not the equipment... then what?”

Sebastian shrugs but there’s a flicker of something in his expression. Unease maybe. Or curiosity. “Then I guess Sally’s got something to say after all.”

I smile though my mind is racing. “I’m playing it again,” I say, hitting rewind.

We listen to the clip three more times, both of us straining to pick apart the sound but it doesn’t change. It’s still there, still quiet but undeniably human.

“I’ll admit,” Sebastian finally says, leaning back in his chair, “that’s not... nothing.”

“That’s the closest you’ve ever come to believing,” I tease.

“Let’s not get carried away,” he says, but there’s a glint in his eye. “I’m just saying... maybe there’s more to Sally’s story than the myths of time.”

I want to press him and dig deeper into whatever he’s feeling but the timer on the oven beeps and he’s up again, dishing out plates of food like nothing happened.

“Breakfast is served,” he says, sliding a plate in front of me. “Consider it fuel for the day ahead.”

“Thanks,” I say, smiling as I pick up my fork. The food is perfect of course, but my mind keeps wandering back to the tape. To that voice. To Sally. Maybe I want her to be real way more than I usually do, just because her story moves me so much.

Whatever happens next I know one thing for sure: I’m not done with trying to help her.

Chapter 5

Catherine

The morning sunlight filtersthrough the kitchen window as I push my plate away, unfinished. The breakfast was excellent. Sebastian’s cooking skills never disappoint but I’m distracted by the thought that’s been buzzing in my mind.

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