Page 15 of Hallowed Tree
“In the kitchen,” I said, feeling frustrated that I didn’t understand what they were asking of me.
The slam of a car door outside alerted us to the arrival of the new guests we’d been expecting. “You two get lost,” Scotty said. “I’ve got a job to do. Stevie, explain to Buck why this is his mystery to solve. And stay inside, please.”
The concern on his face guaranteed that Stevie wouldn’t be stepping one foot out of the manor until his little brother gave him the go-ahead.
After he hugged his brother goodbye, we both blinked out and reappeared in the bedroom I’d claimed as mine. “What are you and your brother going on about?”
Stevie shook his head. “Mr. Harry giving you a little affection has clearly rattled your brain. If Chance and Elyse don’t sense anything wrong out there, and Mr. Harry is freaked out, that leaves you.”
Exasperated, I fell back on my bed. I’d been working hard at getting past Harry’s barriers, and instead of being able to celebrate, they wanted me to…what? I didn’t know anything about trees.
Stevie sighed. “You really don’t get it, do you? It’s Chance’s property, right?”
“Exactly,” I said, happy he acknowledged that.
“And he takes care of us, and helps the spirits ready to cross over, right?”
I barely contained an eye roll. “Yes.”
“And from what I’ve heard, he’s been setting things to rights since he bought this place.”
Rolling my hand in a move-it-along gesture, I asked, “So what’s your point?” I needed him to hurry this up. I wanted to go check on Harry sooner rather than later.
“Well, if a man who sees spirits, and it’s his job to help them, can’t even sense what’s off, and it’s supernatural, then obviously it’s up to one of us to solve the problem. If all they’re seeing is a natural fungus, and they can’t feel anything weird in the air, then this must be anusproblem. As in, those of us who are deceased. Scotty’s forbidden me from going out to the pond so that only leaves you to investigate.”
Shaking my head, I admitted, “I’m confused.”
“Let me put it like this. The glowing fungi—”
“No,” I said. “They saw fungus, but I saw glowing sludge.”
Stevie’s head tilted. “So it didn’t even kind of look the same to you? Buck, that can’t be good. I know most of the live ones don’t have any real mythical powers and can only see and hear our side of things because of the ley lines and Chance, but don’t you think they should still feel and see what we do?
“I mean, come on, what if Harry had felt that weird absence of space and then just disappeared out of nowhere? What if that goo is part of the void, and it’s here to get us or trap us orsomething? Maybe they can’t see it because it doesn’t affect the living.”
I shook my head, clearing my thoughts. He was right. That explained why everyone, including Harry, had been freaking out. I really thought I’d been paying attention, but Stevie had been spot-on. I was so enamored with Harry and pumped about the progress I’d made with him today that I hadn’t been taking the situation seriously enough. This had to be a spirit realm issue, and I wouldn’t risk losing Harry now that he was finally open to giving me a shot.
Rubbing the back of my neck, I asked, “What do you think I should do?”
Stevie frowned. “I’m not sure. You’ve been here longer than me. Once I died, I only concentrated on trying to get Scotty to know I was still with him. If you think about it, I didn’t actually accomplish that on my own. It was Chance and his property that gave me the opportunity to connect with my brother again. I’d say ask Harry to help you figure it out, but…”
I shook my head as he trailed off. “That’s not an option. He was really freaked out.”
“So what are you going to do?”
Wasn’t that the million-dollar question?
Harry
Buck had been acting strangely today, odder than normal. I’d grown so accustomed to his lumbering presence hovering over me that his absence felt abnormal. I had to admit—if only to myself—it was stressing me out.
Had our interlude earlier meant nothing to him? Now that he knew I was interested, was he done with me? Fiddlesticks. I was too old for this. I was too dead for this. This kind of emotional turmoil was for the living.
“Mr. Harry, are you okay?” Skylar asked from the kitchen table.
I jumped at the sound of his voice. Elyse and Marc had left hours ago, and Chance and Jetty had retired to their room shortly after our guests turned in for the night. I thought the only people left roaming around down here were us ghosts. “Sorry, I didn’t realize you were still here.”
He stood up from his chair and joined me at the kitchen sink, staring out the window into the darkness. “Kingston went back out to the pond. I kind of wanted to wait around until I knew he returned safely.”
