Page 19 of Seducing Jenny
I tried a little flattery. “You’re too clever not to have a theory.”
“I don’t know for sure, but Abacus thinks his ghost is trapped on the island, and that’s a good enough theory for me.”
“What do you mean, trapped on the island?” I pushed. “Ghosts don’t leave a body before it’s dead. Everybody knows that.”
Trunk shrugged. “I’ve never trusted whateverybody knows, because history shows that everybody is often wrong.”
“Fair point, but what makes you think Abacus could be right?”
“Well,” he said, his voice lowering as he glanced around the path, “sometimes things move in the house. Doors slam. Chairs end up on tables. Once, the laundry was completely done, and none of us touched it.”
Interesting.“You four live on an island with nothing but books for fun. You really think none of you would pull a prank like that?”
“We all swore it wasn’t us,” he said adamantly. “Maybe you’ll see it happen for yourself.”
I wasn’t fully convinced, but the thought was peculiar enough to capture my imagination. Ghosts leaving a body before it was dead…such fables were tales for children, to scare them into good behavior. The idea was preposterous but reminded me of a book I had loved as a child. A simple picture book called,Scout the Cina.
That night before bed, I went to Credo’s room. Not to look for his ghost, but to read to the old man. The island’s book collection was extensive—every room had a full bookshelf—and by sheer luck, I found the one I’d remembered.
I sat next to Credo and began reading the first chapter out loud, the words making me nostalgic for the first time I had read them. “On the reddest day of the bloodiest battle, Scout the Cina said a prayer of thanks to Kable for the bounty of bodies before him. His family would eat well for weeks, after the last Ladrian had fallen…”
I was halfway through the book by the time it happened. Credo’s bedspread flipped up over the edge of the bed by his feet. He hadn’t moved. I was sure of it. I had been reading to Credo for over twenty minutes, so I was mostly sure I was alone in the bedroom. But someone with enough patience…
Trunk is playing a prank. Has to be.
I snuck around the bed, still reading so Trunk wouldn’t know I was onto him. When I peeked around the other side of it, no one was there. The bedspread corner was still over the edge, as though someone had flipped it, so the white sheets beneath were exposed. Setting the book onto the bed, I crouched down to look under the bed.
No one.
No unusual seams in the floorboards. No hatch for someone to pass through. And no dust. So, either the staff was quite clean,or someone had been under the bed. I even felt the underside of the box frame to see if the trickster had tucked themselves up there.
Still no one.
It unnerved me as I stood, hands on my hips, looking at Credo.This makes no sense. I’d heard that when a ghost was near, the air went cold and wondered whether the impossible could be possible on Credo’s island.
Suddenly, my ankles were cool. My heart paused, while my mind searched for a logical explanation. The sea breeze gusted, blowing at the sheet corner where my bare ankles happened to be. I rolled my eyes at myself and almost laughed at my foolishness. I huffed, smoothed the bedspread back into place, and returned to the chair to finish the book for Credo.
Can’t believe I was getting caught up in that nonsense.
Still, my eyes wandered to the corner of the bed now and then until I finished the book.
Back in my room, I lay down for the night and thought of the silliness of a ghost leaving its living body. Ridiculous. Just childish musings.
But even as I pulled the covers over myself, the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end.
So why did it suddenly feel like something was watching me?
CHAPTER 6
Tiger
“It’s like looking in a mirror,” Jenny breathed, astonished at the resemblance of her human donor.
The girl standing before her shrugged. “That’s the point, right?”
The donor, Jenny, Discord and I were in the ballroom with the curtains closed. With the black floors and dark heavy curtains, it was like night in the morning. But we couldn’t let anyone see Jenny and the donor at the same time, or the game would be given away.
Jenny laughed, still staring at her. “Yeah, I just…wow.” She turned to Discord. “Nicely done.”
