Page 95 of Tortured Soul
“It was nothing, Ann,” I countered, clicking on the mouse repeatedly like a lunatic. “Dimitri said ‘party trick’, but I’ve seen him do worse to the furniture during sex.”
Her eyes widened before she giggled, hiding her face behind her hands.
“Oh dear, too much information, Lola.”
I grinned, but yelped as my chair was pulled back from my desk, rolling until it stopped inches away from a shelf.
“What—”
The computer turned off and weird sounds echoed in the large room, like someone was slapping on it repeatedly.
The room shook before it all went quiet.
Ann and I exchanged a wide eyed glance.
I jumped as the computer turned back on again with its usual welcome tone.
“—the fuck?” Ann whisper yelled, looking around.
I shrieked again when my chair was pushed back to the desk. The keyboard clicked without my hands touching it and little dots appeared on the password bar.
The familiar background appeared on the screen as the “enter” key was pressed and the room went back to total silence.
“Hum…” I clicked on the database icon. It opened.Okay…“Thank you, Maggie?”
A cup appeared on the desk next to my hand and rattled against its saucer, the milk foam covered by a heart made of cocoa powder.
“I swear I’d be freaked out if she wasn’t so frigging nice,” Ann breathed out, casting wary glances around the room and she jumped too when a plate of cookies materialized on the coffee table in front of her.
Where did Maggie find all this? I preferred not to think about it. Best case scenario, she stole them from Aymeric’s bakery. Worst one? Yeah…I wasn’t sure what ghosts used to create pastries and coffee.
“Thank you,” I repeated softly.
We resumed our conversation like nothing happened, ignoring the fact that Maggie, our friendly archives ghost, just beat up the computer and offered us beverages and snacks before going back to do whatever she was occupying herself with like it was a normal day.
How I would hate to be Carter. She could be terrifying.
“We’re the Guardians,” Ann resumed. “Our role is to ensure everyone is safe. I’m surprised Arc let it go so easily.”
I wouldn’t qualify what happened by “letting it go easily.” I was certain that I’d get an earful about this whole mess the second we set foot in his house. Because, yes; Marcus had sent me a text saying I had to come pick up my stuff as his body revolted at the mere thought of walking in front of my room.
I guess the stone was effective, then. But it also meant that I wouldn’t be sleeping there tonight.
Damn binding promise.
“Arc knows Dimitri is powerful,” I answered, choosing not to talk about the tracker they found in the cabins and tried this morning. “And Dimitri wouldn’t have budged anyway. So it’s a good thing Arc caved.”
Ann opened her mouth to talk but the door rattled as someone tried to open it and failed. Repeatedly.
Arc’s voice in my memories made me flinch.
“If someone comes here with malevolent intent, the archives will deny them access.”
When I recognized Carter on the other side, my anxiety didn’t lessen.
“For fuck’s sake. Let me in, you damn ghost!”
But Maggie didn’t. What was he doing here? It was the first time I’d seen him being refused entrance.
