Page 31 of Edge of Wonder

“Alice!”

My eyes snapped open.

I sucked in a breath, dizzy from the panic coursing through my veins. Sweat cooled against my skin as I rolled to a seated position and hung my head between my hands. The dreams were back, almost as if they’d never stopped. And it appeared the restful night at Julian’s cottage had been a fluke. I ground my palms into my eyes as the visions faded and the memory of the night terror disintegrated into a pool of dread.

The first rays of morning light seeped through the window beside the bed, and outside, wheels clattered over the cobblestones from carriages rumbling past the inn. I glanced at a clock on the nightstand, wincing as pain pounded in my temples.

Andrew was meeting me in the lobby in a few hours to complete our arrangement, and then I planned to catch the next ride out of town. The sooner the better. I lay back in bed, knowing sleep wouldn't come, and not just because of the night terror, but because consciousness came with reliving the previous night in excruciating detail.

What had I been thinking? I’d almost kissed Alice, which would have been a huge mistake. I chalked it up to the gravity of bringing her back from the dead. The whole thing was confusing and unexpected. I said goodbye to ghosts, not welcomed them back to the living. My equilibrium was off balance, nothing more.

Except there was more, and that was why I’d preferred to risk a night terror versus lying awake with my mind in full recall. It was the safer option. Not that it did me much good in the morning, though.

I just needed a fresh start. A few days into a new job, and I’d be able to put this all behind me. I’d be free for the first time in my life! Alice was starting her journey home without me, but she’d find her way through the challenges. She was resourceful and resilient—had no experience in hand-to-hand combat, wasn’t skilled in wilderness survival, and had almost been done in by a spider in her hair. I pinched the bridge of my nose and groaned. Alice was probably going to get herself killed in the first challenge if she even made it that far.

Climbing out of bed, I shook the grim thoughts from my mind and focused on the day ahead. I’d need to replenish some supplies, and there was plenty of time before I had to meet Andrew. A pair of new boots would be good, maybe a sharper blade, compass, rope—not exactly ghost hunting gear, but it was best to be prepared.

I gathered my belongings and left the room, heading toward the market. After spending a small fortune on fresh supplies, I made it back to the inn by midmorning and found Andrew seated in the lobby. He gestured for me to follow him into a dim dining area.

Pulling out a stool at the bar, he ordered us a drink. I waved mine away and slid a ring of keys across the counter. “The ghost has been taken care of.”

Andrew rubbed his palms together and flashed me a toothy grin. “Excellent. I’ll resume repairs this week. I have some parties interested in buying the place already.” He retrieved a bag of coins and exchanged them for the set of keys. The pouch landed on the counter with a heavy thunk, betraying its worth. “Here’s the rest of your fee. Did my uncle give you any trouble?”

“You could say that. But I promise you won’t have any more issues with him. He’s long gone.” And had been for quite a while. But there was no way I was telling Andrew about Alice. All that mattered was that the Granger cottage was currently ghost free.

“Glad to hear it.” Andrew downed his drink in a few deep gulps. He wiped his whiskers with the sleeve of his shirt and asked, “Where are you headed next?”

“Up the coast. I got a lead on a new job. That’s the thing about ghost hunting; death is predictable. There’s always another ghost that needs vanquishing.” My words sounded strange out loud. I got into ghost hunting for the thrill of adventure, and now I made it sound like it was a stale experience. No different from the predestined outcome I’d been running from.

I tried again, infusing some enthusiasm into my tone. “What I mean is, this one could be big. There’s a castle up north that sits on the edge of a treacherous cliff, and over the years, numerous people have jumped from the crumbling turrets to their death.” I leaned in and lifted an eyebrow. “Though some say they were pushed, their screams echoing all the way to the rocks below. Either way, the place is supposedly crawling with ghosts. The job will be worth a fortune in publicity alone.”

Andrew’s features paled as I described the scene, and he looked a little queasy even as he ordered another drink. “Sounds promising.”

“Yeah. They’ll probably write me into another book.” I rubbed my temples where my headache from earlier continued to throb.

A commotion at the door had Andrew lifting his arm in greeting at the man entering the dining area. He took a table near the back, scraping the chair across the floor, before settling his bulky frame.

His hair was dark and closely cropped, emphasizing a wide neck marked with a tattoo of a snake slithering through a black diamond. A scowl anchored his face, along with a thick brow and a harsh nose. He pulled a dagger out of a sheath and scratched the tip into the tabletop while staring us down from across the room.

“Do you know that man?”

Andrew nodded. “I do. He’s my next appointment. He wants a tour of the property.”

“Is he local?”

“No. Never seen him around here before. But that doesn't matter to me so long as his money is good. He tracked me down earlier this morning and has been quite insistent. I plan to take him to the cottage after we’re through here.”

My shoulders tensed. That was cutting it close. And what if Tessa had trouble opening the portal? “Actually, wait a day or two. After a haunting, it's best to let the area settle or…” I wracked my mind, trying to come up with a suitable lie. “There could be remnants—spiritual energy from the other side searching for a host. It'll clear up on its own, but you don't want to risk an accidental possession.”

Andrew choked on his drink. “Possession?”

“Yeah, I've seen it before. It's brutal. Better stay away.”

“I-I will,” he stammered. "Good to know.” The strange man in the back hadn’t stopped staring, and Andrew picked up his drink, intending to head over. “Well, it’s been interesting doing business with you. I should handle my prospective buyer. Best of luck to you.” He tipped his glass and left me sitting at the bar.

I couldn’t shake the unsettling feeling gnawing at my insides. Something wasn’t right. The man’s tattoo was vaguely familiar. But that didn’t mean it was related to Alice. Unsavory men with villainous-looking tattoos and razor-sharp daggers bought property all the time. I snarled under my breath, not believing my excuses for a second. Reaching for the bag of coins, I tucked the pouch into my jacket pocket when my fingers brushed against a metal chain.

No…Inside my pocket was Alice’s necklace. In all the chaos, I never returned it to her, and she’d need the device to enter the challenge.

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