“Thank you.” Mia got up and walked him to the door.
“So,” whispered Nate. “You planning on inviting anyone else back?”
She chuckled. “No, sir. Next one’s going to follow the usual rules.”
“Take care of yourself. Oh, you might get a bit of a break. I think ol’ Vic is kinda attached to the pastor. Hearing a bunch of weird stories coming from the corrections officers.”
“It would be nice if he stays away, but I’m not holding my breath it’ll last long.”
“Wish I could offer you more help on that front, but I only deal with the live ones.” Nate tipped his hat.
“Thanks for everything.”
“Happy it all worked out for you.” He nodded in farewell, then walked off to his patrol vehicle.
Mia shut the door, sighed, and returned to the kitchen.
“You’re going to ask about the house,” said Wilhelmina.
“Yeah.” Mia sank into her seat, frowning at her half sandwich. “It’s crazy of me, but I like this house. But if we need to leave to keep Robin safe…”
Adam fidgeted at his water glass. “We’d lose a lot of money selling so soon. And with the reputation this place has? It will be years before anyone buys it at a price that won’t be ruinous. If anyone does. Especially with the whole Weston-going-crazy story.”
“That might make it famous.” Wilhelmina wagged her eyebrows. “You’ll be movie stars.”
Mia cringed. “Pass.”
“I’ll be okay after I turn eight.” Robin looked up from her plate, her expression part eerie, part way-too-adult. “We can be safe here if we’re careful. Besides. He’ll follow me anyway, and I like that Willa lives down the street.”
“After you turn eight?” Mia blinked at her. “Why would…”
Robin flashed a creepy grin. “Once I turn eight, your souls are mine forever.”
Adam and Mia stared at her. She didn’t feel any strange paranormal dread in the air, but something in the girl’s eyes unsettled her.
Wilhelmina fought the urge to laugh.
“Hah. Got you!” chirped Robin, once again the picture of pure innocence. She raspberried, then shook her head. “I died at seven. The curse stops when I’m older than that.”
“Hmm.” Wilhelmina rubbed her chin. “It is possible that once she’s lived past the term of her first incarnation, his connection to her may break. Where did you get that from, child?”
Robin shrugged. “I dunno. It just made sense.”
“Oh, dear.” Wilhelmina glanced at Adam, shaking her head. “You’re doomed, young man. You’ve got two psychic women in the house.”
Adam brought his hands together with a clap. “Well, that settles it. We stay. This is home. We might as well enchant the place again.”
Wilhelmina nodded. “Couldn’t hurt.”
Robin hopped off her chair and crawled into Mia’s lap. “Can I help?”
“Sure,” said Wilhelmina. “If your parents are all right with it.”
Mia wrapped her arms around the little girl in her lap, hugging her close. “I don’t see why not… maybe I should help, too.”
“Every girl needs a little magic in her life.” Wilhelmina winked. “Never hurts to learn how to work a spell or two.”
fin
Acknowledgments
Thank you for reading The Spirits of Six Minstrel Run!
I’d also like to thank Alexandria Thompson for the amazing cover and Lee Sheridan for her help editing this book.
About the Author
Originally from South Amboy NJ, Matthew has been creating science fiction and fantasy worlds for most of his reasoning life. Since 1996, he has developed the “Divergent Fates” world, in which Division Zero, Virtual Immortality, The Awakened Series, The Harmony Paradox, and the Daughter of Mars series take place. Along with being an editor at Curiosity Quills press, he has worked in IT and technical support.
Matthew is an avid gamer, a recovered WoW addict, Gamemaster for two custom RPG systems, and a fan of anime, British humour, and intellectual science fiction that questions the nature of reality, life, and what happens after it.
He is also fond of cats.
Visit me online at:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MatthewSCoxAuthor
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/matthewcox10420/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7712730.Matthew_S_Cox
Email: [email protected]
Other books by Matthew S. Cox
Divergent Fates Universe Novels
Division Zero series
Division Zero
Lex De Mortuis
Thrall
Guardian
Harbinger
The Awakened series
Prophet of the Badlands
Archon’s Queen
Grey Ronin
Daughter of Ash
Zero Rogue
Angel Descended
Daughter of Mars series
The Hand of Raziel
Araphel
Ghost Black
Virtual Immortality series
Virtual Immortality
The Harmony Paradox
Divergent Fates Anthology
(Fiction Novels - Adult)
The Roadhouse Chronicles Series
One More Run
The Redeemed
Dead Man’s Number
Faded Skies series
Heir Ascendant
Ascendant Unrest
Ascendant Revolution
Temporal Armistice Series
Nascent Shadow
The Shadow Collector
The Gate to Oblivion
Vampire Innocent series
A Nighttime of Forever
A Beginner’s Guide to Fangs
The Artist of Ruin
The Last Family Road Trip
Standalones
Wayfarer: AV494
Axillon99
Chiaroscuro: The Mouse and the Candle
The Spirits of Six Minstrel Run
The Far Side of Promise anthology
Operation: Chimera (with Tony Healey)
The Dysfunctional Conspiracy (with Christopher Veltmann)
Winter Solstice series (with J.R. Rain)
Convergence
Containment
Catalyst
Alexis Silver series (with J.R. Rain)
Silver Light
Deep Silver
Samantha Moon Origins series (with J.R. Rain)
New Moon Rising
Moon Mourning
Maddy Wimsey series (with J.R. Rain)
The Devil’s Eye
The Drifting Gloom
Samantha Moon Case Files series (with J.R. Rain)
Blood Moon
Vampire for Hire series (with J.R. Rain)
Moon Master
Dead Moon
Young Adult Novels
Caller 107
The Summer the World Ended
Nine Candles of Deepest Black
The Eldritch Heart
The Cursed Crown
The Forest Beyond the Earth
Out of Sight
Evergreen
Middle Grade Novels
Tales of Widowswood series
Emma and the Banderwigh
Emma and the Silk Thieves
Emma and the Silverbell Faeries
Emma and the Elixir of Madness
Emma and the Weeping Spirit
Standalones
Citadel: The Concordant Sequence
The Cursed Codex
The Menagerie of Jenkins Bailey
Sophie’s Light
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The Spirits of Six Minstrel Run Page 34