by Viola Grace
She turned onto the offramp and headed for the Abbey.
Leo opened the door for her, and Hecate stepped in. The restaurant had been renovated since her childhood, but it was still the same arched ceiling overhead.
The server grabbed menus and led them to a table that overlooked the cemetery.
Leonard asked casually, “See anyone that you know?”
“No, but then, there is no reason to see anyone in the cemetery.” She shrugged.
“Why not?”
“Because Sister Abigail Agnes is sitting at that booth over there, people watching.” She flicked her glance to the corner where the ghost was simply sitting and enjoying the mid-week lunch guests.
“Seriously?”
“Seriously.” She looked over the menu and sighed in relief as she saw a heavy-duty steak. It would help her temperature, and it was tasty. The restaurant here knew how to grill.
She ordered her meal, and Leo duplicated it with a grin. When the server left with the menus, Hecate asked him, “So, why are you grinning?”
“When we started dating, Esmy said I ate like her sister. I thought she was joking.”
Hecate was startled into a bright laugh. “I do eat like a teenage boy.”
“Or a werewolf.”
She snickered. “Or that. I eat to warm myself up. The digestive process is a wonderful chemical and mechanical dance, and if I can get enough hard-to-digest mass in, I can raise my temperature by five degrees. Nearly normal.”
“So, you have opted for the prime rib at the wedding?”
Hecate sat back while the water was delivered, without ice. “I believe I did. I really hope I can be there.”
“I noticed that you weren’t scheduled for the head table.”
She wrinkled her nose. “My stepdad is not very fond of me. I freak him out, so I tend to stay as far away from him as I can.”
He paused and looked at her in surprise. “But Andrew seems like such a nice guy.”
“Yeah, he does if you aren’t a teenage girl with a grandmother haunting her. He was more upset about my mother’s mother being in the house than he was my seeing ghosts, but I think that was just because she didn’t like my mom choosing another white boy. To keep my calling from taking place in the house, they helped me get enough savings together to buy a car, and from then on, when the living called, I was able to drive around to find the ghost.” She wrinkled her nose. “I just couldn’t bring them home, and I had to take them with me. My mom gave me my dad’s kit, and there is a bunch of stuff that I almost never use, but most of it becomes handy on a daily basis.”
“So, you bought a place in the country.”
“Yes, in Outwood. It is a lot with nothing on it but my cottage and support systems. The ghosts are free to roam, visit local farms, spend time with only others of their kind, or meditate and focus on the loved ones that they were haunting.”
“Interesting afterlife.”
“Oh, this isn’t the afterlife, this is the area with the severe tire damage warnings. They died, they got stuck with their own love, care, or obsession. The living clung to them in return. So, the only thing to do is wait out the lives of the living that they are attached to so they can unite once more.”
“I have seen the ghosts of magic users but never ordinary humans.”
Hecate smile. “It is a difference of scale. The mages who die are attracted to magic, and that is where they flow. The humans who die, simply, remain next to the person or place of their choosing. They are beings ruled by emotion, not intellect and not magic.”
“So, how did your father...”
Hecate shrugged. “We don’t know. It is a family mystery, but my mother swears that he came back to her after he had been in the crash, and he explained everything, including all of his accounts and savings. He wanted her and my sister taken care of.”
Leo raised his brows. “Not you?”
“He didn’t know about me. No one did until my mother delivered Esmy. I was a bit of a surprise. Apparently, I didn’t show up on any scans.”
She sat quietly when their food arrived.
Leo asked, “Would you be willing to meet with my aunt and a cousin of mine? They might be able to enlighten you on your origin.”
She smiled and took a knife and fork to the steak. “I already know how I got here. I don’t know why, but I know that my mom and dad had a final farewell. That is my most likely point of origin.”
“But, ghosts can’t...” He made a gesture with his hand. “You know.”
“I know, but I am still here, so I came from somewhere.”
“You haven’t ever found out the particulars?”
“No. I am not a magic user. I am just a ghost extractor. Nothing more.” She wrinkled her nose and dug into her meal. As she ate, she felt herself warming up. It was a rare-enough pleasure that she savoured it.
Chapter Four
Hecate ignored the heavily accented English as she ate her way through the delightful treat. The nun had finally recognized her and was sitting next to her, talking in excited tones.
“You are back! I thought you would not come back. Your parents looked very upset when you told them about me.” The Sister’s voice held the hiss of excitement.
Hecate sped up her perceptions, and she spoke quietly. “The man I am with is my sister’s fiancé. We are meeting for the first time, and I am trying to be honest without looking like an insane person.” She glanced over and smiled. “But I am glad to see you here as well.”
“You can still see me?”
“I can. You look as perfectly pressed as the day that you died.”
“Thank you. You have grown into a lovely woman.”
“Thank you. Are things calm here?”
“I was worried about the renovations, but they left the bulk of the structure intact, so I have not been protesting.”
Hecate chuckled. “I am glad you are content.”
“After you eat, if you take a walk on the grounds, may I speak with you privately?”
“Certainly.” She nodded respectfully to the nun. “I am going to resume my meal now. I really need to warm up a bit.”
“Of course. I look forward to our conversation.”
She smiled brightly and slowed her perceptions again, finishing a cut through the steak.
Leo was looking at her curiously. “Something just happened there.”
“Sister Abigail Agnes wants to have a talk with me after lunch. If we could walk the grounds for a bit?”
“Of course. You were talking to her in that moment?”
“Yes. Ghosts can slow down the living world and communicate at the speed of thought. It is easier for me to do that than to speak to them in real-time.” She put her hand over her mouth when she chewed. “I look less crazy that way.”
“Very sensible. Esmy was right. Our consumption styles do match.”
She looked down, and most of the steak was gone, her potato had been gutted, and there was only the trace of the roasted vegetables left on her plate. She looked at his plate, and he had slightly more baked potato left.
She grinned and lifted her knife and fork. “Race you.”
His answer was to spring into action, and the race was on.
His cutlery was set on his plate a moment before hers followed suit.
She grimaced. “Darn. You won. Dessert?”
He smiled. “Apple pie and ice cream?”
“Done.”
The server came over, took their order with a grin, and she promised to warm up the pie.
While they waited, Leo asked her a question that she didn’t expect. “You don’t hang around with other paranormals, do you?”
She blinked. “I haven’t really considered myself paranormal. I am just a hybrid.”
“I think you could benefit from a little exposure to paranormal folk. I promise that we have very large buffets.” He wrinkled his nose and smiled.
; “I don’t think that would be a good idea.”
Leo frowned. “Why not?”
“I don’t think that my hanging around with my sister’s new husband and her family will make Esmy feel particularly at ease.”
“You think that Esmy will not be in favour of it?”
Hecate blinked rapidly. “It has happened before. She needs people more than I do, so it is best that she start her new family strong with good ties.”
Leo cocked his head, and he smiled. “I think she is going to have to come to the realization that you need socialization as much as she does.”
The pie came, and she raised her fork. She stabbed it into the pie, and her body welcomed the warmth. The pie was great, the ice cream had been made at the Abbey, and when it was gone, she was sad.
Leo set down his fork after she did hers. “You win dessert.”
She chuckled. “I did.”
Leo said, “Not to be indelicate, but how do you make money?”
She inhaled and exhaled slowly. “I have a portion of my father’s trust. I also charge the humans who call a few thousand dollars on average for a ghost extraction.” She sipped some water. “I also have inherited a bit of money from the humans that I have worked with.”
He narrowed his eyes. “You go back to them?”
She snorted. “No. I have a policy. I get the call, I get the payment, I explain things, and remove or release the ghost, and then, if they need a counsellor, I put them in contact with a registered counsellor who works pro-bono for my clients.”
“Why would they do that?”
“Because I extracted her daughter, and Amber and her mother like to chat now and then. I let Amber keep an eye on her mother until they both leave this mortal coil. We all win.”
“Why do the family members will you money?”
She narrowed her eyes. “I think their ghosts ask them to do it. It is why I don’t contact the client. Ever. They contact me, and I don’t go back and forth with any form of communication. I have been questioned by the police before as not all heirs are fans of having a portion of the money that they didn’t earn and don’t deserve given to someone who is described as a psychic. The police have interviewed me four times, and nothing ever turns up. That is why I don’t do the contact unless they call me.”
“Wow. Yikes. How do the police treat you?”
“Fair for the most part. Their batteries go flat if they drive their cars onto my property, so they know that there is something going on that goes far beyond the normal.”
“The ghosts?”
“It isn’t me.” She chuckled. “It makes their visits all worthwhile when I have to get the emergency charger and the cables out.”
The server returned and blinked at the empty dishes. “One check?”
Leo smiled. “I have it.”
The server smiled at him and left.
Hecate frowned. “I will pay for mine.”
“No, you are about to become my sister. Consider this the price of the introduction.”
She narrowed her eyes. “I don’t make people pay to hang around with me.”
Leonard nodded. “I understand. However, I am about to become your brother, and that comes with certain responsibilities. Making sure you are fed is now going to become one of my primary goals when we are in the same place.”
She felt her cheeks heat. “You don’t have to do that.”
“I want to. I have never had a younger sister, so you are going to fill in that gap.” He smiled brightly. “And you and Esmy are physically very different, so nothing will get creepy.”
She snorted. “It does come in handy for some things.”
The bill arrived, and he paid for it with the tap of his card. It went back into his wallet, and she got to her feet. “I just have to chat with the Sister.”
“May I join you?”
“You won’t be able to see or hear her, so I am just going to look a little mad.”
“Not a problem. When you meet my family, you will understand. Esmy still isn’t used to them, but I think you are going to have an easier time adjusting to the association.”
They walked side by side. “So, she did get used to them.”
“Yes, she did. They took to her quite easily. I believe they were happy that I found someone so normal to love.”
“Esmy is an amazing woman. She is blissfully normal, but that adds to her list of admirable qualities.” Hecate chuckled.
“Farah is also very normal. Very human. She and Andrew make a good couple.”
She nodded. “My mom is a loving woman who wants nothing but the best for her children. She isn’t always sure how to go about it, but she wants it for us.”
The air outside was crisp with the scent of autumn. Leo’s phone rang, so he hung back as she continued to Sister Abigail Agnes.
“So, Sister, what would you like to discuss?”
“There is a ghost hunter on the way, and I might need to call for help. Can I call upon you?”
“A ghost hunter? What is that?”
Sister Abigail Agnes shivered. “I have dodged three of them since I have been in this condition. They come, and they use chants and whips to tear the ghosts from their moorings, forcing us to float loose in the world, or we are destroyed in a wave.”
“They are here to do evil?”
“No, they judge all ghosts as evil or a drain on the living, and they try to tear us free. I don’t like it. None of us do.”
“How many ghosts have been alerted?”
“I have heard it from the seventeen at the other ruins around the city.”
“Ah, the hotline.”
“Correct. Can you do something about him?” The Sister wrapped her fingers in her rosary. She was scared.
“Call me if he shows up here or you sense him approaching. I will get here as quickly as I can, but you will need to hide. You are a well-known ghost. If he knows where to find you, it won’t matter how fast my vehicle is. You will need to go deep and anchor yourself to a safe place.” She looked at the statue near the cemetery. It wasn’t a statue of the Sister; it was a statue of the original patron of the Abbey. He hadn’t been an attractive man, but he had led a pious retirement when he handed his estates over to his family. The Abbey had commissioned a statue two years before his death. It had been finished two weeks before he died, and his body was buried in a mausoleum further into the grounds. His soul had passed peacefully, or so the Sister had told her.
“I understand. It is a safe place. The supports for that statue run deep.”
“I know that the bronze and steel will be uncomfortable, but it goes down to the bedrock and will keep you safe.” Hecate asked in a low tone, “Do you know of any others who are in danger?”
“No, but I will tell your lodgers what I know via our network.”
It was so odd to hear a two-hundred-year-old ghost use words like network, but Hecate didn’t comment on it. “I will wait for your communication.”
Sister Abigail Agnes smiled and inclined her head. “Thank you. I will keep you in my prayers.”
“I can use all the help I can get.” She nodded to the ghost, and then, she looked for Leo. He had wandered away and was on the phone.
The Sister was gone when Hecate turned back to her.
Leo approached and said, “Can we make a stop before you return me to my car in the city?”
“Sure. Where do you want to go?”
“Sargent. I need to introduce you to a few people before you meet them at the rehearsal dinner.”
“I am not invited to the rehearsal.” She smiled softly.
“We have less than a month. You will be invited to the rehearsal.”
“Esmy won’t like it.”
“She wants you there, she just doesn’t quite know how to go about it.”
They got into her car, and she said, “Oak Point Way.”
The car started, and the directions came up. It was
only twenty minutes away.
“You have voice command in your vehicle?” Leo looked at the screen and the icon glowing as their destination.
“I will just say yes. It is easier than the actual explanation.” She chuckled.
They pulled out of the lot, and the gravel crunched under the tires as she waited to get onto the highway, and then, she accelerated smoothly to match the speed limit.
“So, who are we going to meet?”
“My parents, Laura and Verne Fisher; the Nexus, Abby and her husband Xander; and the head of the creature council and her husband, Seesee and Miklos.” He chuckled. “And some of my cousins or siblings might be running around.”
“Why are we going there?”
“I am not introducing you as my soon-to-be sister-in-law. I am introducing you as a paranormal specialist in the human realm. There are things about magic that could help you, and the people in my little neighborhood could definitely let you get a bit more of an education.”
Education. She could always use more of that. It was also just barely noon. She had time.
Chapter Five
Hecate smiled in amusement when Leo asked, “How can you see Oak Point Way on your navigation? It does not normally show up.”
“Ah, it isn’t normal navigation. Some of my... clients... participate in being my backup. Right now, there are...” She counted, “Four ghosts in this car, backing up the electrical system and acting as navigation and communication.”
Leo blinked. “Ghosts.”
“Yes, Leo. That is what I do for a living.” She chuckled and glided the car off the highway and into the small town of Sargent.
She drove through the sleepy village and found the turn she was looking for.
“Wow, I thought for sure I was going to have to guide you in.”
“I am full of surprises.”
“The house to the left.”
She made her way around and parked in front of the house he indicated.
She unbuckled and got out of the car, following Leo to the front door.
He knocked, and a voice yelled, “Come in!”