He disappeared around the corner, and I looked at our shy cook. “If my nose is correct, those rolls are almost done?” I asked, and the ghost smiled.
“Yes,” he said smiling his face showing how shy he must be, “they are almost done.”
I could tell something significant had just happened. Orville had made it clear that Cook, as they’d called him, didn’t like to be seen. Now Lucious, clearly the cook they’d been referring to, was not only being seen but communicating with us.
“I could use one or a thousand about now,” I said, and my stomach growled.
Lucious chuckled. “There are rolls cooling in the basket behind you,” he said, and I turned and saw the basket sitting on the butler’s pantry shelf covered with a towel.
“Can I have three?” I asked when I pulled the towel off, and the amazing scent hit me harder.
Lucious laughed. “You’re the boss. You can have as many as you want. I’m making more now,” he said.
I plopped three on a plate and sat across the island from where Lucious was still kneading. When I bit into the cinnamon roll, my mouth burst with flavor. “Oh my God, I might be in love. Lucious, can ghosts marry the living?” I asked just as Owen came in behind me.
“Get in line. I’ve already proposed,” he said but bent over and kissed my neck before sitting beside me, stealing one of my rolls, and stuffing it in his mouth.
“Oh, Damian, do you want coffee? Lucious said they get the beans from…what’s the name of the place?” he asked.
Lucious, who was blushing, which I didn’t know ghosts could do, answered, “Soratories Beanery.”
“Yeah, please,” I said as I continued devouring the amazing rolls while Owen poured coffee and the ghost in front of us continued working.
When I tasted the coffee, I moaned with pleasure. “Lucious, this is amazing. The best coffee in Seattle, which is saying a lot. Where is this beanery?” I asked.
Lucious shrugged. “Not where you can get to it. Okay, maybe you can, but Owen can’t,” he said without looking up.
“Oh, a ghostly establishment?” I said, and Lucious snickered.
“Yes, something like that.”
“I don’t understand,” Owen stated as he sat down. “How can ghosts make stuff that we can eat and drink? I mean, no offense, but I’ve never heard of all this happening anywhere else.”
Images flowed through my mind with explanations of how things worked. I glanced over at Lucious, who made no attempt to explain, clearly leaving it to me.
“Essence,” I told Owen. “Ghosts don’t eat food or drink like we do. But all things have an essence. So, just like when they’re alive, they can make food. They can also participate in our food rituals, correct?” I asked Lucious, who nodded.
“But that still doesn’t explain how Lucious can cook for us, and have we even ever been shopping? Where do the ingredients come from?” he asked.
I laughed. “I think my predecessor is responsible. I can’t see his actions, not like I can understand magic and the process of magical things, but Lucious, am I right to assume that the old wizard before me did something to make essence accessible to the living?”
“Yes, that’s correct. Owen, I can show you how to make the rest of the rolls now if you wish.”
Owen hopped up and went over to Lucious’s side of the island. “We use butter here,” he said, pointing at the bowl. “Smear it on really well.”
I watched as Lucious had Owen do one step after another until the rolls were cut and put to one side to continue rising. “So, the wizard…opened up the possibility that ghosts cancreate in the realm of the living. Is that why so many ghosts reside here?” I asked.
Lucious didn’t respond at first, but finally, he nodded. “You should ask Orville,” he said, then sighed. “Are you going to kick us out or give us to the witches?” he suddenly asked, his ghostly face blooming red.
“Of course I’m not!” I replied, surprised at the question.
“You let a witch into your home, something the other wizard never did. Everyone is saying you aren’t going to be the ally Elias was.”
“Oh,” I said and shook my head. “I…Lucious, I assure you, I will never allow the witches to come into my home and disrupt your lives. You have all been nothing but generous to us. Look at you. Even now, you’ve cooked us this amazing breakfast. Orville has been nothing less than helpful, as have Alice and Emma.”
“Then why would you allow a witch into…into our safe space?” he asked.
I sighed, then shook my head. “First, because I didn’t understand the significance of inviting him over until, well, until he came through the wards. Second, because Owen and Cary are friends. If Owen is to live here, he has the right to have friends, does he not?”
