Evelyn barely nodded and allowed a small smile to flicker across her face as she floated away.
Honey and Uma watched the small ghost drift toward the woods.The way Evelyn had corrected herself from "work" to "worked," the nervousness, the way she seemed to shrink in on herself—struck both women as signs of someone who was trying to stay invisible, someone shrinking from something.Possibly something horrible.
The evening progressed, and the Shifter patrol began escorting groups of registered spirits along the worn path that led deeper into the dark woods.Everyone could see glimpses of the procession through the trees—ghostly forms gliding between the ancient oaks toward the sacred grove where the convention would take place.
"Quite a turnout," Sean observed, watching the last group disappear into the forest."Nothing in the opening ceremony suggested any particular concerns about individual spirits.I'm thinking that went pretty well."
"That's what worries me," Roam replied, his eyes skimming the tree line."After everything this town has been through, when things seem too smooth..."
"They usually are," Evangelina finished.“I’ll keep a close watch," she muttered and floated away toward the gathering.
A howl echoed through the woods—the signal from the Shifter patrol that all guests had been safely escorted to the sacred grove.The registration process was complete, and the once-in-a-century ghost convention had officially begun.
"Well," Mayor Loveridge said with satisfaction, "that was amazing.Thank you all for your support and assistance."
"Almost too amazing," Roam grumbled, fixed on the dark path where the last spirits had vanished."In my experience, when things start out effortlessly, they're usually about to go spectacularly wrong."
From outside the fence, Murphy's voice boomed across the cemetery."Well, that was a sight to behold!Come on then, everyone—let's head back to the pub and have our own celebration.First drinks are on me!"
A cheer went up from the gathered townspeople as they began to disperse, chattering excitedly about what they'd witnessed.
Honey appeared at Roam's side, slipping her hand into his."Come on, love.You've done your duty for the evening.Time to relax."
Roam hesitated, his gaze still on the woods."Troops keep an eye out.Let me know if you need me."He spoke to the last couple of Shifters circling the cemetery in various animal forms from wolves to bears.They nodded, growled, and trotted off into the woods.
As Honey gently pulled them all toward the cemetery gates, Sean fell into step beside Uma."What do you say we join the celebration at the pub?I'd love to hear more about this town of yours."
“Aye, of course.”Uma felt flustered at his invitation, but before she could say much, Maisie passed them, and Sean’s eyes followed.Something in the way he smiled toward her friend made Uma's stomach drop.She took a sidestep away from him, the earlier warmth between them suddenly feeling complicated.
He looked back at Uma, amusement dancing in his eyes.“You coming?”
Chapter 5
Etiquette Hell and A Big Hole
The sacred grove hummed with shadowy energy as hundreds of ghosts settled into the amphitheater-like clearing where an ancient arrangement of massive wooden pillars had once stood in a formation like Stonehenge.The wooden structure had burned down in the early 1700s, leaving only the sacred circular space marked by subtle indentations in the earth.Glamping areas dotted the perimeter beyond the trees, glowing softly with candlelight, while the central stage commanded attention from every spirit in attendance.
Madame Theodora Grimm glided onto the platform carrying a briefcase and what appeared to be a lectern that materialized at her command.Her steel-gray hair was pulled back in a severe bun secured with multiple hairpins, and she wore a high-necked black dress with countless tiny buttons marching up to her chin.Glasses perched on her nose as she adjusted the microphone and surveyed her audience with the critical eye of a strict headmistress.
"Welcome, dear departed souls, to this most auspicious gathering," she began in crisp, precise tones."Before we commence our weekend of fellowship and learning, it behooves us all to review the fundamental principles of spectral etiquette that govern civilized spirit society."
In the third row, Finn exchanged glances with Chet and Beau.The three friends had positioned themselves strategically near an exit, and already Finn was shifting restlessly in his seat.
"The first and most essential rule," Madame Grimm continued, "concerns the proper manifestation of one's aura in mixed company.One must never allow one's emanations to become overly dramatic or attention-seeking..."
"Bloody hell," Chet muttered under his breath."This is worse than Sunday school."
"...furthermore, when engaging in cross-dimensional conversation, one must always maintain appropriate translucency levels.Nothing below forty percent opacity in formal settings, and never exceeding seventy-five percent without express permission from the gathering's hosts..."
Beau leaned over to whisper, "Gentlemen, I do believe our evening requires...alternative entertainment."
Madame Grimm droned on about proper floating techniques, acceptable haunting protocols, and the seventeen different types of appropriate greetings for various social situations.Around them, other spirits were beginning to glaze over with the particular kind of boredom that transcends death itself.
"...and now we turn to the critical matter of ectoplasmic discharge in public spaces.There are precisely forty-three acceptable circumstances under which..."
That was enough for Finn.With the stealth of someone who'd been sneaking out of boring lectures for a lifetime, he began to slowly fade from his seat.Chet and Beau followed suit, their forms becoming increasingly translucent until they were barely visible wisps drifting toward the edge of the clearing.
From her position backstage, Evangelina noticed the trio's departure immediately.As a former dark creatures expert, her attention to detail was legendary, and three party-minded spirits abandoning a formal gathering set off every alarm bell in her ghostly consciousness.
