“They can’t be sent onward by a reaper, even though I’m sure they would appreciate it.” I figured I’d make everyone in the room feel more at ease with Selene around.
“The man out in the cemetery said something like that. Your great-great uncle, I believe.”
She wasn’t writing anything down, but Selene could be committing every detail to memory. I wasn’t sure if being in a house filled with ghosts or having a cemetery had any relationship to the woman’s death at my show.
“Phineas. That old man is a hoot.” Rudy smiled at Selene, smitten as a ghost could be.
“I’m assuming you know my show is not performed by live people then, if you can see them and know what they are?” I just wanted to make sure she understood before continuing.
“Yes, but I don’t know how you’re doing it or what is happening here.” She gestured to Rudy and all around. I’m not sure why I smiled at her confusion. For some reason she looked like a woman who knew everything or coveted truth. My show and my home perplexed her, which for some reason entertained me.
“Off the record?” I doubted she would say anything about my gifts or tell all about my show being performed by ghosts, but I asked anyway.
“Off the record.” She nodded, and I knew she would be implicated just as much as I would be if people found out about our powers. The Hero Society had come out to the world without hero identities and mankind was not happy about it. Thankfully, they gave us a second chance and here we were . . . people with gifts could help or not and didn’t need to be afraid.
“I control the dead.” I don’t know what she was thought I would say, but I didn’t think my answer was it. Her hand came up to her lips, and she chewed on a fingernail nervously. A bad habit that was cute while taking in my admission.
“What do you mean? You are their puppet master pulling strings?”
“Something like that.”
Her finger was out of her mouth and her posture was straight. “No way. You can’t just drop that big bomb on me and not go into details.”
She was wrong. I didn’t have to say anything to a stranger like her. I would eventually, but I was enjoying this moment, and I wanted to make sure I’d get another.
“I can and I am. Tomorrow I have another show, same theater. Come, and then I will talk more. You can take some photos of me all dressed up and run your story on me.” I stood and held out my hand for her to take, helping her rise from the stiff couch from the 1920s.
“You’re kicking me out and want me to show up tomorrow?” She stood with her backpack in disbelief, her hand not resting in mine, which left a pang of disappointment in my chest. I wanted to touch her, feel warmth from her beating heart keeping her alive.
“Technically you are trespassing. I’ve been fair. I’d also like to see you again. This is a way to keep the mystery alive.” I teased her, hoping she saw it as such instead of me being an asshole. I was known to act like a jerk, but I also didn’t have the best people skills.
“Maybe I’ll decide you aren’t really worth writing a story about, and I suspect you don’t have any more to say about the death at your show other than what you reported.” She opened the large double doors and gave me one last look that I couldn’t tell if she was serious or not. I wished my power had been mind reading instead of controlling ghosts.
“Tomorrow, come to my show.” I’d make sure to give her a seat in front where all the magic happened.
She shrugged and tossed her backpack over her shoulder, then began walking down the long driveway to where she parked. I hoped I didn’t make a mistake by kicking her out.
Selene Constance wasn’t cold, or anything like the women I usually was drawn to, but there was a pull toward her that I didn’t understand. I wanted to draw out our time together to figure it out, though.
“Really? She’s the first live person we’ve had in years besides you and you just kick her out so quickly?” Rudy whined from next to me, and I shook my head.
“You’ll survive.”
“I think I need a hug.” Rudy tried to wrap his ghostly arms around me only to have them flow straight through my body. Goosebumps rose against my skin from the chill of the unnatural touching me.
“Let’s go rehearse.” I turned on my heels, searching for my crew, and a distraction from my drifting thoughts toward Selene.
Chapter Seven
Selene
“I cannot believe you scored us tickets to the show tonight. I mean it was sold out! And I’m pretty sure these are front and center seats!” Emily could barely contain her excitement as we walked together from the parking garage to the theater for Jude’s show. How he’d figured out where I lived, I didn’t want to know, but this morning there were black roses and a card with two tickets.
I debated whether I should go or not all day, but curiosity eventually won. The journalist in me could not let him and his story go. I had to know the truth and find out every secret he had. I was still working on the Lindsey Walters’ case with Echo from the police department and fellow Hero Society members, but there wasn’t much to go on right now.
“I have connections.” She probably assumed I meant someone through the newspaper, and I wasn’t sure I was ready for her screams if she knew they were from Mr. Mallory personally. I still wasn’t sure what to make of it all myself.
He was handsome and mysterious, and of course I craved more details on his life and his house. But something felt off, which heightened my interest and made me want to stay away.
