~Thank you, Miss Kira,~Curtis said, and Chloe nearly jumped – he’d been so quiet that she’d almost forgotten he was there!~I cannot express how grateful I am.~
“Yes, thank you so much,” Chloe said. “Curtis says thank you as well.”
“It’s the least I can do,” Kira said. “Good luck – I hope you find what you’re looking for.”
The three of them trooped out the door and into the misty gloom. Technically it was just after lunchtime, but if Chloe hadn’t known, she would’ve thought it was early evening.
The forest was no less beautiful for it, though – if anything, it was even more stunning than Chloe thought it might be otherwise. The mist seemed to almost have a life of its own, forming little curlicues when caught by an errant breeze. Condensation dripped from the branches onto the leaf litter below with a gentle pitter-patter. Muted birdsong echoed through the trees, the birds themselves invisible, their calls unidentifiable to Chloe.
Moving forward, they entered the forest itself.
Kira had told them about a clearing where it was safe to shift without being spotted by hikers – though to be honest, Chloe thought that in this weather someone could be five feet away and they’d never see them anyway. Still, it was better to be safe than sorry, and the pegasus’s wingspan was massive enough that she thought Ethan would need all the space to take off that he could get!
The forest opened up in front of them, leading into a wide space, and Chloe stifled a gasp.
The clearing was truly magnificent, the ground lined with a bed of freshly-fallen orange leaves. Surrounding them on all sides were not just the flame-colored deciduous trees, but mighty pines that towered serenely above them, disappearing into the mist. It felt like they were tucked away from the rest of the world. Even the birds were silent here.
Curtis stood in the middle of the clearing, turning in a slow circle, looking around himself in awe.
~I remember this,~he said, his voice reverent.~I used to come here. It has not changed, except that maybe the trees are even taller than they once were.~
Chloe watched, a wistful smile on her face, as Curtis closed his eyes and simply took in the sensations of the forest that surrounded him, whatever that might have felt like for a ghost.
She was glad that he’d been able to find something that hadn’t changed – it must’ve been awful, being thrown into the modern world and seeing everything that he knew altered or torn down.
He turned to face Chloe and Ethan, eyes open once more, and his face looked more peaceful than she had ever seen it.
It also looked more transparent than she had ever seen it. For a moment Chloe thought that it was just the mist making him less visible – but no, she could see the trees behind him much more clearly than she would normally be able to.
“Curtis?” she asked, her voice tinged with alarm.
~It’s okay, Miss Chloe,~he said with a smile.~I’m not going anywhere. Or – I am, but not where you’re going.~
Before she could formulate a response, Curtis continued,~I cannot proceed any farther than this point. The closer I get to the necklace, the more I feel I cannot proceed.~
“But why?” Chloe asked, knowing that she sounded petulant. But she was worried! Did this mean that they couldn’t help Curtis after all?
Curtis shrugged his ghostly shoulders.~I don’t understand the workings myself. All I can think of is that Miss Janie wished for someone to find the necklace, but that someone cannot be me.~
He turned to Ethan.~Maybe that someone has to be you, since I was attached to you when I was brought to this world.~
“It seems like as plausible a reason as any,” said Ethan, looking a little stony-faced. Beneath his breath, Chloe could hear him mutter, “This is why I don’t like magic.”
Chloe thought that was a bit rich, coming from a guy who could transform into a mythical creature at will, but she decided to keep her mouth shut. She supposed that magic was something he didn’t have much experience with, and people often feared things they didn’t understand.
Personally, if nothing else, she was grateful for magic, since it meant that she’d at least had the chance to meet Curtis, and because of him, Ethan.
“So, what now?” she asked.
Curtis shrugged.~Perhaps I shall visit my descendants one more time, if they will have me. I would like to go bowling with them. Or watch them bowling, in any case.~
Chloe laughed, feeling some of the tension leaving her. So long as Curtis was actually okay, then that was all that mattered.
And, she had to admit, there was a part of her that really wanted to spend some alone time with Ethan. Especially since he’d gotten so cagey earlier when Kira had referred to her ‘mate’! There was definitely something going on, and she knew that Ethan was hoping she’d forgotten about it.
Well, fat chance. She was going to keep annoying him until he caved in and told her what was happening.
“I’m sure they’d love to see you,” she said. “I really hope we can bring Eula some closure over this – it seems to have really hit her hard.”
