I couldn’t help but grin at that.
Marcus stepped closer to Erik and Hanne, giving her a winning smile. “What can you tell us about the ghost in the attic?”
The attic. I mentally scoffed. So, lame and utterly unoriginal.
Hanne shrugged in a very ladylike way. “One day she was just here, screaming and destroying things. Fritz and I try to keep our distance, but she’s everywhere. Her favorite place is the attic and she seems protective of the room.”
I made a mental note of the other ghost’s name, Fritz, then asked, “Have you tried speaking with her?”
Hanne nodded. “I have. Several times. Not that it did me any good. She screamed her head off, then stomped away angrily. Fritz tried as well, but she doesn’t seem to like men much, or perhaps it was just Fritz. She kicked his shin and he’s stayed clear of her ever since.”
Erik laughed softly at that, not that it was truly funny, but he likely figured Hanne needed some lightness to brighten her situation. It was clear she wasn’t happy with the newest addition to the household, but she couldn’t do anything about it. Now that Erik was here, the ghost couldn’t harm the others, but that also meant they couldn’t touch things as they were used to. It had to be a boring existence to just watch people come and go.
“Fritz is likely hiding away in the library right now,” Hanne said, her dismissal obvious. “I hope he can share more, but I wouldn’t count on it.”
Marcus nodded. “Thank you for your time. I hope that we can help you out, and soon.”
“I hope so too, young man.” She smiled at him. “I’ll be here if you need me. I can’t do much, sadly, but at least you’ll know where I am.”
We left the big kitchen, intent on finding Fritz and seeing if he had any useful information. I understood why they kept their distance, but now they shouldn’t fear her as much as before. That hopefully meant that Fritz could help us find her. Hanne didn’t seem inclined to leave her spot, but I figured Fritz would hate the new ghost enough to want to aid us as much as possible. I wouldn’t enjoy getting kicked myself, so I hoped he felt the same way.
“The library must be upstairs,” Marcus sighed as we once again found ourselves in the castle’s foyer. We’d looked through all the rooms on the ground floor by now and were tired of searching for Fritz.
“Are there any signs that mention the library?” Dylan asked, walking towards the stairs with me in tow.
“No,” Marcus said, following us up the stairs. “I think we have to look through all the rooms, unless Erik will be able to sense him as we approach.”
“It wasn’t much of a help with Hanne,” Erik reminded us. “I only felt her presence once we were a few steps away.”
“It’s still a help if we don’t have to check each room but just pass them by,” I said, smiling back at Erik. He was a huge help and needed to know as much.
“Thank you,” he said, returning my smile.
The upstairs held even more rooms, and I was getting annoyed and less enthused about the beautiful interior. I could tell Marcus felt the same, his need to be with Erik spurring him forward with intent. I would need to buy a fruit basket or something for the man once we were done in Denmark. Unless you gave them smørrebrød or pastries here as thanks? I would need to google that.
“In here!” Erik announced, flying forward to a door that looked identical to the others. We were right behind him, eager to get to Fritz and find out more.
Marcus opened the door, the creak it made enough to announce our presence to Fritz, who was thankfully waiting for us inside, sitting, or rather, hovering over a leather chair in the corner.
“Fantastic,” he drawled. “They sent children this time.”
“Hello,” I said, waving awkwardly as I ignored the comment on us being children. The only young one here was Dylan, and it wasn’t as though he was a teenager anymore.
Fritz rolled his eyes. “Have you dealt with the hysteric lady upstairs? I much preferred the castle without her presence in it.”
“Not yet,” Marcus replied, offering Fritz a fake smile. “We hoped you could share some information before we sought her out.”
“Considering I can no longer enjoy the feel of my favorite chair.” He seemed truly aggravated over that fact. “I will do my best to help you.”
“That would be my fault,” Erik supplied with a tense smile. “Me being here is taking too much energy which stops us all from being able to make contact with objects.”
“I figured as much,” Fritz rumbled. “We had several ghosts in the past, but once they left, we were able to touch our belongings once again. I have to admit that I miss reading my books because you’re here.”
Erik didn’t seem to think Fritz’s words were harsh, he just nodded in understanding. “I plan on leaving tonight with the others, so it should only be for a few hours, I promise.”
“Or until you kick that hussy out of here,” Fritz growled. “I do not enjoy seeing Hanne so distraught. She is the lady of the castle and should be respected, as should I.”
“We completely agree with you on that,” I assured him. “But we need to be close to her before we can banish her and it’s easier to make her go willingly than force her out. At least on us. But we will banish her if it comes to that,” I promised.
