Page 126 of A Ghost’s Guide to Haunting a Witch

“No, they’re not,” Augustine argued, before meeting Roy’s eyes and smiling.

“Augustine?”

“Yeah?”

Roy closed his eyes for a second, before opening them again. There was something new in his expression, and Augustine realized that in that moment he was just a man, standing at the edge of something he didn’t understand. “What’s next? After this?”

“I don’t know,” she said honestly. “I really don’t. I hope they have Madonna albums for you there, though.”

There was a pause, before Roy glanced towards the door. “You’re not going to watch, are you?” he asked. “I mean, I like a dramatic exit stage left as much as the next person, but come on.”

Augustine shook her head. “No, I’m not going to watch. This part’s yours.”

“All right then.” Roy nodded once, like he was bracing himself, like if he didn’t move now he never would. He took a step back, and then another.

“Hey! Wait a minute.” The words slipped out before Augustine could stop them.

Roy turned, eyebrows lifting. “What? Changed your mind? Fancy one more episode?”

Augustine shook her head, a small, unexpected smile pulling at her mouth. “No. I just—”

She hesitated, then said it anyway. “Roy. Madonna once said that if she couldn’t be daring in the way she lived her life, she couldn’t see the point on being on this planet. You,” Augustine continued carefully, “always helped me to be daring. Thank you.”

For a second, Roy just stared at her. Then his mouth dropped open.

“Augustine Pepperday,” he said, voice full of absolute, unfiltered delight, “did you just quote Madonna for me?”

“I did,” she confirmed. “I was saving it for a really big occasion. This felt right.”

“Well, you just made my afterlife.” He pointed at her, shaking his head. “There’s hope for you yet, girl.”

She laughed, the sound lighter than it had been in days.

“Did you also know Madonna said sometimes you have to be a bitch to get things done?” Roy continued warmly. “You said you wanted to do more of the right things going forward. Well, consider this my permission to do those right things — but in the baddest bitch way possible occasionally, okay?”

She grinned. “Okay.”

Something brushed against her legs, and Augustine glanced down, distracted as Bird wound himself around her ankles, insistent and warm and very much alive. She bent automatically, scooping him up into her arms, murmuring something soft into his fur as he purred in response.

By the time she straightened, Roy was gone.

There was no sound. No movement. There was only quiet, and she glanced at Roy’s chair, expecting him to still be there, berating her by the fire. There was nothing now, though. Roy had moved on.

“Bye, friend,” she said softly. “Thanks for everything.”

Bird purred, pressing closer into her, and Augustine exhaled, holding him a little tighter, before letting her gaze move slowly around the flat one last time.

Then she turned towards the door.

“Come on,” she murmured, rubbing her cheek lightly against Bird’s head. “Let’s go pack. We need to move on too, right?”

Bird purred again, and Augustine smiled.

Because this time, she meant it.

Chapter Forty-Six

One Year Later