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The wind whistled between us as my words rang out and got swallowed by the ocean waves, ready to be swept around the world.

Ryan Brolyn was a coward.

“Ahhh,” Barth said. “Mr. Jangles—”

“No Mr. Jangles,” I said firmly, running a hand over my face. “I just wanted to know… I don’t know…how you dealt with it. How you can look at yourself in the mirror or get rid of this sick feeling in your stomach.”

I felt the ghostly figure sit down next to me, the chill of his form raising the hairs on my neck. “A coward’s life is a blessing and a curse. You escape things you fear by sailing in the other direction, but then you’re no longer plotting your own course. The fear is charting the course of your life.”

I glanced over to him. “And you’re fine with that?”

“The type of fear we’re talking about is different, laddie. I never ran from my own feelings. In fact, I embraced the thunderstorm of my emotions quite happily, finding passion in the arms of many of my crew during long nights at sea.” I raised my eyebrow at the visual of Barth in the middle of a pirate orgy. “My fear came from things that were trying to kill me or swallow me alive. Like the kraken. She had it out for me something fierce, she did.”

I rolled my eyes and brooded out to sea. “Great.”

“The best thing to do with fear is look it right in the face and decide whether it’s worth it to sail right into the eye of the storm.” He swept an arm out at the horizon. “Is it better to risk damaging yer ship and going overboard, swallowed by the unpredictable waves to reach the treasure ye seek? Or do ye want to sail on past and search for another treasure?”

I already knew the answer. There was never going to be another treasure like Owain. He was wholly unique and unrepeatable.

“Ye strike me as someone who reaches for what he seeks. Damn the consequences!”

I slanted him a look. “I’m trying to be better about thinking things through. This is different from any normal…pirate booty.”

“Aye. Mr. Jangles has a nice pirate booty too.”

I choked and got to my feet. “Good talk, Barth, thanks.”

Barth nodded and grinned. “Aye, yer welcome, young lad. Call again any time. Old Barth has the answers.”

He dove off the cliff and I shook my head with a long sigh.

“You know, I could give you some advice if you wanted it?”

I turned to see Harold in a far bush, spectral head peeking out up to his large nose.

I rolled my eyes. “You want me to take advice from a dude hiding in a bush?”

“You took advice from a pirate who just dove off a cliff.”

I paused and looked down over the edge and back. “Touché. But still, thanks but no thanks.”

“But I have years of experience to share with the youth! My marriage has stretched into the afterlife!”

“Your wife literally murdered you for being a philanderer. No offence, but I think I’m okay without any advice from you about lasting, healthy relationships.”

“Fair. But you know where to find me if you change your mind!” Harold popped back into his bush.

I shook my head and walked back to the house, lifting my head to see Popty rushing toward me down the hall. He looked weird in the light of day…with legs. He rarely took any kind of human shape, but lately it had been happening more and more. Like he was practising it or something.

“What’s up, Pop?” I called.

He held my phone out to me as he moved and I tilted my head. “Has it run out of charge again?”

It was kind of nice having him field my calls, especially from the office.

Not that I was avoiding them, of course.

That was crazy!