just shut up sometimes.
“You just took Bay’s spot on the top of the list,” Aunt Tillie said.
I groaned. “I didn’t mean it.”
“Oh, you meant it.”
“Oh, fine,” I said, giving in. “Just don’t mete out any revenge until everything is settled with Annie. We don’t want to terrify her.”
“I’m not stupid,” Aunt Tillie said.
“You’re not stupid,” Landon agreed. “You are sneaky and vindictive, though.”
Aunt Tillie stuck her tongue out at him.
“Why can’t you put him on top of your list?” I whined.
“He’s got his own list,” Aunt Tillie replied.
Bay was getting sick of our arguing, so she interrupted. “How are you going to get Annie to tell you about her grandparents?”
“I’m going to ask her.”
“Nicely,” I stressed. “You’re going to ask her nicely, right?”
“Of course I am,” Aunt Tillie said. “I’m always nice.” She turned on her heel and flounced out of the room.
“Does anyone else think it’s a bad idea to let Aunt Tillie question Annie?” Clove asked.
“I love how you always wait until she leaves the room to trash talk her,” I said.
“That’s why I’m usually the one who escapes when you two get cursed,” Clove retorted.
“Yes, everyone loves a coward.”
Marcus grabbed my hand. “Now is not the time for this,” he said.
I hate it when he’s right.
“So, what should we be doing now?” I asked.
“We finish what we started this afternoon,” Bay said. “Everything is still up on the bluff, right where we left it.”
I nodded. “That seems to be our only option.”
Landon shifted so he was facing us. “I’m going with you.”
“Why?” I didn’t want to perform like a monkey for his amusement.
“Because, if you find a trail, you’re going to need someone to go with you when you follow it,” he said. “You might need someone to … .”
“What? Protect us?”
“Call for help,” Landon corrected. “We don’t know what you’re going to find.”
I sighed. He was making sense. “Okay. Let’s do it.”
“I’m coming, too,” Marcus said, following us as we moved toward the front door of the inn.
“Why are you coming?” I asked.
“I just want to be there with you,” Marcus said, his smile warm as he gave me a quick kiss. “We’ve been apart for days.”
“Oh, you two are just so sweet,” Bay teased.
Landon tugged on her arm. “You’re going to be sweet to me when all of this is over and done with.”
“I’m always sweet to you,” Bay protested.
“You’re going to be sweeter than that,” Landon said. “I’m going to want outfits.”
“OKAY, so what do we do?” Marcus asked, looking around the bluff dubiously.
I snapped my fingers to ignite the candles. It was a calm night, and when they flickered to life, they showed no signs of going out. “You and Landon stand over there,” I said. “We need to be able to concentrate.”
“You have to be quiet,” Bay cautioned. “This spell is tricky because we don’t have anything of Belinda’s to anchor it.”
“What does that mean?” Landon asked. He was curious about our magic, especially since Bay had put on a little show for his benefit a few weeks before, but I could tell he was still leery.
“If we had something of Belinda’s it would be easier,” Bay replied. “The only thing we have of hers is Annie, and she can’t see this.”
“Is it going to be scary?” Marcus asked.
“From your perspective, it’s just going to look like a small light show,” I said.
“Like what happened at the Dragonfly during the fake séance last week?”
I nodded.
“Well, that wasn’t so bad,” Marcus said, relaxing.
“Until the real ghost showed up,” Landon grumbled.
“We’re not using the same kind of magic,” Bay soothed.
“I said I was cool with this,” Landon said. “I’m not backing out. I want to see. Don’t worry.”
Bay smiled. “I’ll wear an outfit.”
Landon’s eyes lit up. “I want to pick it
“You just took Bay’s spot on the top of the list,” Aunt Tillie said.
I groaned. “I didn’t mean it.”
“Oh, you meant it.”
“Oh, fine,” I said, giving in. “Just don’t mete out any revenge until everything is settled with Annie. We don’t want to terrify her.”
“I’m not stupid,” Aunt Tillie said.
“You’re not stupid,” Landon agreed. “You are sneaky and vindictive, though.”
Aunt Tillie stuck her tongue out at him.
“Why can’t you put him on top of your list?” I whined.
“He’s got his own list,” Aunt Tillie replied.
Bay was getting sick of our arguing, so she interrupted. “How are you going to get Annie to tell you about her grandparents?”
“I’m going to ask her.”
“Nicely,” I stressed. “You’re going to ask her nicely, right?”
“Of course I am,” Aunt Tillie said. “I’m always nice.” She turned on her heel and flounced out of the room.
“Does anyone else think it’s a bad idea to let Aunt Tillie question Annie?” Clove asked.
“I love how you always wait until she leaves the room to trash talk her,” I said.
“That’s why I’m usually the one who escapes when you two get cursed,” Clove retorted.
“Yes, everyone loves a coward.”
Marcus grabbed my hand. “Now is not the time for this,” he said.
I hate it when he’s right.
“So, what should we be doing now?” I asked.
“We finish what we started this afternoon,” Bay said. “Everything is still up on the bluff, right where we left it.”
I nodded. “That seems to be our only option.”
Landon shifted so he was facing us. “I’m going with you.”
“Why?” I didn’t want to perform like a monkey for his amusement.
“Because, if you find a trail, you’re going to need someone to go with you when you follow it,” he said. “You might need someone to … .”
“What? Protect us?”
“Call for help,” Landon corrected. “We don’t know what you’re going to find.”
I sighed. He was making sense. “Okay. Let’s do it.”
“I’m coming, too,” Marcus said, following us as we moved toward the front door of the inn.
“Why are you coming?” I asked.
“I just want to be there with you,” Marcus said, his smile warm as he gave me a quick kiss. “We’ve been apart for days.”
“Oh, you two are just so sweet,” Bay teased.
Landon tugged on her arm. “You’re going to be sweet to me when all of this is over and done with.”
“I’m always sweet to you,” Bay protested.
“You’re going to be sweeter than that,” Landon said. “I’m going to want outfits.”
“OKAY, so what do we do?” Marcus asked, looking around the bluff dubiously.
I snapped my fingers to ignite the candles. It was a calm night, and when they flickered to life, they showed no signs of going out. “You and Landon stand over there,” I said. “We need to be able to concentrate.”
“You have to be quiet,” Bay cautioned. “This spell is tricky because we don’t have anything of Belinda’s to anchor it.”
“What does that mean?” Landon asked. He was curious about our magic, especially since Bay had put on a little show for his benefit a few weeks before, but I could tell he was still leery.
“If we had something of Belinda’s it would be easier,” Bay replied. “The only thing we have of hers is Annie, and she can’t see this.”
“Is it going to be scary?” Marcus asked.
“From your perspective, it’s just going to look like a small light show,” I said.
“Like what happened at the Dragonfly during the fake séance last week?”
I nodded.
“Well, that wasn’t so bad,” Marcus said, relaxing.
“Until the real ghost showed up,” Landon grumbled.
“We’re not using the same kind of magic,” Bay soothed.
“I said I was cool with this,” Landon said. “I’m not backing out. I want to see. Don’t worry.”
Bay smiled. “I’ll wear an outfit.”
Landon’s eyes lit up. “I want to pick it
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