under her breath. Then, as if catching herself, she said louder to Jane, “So, the MacGregors.”
“Yeah.” Jane nodded with a long sigh. “The MacGregors.”
“I don’t get what the big deal is with them,” Charlotte said.
“If you saw under their kilts, you would get what the big deal—” Annabelle tried to break in.
“I mean, I’m happy for Lydia.” Charlotte talked over the ghost, clearly determined to ignore her. “Erik is a catch to be sure, but the rest of them…” Charlotte gave a delicate shiver. Frowning, she added, “Especially that Niall. There is absolutely nothing redeemable about him.”
“He’s a little rough around the edges,” Jane agreed, trying to be diplomatic.
“Rough? He’s a beast. He bought my apartment building and, when I was in the hospital, he had me served with an eviction notice.” Charlotte’s gaze wandered to the trees beyond the yard.
“I think he likes you,” Annabelle said, drawing Charlotte’s drifting attention back. “You should wear something pretty and ask him out on a date. Get a feel for what a Scotsman wears under his kilt. And by feel I mean a handful.”
Charlotte rolled her eyes.
Jane pretended not to notice. “I’m sorry to hear that, but this is a nice house. Lydia seems like she’d be a fun roommate.”
“Yes, it…” Charlotte’s voice trailed off, and she again looked at the trees. Her expression fell. “They’re out there, you know?”
“Who?” Jane asked. “Erik and Lydia?”
Charlotte’s eyes glazed over. “They have a bag. No eyes in the bag. No breath. Only dark. Dark. Basement.”
“Charlotte?” Jane hesitated, not wanting to go near the ghosts wandering close to the woman.
“Drink this,” Charlotte told Jane, holding out her empty hand. “Choke it down. Choke.”
And there was Charlotte’s illness. Not a broken heart, just broken.
“It burns when it comes in,” Charlotte insisted.
“What burns? What happened?” Jane asked.
“Go,” Annabelle ordered. The short command startled Jane, and she met the ghost’s eyes. It was then she realized the grandma ghost had not been fooled by her act for a second. “You’ll only confuse her more if you ask questions. I’ve got this. Her episode will pass once she gets some sleep. It’s no wonder. That Malina was poking around in her head again.”
“They want to give me a soul, Gramma, and then they’ll rip it out,” Charlotte mumbled crazily. “I can feel it in my bones, eating, chewing. Crunch. They want to make me forget, but I see what they’re doing. I see. They can’t have my soul. I hid it where they will never find it.”
Jane slowly backed away as Annabelle helped Charlotte inside the house. The ghosts turned to face the home as if to stand vigil. Jane used their distraction as her chance to escape down the side of the hill. The last thing she wanted was to be followed home.
Chapter 12
“ W hat do ya think ya are doing?” Iain demanded in anger. He wanted to chase after Jane. Actually, he wanted to shift into bird form so he could fly after her. But knew he needed to deal with his family first. “Never in my life have I been so ashamed of my family.”
“We can’t trust her,” his ma answered. She looked frail and weak, but he knew better. He’d see the power shoot out of her hand. Jane had seen it too. It was careless of his ma to let magick slip in front of an outsider.
Niall sighed and pushed up from the table. “I’ll go after her and erase what she saw.”
Iain put out his hand. “No. Ya will not touch her.”
“Ya know what must be done, son,” Angus said. He placed his hand on his wife’s shoulder. “Niall will be gentle, but her memory must be erased.”
“So she ends up like Charlotte?” Iain shook his head in denial. “Shall we place the two of them in the garden with Helena—a whole statuary of those we’ve failed?”
“I have footage of Charlotte standing on her lawn for three hours in the middle of the
“Yeah.” Jane nodded with a long sigh. “The MacGregors.”
“I don’t get what the big deal is with them,” Charlotte said.
“If you saw under their kilts, you would get what the big deal—” Annabelle tried to break in.
“I mean, I’m happy for Lydia.” Charlotte talked over the ghost, clearly determined to ignore her. “Erik is a catch to be sure, but the rest of them…” Charlotte gave a delicate shiver. Frowning, she added, “Especially that Niall. There is absolutely nothing redeemable about him.”
“He’s a little rough around the edges,” Jane agreed, trying to be diplomatic.
“Rough? He’s a beast. He bought my apartment building and, when I was in the hospital, he had me served with an eviction notice.” Charlotte’s gaze wandered to the trees beyond the yard.
“I think he likes you,” Annabelle said, drawing Charlotte’s drifting attention back. “You should wear something pretty and ask him out on a date. Get a feel for what a Scotsman wears under his kilt. And by feel I mean a handful.”
Charlotte rolled her eyes.
Jane pretended not to notice. “I’m sorry to hear that, but this is a nice house. Lydia seems like she’d be a fun roommate.”
“Yes, it…” Charlotte’s voice trailed off, and she again looked at the trees. Her expression fell. “They’re out there, you know?”
“Who?” Jane asked. “Erik and Lydia?”
Charlotte’s eyes glazed over. “They have a bag. No eyes in the bag. No breath. Only dark. Dark. Basement.”
“Charlotte?” Jane hesitated, not wanting to go near the ghosts wandering close to the woman.
“Drink this,” Charlotte told Jane, holding out her empty hand. “Choke it down. Choke.”
And there was Charlotte’s illness. Not a broken heart, just broken.
“It burns when it comes in,” Charlotte insisted.
“What burns? What happened?” Jane asked.
“Go,” Annabelle ordered. The short command startled Jane, and she met the ghost’s eyes. It was then she realized the grandma ghost had not been fooled by her act for a second. “You’ll only confuse her more if you ask questions. I’ve got this. Her episode will pass once she gets some sleep. It’s no wonder. That Malina was poking around in her head again.”
“They want to give me a soul, Gramma, and then they’ll rip it out,” Charlotte mumbled crazily. “I can feel it in my bones, eating, chewing. Crunch. They want to make me forget, but I see what they’re doing. I see. They can’t have my soul. I hid it where they will never find it.”
Jane slowly backed away as Annabelle helped Charlotte inside the house. The ghosts turned to face the home as if to stand vigil. Jane used their distraction as her chance to escape down the side of the hill. The last thing she wanted was to be followed home.
Chapter 12
“ W hat do ya think ya are doing?” Iain demanded in anger. He wanted to chase after Jane. Actually, he wanted to shift into bird form so he could fly after her. But knew he needed to deal with his family first. “Never in my life have I been so ashamed of my family.”
“We can’t trust her,” his ma answered. She looked frail and weak, but he knew better. He’d see the power shoot out of her hand. Jane had seen it too. It was careless of his ma to let magick slip in front of an outsider.
Niall sighed and pushed up from the table. “I’ll go after her and erase what she saw.”
Iain put out his hand. “No. Ya will not touch her.”
“Ya know what must be done, son,” Angus said. He placed his hand on his wife’s shoulder. “Niall will be gentle, but her memory must be erased.”
“So she ends up like Charlotte?” Iain shook his head in denial. “Shall we place the two of them in the garden with Helena—a whole statuary of those we’ve failed?”
“I have footage of Charlotte standing on her lawn for three hours in the middle of the
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