Cass realized that was true. He wanted Kushiel to know him. The real him, including the things he didn’t normally tell others. Perhaps it was only fair if he opened up and shared his own secrets, since Kushiel’s secrets were shared with him through his visions.
“Is the lost soul still with us?” Kushiel asked, although Cass felt like he was starting with an easy question.
“Nope. The ghost stayed at my house. Aunt Ro will check on them, I’m sure, and she’ll also do some research and fill us in on anything she hears from any other ghosts. So far I haven’t seen any other ghosts in that kind of shape, though,” Cass answered. “What else are you curious about?”
Kushiel hesitated, but then he asked, “How does it work? You and the whole ghost thing? Could you always see them?”
“Yes, as long as I can remember. It’s been passed down in my family for as long as we’ve had written or word of mouth record. There are always one or two of us each generation who have the vision and who can commune with ghosts and other afterlifers. We generally stick to ghosts, though, since we avoid the attention of afterlife management that way,” Cass explained.
“Are they… everywhere?” Kushiel whispered, and Cass had to suppress a laugh when Kushiel looked around suspiciously.
“No, not everywhere. They tend to avoid my home, because most of them know, or hear from other ghosts, that it’s my private space. They do flock to the coffee shop, but even then, I probably only see a couple ghosts each day. Of course, there are always some wandering around town and such, but I don’tapproach them if they don’t approach me. They don’t always need help. Sometimes they just don’t want to leave the mortal plane, maybe because they’re waiting for someone else to pass or they just want to watch over their family,” Cass answered.
“Ah. Well that’s good to know. You mentioned ‘the vision’?” Kushiel questioned.
“Yes. I can see angels and demons in their true forms. I could see you before you revealed yourself,” Cass admitted, watching Kushiel’s face. He didn’t seem upset, though, so Cass continued explaining. “I can see angels and demons when they’re cloaked as well.”
“So you always saw my angelic form?” Kushiel asked, clearly surprised.
“Yup. It’s what I see now, actually. It takes effort for me to see what everyone else sees,” Cass admitted. He couldn’t help tacking on, “And your angelic form is beautiful.”
Kushiel blushed again. Cass was getting kind of addicted to making that happen.
“I also have visions,” Cass admitted. He figured he might as well get it all out there. “They can be of the past, present, or future. I also do, on occasion, serve as an oracle and speak directly with afterlifers that are not topside. That’s far more complex, though, and not something that happens often.”
They made it to the coffee shop entrance as Cass finished, and he turned and looked at Kushiel, who seemed to be taking it all in. Cass couldn’t help adding, “I might see things about you. I don’t mean to invade your privacy or intrude, but the visions are often outside of my control. I’m sorry about that.”
Kushiel looked surprised at the apology. “I do not mind if you see anything about me, Cassius. I would not hide anything from you. You are… kind,” he murmured.
Cass smiled and opened the coffee shop door, because otherwise he was gonna give Kushiel a hug, and he didn’t know ifthe angel would welcome it. He wanted to ask about his apparent aversion to touch, but they were at the shop now and that conversation was best left for later.
They walked in, and Cass saw Paz and Trent sitting at a corner table, chatting and drinking their coffees. He waved at them, and Paz waved back cheerily, calling out good morning. Even though it wasn’t terribly early, Trent sort of grunted. He must not have had enough coffee yet.
He bypassed the line and waved to Steph and Sam, who were both bustling about. Steph waved him to the back, indicating she didn’t need his help. When they entered the back room, Kushiel placed a hand on his arm, stopping him short. His hand was warm and sent tingles running through Cass, but he made sure not to show any indication of surprise. He liked that Kushiel had reached out to him, and he didn’t want to startle the angel
Cass looked at Kushiel, who was staring at him with concern. “That was a demon,” Kushiel said. He was obviously talking about Paz.
“Yup. That’s Paz—he’s a possession demon, although I don’t know if that’s his title anymore. He and Trent are… matched up,” Cass stated, not sure how much Kushiel knew of soulmates.
Kushiel’s hand fell away and his face looked shocked.
“He’s really a very nice demon,” Cass assured Kushiel, not sure what had surprised the angel. He had the urge to comfort Kushiel, although he didn’t know what had upset him.
“Yes. Yes, I’m sure he is. Most demons are pleasant, although they can cause trouble topside. If he is mated to the human, though, then he wouldn’t cause any issues,” Kushiel responded.
There was still something off about Kushiel’s response, but Cass didn’t know what it was. Before he could inquire further, Aunt Ro popped in.
“Well it’s about time you got to work,” she complained.
Cass sighed. “Kushiel, Aunt Ro is here. Hopefully with some information for us.”
“Nothing of much use, I’m afraid,” she replied. “No one has seen any ghosts like the lost soul, although everyone agrees that there is some level of disturbance on the astral plane.The further I went from Paradise Falls, the less the disturbance was felt, so they’re probably around here somewhere. I cannot fathom where they are, though. They’re so lost and confused that they’d just be wondering about,” she grumbled.
Cass filled Kushiel in, and the angel looked thoughtful. “Can ghosts be… held? Or trapped?” he asked.
Aunt Ro gasped in outrage, but Cass sent her a look and cut her off before she could start ranting. “Calm down Aunt Ro. He isn’t asking because he wants to trap any; he’s asking because that would make the most sense for where the souls are. You’re right that they would be wandering around lost and confused, unless someone had… stored them somewhere. That would explain the disturbance on the astral plane as well.”
“Who would do such a horrible thing?” she gasped.
