Page 34 of Medium
“Manny!”
He didn’t look at me, but pointed his fork at Ellis. “Can you believe it? Kicking him to the curb because of the gifts God gave him.”
“Manny, that’s enough.”
He turned to look around the room, his face lighting up. “Oh, I forgot. Is your grandpa here? Hi, Grandpa! How’s it hangin’?” He set his fork down and waved his hand furiously while turning in a half-circle.
Shane and Ellis stopped eating.
“Manny, no. He’s not here.”
“You know, I liked it better when he called me Mr. Blackbourne.” Grandfather said from beside me. I started, then covered my eyes with my hand.
“Oh, I know that look!” Manny crowed. “Hi, Grandpa! How’s the stick up your ass? Are you clenching tighter since Rory’s found new partners?” He casually flipped the bird in the general direction of the living room. “Rory’s grandfather is a homophobic, polyphobic ass,” he informed Shane and Ellis as he scooped up some eggs.
I rubbed my forehead. “Hewas. I keep telling you, he’s changed since he died.”
“And I keep tellingyou, it doesn’t make up for the shit he did when he was alive.”
I held up a hand toward Manny. Why did we have to keep having this argument? “He apologized and I accepted his apology. Plus, he helped me rescue a little girl last night, so I think even you can agree he’s making an effort not to be a jerk anymore.”
Grandfather chuckled. “You don’t need to defend me, Rory. He’s not wrong about how I used to be.”
“What little girl?” Manny demanded.
“Wait,” Ellis said. “Are you talking about a ghost?”
Shane chimed in. “You’re a Medium? I thought you were a Hunter.” He shook his head. “There aren’t any Mediums in the campaign. We discussed it on a Zoom call.”
Manny said, “Dead people can wait. Where’s this little girl?”
I groaned. Time to spill the beans, as Dimi had put it. I held up both hands. “I will answer all of your questions if you’ll let me talk.”
They all shut up. Ms. Jackson slurped at their coffee.
I held up one finger. “I can see ghosts. I’m not a Hunter, but I didn’t correct you because I was hoping to be gone from here before we had to have this conversation.”
Manny opened his mouth, probably to ask what a Hunter was, but I pointed the finger I’d raised at him. “All of your questions will be answered eventually.”
He rolled his eyes but didn’t speak.
“My grandfather is a ghost. Last night he was following my Uncle Hugo around, and Hugo went to a party at Randolph Chamberlain’s house.”
Shane and Manny sucked in breaths in unison.
“Right. The billionaire. Uncle Hugo moves in expensive circles.”
“Thanks to your grandfather’s money,” Manny muttered.
I ignored him. “When Uncle Hugo was talking to Randolph Chamberlain, Grandfather noticed another ghost, who turned out to be a dryad.” I looked at Manny. “Like the tree spirits, but they can look like humans too, apparently.”
“Um, okay?” His eyebrows were trying to merge with his hair.
I told them how Lorraine had shown Pia to Grandfather, and he’d come to get me. Then I described sneaking into the mansion and hearing that Uncle Hugo wanted a captive of his own. “The ghosts helped me get Pia to the car, and then they figured out we should come here for help.”
Next to Grandfather, Dimi snorted. “Don’t tell my grandson I’m here until you have to. He won’t be able to handle it.”
Ellis frowned. “I think we’re going to need the long version of that story soon, but are you saying you don’t know about the campaign?”
