Page 37 of Ghosted

“Eli, are you alright?”

Raven’s beautiful face and blue-black hair cascade into my view.

“Yep, I’m good. Just a message from Iris not to underestimate Stella or the level of crazy she is.” This one is a bit easier to shake off

“Uh, guys, we have a problem,” Jayce’s voice is defeated and I glance over, ready for another round of bad fucking news.

“What?” Raven asks as she pinches the bridge of her nose.

“There’s no headstone here,” he says. “I mean, there’s headstones, but nothing for her.”

“What?” I ask in shock. Of all the things I considered could happen…this wasn’t even in the realm of possibility. If she’s not buried here, then where?

* * *

Raven

We went backto the apartment disappointed but not tired. We needed to get rid of Stella before she got us first.

“So, do you think that she may be buried at the college?” Jayce asks.

“I mean seeing that her father was the Dean for so long, it’s possible but then again it burnt and they didn’t rebuild it. Besides, why would they want a memorial of the lady there that was most likely the cause of the fire in the first place?”

“So, the last place that she could be is at the asylum, and our worst option is that she is an unmarked grave. That would be the ultimate nightmare, we would never find her,” Eli pipes in.

“Then let’s cross our fingers that she’s at the asylum and easy to find.” Jayce states. “They had to have had some respect for the dead, right?”

My face is a mask of optimism, but inside, I’m freaking out. Stella would never take us to her body, so she would plague us until I was dead just like she wanted.

“Okay, since we are going to the asylum, I’m going to Google the place and see if I can get a layout and we can form some sort of plan.”

“How’d I know you were going to say that, Jayce?” I ask with a smirk.

He blushes but gives me a quick kiss on the lips.

“Duty calls, I have some work for my father I need to get caught up on, anyway,” Eli states with a sigh.

“I have some jewelry pieces to finish and post for sale. It’s nice to keep my hands busy.”

Eli smiles at me. “That’s not a bad idea, but I’m going to grab my laptop and sit with you. I won’t give that bitch the opportunity to kill you under my watch.”

“I’ll be fine, Jayce and I added some hex bags around the apartment. She shouldn’t be able to get to me. If I feel anything off I’ll come in here with you. Unless you don’t want to be lonely.”

“It’s probably best that you stay in your little corner and keep your mess with you,” Eli jokes with a wink.

“Organized chaos, not a mess,” I remind him.

“Whatever you say, Rav.” Eli laughs.

Ignoring his laughter, I go into the spare room where we set up a corner for all my creations. I’m excited to have more time for my jewelry but coming in just now I feel overwhelmed. Sure, I’ve sold enough for some pocket change but now it has to be my livelihood even if Eli says he will take care of everything. He isn’t a macho asshole but I want to pull my weight if I can. That means this can’t just be a hobby. Once things die down a bit I'll have to brainstorm how to take it all to the next level.

All this talk about fire has apparently infiltrated my creative side, too. Every idea I have for my next few pieces all share a fiery theme. The orange-red beads I found online called to me and somehow I had them ordered before I realized what I was doing. So, it’s meant to be.

“Lucien, are you here?” I whisper.

I’m disappointed at the returning silence. There’s a pull to him that I can’t explain and I’m not sure how to tell Jayce and Eli about it. Would they think I’m just as crazy as Stella? Do I want to burn the world down to make Lucien mine? No, but I do want him close. Is that weird? Maybe. How can I be attracted to a ghost? Is it a result of almost dying and I’m mistaking it for some sort of otherworldly attraction?

Maybe explaining it to Lucien will be a good first step.

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