Farley and a dozen other poltergeists drifted through the trees. They stopped moving to hover ten feet away while watching us.
It wasn’t often they looked moved by anything, but their red eyes were softer as they gazed at us. I’d never let that fool me into believing they were over their bloodlust.
The poltergeists would always be dangerous. They hadn’t continued their killing spree by attacking innocent amsirah traveling through the woods, but they had resumed terrorizing them.
When I asked Farley why they stopped killing, even though they technically didn’t have to, he explained that the amsirah would stop traveling through the woods if they slaughtered them. He said they preferred to at least have amsirah to scare, even if they couldn’t stab them.
While his words were a little reassuring, I wasn’t sure that logic would keep all the poltergeists at bay. However, I wasn’t going to take their fun away, and while they weren’t killing the villagers, any remaining guards were fair game.
Eventually, Mouse eased his grip enough that I could lean back to look down at him. Cradling his dirty face in my palms, I lifted it to see his beautiful brown eyes. They shone with tears as he grinned at me.
“Will you come inside the manor for a little bit?” I asked. “I’ll find you some better-fitting, warmer clothes.”
“I’m sure some of Billy’s clothes will fit him,” Ruby offered.
When Mouse looked hesitant, I whispered, “Please.”
Finally, the boy nodded. I wanted to believe there was a chance I could talk him into staying, but I’d never tame the wild child.
Mouse’s home was in the woods; he was as much a part of it as the gargoyles. I hated having him out there alone, but the poltergeists and gargoyles would look out for him, and I suspected the forest did too.
“Come on,” I said as I draped my arm around his thin shoulders. “I’ll make your favorite dinner.”
Mouse grinned at me. I knew his favorite thing to eat was roasted turkey, potatoes, and gravy; thankfully, we had all those supplies at the manor.
“Have you encountered any more guards?” Ryker asked.
I paused to look over my shoulder as the poltergeists sagged a little. “No,” Farley muttered; if he’d been a petulant child, he would have kicked the ground. “Either they’re hiding, or we killed all the ones in the woods.”
“Good job on that,” Scarlet said with false cheeriness and both thumbs raised.
“Yeah,” they mumbled, disappointment radiating from them.
“I’m sure you’ll find someone who deserves to be killed again soon,” Scarlet assured them.
I stifled a chuckle when the poltergeists perked up a little.
“You really think so?” Farley asked eagerly.
“I do, but don’t kill anyone who doesn’t deserve it.” Scarlet waved her finger at them. “You can scare the shit out of them, but don’t kill them.”
The poltergeists deflated again. “We know, we know,” they muttered.
“But we’re really good at scaring the shit out of them,” a female said. “Last week, I made a guy crap his pants so much that a turd fell out while he was running!”
“That’s nothing,” Farley said. “I made one?—”
Unwilling to hear their glory stories about shit, I guided Mouse out of the woods.
“We’ll see you soon!” I called back to the battling specters who were growing increasingly louder with their tales of smelly triumph. “Thank you for helping us find him!”
“Anytime, Lery,” Farley called.
CHAPTER EIGHTY-EIGHT
Ellery
Once inside the manor, I coaxed Mouse into taking a bath while Ruby retrieved some winter clothes and Ryker helped me make dinner. I tried not to watch Ruby as she set the clothes on the table, but I couldn’t help glancing over while I chopped carrots.
