Sven was painfully aware of Mercedes’ abilities. Their grand opening day the dead-and-breakfast had lost one too many feather pillows to the random explosions she caused. And she was still cleaning up flower petals after catching Margaid’s bouquet and having it combust in her hand. Those flowers went everywhere.
Sven let out the breath he’d been holding. Not that he needed to hold his breath, it was just a force of habit, and scrubbed a hand over his face as he tried to concentrate on the spreadsheet of business expenses for the dead-and-breakfast. The same spreadsheet he’d been staring at for the last hour. He justcouldn’t concentrate. It was all he could do not to wish the days would rush by faster. He tried to keep his mind occupied. Menial administrative tasks had kept his mind off the grief over the last century, but he just couldn’t do it.
He felt absolutely powerless and out of control.
It was the worst feeling.
He glanced around the cozy wood-paneled lobby of Room with a Tomb. It appeared empty, but he couldn’t help but wonder who was actually lurking there.
“Flo, I don’t know if you’re in the room, but…” He stopped himself from saying additional words out loud because he knew she didn’t remember him completely, and he didn’t want to scare her off. Plus, he was always the levelheaded twin between him and Magnus, and he had a hard time talking to nothing.
It seemed kind of silly to him, the whole idea of ghosts and spirits. Which was ironic, given he’d been cursed by a landlocked sea witch a thousand years ago and was technically a ghoul.
“Odin’s testicles,” he cursed under his breath, slamming his fist down on the desk and upsetting a neat basket of paperclips.
“Whoa. I only hear that come out of your brother’s mouth.”
Sven turned to see Mercedes standing behind him. She was gazing at him softly, and his shoulders slumped as he let out a sigh before picking up the spilled paperclips.
“Sorry.”
“For what?” she asked.
“I don’t usually like cursing in front of a lady. I’m not as barbaric as my brother. I never have been.” He straightened the reception desk back to the way he liked it.
Mercedes grinned. “So, you were more of a lover than a fighter Viking?”
He chuckled. “Dreamer maybe. More like that. I didn’t much like killing.”
Mercedes leaned against the check-in counter. “I’m glad to hear that. Please don’t tell me that my ghoul boyfriend enjoyed killing?”
“Only animals to eat. We were explorers, not raiders.”
“Whew.” Mercedes ran her hand across her forehead in a dramatized act of relief.
“How are you feeling?” Sven didn’t want to push her or pressure her. He was thankful she had agreed to do the séance, but he was also so very envious that she could talk to Flo while he couldn’t, and he wanted to get things moving.
Mona said this séance would help Flo, but Mercedes had to do it. He wasn’t sure how, but he hoped it would.
“I’m good.” Mercedes smiled brightly. “How about tonight?”
If Sven had a heartbeat, it would skip right about now. “Tonight?”
“Well, I need a lot of people here and the Sullivans want to stay on for it. Mona can come over tonight and Pearl is still in town. I feel like Mona and Pearl completely ground me.” She cocked her head to one side and nodded. “So…yeah, tonight.”
“I think tonight is great.” He was so excited, he could barely contain it. “What do we need to do?”
“I think the dining room would be great. We need some candles and I have everything else at Hetty’s. I just have to go grab it and then I’ll come back with Pearl and we’ll do this.”
“Okay. I’ll let the Sullivans know. Say around seven?”
Mercedes nodded. “Yes.”
“Does…does Flo know?” He wasn’t sure why he hesitated in saying her name. Maybe because it had been so long since he dared to even utter her name, because it had hurt so much when she vanished.
Every little snap of twigs made him jump as he waited for her. She was late. The sun would be coming up soon and he’d have to hide again.
Where was she?
