In my periphery, Maggie mouths something I’m sure is extra sassy, like, “Want to bet?”
“You have to understand that I can’t believe this without some sort of proof.” Zebulund is up and pacing.
“Maybe see if she hears me. Sometimes, they do. But I don’t know.”
“You could do that? Really?” His gaze is piercing, glaring in disbelief.
“I don’t know. I can try. It’s not the ideal setting, but maybe a small test to see.”
“Yeah.” He tucks his arms under his sweating pits. “Uh, see if you could get her to, I don’t know, say something.”
“Oh, I can’t hear her,” I clarify. Also, not a lie. “It’s not like that.”
He frowns skeptically.
“Maybe I can ask her to do something. She flipped those cards from Viktor’s hands.”
“True. True. Okay.”
Maggie’s eyes twinkle like paparazzi filming a drunken starlet. She’s way too excited about this.
“Want me to make something up?” I ask.
“No.” Zebulund shakes his head instantly. “No offense. But I want to come up with something. In case…”
“In case I’m lying. I get it. Go ahead. But be forewarned; I don’t know how easy it is for her to cross over right now.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, at night in a controlled setting, with more help, I might be able to summon her.”
“Like a séance?”
“It sounds like bullshit when you use that word, but yeah, something like that. There were more of us. I think it’s an energy thing. I don’t know the technicalities. And Viktor was sort of checked out. I think that’s why he was the most affected by her.” I have no fucking idea what I’m talking about but he seems to eat it up. Maggie gives a sarcastic thumbs-up and rolls her eyes. He chews on his thumb. Thinking.
“Let’s try something small for now.”
“Okay.”
Maggie shakes her head like this is unbelievable but in a good way. She’s gnawing on her bottom lip and her eyes are wide in anticipation. She can’t wait to fuck with him and this is massively good news—finding out he has a weakness. She’s adorable.
“Ask her to…” He looks around the room. “Ask her to turn on the TV.” Zebulund crosses his arms, then untucks them, his leg jumping enough to shake the deck.
Maggie practically sprints to the TV. It’s an enormous flat screen.
“Spirit, if you are here—” I start as she looks up and down the side of the screen. “Please give us a sign. Please turn on the TV.”
Her hands run up and down the bottom panel. And then the side. Panic starts to rise. This should have been a slam dunk. She looks back at me and throws up her arms. She can’t find the fucking power button. Her search becomes frantic. The TV subtly shakes from her eager hands. I risk a glance at Zebulund and his nostrils flare.
“Spirit, I know it may be hard to summon the energy for a physical feat of strength.” I stall. “After this you can leave in peace.”
She shakes her head at my cornball line. She’s desperate to find the button that she’s pushing anything she sees.
The TV flickers to life. None of us are prepared. The volume is up so loud all three of us jump when the sound blasts through the room. It’s a car commercial with a thumping techno beat. I snag the remote and mute it.
“Shit.” Zebulund clutches his heart and falls back against the wall. “It’s real. I knew. I fucking knew. For days I sensed it. Someone is watching me.”
Do not look at Maggie. Do not look at Maggie. Apparently, she’s not as sneaky as she thinks. He laughs in that post-scare way, high and halting.
