“Girl, din’t yer mama teach ya manners?” Annie asked, side-eyeing her. “Save some for the rest of us, child.”
“My mother’s dead. So, no.” Katie wiped the corners of her lips seductively. “Besides, this is all mine.”
Jesus Christ.
From everyone else’s point of view, Katie was just hogging the holiday dessert—not giving my uncle a yuletide blowy on the dining room table. And with the way my family always remained focused on their own plates… I was hoping they didn’t catch the giant glowing dick in the bowl next to them.
As if seeing my uncle’s dong in the pistachio fluff wasn’t bad enough, watching my best friend deep throat it on the dining room table wasn’t any better.
I nudged her under the table. “Would you knock it off?” I whisper-yelled.
“Fine, fine, I’ll save my dessert for after dinner.” She tented her napkin over the bowl, but it slowly sank—signaling Uncle Silas had given up and I could finally breathe.
Dinner was so silent a pin could have dropped and you’d have thought an anvil fell from the ceiling. I’d lost my appetite after Katie’s little show and frankly couldn’t wait until it was time for the gift exchange—one step closer to the night being over.
Just then, movement in the corner of my eye pulled me toward the study.
Oh God.
No.
I shook my head—not wanting to create a scene.
Get. Out. Of. Here, I mouthed through clenched teeth.
Uncle Silas, fluid in his glowing grape cigar-smelling essence, clung to the walls like a creeping fungus, then flowed onto the shelves filled with my uranium glass collection. He wove through glowing platters, parfait glasses, teacups, and pitchers until?—
…clink…
He’d bumped the candy dish into a set of salt and pepper shakers and everyone looked up.
Luckily, Uncle Silas disappeared, only leaving behind his smoky essence that blended seamlessly into the fluorescent glow of the green glass.
I sighed. “Hmm, must not have placed the lid on properly when I dusted the other day.”
Graham glanced at me, confused, and clocked the beads of sweat forming on my brow. “You okay?” he asked from the corner of his mouth.
I nodded, wide-eyed and horrified at the thought of what would’ve happened if Uncle Silas?—
Before the thought could finish, Uncle Silas materialized behind Daddy and dove into his body, causing him to collapse face-first into his plate.
“Charles!?” Mom rose, clutching her necklace.
Dad sprang back into his seat almost instantly—eyes now glowing in that telltale, Silas Harney just possessed me green.
Son-of-a-bitch.
I slumped forward, my elbows hitting the table with a dull thud, and buried my head in my hands.
“Maggie, what’s the matter with your dad?” Hunter asked mid-chew.
“No clue,” I lied.
Graham just sat there, hand to his mouth, staring. Why wouldn’t he? Last time, he was the man on the inside. Now, he got to witness the shit-show we all did the last time Uncle Silas possessed someone.
Derek typed something into his special watch, most likely clocking the time of possession, or maybe the rate of spectral animation.
God, I needed a drink.
