Page 208 of Love at First Fright

Slowly. So slowly.

They coalesced. Reformed. A vaguely human shape taking form in the centre of the basement.

Bat appeared. Translucent. Barely there. But there.

He swayed. His eyes found mine.

Relief flooded through me. “Oh, thank fuck—”

Margery turned. She regarded me with those dark, hollow eyes. Her expression unreadable.

I swallowed hard. “Okay, but… I thought… I thought you weren’t actually a witch?!”

The corner of her mouth twitched.

She winked.

Then she began to fade, the edges of her dissolving into mist.

“Wait!” I stumbled forward.

But she was gone.

The basement fell quiet.

Not peaceful. Just empty. Like the silence after a bomb drops and your ears are still ringing and you’re not sure if you’re alive or dead but at least the screaming has stopped.

Two living souls remained. Well, one and a half. Evelyn didn’t really count—she’d pulled her knees to her chest, face buried, rocking back and forth with the rhythmic determination of someone who’d completely checked out of reality.

Good for her, honestly. I’d quite like to check out right now.

“I thought he’d murdered you,” I said to Bat. “Again.”

Bat hovered a few feet away, translucent enough that I could see the pillar behind him through his chest. I reached for his face. My fingers passed straight through, meeting no resistance. Cold air. Nothing more.

“I’m made of tougher stuff than that.” His attempted smile flickered. He looked shaken. Properly rattled. His edges kept blurring, as if he couldn’t quite remember what shape he was supposed to be.

A sharp crack echoed through the basement.

I spun toward the sound. The shattered PolterPulse lay against the far wall, still sparking. Weak bursts of neon blue light sputtered from its broken circuitry, smoke still curling from the split casing.

“I hope Gerald doesn’t charge me for that.”

Bat’s laugh came out hollow. “Pretty sure property damage is covered under ‘killed by malevolent entity.’”

We both looked at Brad’s body, lying sprawled on the stone. Face grey. Eyes open. Staring at nothing.

I swallowed hard. “Can you see Brad’s ghost?”

Bat shook his head.

Right. Of course not. Brad had moved on immediately. No unfinished business. No regrets tethering him here. Just… gone.

Lucky bastard.

Would they put up a plaque at ExorSquad HQ? Brad Harrington: Star Employee. Died doing what he loved—being an insufferable twat.

I wondered how I’d describe this to Gerald. Yeah, so Brad was eaten by a murderous bishop. Also, the village priest and the client are dead too. Do I still get paid?