Page 48 of Tall, Dark and Haunted

“Huh?” Her voice sounds hoarse, as if she’s been crying. But I guess that’s probably exactly what she’s been doing. As far she knows, her only daughter is dead. And a laughing stock. I’m not sure which is worse. Seeing as how I’m no longer dead, I’m leaning towards the dead spread-eagle in the fountain bit. “R-rhiannon?”

She gulps and lets out a sob. I hear one of my dads in the background asking her what’s going on.

“Mum, it’s really me. I’m alive. I promise.”

“Alive?” She sounds unconvinced. Chances are, she’s not going to believe me until she flies out to Silver Springs for a visit—or I bring my mates home. “Rhiannon, it’s really you?”

I quickly fill her in and tell her to pack some bags and get my entire family tickets to the United States using my newfound wealth. She still doesn’t believe me until one of my dads takes the phone from Mum and confirms it’s me. I give him the same instructions I gave Mum and smile, knowing that I’ll see my family soon for what will most likely be a tearful reunion with lots of squealing.

“About the money—” I say, rejoining my mates, but Rossi raises a hand to stop me as he approaches.

“I can offer you all rooms at the Tilbury Manor Hotel until you get back on your feet.”

“Thank you, man.” Davy slaps him on the shoulder.

Rossi looks a little taken aback. But then he nods and says, “The offer extends to everybody who was part of the Margam Castle group.”

“Us too?” a senior calls out, her Welsh accent echoing down the street.

The deputy mayor gasps. Because that’s when everyone realizes that some of the seniors from the tour group somehow got stranded in Silver Springs.

“What are you doing here?” the deputy mayor demands.

“We were out for a lovely stroll, I think.” One of the women frowns. “That’s right. Isn’t it, Martha?”

“It’s the darndest thing,” Martha agrees.

“You must be part of the tour group,” the deputy mayor says.

“We are?” Martha asks.

“Oh, yes, you won a trip to Silver Springs in a contest. All expenses paid.”

“We did?” The two humans look at each other, wearing matching confused expressions. Then they grin as the foggy confusion in their minds clears with the help of the town’s magic wards.

“It includes unlimited drinks at Jewels Cafe,” Amber tells them. “Follow me.”

The two women smile broadly and walk off after her.

“Arrange their flight back to Wales,” the deputy mayor snaps.

I’m not sure who she’s talking to until a woman with a clipboard separates from the crowd. “Right away,” she says, taking out her phone.

“This is an expensive mess to fix,” the deputy mayor sighs. “It’s a good thing we’re insured against misuse of magic.”

The crowd mutters in agreement, and Rossi gestures for us to follow him back to the hotel.

“There’s still the matter of the money,” Topher says. “I can get a job doing… Well… I’m not sure.” He hesitates.

“What did you do before you died?” I ask, suddenly realizing that I don’t really know my mates all that well. With everything going on, we just haven’t had the time. But now we’ll have a lifetime. And I plan to spend a lot of it learning everything I can about my mates. When I’m not busy getting them naked.

“I ran the Margam estate,” Topher says. “Did the books, hired staff, made sure the sanctuary had funds.”

“You could get a job in management,” I suggest.

“Oh, yes.” Topher grins. “How do I do that?”

“I’m not sure,” I tell him.