Page 17 of With All My Haunted Heart

“And in the morning,” a new voice chimes in from the open doorway. Elle. “Once we’d sobered up, we both realized how perfect this idea was. We wanted a business of our own. We wanted to spend more time together. It wasn’t just a drunk fantasy.”

“Lou showed up to breakfast with a full business plan drafted out, like the nerd she is,” Xander says fondly.

Elle rolls her eyes.

“But why the haunting?” I press. “You said that part of the idea came before the investors—before Sloane. It’s gotta be more than a marketing hook.”

The humor and warmth leaves Elle’s face in a rush. “It’s personal,” she says in a tone that makes it clear the topic is closed to discussion. She turns her attention to Xander. “Can I borrow Pippa for a moment?”

“Sure.” He unfurls his legs and stands, bending over to kiss the top of my head. “I’ll leave you to it. I’m sure you’ve got all sorts of research planned for your evening.” He crosses the room to Elle and kisses her head, too. “Play nice.”

She squirms out from under his grip. “I’m always nice,” she grumbles, which earns her one of Xander’s hearty snort-laughs. Elle waits for Xander to disappear down the hall before stepping inside. “Is everything okay with the room?”

I nod, sliding off the bed. Sitting among the pillows and fluffy blankets feels too intimate. “I appreciate the extra workspace.”

“You’re welcome to use any of the common rooms. The library, in particular, is excellent for research, but you seemed to like this room when you cleansed the space.”

“Oh. Well…thank you.” I’m surprised she remembers. No, that’s not right. It makes sense she remembered. She watched me like a hawk. I’m surprised she cared. “I appreciate you letting me stay here. It’s so much better than commuting.”

“Hmm,” she says, which seems to pass for a positive acknowledgment. Elle wanders into the study area, her gaze raking over the full table of supplies. Her fingers come to rest on the stack of books. “What’s all this?”

“Research.”

“I thought you were already good at this?”

Her words prickle along my skin, irritating like too-rough fabric. “My knowledge of ghosts begins and ends with how to safely get rid of them. I intend to do this right. Hence, research.”

Elle nods, tilting her head to read the spines. “Smart,” she says at last, the compliment delivered in that same detached, cold tone.

I wonder if that’s just how she sounds, if all the things I’ve weathered like insults weren’t about my competence at all. Except…none of that matches the carefree, daredevil-like stories I’ve heard from Xander about teenage Elle. It doesn’t match a dancing, drunk Elle who dreams up haunted B&Bs. It’s different from the teasing way she acts around Xander.

“And all of this?” She gestures to the crystals and various magical contraptions.

“Tools of the trade.” I join her at the table, pointing to the different crystals as I name them and explain their uses.

She takes it all in, and I watch for any sign of what she might be thinking, what she might be feeling. Her expression betrays nothing…until she spots the only piece of mundane equipment. “Is that a Taser?”

“It’s just a precaution.”

“For what? Burglars?”

“For possessions,” I answer, earning an eyebrow raise. “Electrical currents tear apart spiritual energy. In a worst-case scenario, a Taser is the fastest way to destroy a malevolent spirit that attaches itself to someone.”

“Huh.” Elle moves on from the Taser, her fingers stretching toward a large piece of smoky quartz.

I grab her hand before she can touch any of the crystals, the movement instinct more than intention. My heart thunders in my chest at the skin-to-skin contact. “How much experience do you have with magic?”

Heat flushes her cheeks. “None really. Just the stories I’ve heard from Alex about living with you.” She looks up at me, my hand still covering hers. “You’re freezing,” she says, fingers trembling as she pulls away.

The slide of her skin against mine brings a matching blush to my face. I rub my hands together to fight the chill she noted. It’s been long enough since I traced that final calming sigil on Xander’s palm for the warmth of magic to have fled my skin.

“Rule number one of living with a witch is to avoid physical contact with their tools. Even in their inactive state, magical items can influence you. If you don’t know what something is, don’t touch it.”

Elle studies the supplies again, her hands folded behind her back this time. “And how do you activate them?”

“Different ways. Everyone has their own preferred methods. I’m a fan of sigils for focusing intentions and directing energy to work in particular ways, but the main thing all witches do is channel raw magic.” At her raised eyebrow, I continue. “Really? I can’t believe Xander didn’t get into all this. He’s asked me a million questions over the years.”

“He focused on what you could do, not how you did it.”