Page 32 of The Devil and His Ghost

She even drifted over to Zagan, Dante, and Coldin at one point, but sadly for her, Zagan and Dante couldn’t see ghosts since they were Incubi. That class of demon had no use for souls or spirits, so they weren’t given the ability to see them. Only demons who worked in the field of souls—Mischief demons, Letum demons, or highly ranked demons—needed to see the spectral wanderers. While Coldin could see ghosts as a Letum demon, he’d never give one the time of day. The detached drummer ignored her just as he ignored everyone else who dared talk to him.

Nudging Kendyll, I leaned down and whispered, “Should I ask her to dance? How absurd do you think I’d look?”

Kendyll laughed, but unlike the previous ones, this one was real. The light sound was full of warmth and mirth, and it sent an equally airy flutter through my chest.

She met my gaze and answered, “They’d either blame the sight of you dancing with air on too much champagne or have you admitted for being insane.”

We looked at the apparition across the room again. The woman looked our way at the same time.

“Shit,” Kendyll gasped, quickly turning her body into mine. We stood flush against each other, and she gazed imploringly up at me. “Do you think she saw us looking?”

I leaned my arm on the table and casually glanced sideways. The spectral woman clutched her skirts and raced this way, running right through partygoers and tables.

“Oh, yeah,” I answered, meeting Kendyll’s stare. “Definitely saw us looking. She’s a ghost on a mission.”

The woman in question stopped right beside us, her pale face bouncing between us. “Please. Everyone is paying me no mind. I know not why!”

I cleared my throat and tried to avoid her eye contact while Kendyll looked at the desperate ghost from beneath her dark hair. The spirit clearly didn’t realize she was dead—and had long been, given her outdated dress and speech. I didn’t tell her this, though, since trying to convince a ghost of their unfortunate state could get ugly. It was better to play along until they realized it themselves or ignore them.

“I have been waiting,” the forlorn ghost continued, “for William Scottsdale. He has promised me a dance. By chance, have you seen him?”

Kendyll listened to the somber pleas of the dead lady, and a sympathetic frown creased her mouth. This ghost hadn’t come to terms with her state or moved on because she was waiting on her promised dance. Kendyll must’ve realized this, too, because the minute her gaze flicked my direction, I saw the wheels turning in those green, scrutinizing eyes. I knew exactly what she was planning.

Narrowing my eyes in warning, I hissed, “Don’t you dare.”

She ignored me and moved so that the ghost now stood between us rather than beside us. She smiled softly at the spirit, but to anyone around us, it would look like she was just smiling at and talking to me because of our new position.

“William couldn’t make tonight’s party, but he sent this gentleman in his stead.”

Kendyll gestured at me, and while I glared down at her, the ghost turned to beam up at me.

“Truly?” the apparition asked.

“Truly,” Kendyll answered for me before I could even open my mouth to object. “Why don’t we go outside so that you can dance? There’s not enough room in here.”

The ghost clapped her hands happily and gazed longingly at me. “Indeed!”

She grasped my arm, which I tucked against my side, giving her the impression of a gentleman ready to guide her away while not obvious to anyone we passed on the way outside. I wasn’t sure how I got roped into this, but it was fine. I’d wanted to find something fun to do at the party, and this was certainly … different. Not to mention, helping a spirit move on gave me a little buzz, a small high, of energy. With a smile, I led my apparent new date outside.

Chapter 14

Kendyll

(2 Years Ago)

NO ONE WAS OUTSIDE—THANK God. That would make it harder to see this through. Xander led the woman to a corner of the terrace, which was blocked from view of those beyond the glowing windows.

I pulled up some music on my phone before asking the lady, “How about a waltz?”

“That would be lovely!”

“Oh boy,” Xander drew with a tight smile.

I tried to fight my own as he and the dead woman faced and held each other in the beginning pose of a waltz. “The Blue Danube” began, and I stood to the side as Xander led—albeit, stiffly—the woman through an elegant waltz. I hid my grin behind my fingers. The ghost practically shot heart arrows with her gaze toward Xander, chatting happily as they danced. The demon was a good sport, conversing quietly with her.

As I watched the two, I wondered what the woman saw. Over my lifetime of dealing with ghosts, I’d learned a lot. A ghost oblivious to what they were didn’t necessarily see or experience things the same way the living did. They experienced the world in a way that aligned with what they believed to be true. When she looked at Xander and I, she probably saw us wearing the same fashion that she did or maybe even saw an actual private orchestra set up to explain the music that came from my phone.

My heart was heavy with both warmth and sympathy. This woman had been stuck, lost to a desperate search for a man who’d never come, for what had surely been a long time. I couldn’t begin to imagine how lonely she must’ve been, haunting this ballroom and hotel in an aching search for her lost love and their promised dance.