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“Are you alright?” I ask quietly.
Abigail shakes her head, biting down lightly on her lower lip–probably to stop the tears in her deep hazel eyes from spilling onto her cheeks. I’ve got to give her credit for the effort.
“It’s just… I’ve not been able to sleep well the past couple of nights. I think the stress is getting to me.”
“Stress about Pocus?”
Abigail sighs heavily. “I haven’t spoken to my husband in two days, Tory.” She rubs her stomach uncontrollably, making a soothing, circular motion. “The silence is killing me.”
I let my eyes fall on her baby bump and raise them back up to her face. “Can I?”
Abby frowns first then smiles when she realizes what I’m asking.
“Oh, sure!”
Gently, I reach out with my left hand and place it on her stomach. I close my eyes and let myself become one with the host’s body, channeling the baby’s core energy. Beneath my palm, I feel its pulse beating.
Abigail gasps softly. “Oh, my God! That was… I feel better. Did you…?”
“Your baby is so strong,” I say with a smile and Abby’s eyes lighten up instantly. “I’m sure your husband is also well. Babies have a way of knowing when their parents are in trouble. He probably just hasn’t figured out a way to get in touch with you.”
Abby lets out a breath of relief and visibly relaxes. “Thank you, Tory,” she says with a grateful smile. Abby glances at Seer and back at me, her eyes mirroring the same worry that I’ve seen on the faces of all the other residents of the clubhouse when they drop by, and I know she’s about to ask the question that they always ask. “How is he?”
I shake my head slowly. “Not much change, I’m afraid.”
Abby leans back in her seat with a dejected sigh. “Poor Seer.”
* * *
Iwatch Hex from a safe distance. He’s sitting alone on one swing, his feet scraping the ground as he sways gently back and forth. He seems engrossed in a conversation with the space beside him. I’ve seen him a couple of times talking to himself, but nobody seems to find it strange or pay him mind.
I’d decided to speak to Hex since he’s the only person who can help me with what I need. I wonder how this conversation will go. Of course, it could go so many ways, but I think I can guess the most obvious scenario. Hex already doesn’t like me, and my plan is only going to justify his animosity toward me. But then again, the conversation has to happen now, and it has to be with him. I take a deep breath and walk over to him, hoping to the gods that he understands I’m trying to help.
I clear my throat loudly to get his attention. Hex raises his head to look at me, his eyes registering surprise, then curiosity. He didn’t speak, though. Instead, he averts his gaze, directing a stony glare at the setting sun on the horizon.
“May I sit with you, please?” I ask, gesturing to the empty wooden swing beside him.
Hex doesn’t bother to look at me. “Someone is sitting there already.”
I blink rapidly in confusion. “But… it’s empty.”
Hex directs his glare toward me. “Don’t look at me like that, Miss Cromwell.”
I close my eyes briefly, taking a deep, steadying breath. I rarely get pissed, but it’s safe to say Hex is getting on my nerves. It’s like he’s intentionally being annoying to see me snap or something.
“I’m sorry to bother you,” I say calmly, despite the tightness in my chest. “I’ll just leave.”
“Wait!” Hex calls out just as I turned around. He has a hesitant expression on his face. “I… I wasn’t being cold. Someone really is sitting there. Her name is Cassandra, and she’s a ghost.”
“A ghost?”
Hex nods. “Yeah.” He shrugs a little. “The same way you can do mind shit, and Seer can see the future, I can see and speak to ghosts. Sometimes, they feel like the only ones I can relate to.” He smiles up at me. He has a sad tilt to his lips that reflects the profound loneliness in his light brown eyes. “Ironic, isn’t it?”
I shrug hesitantly, unsure of what he wants to hear from me. “I… I guess,” I stutter.
Hex scoffs amusedly. “You look so lost. Talking to ghosts shouldn’t be so confounding. Seeing as you’re a medium or whatever.”
“I’m sorry,” I say calmly. “I thought you were being difficult like usual, which was presumptuous of me.”
