Risen (Haunted Series Book 22)

did. She died.  I’ve lived a long time, Sabine.  I’m too old and busy to court another.”
“Do you have children?”
“I had a son. He was killed in battle.  His soul rests in another birdman, one who is an academic.  I feel better now he is away from harm.”
“Are you lonely?” Sabine asked.
“No, not since I started training again.  I thought the birdmen would be needed less and less, but the world has flipped back on itself.  I think we are needed more and more.  The children need protecting.  That’s what we do best.”
“I think you’re very honorable,” Sabine said.
“Thank you, that means a lot,” he said, taking her small hand in his.
Cid smiled.  He could learn a lot from Nicholai’s courtly ways.
“Friends, I must leave you.  I’d like to rest up and then see if I can get any more information for Mia before she crosses into the GSD.”
“Do you really think she would be so foolhardy?” Sabine asked.
“The Mia I worked with has a brain in that head on her shoulders.  She’s not going to fly in.  I expect she’s looking at another mode of transportation.”
“Let’s hope it’s not a row boat,” Cid said and then entertained them with stories of her rowing it backward and Murphy trying to teach her and giving up.  “Finally, she ended up jumping out of the boat and flutter-kicked it into shore.”

Chapter Twenty
Kevin nudged Mia’s shoulder.
“Ted, cut it out, I’m tired,” she mumbled.
“It’s not Ted. It’s Kevin,” he whispered in her ear.
Mia sat up, grasping her covers to her chest.  “Kevin, there are boundaries,” she hissed.
“Fergus and I…”
“Fergus is here?” Mia asked, her eyes searching the darkness.  She saw the starlight hit the glint of metal and knew it was his knife blade.
“We really need to talk to you.”
“Now?  It’s two in the morning,” she said, spying the clock on the bedside table.
“Talk to them, Mia, and then we can get back to sleep,” Ted said.  “You two wait on the balcony so she can get dressed in private.”
“Yes, Ted, sorry, Ted,” Kevin said, slurring his words.
When they left, Mia slid out of the covers and stomped into the bathroom. “Friggin’ drunk ghosts come a calling at two-effing o’clock.”
Ted pulled on his boxers and followed her.  He dug through Sabine’s suitcase and found a robe.  He handed it to Mia.
“Who packs a robe for a treasure hunt?” she asked.
“What if you have ghosties waking you up in the middle of the night…”
“Good point,” she said, jamming her arms in the sleeves as Ted held it out for her.  Mia tied it tightly around and looked in the mirror.  “It’s pink.  Not good.”
“What is it with you and pink?” Ted asked.
“I’ll tell you later.  In the daylight.  Okay, send in the clowns. I’m as respectable as I’m going to get.”
Ted tapped on the glass.  The two ghosts manifested in the room.  Ted turned on one of the lights.
“Mason said you’re going to try and cross over into the realm of the ghosties’ ships tomorrow.”
“Today,” Mia said, yawning.  “Wanna come along?  Ted can’t go. He’s got to stay with the rental boat, and I’m a lousy rower if the engine on the skiff cuts out.”
Kevin paled.
“I’ll come.  I’m an able rower.  Me da taught me,” Fergus said.
“You’re a lucky guy,” Mia said, “My dad taught me how to dig up dead people.”
Fergus’s eyes opened wide for a moment and then settled into his half-open stare.
“Mia, me and Fergus was down in bad town, and we were sort of pulled into a place of voodoo.  There was a man with white eyes calling for spirits.  We thought we’d oblige him, but he wasn’t looking for us, so we sort of hung around and watched,” Kevin said.
“This you woke me up for?” Mia asked.
“Yes, no, yes.  The white-eyed man, he starts calling for a Mister Harley.  You see, there was a woman whose husband just drowned at sea during the last storm, and she wanted this Harley to pass on a message for her.”
“Mia, this would be good work for you,” Fergus pointed out.  “We could split the proceeds.”
“I’m not a clairvoyant, but if things get rough, I’ll look you up,” she said, looking at Ted with a smirk.  “Please, Kevin, go on with your story.”
“Anyways, this Harley drifts in, but he’s not a full ghost.  He’s more like smoke.  The white-eyed man asked if he saw a Billy Bonaventure.  He said no, the only new sailor on his captain’s ship was a Stephen.”
“What’s his ship?” Mia asked.
“He didn’t say.  He ended up promising to transport the message from Billy’s wife over the veil, and if he met up with Bill, he would deliver it.”
“What was the message?” Ted asked, fully engaged.
“Just that she loved him and regrets hitting him with the fish pan before he left,” Kevin said.
“We came back to get you.  I think the white-eyed man was going to be there until the bewitching hour.  There was a long line.  He’s quite popular.  You need to ask him questions.  We couldn’t as we have no money.”
“There is a chance the clairvoyant knows Harley’s ship,” Mia said.  “He’s going to want silver, but maybe, he’ll take gold.”
“This is a lot of gold,” Ted said, picking up the chain.
“Oh, not the chain.  I’m talking about Sabine’s earrings.  Who brings eighteen karat gold earrings on a treasure hunt?” Mia asked.
“Give us a moment.  We’ll dress and meet you downstairs,” he instructed Kevin and Fergus.  “Good job by the way.”
Fergus’s mouth hung open.
Kevin pulled him out of the villa and down to the courtyard to wait.
“Did the bossman just praise me or was I dreamin’?” Fergus asked.
“He