tea bags. He told me several times I could go home, but I didn’t feel right leaving him alone in that state. Plus, it was because of me he was even in that situation to begin with.
“Can you tell me more about the other ritual?” I asked, gathering the tea cups, cream, and sugar onto a tray. “How do I need to prepare?”
“To banish the spirit, I’ll need something of his. Preferably his bones.”
I jolted, nearly knocking a cup into the floor. “Um, like digging up his body?”
“Yes, Carter, that is where bones come from.”
I brought the tray over and placed it in front of him on the coffee table. “I don’t know where he’s buried. Hell, I still don’t know how he died.”
“If you can’t find his bones, an item of his from when he was alive will suffice, but it won’t be nearly as strong.” Callum looked to have regained more of his strength as he poured tea into his cup and added just a dash of cream. “The ritual will need to be performed at Redwood.”
“I thought you couldn’t go back.”
“I can. I’ve just chosen not to.” Callum stirred his tea before taking a sip. “But it’s the only way. I’ll be sure to protect myself, perhaps with an amulet to ward off negative energy. Don’t worry about me. Just worry about taking care of yourself in the meantime.”
It was after midnight when I finally left. I debated on going to Redwood, but the ghosts would be too active at that late hour. Zeke said he locked away the dangerous ones on the third floor, so I should’ve been safe, but I was also drained—both emotionally and physically. I needed a good night’s sleep.
When I pulled into my driveway, I saw lights on in the house. I sometimes forgot to lock my door, so I shouldn’t have been surprised. I got out of my car and went inside. Ben and Taylor sat on the couch, playing cards. They looked up as I walked through the door and rushed over to me.
“How did it go?” Ben asked.
“Did Callum get rid of the ghost?” Taylor added.
An unexpected surge of emotion swelled in my chest, and I threw my arms around both of them. They had been so worried that they’d hung out at my house until I got home.
“I’ll tell you guys everything,” I said, pulling back and wiping at my eyes. God, I was such an emotional mess with all the crying I’d done lately. “But for now, I really need to sleep.”
“Of course,” Ben said, clapping me on the back. “Stop by in the morning. Theo is worried about you too.”
Shocked that Ben had mentioned his ghost boyfriend, I snapped my head toward Taylor.
“It’s okay.” He smiled. “Ben told me about Theo.”
“And guess who then wanted to rush over and meet him?” Ben said, bumping Taylor’s arm. “I think he fanboyed over Theo more than he did to me. Theo didn’t know what to do with himself with all the attention.”
Taylor blushed and flashed a lopsided grin. “Hey, I told you I had a crush on Thomas when I read Ellwood. Theo is basically him. I can’t help it.”
“Theo told me since he has fans now, I need to give him half my royalties,” Ben said with a light laugh. “He already gets my money, so the point is moot.”
“Thank you,” I said to them, becoming serious. And dammit more tears surfaced. “Having friends like you means more to me than I can ever say. Tonight was hard, and there’s more to come, but just… thank you for being here.”
“That’s what friends are for,” Taylor said. “Friends also let other friends crash on their couches.”
I snorted. “The couch is all yours, buddy.”
After Ben went home, I tossed Taylor a blanket and pillow before going up to my room. I undressed and slid between the cool sheets, waiting for the fear to kick in like it always did at night. But it never came. I wasn’t anxious or afraid. For the first time in a while, I didn’t even have to sleep with the TV on.
I closed my eyes and drifted to sleep, feeling more at peace than I ever had.
***
I shut the car door and heaved my backpack over my shoulder before approaching the fence and climbing over. I dropped to the grass on the other side and kept going. The sun was out, adding warmth to an otherwise chilly fall day. I couldn’t stop smiling. It