The brunet groaned and resumed walking. “You’re fucking insane. There’s no such thing as ghosts.”
“There totally is. Haven’t you heard that cold spots are an indication of ghosts?” the blond pressed, taking a couple of quick steps to catch up with his friend.
“You’re the reason there are all those stupid ghost-hunting shows on TV. I hate you,” the brunet continued before they disappeared down another hallway.
“Please tell me you’re here to prove to them that ghosts are real by turning them into ghosts.”
Winter’s head snapped around to see a ghost standing in an open doorway, watching him very closely. He hadn’t even noticed her standing there, but then, he’d gotten very good at tuning the ghosts out over the years.
He didn’t say anything as he continued toward a long hallway off the foyer, but the ghost continued.
“You’re Winter Varik, aren’t you?”
Winter’s gaze jerked up to stare at the ghost, really taking in her appearance. She looked like she’d died young, twenty-two or twenty-three. It was impossible to tell if she’d died as a human or a vampire. But judging by her jeans and 2017 Fun Run T-shirt, she’d died not that long ago.
“I am,” he said softly.
The ghost laughed and spun on the toes of her left foot while clapping. “That totally explains it!” She sucked in a breath she didn’t need and smiled broadly at him. “That’s why you’ve got such a reputation for being scary and invisible. You can sneak around with all the ghosts.”
“You’ve heard of me?”
She nodded and took another step closer. “Damon complained about the Variks all the time, but your name came up the most. He’s scared shitless of you.”
Winter grinned at his new friend. That news was always nice to hear. He just didn’t know how he’d turn it to his advantage.
“Did you work for Damon?”
The ghost sniffed and crossed her arms tightly over her chest. “Hardly. Unwilling blood donor. One of his fucks picked me up while I was running an errand to the grocery one night. Kept me locked up here for about a month before Damon finally managed to kill me.”
“I’m sorry…”
“Cara,” she supplied. She gave one small shrug of her slumped shoulders. “Thanks. Way it goes, I guess. Definitely not how I thought I was gonna die.”
“Have you been in the house long?”
Cara nodded. “I think so. Time…time feels weird now.”
It wasn’t the first time Winter had heard that complaint from a ghost. They didn’t register the passage of time the same way the living did. It was how they could exist for centuries in the same region and not go completely insane from the boredom. Decades could pass in the blink of an eye for them.
But if Cara had been in Damon’s house for at least a few months, she might know about the witch.
“Do you know if Damon is keeping anyone prisoner within the house right now? Someone who is not a blood donor.”
A broad smile blossomed on Cara’s face, and he had to admit, it was the most bloodthirsty expression he’d ever seen on a former human. “Second floor. Down the hall to the left from the main staircase. You’ll find at least two guards outside the door at all times.”
Winter’s heart skipped a beat at this wonderful news. This was exactly what he needed to know, and it saved him from having to search every inch of this place. Too often prisoners were kept either in a basement or even another building on the grounds. Winter didn’t have time to check out every inch of Damon’s place, and he certainly didn’t want to come back another night.
“Thanks, Cara!” He turned on his heel and started to jog toward the stairs, but Cara’s shout stopped him.
“Wait! Are you going to kill Damon?”
Winter paused with one foot on the bottom stair as he turned to look at her. “Not tonight, but very soon. I promise.”
“Good,” she said with a sigh. “And if you could make it really painful, I know a lot of us around here would appreciate it.”
Winter grinned. “I’ll do what I can.”
Cara laughed and started to do a twirling dance across the main hallway. She held up the middle finger on both hands, flipping off the front door guards as she passed them by. He had a feeling she was going to gleefully flip off all the vampires she passed in the house as she celebrated Damon’s coming demise.