my neck. “I think I might be possessed by Zeke’s old boyfriend.”
Ben nearly spit his coffee. He quickly dabbed at his mouth and turned to me in the seat. “What?”
“You remember those visions I had about Zeke? Well, I think it’s connected. It has to be. Somehow, Philip and I are linked. And it’s even stronger now. It’s getting to the point where he takes over my body and I’m powerless to stop him. He even spoke through me last night.”
“More coffee?” the waitress asked, appearing out of nowhere.
Taylor screamed, which in turn, scared the people behind him. They shot him a nasty look before throwing money down on the table and standing from the booth to leave.
“No, thank you,” Ben answered for us, giving her a gentle smile. “Bring us the check, please.”
“You all right, hon?” she asked Taylor.
“Yeah, I’m good. Sorry.”
I hid my smile behind my cup as I lifted it to take another drink. Leave it to Taylor to make a serious conversation funny, even if it was unintentional.
“Hey, you don’t have to do that,” I said, as Ben pulled out his debit card and placed it on the ticket tray. “I invited you guys to breakfast, so I’ll buy.”
“Not a chance,” he responded. After the waitress returned with a receipt, he signed it and we stood from the table. Once we were outside, he turned to me. “What do you need us to do? I’ve read about ghost possession in my research, but I don’t know how accurate it is.”
“We can ask Callum,” Taylor said. “He should be at his shop.”
“He told me to come to him if I needed help in the future,” I pointed out, looking down the street.
Signs of fall were everywhere. Orange leaves fell from a large tree in the courtyard that was nestled between two buildings. Two small, square bales of hay were beside me on the sidewalk, and a straw scarecrow with an animated, happy face sat on top of them. Crisp air tickled my face, and the scent of baked goods and apples drifted from the bakery across the street.
But just when I started to let my guard down and enjoy the day, I heard it. A low, rumbling laugh in the back of my mind.
“You’re mine now,” it whispered.
“Carter?” Ben asked, touching my arm. I blinked and focused on him. “You okay?”
“I’ll be better once we visit Callum. He’s the only person who might have answers.”
***
The mystic shop was crowded. A woman working behind the counter talked to a group of teen girls who wanted friendship stones. Another group of people stood around a table covered in small bottles of what looked like oil. Each one had a different scent written across it—lavender, wild flowers, vanilla, and one called lustful midnight.
It seemed to me like it was a bunch of tourists. They flocked to Ivy Grove in hopes to experience the atmosphere and magic of the town with the vast haunted history.
“Come with me,” Taylor said, grabbing my arm. He led me toward the back room. A sign advertising palm and tarot readings hung above it, and there was a huge line of people waiting their turn. “Well, shit.”
“Go ask your boyfriend if we can cut in line,” I said.
Taylor thumped me on the chest. “He’s not my boyfriend, you ass. And I doubt he’d give us special privileges. Guess we’ll have to wait in line like the other peasants.”
“Peasants?” a smooth voice said from our left. Callum came into view, wearing a blood red shirt and black tight pants. The shirt had the top two buttons undone, showing just a peek of his toned chest.
Taylor’s mouth popped open. I had the urge to push it closed but didn’t want to embarrass him.
“Cat got your tongue?” Callum asked, stepping closer to Taylor. The smile on his face veered on cocky. When it came to his supposed gifts, he remained humble. It was just his looks he was arrogant about. With good reason. The guy was magnetic.
“Um, hey,” Taylor finally said. “We came to see you.”
As if suddenly realizing I existed, Callum looked at me, and all traces of his smile vanished. That same fearful look he’d had the first day I met him surfaced again. “What have you gotten yourself into, Mr. Jones?”
“Hey, no need to call me mister,” I said, holding up a hand. “Your Highness will suffice.”
Ben snorted from beside me. “Good god, Carter.”
“Follow me,” Callum said, before turning on his heels and passing through the