The Whispering Dead (Gravekeeper #1) - Darcy Coates Page 0,82
he muttered, speaking to the fire rather than her. “I’d thought she’d moved into the Lord’s embrace, but all the while, she’s been trapped here.”
“I’m so sorry.” Keira didn’t know what else to say. She’d grown to associate Adage with kind smiles and a carefree personality. To see him distressed made her insides ache with guilt.
“Tell me the truth, child. Is she gone now?”
“Yes.” Keira glanced toward the window. The mist had thinned, but enough of it lingered around the gravestones to cast an ethereal glow in the faint sunlight. “I think so. She didn’t want to leave while she thought her baby might still be on earth. But the infant had already moved on, and now that it will have a proper burial, Emma’s gone too.”
Adage nodded. He lowered his cup to the floor, then leaned back in the chair. “You told me you had no memories. Was that a concealment?”
“No. It’s the truth. I don’t know who I am or why I can see ghosts. I just can.”
Adage pursed his lips as he nodded. “Are there other spirits?”
“Yes.”
“In my cemetery?”
“Yes.”
“How many?”
Keira looked back at the window and pulled on the second sight. The muscle still ached, but engaging it seemed to become slightly easier each time she used it. She saw the shimmer of faint, transparent forms. “At least a dozen. Emma was the clearest. Some of the others are almost too faint to see.”
“A remarkable talent,” Adage said, watching his laced fingers. “I’m sure you’ve already considered the possibilities this ability offers. You could be a television personality. A spirit medium for hire. Even the Catholic Church might be interested in employing you; they have no small number of qualified exorcists in their ranks.”
Those options had never occurred to her; she’d been too busy thinking about all the ways the gift could ruin her life. Keira tried to imagine being famous, talking to ghosts on live television or invoicing wealthy clients for séances. Even just thinking about it made her feel dirty.
Her expression must have revealed her reluctance because Adage chuckled. “Not your cup of tea, child?”
“No, thank you.”
“Well, I have an offer of my own. Now, to be clear, I cannot afford even a fraction of what your talent would be worth. But I can give you this cottage to live in, dinner with me as often as you would enjoy it, and a modest weekly wage.”
Keira blinked. “Sorry, do you mean—?”
“I would like you to support Blighty’s spirits in moving on to the next life.” Adage took off his glasses and polished them on the edge of his sweater vest. His eyes looked misty again. “I became a pastor to assist as many souls as possible, and I am proud to say I have given the task everything I have. But my ability to help people ceases the moment they die.” His eyes met hers. “I can shepherd them during life, but I would like you to guide them after death.”
Keira’s throat was tight. Instead of trying to speak, she nodded. Her mind was too full of ideas to hold them all. Staying in Blighty. Living in the cottage that had already begun to feel like home. Keeping Daisy. Coffee with Zoe. Learning about the town with Mason.
And the ghosts. Emma’s situation had been both complex and frustrating, but knowing she had gone to meet her child and her fiancé had made it worthwhile. Every ghost in the graveyard would have a reason for lingering. Some might be resolved in half a day. Others, she was afraid, might never be able to move on. But she would try. Not just for the spirits in the cemetery, but for the souls trapped in the old mill. She owed them.
“Thank you,” she said at last. “I’d love to stay. Thank you so much.”
“Excellent.” Adage’s earlier despondency faded, and one of his grandfatherly smiles returned to his face. He stood, returned his cup to the sink, and took his coat off the hook by the door. “Then I will follow the same advice I gave to Mason earlier; the details can be decided on later. For now, you need to rest, and I am overdue for my morning calls. Mildred Hobb will never let me hear the end of it.”
He stopped at the door, one hand on the handle, and gave her a final, gentle smile. “I’m glad you’re staying, Keira. Ghosts aside, I’ve grown quite fond of you.”