They waited.

  The guests began to filter out one by one until it was only them, and the sleeping host. Sella caught herself staring at Penya.

  Penya was old when Sella was a child, and here she was, as if she had not aged a day. She wondered if her memory was just her being a child. Even young adults seemed old to her then. Perhaps, she thought, a lot of her childhood was misremembered, as if she spent it in a dream. She turned to Lohrna, about to ask her if she recalled the owner of the hotel being very old when they were young, when Cali appeared in front of them.

  “Good news and bad news,” the ghost said.

  Sella nudged Lohrna, she pointed to where Cali stood so her friend’s eyes could focus on a spot.

  “Bad news is, it took me forever to find out which room they were staying in. And that I was wrong about there being evidence of the poison…” She looked a little guilty but went on with a grin growing across her cheeks. “BUT the good news is: in Nicte’s drawer, I found a bunch of my crystals, the stuff I brought from home. He must have gone through my place after he murdered me.”

  Sella relayed the information in whispers to Lohrna. Her friend held her hand over her mouth in shock as she did.

  “Sure, they’re not particularly valuable, but they were mine,” Cali continued.

  “Well,” Sella said carefully, “Benka has implied theft would be enough cause for him to take someone in under suspicion. This might be the best evidence we can get at this point. You’re sure the stones are yours, right? They’re not his that he brought with him?”

  “I’m certain,” Cali said. “I had them on display already at home. One, especially: a bright blue stone with black speckles... It’s an imperfection found in the gem’s raw form. It’s rare to keep them in that state.”

  Sella thought for a moment. She took a deep inhale, then explained the stone to Lohrna. To Cali, she asked, “So you have a stone that has unique imperfections… but how are we going to prove that you had it and now don’t?”

  Lohrna snapped her fingers excitedly, a loud sound in the empty lobby. “I know!”

  Sella looked at the still-sleeping Penya with wide eyes.

  “Oh, sorry,” Lohrna whispered. “But, I got it. Everyone in town knows I collect rocks. We could say that I had been to your house before, Cal. That you told me about the raw stone. That would place it as being in your possession prior.”

  “Plus, Ovina,” Cali added. “If she remembers it. She made a comment on it when she dropped off my welcome basket. That's two witnesses.”

  “Then?” Sella prompted. “How do we convince Benka to search Nicte’s room?”

  Lohrna thought for a moment, then shrugged. The wide doors opened and they watched as Nicte and Dimas walked in, a basket of produce hung from Nicte’s arm. They were lost in their conversation and walked right by them without a notice.

  “I could say I saw Nicte with it when we were talking shop?” Lohrna suggested once the two humans entered the hallway and began to ascend the stairs.

  “I feel like this plan puts you at unnecessary risk,” Sella whispered. “I don’t like it.”

  “I have to say,” Cali told Lohrna, though she could not hear, “I don’t care for it either.”

  “What if we say I did a divination spell?” Sella thought aloud. “That I tried to locate a missing item of yours in hopes of narrowing the suspects down. I could say that spell pointed to Nicte’s drawer. It’s not an unheard-of kind of magic.”

  Lohrna tossed a mess of curls behind her shoulder. “Now, that puts you at unnecessary risk. That’s not something kitchen witches are particularly known for.”

  “A risk, yes,” Sella said. “But I think I do think it’s a necessary one.” She rose from her seat. “I’ll go get Benka. Stay with Cali and I’ll be back soon.”

  TWENTY-NINE

  A Ruckus at the Hotel

  Sella, Benka, and his few men walking down the street together drew enough of a crowd that by the time they arrived back at the hotel, it had become a spectacle. Benka had, somewhat reluctantly, bought into her divination spell story and had agreed to search Nicte’s personal items.

  Nicte, however, caused the scene to escalate rapidly once he was detained in the hotel lobby. Two men held each of his shoulders to keep him still.

  “That witch!” he shouted, pointing at Sella with a ferocity and prejudice she hadn’t expected. “She’s lying! If anyone stole anything from Calisyali, it’s Lohrna!”

  Sella drew a protective arm in front of Lohrna. But she stayed quiet. Benka would be back from his search soon and they would be vindicated.

  “This is ridiculous!” Nicte raved.

  Beside him, Dimas pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes tight as though a headache was forming between them. “We’ll handle it, Nicte.” Dimas’ eyes were still sealed. “Calm yourself, you’re making a fool out of me.”

  In fact, the crowd that formed did make it look like he was inciting more riot. People swayed with his every word, some pointed at the two hornless visitors, some at Lohrna.

  Sella eyed those who pointed to her friend with a grimace. Her heartbeat quickened.

  In the fray, Benka appeared suddenly. He held out a small rucksack for Nicte to examine.

  Nicte ripped the bag from Benka’s hand and rummaged through it. His brows came together in confusion. Sella thought it looked like an obvious ploy to appear innocent. It wouldn’t fool her. “Those aren’t mine!” he shouted, still pulling against the men who held his shoulders firm as he dug through the bag. He held up a few stones: gray, speckled, and common. “And… what even are they? They’re worthless stones!”

  Benka sighed. He took the bag and showed its contents to Sella and Lohrna, who gazed into it with horrified expressions. Inside the sack was a handful of riverbed stones.

  Cali screeched, “That’s not what I found!” No one but Sella heard, and even to her ears, it sounded like Cali’s voice was under water. Far away.

  Sella felt her hands heat up. Her cheeks reddened. She advanced on Nicte. “He must have used magic! He’s hiding something!”

  Benka shook his head slowly, his eyes closed and his head cast to the ground. “That’s enough.” His voice, loud and clear, stopped Sella in her place.

  Sella turned to him with angry eyes, her hands clenched as her pulse pounded in her ears. “Benka! You have to trust us! This… this isn’t right. Someone is setting us up! I know those stones weren’t like that before.”

  Ignoring her, Benka turned his attention to Lohrna. The two men let go of Nicte and moved forward swiftly. “This has gone on long enough. I cannot abide you two running amok when I already have what I need to understand what’s going on here. Lohrna Longleaf, you are coming with us under suspicion of the murder of Kexyus Calisyali.”

  Beside her, Lohrna’s legs gave out as if she was hit from behind. Her knees hit the ground hard.

  “What?!” Sella stepped toward her, hand out to block Lohrna from the approaching men. “Benka, you’re mistaken!”

  “Move aside,” Benka said calmly as his men advanced. One moved around her quickly while the other grabbed at her wrist. Sella yanked it away but he just held her by her shoulder firmly as soon as she was free. She thrashed in his grasp but he held steady.

  The man by Lohrna lifted her to her feet. He held her by the elbow and shuffled her closer to the door. Her legs wobbled, unstable beneath her as the man nearly carried her out.

  Lohrna looked back at Sella, eyes wide.

  “Benka! What are you doing?” Sella continued to struggle against the other man’s hold. his fingers only grabbed harder, bruising her collarbone. She felt fire at her fingertips. She imagined the whole place going up in flames. How good it would feel to let it all burn.

  “Let the kitchen witch go,” Benka said to the man. “She’s no danger to us here.”

  “I’m no danger at all if you just let her go.” Sella protested, her fire extinguished as quickly as it had come. She threw her body weight forward and the man released her. She turned back at him with a glare, then pointed at Benka. “You are making a mistake, detective.”

  Lohrna’s eyes pleaded with Sella, they were fearful, urgent. She looked up at the man holding her, “I didn’t– I couldn’t–” she choked.

  “Best to stay quiet,” the man said.

  Lohrna bit her lip hard, tears pooled at the corners of her round eyes. She turned back to Sella as Benka said, “Take her to the cells.”

  “No–” Lohrna sobbed, but the man holding her simply escorted her from the hotel. With a slam of the door, Lohrna disappeared from Sella’s sight.

  Benka turned as Sella lunged forward to grab his arm. The crowd that gathered, their judgmental whispers, none of it mattered. She didn’t even care that she could be held for assault as she pulled his sleeve hard. “Stop it!” The sleeve of his shirt ripped between her fingers. “You’re making a mistake. You know this isn’t right!”

  Benka glanced over his shoulder at her casually, like he knew that she had no strength in her to move him. His face was impassive, as though Sella wasn’t even there at all. “She had means, motive, and opportunity, Sella. I have to go where the evidence – the real evidence points.”

  “Tell that to Aadel.” Sella’s voice was strong, though her body shook violently. “Lohrna is a good person, Benka. You know this.”

  Benka sighed but turned to leave, his arm escaping her grasp as though he was made of smoke. “You think you’re being set up?” His voice was so quiet, Sella almost missed it. “Then prove it.”

  Sella remained frozen, as if by a spell. Her hand was still outstretched, her body ready to fight, but she could not move. She watched Benka leave as the large hotel door opened and he was swallowed in the darkness of the rainy night. The sound of the siren’s call echoed in her ears for just a moment, then the door slammed shut again.

  Behind her desk, Penya perked up at the sound. She sat up straight and blinked furiously as she looked about the room. “What is all this ruckus?” her ancient voice asked.

  And, in that moment, it seemed to Sella that the world suddenly began to come alive again. She heard the sounds of the people around her, all in a frenzy, scurrying about, talking hurriedly to one another. She heard every crack of the old woman’s joints as she pushed herself up from her desk. She heard Nicte proclaim that justice was served. She heard the raging sound of the wind, and rain, and siren song outside. She heard all of it. It echoed deep within her shaking bones as she stood there, unable to think of what to do next.

  “Sella.” Cali’s voice cut through the din. Her cold hand grazed Sella’s, and a rush of ice went through the witch’s body. “Come on, Sella. We need to get out of here.”

  Sella looked around; her eyes were blurry. From tears, from panic, from anger. “I can’t see.” She choked and her knees buckled. She caught herself and stumbled forward.

  “I’ll guide you,” Cali whispered. The temperature around them dropped and Sella felt a hand, a real hand, slip into hers, fingers weaving into her own. The ghost pulled her through the hotel lobby and the double doors burst open with a gust of wind, parting for them to make their way through.

  Sella heard the gasps of the people behind her, each of them fearful of her power, though none of this was hers.

  THIRTY

  An Excellent Bookkeeper

  “This is ridiculous!” Beejee spat. “They’ve got the wrong person!”

  In the loft above the shop, Sella was furiously stirring a large bowl of cookie mix. “He’s an idiot!” She hissed through gritted teeth. Bits of dough flew out from the edges of the wooden bowl. She let out a choking sob and dropped the bowl down with a thud onto the countertop.

  “I’ll help,” Cali said. She reached for a yellow woven dish towel near her. Her hand grasped the towel, but her brows furrowed as she tried to pick it up. It stayed still on the counter. “I can do this,” she whispered and reached for it again. But the towel remained fixed to the wood. She tried again. And failed.

  “This is all my fault!” Cali screamed and a burst of wind scattered Koukie and Beejee.

  Her booming voice shocked Sella out of her own anger. Her brows drew in and she felt herself wrapping her arms across her body. Her heart raced loudly in her chest as she watched as Cali reached for the towel again, but, small as it was, it did not move. The air around them grew cold. The flames above extinguished. Sella shivered and Beejee retreated under the bed. “Why! Can’t! I! Do anything right! I can’t even move this stupid, stupid towel!” Though the window was shut, the wind continued to pick up around them, blowing furiously. Cali sank to her knees and began to cry into her hands.

  Sella moved forward, one hand up to shield her from the growing storm forming around Cali. The herbs hanging from the cabinets began to shed their leaves in the violence. Cabinet doors opened and slammed shut.

  “It’s alright,” Sella called through the howling wind. The ghost’s form flickered, blinking in and out of the space. Her cries only grew louder. “Cali, listen to me! None of this is your fault, you hear me? None of it!”

  The air went suddenly still.

  Sella rushed to Cali and fell to her side. She put an arm around Cali’s shaking shoulders and found her to be solid, cold, like stone. Cali leaned into Sella’s embrace, nuzzling into her shoulder as she cried.

  Sella felt her own tears prick at the edges of her eyes. She was afraid that right as Cali needed her, the ghost would dissipate like a mirage in her arms. She pushed her tears from her own eyes with the back of her free hand. It felt silly to be crying now when she, very much alive, was holding on to a ghost. Her other arm squeezed a little tighter.

  “It’s not alright,” Cali breathed. She pulled away from Sella’s warmth and looked at her with pained eyes. “I’m dead.”

  “I know,” Sella whispered. There was nothing else to say. It was a cruel, horrible, tragic fact. Cali was dead, and nothing, no power she possessed, could change that.

  Cali went on through her shimmering tears, “I’m dead and my death was meaningless and my life was meaningless and now… Now everyone around me is getting hurt. People I care about are getting hurt.” Her voice was shaking as she forced the words from her throat. “I can’t even help you right now. And you’ve risked everything for me.”

  “I’d do it again,” Sella said firmly. She pulled Cali in again until their foreheads nearly touched. “We’re going to find a way out of this, okay? We risked all of this because we care about you, Cali.”

  “It’s all meaningless…” Cali’s tone was spent. Defeated.

  Sella knew that almost nothing she could say would pull her from the dark she found herself in. She tried anyway. “Your life was not meaningless.” Sella met her gaze. She smiled, though it hurt her heart to do so. “After all, you were an excellent bookkeeper.”

  Cali choked out a laugh through her tears. “What? I was an excellent bookkeeper?”

  “Oh, thank the tides.” Sella breathed a heavy sigh of relief. “I didn’t think that would work.”

  Cali’s smile lingered, but another tear fell down her cheek.

  Sella leaned in. “Really, Cali. You were only here a short time, but you made a lasting impression on so many. Hazen, Cirian, Ovina, Isra…”

  Cali raised a brow. She pushed the tear from her cheek. “The milk delivery lady?” She laughed.

  “She’s a farmer, technically. The milk delivery is only one aspect of her work. Like how you are so much more than a ghost now, or a bookkeeper, or a traveler then.” Sella let out a warm chuckle. “Everyone who knew you adored you. Your life was not meaningless. I’m sorry I only got to know you after it ended. I’ve been in my own head the year I’ve been back. I should have noticed you right away.”

  “You’re just being nice.”

  “No, really, Cali. You have a spark that no one else has and it’s evident to anyone who talks about you. I was too busy feeling sorry for myself. I lost out.”

  Cali laughed again but held a hand over her mouth. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t laugh at that,” she whispered. “I would’ve liked to have known you, too. Not like this – dead… or with so much drama. I was just a number enthusiast; I didn't do much in life. But it would’ve been nice to see more… and share a cup of coffee with you.”

  “You crossed the ocean.” Beejee trotted over to them at last. “That’s better than we ever did. And Koukie won’t shut up about how you saved her life.”

  Sella gave his head a small scratch. “See? And I’m sure there’s so much we have left to learn about you. Adventures you’ve been on, people’s lives you changed–”

  “Your death might have been meaningless, though,” Beejee cut in bluntly.

  Sella flicked his nose with her finger.

  “I’m not going to lie to her,” he hissed.

  Cali shrugged and smiled. “I think that means you’re warming up to me.”

  Sella gave her one last squeeze, and she felt Cali’s form begin to shift into shadow again. “Listen, I can get my own dish towel, alright? You got me out of the hotel when I couldn’t do it alone. That must’ve taken a lot out of you. Why don’t you rest for now?”

  “Only if you promise to keep making those delicious-smelling cookies. I can’t eat them, but… it smells like home.”

  Sella nodded, her expression was easy at last. “I’m glad my angry baking is soothing.”

  Cali closed her eyes. Her form began to fade. “Very,” her disembodied voice whispered.

  The cookies – infused with nothing, because Sella had worried if she tried, it would only be exhaustion and anger – were cooling on the counter. The room was warm from the fire glowing in the hearth and the flame-fueled oven that had been running throughout the night. Koukie and Beejee were curled up in their respective areas by the fire. They still kept their distance, but both slept soundly – a giveaway that they formed, if not friendship, at least an understanding.

 

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