Read Online A Gift of Ghosts (Tassamara) by Sarah Wynde - Free Book Online
Authors: Sarah Wynde
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Akira
compressed her lips together. She couldn’t believe Zane. What did he think he
was doing?
“Car’s haunted,” Zane answered, straightening. He gestured
toward Akira with his chin. “She can see ghosts.”
Akira’s eyes widened and her mouth opened and then she
glared. Did the man not have a speck of discretion? At this rate, the entire
world was going to know she was crazy.
Dave’s brows raised, but he managed not to let go of whatever
skeptical comment was on his tongue, taking a few steps forward and holding out
his hand to shake hands with Akira. “Dave Voigt,” he said. “A pleasure.”
“Akira Malone,” she sighed, shaking his hand and wishing she
dared give a fake name. But Zane would probably give her away immediately if
she did.
“So what’s he say?” Zane repeated.
“Yeah, what’s he say?” Dave grinned at her, and it wasn’t
quite a smirk.
Damn it, she didn’t know what to do. She glanced at Dillon,
who shrugged. “Talking Heads?” he offered.
She frowned. It seemed like an odd choice from a teenage boy.
She’d thought he was a recent ghost, within a few years, but she supposed his
casual attire could have been from any late twentieth century era. Still, if Zane
was his uncle, and had known him in life, he couldn’t be that old. “Aren’t you
kind of young for them? They ought to be from before you were even born.”
She ignored the surprised look from Dave, standing next to
her. Zane, following her gaze, realized that Dillon was outside the car. He
stepped back and shut the car door.
“My dad’s a big fan,” Dillon replied. “I used to listen to
them all the time. And Kyle’ll have ‘em on CD in the garage.”
Well, okay, then. “Talking Heads,” Akira said.
Zane nodded, and for a moment, Dave looked startled, his eyes
widening, body straightening. Then he relaxed and said, “Nice. Your dad must be
stoked. Hey, Dillon.”
It was Akira’s turn to look surprised. What the hell was
wrong with people in this town? Did they just believe anything they were told?
CHAPTER SIX
Akira argued with Zane for ten minutes, then spent the rest
of the car ride fuming.
How could he not understand what a terrible idea it was to
let people know that she saw ghosts? It was dangerous!
If they didn’t believe in ghosts, they’d think she was crazy.
If they did believe in ghosts, it would be even worse. She
was a scientist, a rational researcher who believed in the laws of logic and
the scientific method. Seeing ghosts was a problem. A disability, even. It wasn’t
something she wanted people to know about her.
And she’d tried telling him so, but he’d just brushed off her
concerns with an airy, “Dave’s seen weirder, and Nat is weirder. Don’t worry
about it.”
Weirder! His doctor sister? Natalya had seemed as normal as
blueberry pie to Akira. And having her perfectly reasonable anxiety dismissed
was infuriating.
Plus, there were the ghosts. Zane didn’t understand the
risks, and his easy acceptance of his nephew’s presence didn’t mean that he’d
be as ready to believe in the darker side of spirit energy. Hundreds of years
of scary stories weren’t all wrong: not all ghosts were like Dillon. But how to
tell Zane so without sounding insane? Or would that be more insane?
As he pulled the car into a parking space on the town’s main
street, Zane said cheerfully, “You’re a sulker, aren’t you?”
A sulker? Akira had never had a sibling, but she recognized
the type. He was a button-pusher. “And you’re a younger brother, aren’t you?”
He laughed as she got out of the car. “I’m serious,” she
repeated across the roof, as he walked around to the curbside. “This isn’t
something that I want people to know.”
“It’s not like I’m putting it on CNN,” he said reasonably, as
she fell into step beside him. They were headed to the restaurant she’d seen on
her first quick visit to the town, the one that looked something like a
compressed her lips together. She couldn’t believe Zane. What did he think he
was doing?
“Car’s haunted,” Zane answered, straightening. He gestured
toward Akira with his chin. “She can see ghosts.”
Akira’s eyes widened and her mouth opened and then she
glared. Did the man not have a speck of discretion? At this rate, the entire
world was going to know she was crazy.
Dave’s brows raised, but he managed not to let go of whatever
skeptical comment was on his tongue, taking a few steps forward and holding out
his hand to shake hands with Akira. “Dave Voigt,” he said. “A pleasure.”
“Akira Malone,” she sighed, shaking his hand and wishing she
dared give a fake name. But Zane would probably give her away immediately if
she did.
“So what’s he say?” Zane repeated.
“Yeah, what’s he say?” Dave grinned at her, and it wasn’t
quite a smirk.
Damn it, she didn’t know what to do. She glanced at Dillon,
who shrugged. “Talking Heads?” he offered.
She frowned. It seemed like an odd choice from a teenage boy.
She’d thought he was a recent ghost, within a few years, but she supposed his
casual attire could have been from any late twentieth century era. Still, if Zane
was his uncle, and had known him in life, he couldn’t be that old. “Aren’t you
kind of young for them? They ought to be from before you were even born.”
She ignored the surprised look from Dave, standing next to
her. Zane, following her gaze, realized that Dillon was outside the car. He
stepped back and shut the car door.
“My dad’s a big fan,” Dillon replied. “I used to listen to
them all the time. And Kyle’ll have ‘em on CD in the garage.”
Well, okay, then. “Talking Heads,” Akira said.
Zane nodded, and for a moment, Dave looked startled, his eyes
widening, body straightening. Then he relaxed and said, “Nice. Your dad must be
stoked. Hey, Dillon.”
It was Akira’s turn to look surprised. What the hell was
wrong with people in this town? Did they just believe anything they were told?
CHAPTER SIX
Akira argued with Zane for ten minutes, then spent the rest
of the car ride fuming.
How could he not understand what a terrible idea it was to
let people know that she saw ghosts? It was dangerous!
If they didn’t believe in ghosts, they’d think she was crazy.
If they did believe in ghosts, it would be even worse. She
was a scientist, a rational researcher who believed in the laws of logic and
the scientific method. Seeing ghosts was a problem. A disability, even. It wasn’t
something she wanted people to know about her.
And she’d tried telling him so, but he’d just brushed off her
concerns with an airy, “Dave’s seen weirder, and Nat is weirder. Don’t worry
about it.”
Weirder! His doctor sister? Natalya had seemed as normal as
blueberry pie to Akira. And having her perfectly reasonable anxiety dismissed
was infuriating.
Plus, there were the ghosts. Zane didn’t understand the
risks, and his easy acceptance of his nephew’s presence didn’t mean that he’d
be as ready to believe in the darker side of spirit energy. Hundreds of years
of scary stories weren’t all wrong: not all ghosts were like Dillon. But how to
tell Zane so without sounding insane? Or would that be more insane?
As he pulled the car into a parking space on the town’s main
street, Zane said cheerfully, “You’re a sulker, aren’t you?”
A sulker? Akira had never had a sibling, but she recognized
the type. He was a button-pusher. “And you’re a younger brother, aren’t you?”
He laughed as she got out of the car. “I’m serious,” she
repeated across the roof, as he walked around to the curbside. “This isn’t
something that I want people to know.”
“It’s not like I’m putting it on CNN,” he said reasonably, as
she fell into step beside him. They were headed to the restaurant she’d seen on
her first quick visit to the town, the one that looked something like a
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