“Did one just walk in now?” he asked.
“Just for a moment. No one of importance.”
The restless spirit hissed, but Mercedes ignored her.
Sven sighed. “I guess I was hoping for someone I used to know too. Hoping for friendly spirits. Ones that won’t scare away the guests.”
“You know that people visiting Harmony Glen and staying here will be hoping for a haunting,” Mercedes teased gently. “Maybe they’ll want to be scared?”
Sven smiled, baring his fangs slightly. “I know. And I’m glad we can say this place is haunted, I just don’t want aggressive spirits.”
“Says the Dead and Breakfast manager with red eyes and fangs.”
Sven chuckled. “Well, I’ll let you get on with your work.”
He left the room by floating through the wall, and Mercedes spun around to see the spirit. She was more formed, her arms were crossed, and Mercedes was able to get a better look at her. The golden twenties-style dress, the beaded headband, and satin gloves that went to the elbows.
Whoever she was, she was quite beautiful.
“What’s your deal? Are you the one casting bad stuff on me? I know you can manipulate emotions. Ghosts usually can’t do that.”
“The polite thing would be to ask my name.”
Mercedes’ eyes narrowed. “Oh, I think we’re long past that, but you can tell me your name and why you’re trying to make my life harder.”
The spirit’s expression softened. “I’m not the one responsible. That explosion was all you. I may have projected some unpleasant feelings in your direction, but…I’m protective of Sven.”
“I gathered. I’m not interested in Sven. He’s my boss.”
“I see that now.” The spirit smirked. “You like the other one. Magnus. The one with a crude sense of humor.”
Mercedes’ heart skipped a beat. “What’re you talking about?”
“You don’t need to play coy with me.”
“Oh? You haven’t been really forthcoming, so why should I be?”
The spirit sighed. “My name is Florence, but you may call me Flo. Or it was. I’m a revenant. Sven and Magnus would refer to me as adraugr. I personally prefer phantom.”
That explained why she wasn’t getting the usual ghost vibes from Flo. There were certain attributes most ghosts had, something that was hard to explain. All Mercedes knew was that Flo didn’t have it. Being a revenant made sense, though she didn’t know much about them. The only thing she could recall from her education as a witch was that they were bound to where they died. Much like a ghoul, but also not.
“It’s nice to formally meet you, Flo. I’m Mercedes.”
“I know.”
“How did you become this way?” Mercedes asked.
Flo shrugged. “I don’t know. My death, or the moment I turned, is a void. I just remember being this. What I remember of my old life is spotty. I don’t even know why I care about these ghouls.”
What Flo was describing sounded like a curse.
“You’ve been invisible for what…a century?”
“Around that time. I can manipulate some objects and I have to return to my safe place under the foundation of this house, so I was marking time by scratching stuff in the wall, but there’s nobody down there and I can’t seem to cross over the way the other spirits do. Plus, the others tend to keep away from me.”
“They keep away from you?”
Flo nodded. “You’re the first person to acknowledge my presence in a long time.”